The Paintballers Christmas Wish List

The Silly Season is upon us, with Christmas only a few weeks away.  Do you have a paintballer in your family, perhaps they’ve been asking for something paintball related and you don’t know where to start.

Most of these products can be purchased from our pro-shop, or via our suppliers, have a chat to our team to discuss the best present for our significant other, friend or family member.

What to Buy: 

Paintball Marker ($100-2000):
The sure fire way to make a paintball players day, a brand new paintball marker.  For new players an entry level paintball marker such as that made by Spyder, Azodin, Tippman or others should cost approximately $100-300 and will generally include a basic CO2 tank and gravity fed loader.

For more experienced players a Mil-Sim style marker will start around the $300 mark, and electronic tournament style markers tend to range from $500-2000 for a top of the line gun.  We recommend Tippmann, Spyder and Tiberius Arms for Mil-Sim style markers.  Tournament markers are also made by companies such as Planet Eclipse, DYE, Proto, Empire, Luxe, Bob Long and Many others.

It is very important to discuss this with the recipient before purchasing to ensure that the marker is appropriate for the style of game they play.  Remember you must be 16 or over with a firearms licence to own a paintball marker, or 18 without.  Younger players might find the spring loaded markers from JT such as the Splatmaster more suitable.

Goggles or Lenses ($100-250):
There are two brand new goggle systems hitting the market, the new HK Army KLR and Virtue Vio, both shipping just after Christmas.  These will be very popular in the new year and an ideal stocking filler.  For those who can’t wait we recommend the Empire E-Flex‘s and Dye i4 Goggles.  We strongly advise against cheaper goggle systems, spend the extra money to protect your loved ones eyesight.

Loader ($150-250)
A brand new loader is a great way to ensure that your paintballs keep up with your rate of fire.  Currently popular loaders include the DYE Rotor, Virtue Spire and the new model for this christmas, the GI Sportz Pulse RDR.  Cheaper loaders are also available, but often do not keep up with the high rate of fire of modern paintball markers.

Approved HPA Tank ($140-400)
All our markers run on High Pressure Air, and due to New Zealand Legislation, must be approved by the government Authorities.  Please contact our staff before purchasing any HPA tank to ensure that it is legal to fill in New Zealand.  Tanks start at around $140 NZD for a 47cui.

Barrels ($50-200)
Aftermarket barrels can make your paintball marker shoot more accurately and quieter, as well as looking damn awesome.  There are many brands of barrels and they can often have different threads, the most common are “Spyder Thread” for the cheapest makers, “Tippman Thread” for many milsim markers, and “Cocker Thread” for high end tournament markers.

Clothes ($30-200)
A wide range of casual and paintball game related clothes are available including Tshirts/streetwear from brands such as PBH, HK Army, Contract Killer, Dye and much more, or technical gear such as playing jerseys and pants from companies such as Raza, Anthrax, HK army and more.  When purchasing a Jersey ensure that the size is 1 or 2 sizes larger than you would normally wear, due to protective padding underneath.

Tools ($10+)
A toolkit is always handy, consider purchasing quality allen/hex wrenches, lubricant, o-ring kits and high end batteries to ensure your loved ones marker is always operating at peak performance.

Stocking Stuffers ($10-50)
Smaller gift ideas could include headbands from HK Army and PBH, regulator grips and speed feeds from Exalt, squeegees, lanyards and keyrings, Derder DVDs and other paintball novelties and accessories.

What not to buy:

Paintballs
We strongly advise against purchasing paintballs of TradeMe and the like.  Not only are paintballs from outside of the field banned, but you often run into poor quality of “seconds” being sold on auction sites. Support your local field and purchase on site.

Unapproved HPA Tank
For a long time unapproved tanks were being imported into New Zealand illegally. These are still available on some online sites, and occasionally end up for sale on social media or auction sites (though these tend to be taken down quickly).  When purchasing a tank please ask our staff whether it is NZ legal, to ensure that it can be filled.