Through My Lenses: Over-Chrono

A paintball exits the muzzle of a marker's barrel at about 300feet per second (FPS), or 90 meters per second. That translates to about 200 miles per hour, or about 320kilometers per hour. At those velocities, most paintballs break on impact. It is considered a "safe" limit for the game, and is followed all over the world.

Paintball markers, from Tippmanns, to Dyes, to Planet Eclipses, to MacDevs, are designed to work at its best if the velocity is set BELOW 300fps. Infact, the recommended velocity for the infamous(but often over-rated, i know because i have one) BT Apex barrels is 275-285fps and the flatline is recommended to be used at 275fps to be effective. Experienced ballers would know, if the marker is over-chronoed, the accuracy drops, balls break more often, and they hurt a hell load more. Paintball masks, from V-Force to i4's to Jt's, all paintball mask manufacturers, provide a little booklet on mask maintenance. If you still have yours, please open it. Every mask that i know of, have a disclaimer. "This mask cannot protect you from paintballs flying at over 300fps." or something that carries almost the same meaning to that.

The reasons that i always get from people that over-chrono: It shoots further. Yes, it does give you a few additional meters when shooting, but at what cost? Safety? Accuracy? What's the point of having a marker with that sorta range but you're unable to actually hit the target?

I personally believe that all paintball barrel kits and markers are designed to work best at speeds below 300fps. So there's no point for you to spend Rm500-600 on a barrel kit if you're going to over-chrono your marker. It will not give you improved accuracy, it will not make you play paintball better, it would just brand you as a "kiasu" guy that has more money then he can spend.

You will be surprised that on normal play days, how many people over-chrono their markers. Although this problem is slowly a thing of the past in Tanamera Paintball Park due to our random spot-check sessions, it is still rampant in other fields. Some fields actually does not have a chrono limit(no, i'm not telling which field) The owner himself told me that he wants his customer to have fun, and he said paintball is not fun without the pain. So all his house markers(Bravo Ones and Spyder Extras) are chronoed to 320-340fps. He also told me with much self satisfaction that before he ditched the chrono limit, he shot a few of his rental masks close range and they stood fast. But ask your selfs. How much more the mask can take? And how many accidents does it take for our favorite sport to be in the firing squad of the Rakyat, and the government. Yes, it only takes ONE(1) accident.

Some people actually take fun from seeing another's misery. When he see people bleed. Ask your self again. Are you one of those people? One of those who does not want new players? One who scares all the newbies away by making them bleed? Or the one that would cause the very first "mask break" accident in Malaysia? Stop being so kiasu and childish la...

Those velocity limits, and those disclaimer on the masks are there for a reason. They're designed that way after years of accidents, trials, and errors. Its a very simple thing to follow, its there for a reason, in fact, the most important reason and rule of them all, safety first, safety last.

Over-chono-ing players in Tanamera, you guys better watch out. I'll be getting you very very soon.

=)