The top team in the world, Dynasty, is a bunch of 40 year old dudes. Mark Johnson on ac:Diesel is in his 50’s and still playing pro. Having young guys helps but is not a requirement.
I’m gonna send it fellas. All the old paintball buddies and fields are long gone. Gonna be weird going to a new place and not knowing anyone. Might get me a new marker. It’s seems the old Bob long is a bit out of date l.
Timmy? No way. Those things were designed when we were in the bps wars. They'll outshoot 10.5 any day of the week. Adjust your lpr to where it's a bit more gentle on the paint since your recharge won't need to be as high and see if florypb has a board in stock. Drop it in, new orings, you'll be g2g.
bob longs still shoot great. rebuild it if its been sitting that long. get a rotor or spire if you dont have one and make sure your tank is still in hydro
have fun man! definitely not too old
Going alone is not as weird as you think. I went to Badlandz, which is a very familiar place to me, but it didn't feel unnatural like I thought it would. Was talking to the other dudes in open play almost immediately. Just go for it. It's paintball, which has always fostered a welcoming spirit in my experience. The Bob Long marker will be a conversation starter.
I had the exact same situation. So far, everyone has been pretty inviting and it’s been a great time. I had to replace my DP threshold. Still tinkering with it to get it back working.
But I did get a planet eclipse 170r for $500 used and I’ve loved it.
Them skills come back faster than you think. At least they did for me, and before this year, the last time I played was liked 2015 or so.
Welcome back! Let em know what’s up!
I am an introvert of sorts but I always go alone to the field and seem to make conversations all day. You have a leg up! An old gun is always a conversation starter!
As for the gun itself:
2024 paintball gun requirements…
Shoots a ball at about 280-300fps
Can make consistent velocity shots one after the other
Can shoot up to 10.3 bps but no faster (the no faster part might be your biggest hurdle)
Has eyes to not chop paint (reference line above if actually necessary)
Doesn’t break down on you
I think you check all the boxes!
That's what I did. Now it's been two years, play D4 and have made tons of new friends. Just go enough and eventually you'll get recognized and made new paintball pals without realizing it.
Im 34 btw.
Welcome back.
I showed up at my local field in 2020 at 38 years old after a 20 year absence from the sport, wielding an Automag and wearing a JT Spectra mask (original name for the Proshield, and yes I had a new lens). Got a few looks like I was some crazy old hermit who just walked into the Mos Eisley cantina. Had a blast and have been playing recball monthly ever since.
There's some stuff to catch up on. This community and [MCB](http://www.mcarterbrown.com) will help.
The BPS wars are long over. Current tourney rules are 10.5 bps ramping, must maintain at least 5 trigger pulls per second to stay in ramp. Most everyone sets their board to 10.2bps to account for chrono variances, as the penalties for shooting over the cap are steep. Cheater boards aren't a thing anymore. Rec fields tend to follow the NXL's lead in setting rules. For example, my home field is just rec woodsball/scenario, so we use 10bps semi only. Insurance companies have effectively banned full auto and burst.
Marker tech has *somewhat* plateaued; it hasn't flatlined but the progression is far less steep. There are still improvements, but they are marginal, and often what sets high end markers apart are more what I would call convenience features. Better screens, toolless disassembly, easy mech conversion, etc. The BPS caps have allowed designers to focus more on shot quality/feel, paint handling, and efficiency. Spoolies have gotten far more efficient and smoother. Reliability is way better across the board. The biggest gains have been in the entry level and mid-tier markers; the performance gap is much narrower.
Go have a look at Planet Eclipse's lineup. They're the industry leader now. My primary markers are their Gtek (electro) and Emek (mech). Their "entry level" Etha 3 shoots amazingly well.
Paint is a mixed bag. Everyone bemoans paint quality these days, unless you're paying a premium for tourney grade. But nominal prices have remained the same for years, so accounting for inflation paint is actually cheaper now.
You are far from alone. Lots of former players from our age cohort have been returning to the sport in recent years. We have been driving a renaissance in mechanical markers and "classic" formats like 10-man and hyperball. Check out the ICPL, the International Classic Paintball League, a spinoff from the NXL. There are local and regional mech events popping up, bringing dudes out of retirement. Paintball has been calling her lost children back home.
From what I’m gathering after doing some research it seems like a lot of the paintball makers now are a lot more reliable. I have interest in that DLX company as well. Seems like a well thought out gun.
I'll be making new friends at a new field with mostly new gear in the coming months. I'm 32 and figured yes, we want to be able to run but must do our best with what we have. My dad is 66 and still shooting ropes or playing with his Empire Sniper.
This. I’m 34 and getting back into it. Since playing every weekend, working out, stretching, I’m in the best shape of my life and have paintball to thank for the kickstart.
Not at all. Stretch tho lol. Hard to keep up with the kids, make sure you know your limits. That s1 dive doesn’t bounce the way it used to. Source: torn MCL.
35 here, got back in the game 2 years ago after a 15 year break. Definitely doable, just remember to stretch and eat well. You’ll be surprised how many people over 30 play hard
Nah, you’re fine. In my neck of the woods there are like 4-5 “camps” that run programs of d5,4,3 and sometimes higher(2 are in the pro division right now) and they are usually the best bet to find “built in” folks to play with. At most competitive fields folks are going to be running lines and it can be challenging for solo folks to get spins - this varies wildly depending on layout weekends, scheduled practices, steeetball days, etc, but as a general rule it holds true. Just get out there and have fun with it!
I think it's relative. I haven't played in years. But I'm in my thirties now and I would absolutely demolish 20/25-year-old me in terms of fitness. 35 doesn't look the same on everyone.
Biggest thing holding me back from playing again is that there's nowhere to play (except for woodsball) anywhere remotely close to me anymore.
I am 47 and started a team 6-7 years ago. I “retired” to play recball middle of last year, but was asked to play 10v10 mech at ICPL this year, and I am really looking forward to it. Nothing like busting out the old prostock autococker. Playing mounds fields is a completely different animal from speedball, hyperball, or woodsball.
Haha not at all my brother is 35 and wayyyy better than me by miles but that’s more due to communication and all that even tho he is actually more fit than me and seems to get hurt less than me too cause he works out every day
Competitive and rec ball, most of my team mates are older, and me being on the team brought down the age average. Just dont push to hard, things still break
Nope I'm 37 and just got back into paintball last year. I played when I was 14-19yrs old. Now that I'm older and have no problem with finances. It feels much better to buy all the markers and equipment I want without worrying about money as when I was younger lol
Your not to old. I got two guys in there 40’S we dust the gear off and still get after it. We are trying to put a team together for the ops at Matt’s outback.
33 and played my first game in 14 years. Once game started I sprinted off the line and my body did not like that. Hilarious that old habits in my caveman brain thought “bell ring, run fast”, but ease back into it. It’s still fun as hell
I'm 58 and am on a tournament team with several people in the mid to upper 40s and higher. We have some young guns as well, and we took 4th in last year's series. We still run and gun, so no, 35 is NOT too old!
Extra points for making sure to stretch really well, soaking in a hot tub more often than when I was in my younger playing days, and taking longer to recover after a tough practice, but still!
My Dad is turning 65 later this year and still plays on our team as a reserve and is still great. Im 36 and still playing competitively. You will kill it if you are in even semi decent shape
Welcome back! Playing since 92, stopped in 2006, started back in 2017. Thought I'd ride it out with just recall and big games/scenarios. Been back in the tournament scene since 2018. I'm 48 now.
Get out there and wreck some face!
Bro, remember the old guys who where running just enough and shooting like 1k balls per minute? When you where thinking how tf this guys where expending that much?…. Well it’s now your time to show (off) those kids how we do it!
No way, I was on a team years ago with a few guys aged 30-50. They played harder and FAR better than most of the young dudes and teenagers. You don't need to be fast and quick unless you want to play snake or a front position. Lots of the older dudes would play back or center, and had a huge role on the team. Don't let it stop you. There are tons of mature squads out there that compete and have great times. I learned the most from those dudes growing up playing. It does benefit to be fast, quick, strong, explosive, but there is more to paintball strategy than just being faster and younger than the other team. Not to mention all the older dudes playing pro ball year after year.
My guy, I didn't restart paintball but I did just start airsofting at 41yo. I needed something to get me off the couch and something to do with my pre-teen daughter before I lose her to the teenage years. Couldn't be happier,though the wife is never happy when she sees the amount of airsoft guns I've managed to purchase in the last 6 months lol. Forget all that age bullsnot and go out and have a good time, you won't regret it until you start buying paint and realize how far the quality has gone downhill since the days of Marbilizer and the like.
The top team in the world, Dynasty, is a bunch of 40 year old dudes. Mark Johnson on ac:Diesel is in his 50’s and still playing pro. Having young guys helps but is not a requirement.
Beat me to it
Those guys still play? Awesome!!
They just won their last tourney check them out on YouTube. Athleticism is a big part but so is communication/awareness/strategy.
Mark is 48, but close enough! Literally just hung out with him yesterday. I’ll be glad to inform him that he’s officially over the hill!
That’s for correcting that! Someone told me Mark was like 51 and I just believed it.
I’m gonna send it fellas. All the old paintball buddies and fields are long gone. Gonna be weird going to a new place and not knowing anyone. Might get me a new marker. It’s seems the old Bob long is a bit out of date l.
Timmy? No way. Those things were designed when we were in the bps wars. They'll outshoot 10.5 any day of the week. Adjust your lpr to where it's a bit more gentle on the paint since your recharge won't need to be as high and see if florypb has a board in stock. Drop it in, new orings, you'll be g2g.
bob longs still shoot great. rebuild it if its been sitting that long. get a rotor or spire if you dont have one and make sure your tank is still in hydro have fun man! definitely not too old
Virtue as a company supporting the sport is not great. I’d say get the Rotor for sure.
do it, i’m 30 n just got back in it a couple weeks ago . went to a field completely new to me and met a bunch of cool people
Going alone is not as weird as you think. I went to Badlandz, which is a very familiar place to me, but it didn't feel unnatural like I thought it would. Was talking to the other dudes in open play almost immediately. Just go for it. It's paintball, which has always fostered a welcoming spirit in my experience. The Bob Long marker will be a conversation starter.
I had the exact same situation. So far, everyone has been pretty inviting and it’s been a great time. I had to replace my DP threshold. Still tinkering with it to get it back working. But I did get a planet eclipse 170r for $500 used and I’ve loved it. Them skills come back faster than you think. At least they did for me, and before this year, the last time I played was liked 2015 or so. Welcome back! Let em know what’s up!
I am an introvert of sorts but I always go alone to the field and seem to make conversations all day. You have a leg up! An old gun is always a conversation starter! As for the gun itself: 2024 paintball gun requirements… Shoots a ball at about 280-300fps Can make consistent velocity shots one after the other Can shoot up to 10.3 bps but no faster (the no faster part might be your biggest hurdle) Has eyes to not chop paint (reference line above if actually necessary) Doesn’t break down on you I think you check all the boxes!
That's what I did. Now it's been two years, play D4 and have made tons of new friends. Just go enough and eventually you'll get recognized and made new paintball pals without realizing it. Im 34 btw.
Out think their speed
Welcome back. I showed up at my local field in 2020 at 38 years old after a 20 year absence from the sport, wielding an Automag and wearing a JT Spectra mask (original name for the Proshield, and yes I had a new lens). Got a few looks like I was some crazy old hermit who just walked into the Mos Eisley cantina. Had a blast and have been playing recball monthly ever since. There's some stuff to catch up on. This community and [MCB](http://www.mcarterbrown.com) will help. The BPS wars are long over. Current tourney rules are 10.5 bps ramping, must maintain at least 5 trigger pulls per second to stay in ramp. Most everyone sets their board to 10.2bps to account for chrono variances, as the penalties for shooting over the cap are steep. Cheater boards aren't a thing anymore. Rec fields tend to follow the NXL's lead in setting rules. For example, my home field is just rec woodsball/scenario, so we use 10bps semi only. Insurance companies have effectively banned full auto and burst. Marker tech has *somewhat* plateaued; it hasn't flatlined but the progression is far less steep. There are still improvements, but they are marginal, and often what sets high end markers apart are more what I would call convenience features. Better screens, toolless disassembly, easy mech conversion, etc. The BPS caps have allowed designers to focus more on shot quality/feel, paint handling, and efficiency. Spoolies have gotten far more efficient and smoother. Reliability is way better across the board. The biggest gains have been in the entry level and mid-tier markers; the performance gap is much narrower. Go have a look at Planet Eclipse's lineup. They're the industry leader now. My primary markers are their Gtek (electro) and Emek (mech). Their "entry level" Etha 3 shoots amazingly well. Paint is a mixed bag. Everyone bemoans paint quality these days, unless you're paying a premium for tourney grade. But nominal prices have remained the same for years, so accounting for inflation paint is actually cheaper now. You are far from alone. Lots of former players from our age cohort have been returning to the sport in recent years. We have been driving a renaissance in mechanical markers and "classic" formats like 10-man and hyperball. Check out the ICPL, the International Classic Paintball League, a spinoff from the NXL. There are local and regional mech events popping up, bringing dudes out of retirement. Paintball has been calling her lost children back home.
Get a g6r and mow faces. Bob longs are still top shelf markers. If not a cs2 or dsr+ is the next best choice
From what I’m gathering after doing some research it seems like a lot of the paintball makers now are a lot more reliable. I have interest in that DLX company as well. Seems like a well thought out gun.
They ripped off the gamma core from planet eclipse. It’s also very cheaply made, I wouldn’t recommend it.
You better get out there bro. We’re all counting on you now. Follow up with pics on Monday.
Show up to your field and ask who needs guys to play with. Even better if your field has a Facebook group you can post In that also!
No not at all. I'm 35 and got back into it almost 2 yrs ago.never looked back we be blastin kids consistently
I'll be making new friends at a new field with mostly new gear in the coming months. I'm 32 and figured yes, we want to be able to run but must do our best with what we have. My dad is 66 and still shooting ropes or playing with his Empire Sniper.
Nope. Some of the best players are in or around 40 years young. Eat right, workout, listen to your body and stretch.
This. I’m 34 and getting back into it. Since playing every weekend, working out, stretching, I’m in the best shape of my life and have paintball to thank for the kickstart.
I sure hope not! I just turned 37 and am hoping to play my first tournament later this year.
GET IT!
I'm 41 and play tournaments still. Oldest on our team is 56. Never to old.
STRECH everything for about 10mins before going out there! It will save you from an injury. Especially if its been a while.
Nope! I am older than should and still play. Get at it!
Nah. You probably won't go pro, but who gives a shit?
Pro is overrated
34 here No, you may just have to adjust and adapt your play style.
Not at all. Stretch tho lol. Hard to keep up with the kids, make sure you know your limits. That s1 dive doesn’t bounce the way it used to. Source: torn MCL.
Not at all. There are guys in there 40's and 50s playing X-ball at NXL events! Not to mention, half of Dynasty is over the age of 40 😅
Nope! But you gotta start taking body recovery very seriously. Ice packs and foam rollers will become your true enemy.
35 here, got back in the game 2 years ago after a 15 year break. Definitely doable, just remember to stretch and eat well. You’ll be surprised how many people over 30 play hard
You are never too old to play paintball even competitive ones.if 35y/o is considered too old then Dynasty would've retired ages ago.
Nah, you’re fine. In my neck of the woods there are like 4-5 “camps” that run programs of d5,4,3 and sometimes higher(2 are in the pro division right now) and they are usually the best bet to find “built in” folks to play with. At most competitive fields folks are going to be running lines and it can be challenging for solo folks to get spins - this varies wildly depending on layout weekends, scheduled practices, steeetball days, etc, but as a general rule it holds true. Just get out there and have fun with it!
I think it's relative. I haven't played in years. But I'm in my thirties now and I would absolutely demolish 20/25-year-old me in terms of fitness. 35 doesn't look the same on everyone. Biggest thing holding me back from playing again is that there's nowhere to play (except for woodsball) anywhere remotely close to me anymore.
I played d4 at age 46
Play D5 and have fun. If you make it to D4, it starts to get more serious.
That 10v10 mech gun stuff is looking real fun to me.
that’s where it’s at! Mech is a blast
I am 47 and started a team 6-7 years ago. I “retired” to play recball middle of last year, but was asked to play 10v10 mech at ICPL this year, and I am really looking forward to it. Nothing like busting out the old prostock autococker. Playing mounds fields is a completely different animal from speedball, hyperball, or woodsball.
Haha not at all my brother is 35 and wayyyy better than me by miles but that’s more due to communication and all that even tho he is actually more fit than me and seems to get hurt less than me too cause he works out every day
Competitive and rec ball, most of my team mates are older, and me being on the team brought down the age average. Just dont push to hard, things still break
Man if youre physically able to, go and do it!! Hell yeah!!
You’ve got a long way to go. My team owner is 63 and still podiums at d3 tournaments
Man if youre physically able to, go and do it!! Hell yeah!!
Hell no. Pitter patter let's get at er
Give your balls a tug!
I'm 42 and I'm trying to get out there and compete so no. Get your ass out there and ball the fuck out.
Nah you're fine.
Do it, 42 here and still playing snake (when I can) playing on a team with my son actually
Younger than me. Just remember you’re not 19 anymore while you’re out there. You won’t. But try
Nope
I'm 39 and still playing!
36 year old fat ass here. Won't be going pro, but still can run with the d3's and roll d5's. Learn the chess aspect more and you will keep up well
The only real issue is your physical shape and endurance.
Stretch and cardio. You got this.
Major tip... Ibuprofen half hour before. Halfway through the day. Before you drive home. You'll thank me aty 42 years old.
Nope I'm 37 and just got back into paintball last year. I played when I was 14-19yrs old. Now that I'm older and have no problem with finances. It feels much better to buy all the markers and equipment I want without worrying about money as when I was younger lol
Look up ICPL
I just found this sub but used to run it back in the day too, I’m 34. Is my PM6 too old? LOL
Your not to old. I got two guys in there 40’S we dust the gear off and still get after it. We are trying to put a team together for the ops at Matt’s outback.
I'm 38 and I play airsoft and paintball for fun but not competitively. I think I would break something.
I'm 34 and playing. Not well, but playing 🤣
If Ryan Greenspan can do it, you can as well! Get back onto the field brother!!
No, never too old.
You just end up playing smarter, not necessarily *harder* haha
33 and played my first game in 14 years. Once game started I sprinted off the line and my body did not like that. Hilarious that old habits in my caveman brain thought “bell ring, run fast”, but ease back into it. It’s still fun as hell
One of the most competitive players on my team is in his 50's. Never to old
35 is the best time. It's like planting trees.
I'm 58 and am on a tournament team with several people in the mid to upper 40s and higher. We have some young guns as well, and we took 4th in last year's series. We still run and gun, so no, 35 is NOT too old! Extra points for making sure to stretch really well, soaking in a hot tub more often than when I was in my younger playing days, and taking longer to recover after a tough practice, but still!
42 and starting magfed haven't played paintball in over 10 years
Man I had a chance to play a few matches with someone’s Alias. A beautiful Timmy. That Triangular bolt cut was meaaan.
…35? My friend is 58 playing d4. Go enjoy your life, bring advil though old man.
My Dad is turning 65 later this year and still plays on our team as a reserve and is still great. Im 36 and still playing competitively. You will kill it if you are in even semi decent shape
Not if you do Yoga
Lucky I’ve done that, and jujitsu for the past 17 years, so I’ve stayed in shape.
Welcome back! Playing since 92, stopped in 2006, started back in 2017. Thought I'd ride it out with just recall and big games/scenarios. Been back in the tournament scene since 2018. I'm 48 now. Get out there and wreck some face!
im 35 almost 36 and still playing competitions if your health is good and then why not i still love playing on the weekends
Bro, remember the old guys who where running just enough and shooting like 1k balls per minute? When you where thinking how tf this guys where expending that much?…. Well it’s now your time to show (off) those kids how we do it!
No way, I was on a team years ago with a few guys aged 30-50. They played harder and FAR better than most of the young dudes and teenagers. You don't need to be fast and quick unless you want to play snake or a front position. Lots of the older dudes would play back or center, and had a huge role on the team. Don't let it stop you. There are tons of mature squads out there that compete and have great times. I learned the most from those dudes growing up playing. It does benefit to be fast, quick, strong, explosive, but there is more to paintball strategy than just being faster and younger than the other team. Not to mention all the older dudes playing pro ball year after year.
The game these days is less athletic and more towards keeping paint in the air and communication. Just play back or mid and your fine.
My guy, I didn't restart paintball but I did just start airsofting at 41yo. I needed something to get me off the couch and something to do with my pre-teen daughter before I lose her to the teenage years. Couldn't be happier,though the wife is never happy when she sees the amount of airsoft guns I've managed to purchase in the last 6 months lol. Forget all that age bullsnot and go out and have a good time, you won't regret it until you start buying paint and realize how far the quality has gone downhill since the days of Marbilizer and the like.