Let me explain how paintball loaders work.
A hopper is the part of a paintball gun used to store paintballs, and the hopper loads the paintball into the barrel, similar to a firearm magazine. You need many balls for playing a paintball game, and you don’t want to be out of ammo mid-game. The hopper allows many paintballs to be stored in the gun, so you can fire continuously without having to stop and reload each time.
How many paintballs does a hopper hold?
A standard paintball hopper has a capacity of around 200 paintballs, but it depends on the type and size.
Different types of hoppers
These are the different kinds of hoppers:
- Mag fed hoppers are spring-loaded magazines that feed new ammo into the barrel from underneath.
- Gravity fed hoppers are mounted on top, using gravity to pull the paintballs into the barrel.
- Cyclone-fed paintball hoppers are similar to gravity hoppers but have 5-6 slots where the paintballs can fall into and rotates like a revolver when it loads a new pellet into the barrel.
- Electronic hoppers are high-end, use batteries, and have the highest feed rate. If used with an electronic paintball gun, they can shoot faster than a mechanical system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s answer some commonly asked questions about hoppers and playing paintball.
How Many Paintballs Do You Need for 2 Hours?
If you’re playing more casually, you might only use 250-400 paintballs in two hours. It varies based on the person and how they play. Professional paintballers tend to have a lower firing rate throughout a tournament than beginners.
A paintball gun can fire 5-6 paintballs per second. You’re just shooting continuously for two hours; you could probably go through 10,000-20,000 paintballs, or even more with speed feed, considering it doesn’t jam the gun, and you refill it after every 200 balls. I estimate the average firing rate would be 2-3 balls per second with refilling.
How Long Will 100 Paintballs Last?
100 paintballs will last for 30-50 minutes of continuous speedball play, depending on which scenario game you are playing.
If you are playing woodsball, 100 paintballs may last for hours, as people tend to shoot less and take their time.
How Long Will 500 Paintballs Last?
500 paintballs will last for 2.5 hours to 4.2 hours.
How Many Paintballs are in a Case?
A case, pack, or bag of paintballs typically contains 500, 1000, or 2,000 balls but varies depending on the brand and size of the balls. A half day of paintballing requires around 500 balls per person, so a case of 2000 balls should be enough for four people to play for up to4 hours.
How Many Paintballs Do You Need for a Game?
A beginner needs 200 paintballs for a game, roughly the same amount that a full hopper can hold. Some only use 50 paintballs in an entire game, while others are out of ammo mid-game. Once you have some experience, you will better understand how many balls you need for your playing style.
What is a cyclone hopper for a paintball gun?
A cyclone hopper or loader is a paintball gun feeder that uses centrifugal force to keep the paintballs in the hopper from clogging. The cyclone hopper spins the paintballs around in a circular pattern, which keeps them moving and prevents them from clumping together, allowing them to feed into the gun more smoothly and reliably. Some brands like Dye have good cyclone hoppers.
What is a hopper adapter for a paintball gun?
A hopper adapter attaches to a paintball gun so the gun can feed paintballs from a hopper rather than from a magazine. It is helpful for players who have mag-fed markers but want to be able to shoot more paintballs without having to reload their guns as often.
