How Much Does Paintball Cost?

Paintball is a recreational shooting sport in which players compete to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules filled with colored dye, commonly referred to as “paintballs.” It is often played in outdoor fields or indoor arenas specially designed for the sport.

Paintball is known for its strategic and tactical aspects, and it can be played at various skill levels, from casual recreational games to competitive tournaments. It offers an exciting and adrenaline-pumping experience for participants while promoting teamwork and communication among players. So how much does paintball cost?

How Much Does Paintball Cost?

The average individual spends about $30 to $50 to play paintball once using rental equipment, but Paintball can cost as much or as little as you want to invest. It will be very inexpensive when you’re an amateur who only occasionally wants to have fun, just like in the case of other sports. As you become more and more involved in the sport, you will notice that your costs will also rise.

The costs of paintball can be divided into two distinct categories. There are initial costs and recurring costs. Think about initial costs as the price you will spend on the equipment you need to get started. Recurring costs, on the other hand, are the expenses you will incur each time you play.

You can avoid some of the initial costs, which you will see in the next part of the article are nothing to ignore, by renting the needed equipment. This is especially a good idea for people who aren’t sure they would enjoy paintball and want to try it a few times, without committing to equipment acquisition.

Basic Pump Pack

If you’re only interested in the cheapest paintball equipment on the market, then you can get a basic pump player’s pack from your local big box retailer for around $30 to
$50. These packs usually come with:

• A plastic pump gun
• A few ​12-gram CO2 canisters
• A hopper
• A mask

Although these guns will work at first, they might need constant replacement of the small 12-gram CO2 canisters, they tend to break paint in the barrel and are hardly ever accurate. They might also be rather slow. Some of them come with masks that, although cover your face, are still pretty uncomfortable.

The Air

If you use compressed air or CO2, then obviously you will have to refill the tanks periodically. You will spend roughly $3 to $10 to refill compressed air and CO2 tanks in most stores, depending on the tank size.

You might also like our articles on the cost of laser tag, Urban Air, or SkyZone.

A cheaper option, if you’re considering playing a lot, is to just purchase your own large CO2 tank or scuba tank and refill your paintball tank yourself. In this way, you will end up recouping the money and cutting down on costs in time, even though the initial cost will be significant for these tanks.

The Paint

The cost of the paintballs you will shoot is one of the most obvious costs related to paintball as a sport.

• You will probably spend about $80 on a case of 2000 professional grade tournament paint balls.
• Cheap paint has a lower price, usually starting at about $10 for a box of 500 paintballs or $30 for a case of 2000 rounds.

You should know that most professional fields will require that you purchase field paint, which is specially designed for these things and costs more than the paint you find at local Walmarts. You will spend more on paint if you use a gun that shoots faster.

Basic Equipment Price

You can purchase an electro-mechanical or entry-level semi-automatic paintball gun and all the needed equipment to go with it for about $100 to $150.

Most guns will come directly packaged with a tank, a mask, and a hopper, although these will probably be pretty basic, so you can buy them separately to ensure you have more qualitative ones.

• Hoppers cost about $5
• CO2 tanks start at around $12
• Masks start at around $20

Depending on the type of gun you get, some basic ones are non-upgradable, while others can be equipped with upgrades list drop forwards, improved barrels, or expansion chambers. You can consider getting paintball-specific clothing as well. These can be found at army surplus stores or thrift stores. These clothes are recommended as this sport is messy.

High-End Equipment Option

If you want to buy and then customize a higher-end setup, then you will spend a lot more on equipment.

• A motorized hopper can help you achieve maximum firing speeds.
• Most high-end equipment will use compressed air as opposed to CO2.
• The professional level gun alone can set you back $2,000 or more, and any additional gear can set you back just as much.

In the case of high-end equipment, after your initial purchase, you will be able to customize all aspects of the equipment and buy upgrades from custom anodizing jobs to circuit boards. You can buy high-end clothing as well, including knee and elbow pads, specialized pants, and custom jerseys.

Field Fees

You can play on a professional course, but you will be required to pay for this privilege.

The usual fees of field rental are between $15 and $50, although these will vary considerably depending on the location you’re going to. Most fields have membership types and offer reduced rates to members as well as season passes, so you should check these out if you are serious about playing and look for cost-effective ways to play.

Rental Equipment package

You can rent equipment for the day at your local paintball field if you only want to experiment with the game. Paintball booking for a party, for example, shouldn’t cost more than $30 to $50 on average. This fee will enable you to use an entry-level gun, several paintballs, a tank, a hopper, and a mask. This price will usually include the entry fee.