Good Paintball gun. Around $200

The Tippmann 98 mission42 mentioned is a great starting gun. Very tough and reliable. If you want to step it up a notch though I would try something like the Proto Matrix Rail (which is an electric marker and is actually somewhat competitive). I've seen them for around $280 on ebay but I'm guessing you can find them a little cheaper than that. Of course you would also have to buy a hopper and compressed air canister which I guess might put it out of your price range.
 
Tippmann 98 or Tippmann A-5 [ for the cyclone feed ]

as DrFoo stated it is tough and reliable. although i suggest to resist the urge to upgrade it / buy parts for it. with the money spent buying a new barrel/stock/trigger/etc , it doesn't match up to the higher tier guns.

i would also suggest that you get a HPA tank over a CO2 tank. depending on the field, an HPA tank would be free to fill and has a built in gauge so you know approx how much air you have left.
 
Tippman 98 for a good reliable inexpensive gun. If you have a little more cash, the Tippman A5 is a step up. Very good guns to play woodsball and easy to clean. I've never had a problem with either when I owned them. Plus later on, there are lots mods to make the guns cooler and upgrade a bit.
 
Tippmann 98 custom or spyder are generally good beginner guns (easy to maintain and reliable). BTs are suppose to be easy to maintain also. As for the Air tank If you get a Tippy get a CO2 to start or a decent size HPA since is a gas hog IMO.
 
HPA [ High Powered Air ] is also known as nitrogen.

you use an air compressor with a hose that has a clamp at the end. HPA tanks have a nipple on them so you attach the hose onto the nipple and make sure to clamp it down, pull the lever down till the PSI meets your tanks PSI [ compressor auto stops at max ], remove hose and you're done.
 
first off, zephyrpaintball is a great site.

2ndly, i've never shot a spyder before, but heard they were good.

3rd, yes you can adjust the velocity [ PSI ] on all guns. depending if you play indoors [ i think around 250 but maybe even lower ] or outdoors [ around 275-280 ].

lastly for future reference pbreview.com is great for looking up reviews for guns/gear.

oh and lastly i'd suggest investing in good face mask. cheap face masks tend to fog up quickly and can be uncomfortable.
 
Alright thanks for the info, I might end up getting this one and if I like it alot then I will upgrade it as I go. also to brotherwilliam, no thanks. I'm getting it for my birthday coming up in two weeks and my parents are buying it so I'm pretty sure they want it from a store, thanks for the offer anyway.
 
Do you need other equipment? Mask, tank, hopper, etc? Do you play in the woods or speedball? How much have you played already?

If you haven't played at all, go rent equipment. I really recommend trying something out before you buy it. Check out the buy/sell/trade section on pbnation.com. Try to buy in person so you can test it. Paintballers are usually some of the nicest people you'll meet and they would usually show you how to work the marker if its your first time.

C98 is a good beginner marker. A used Ion (as long as it works) is an okay choice.

Also I think you are confusing PSI with FPS. FPS (feet per second) is the speed at which the ball leaves the barrel. Field rules put it between 230 - 300 usually. PSI is the amount of pressure (in pounds per square inch) on the air that is used to propel the ball. The lower it is the more shots you will get on a tank of C02 or HPA.

Spyders are decent. They tend to require more work, and aren't really worth upgrading all that much. I have an old Spyder Imagine as a backup, and had clone (my buddy also had one and a clone).

If you only have $250 in total, I'd look into buying used, seriously. You should spend at least $60 on a mask. Invest in thermal lenses. They wont fog. Theres no point in having a $200 marker and a $15 mask that fogs up so you can't see. Go to a local store and try some on. Different styles fit different people better. That site has Events on sale for $50-65.

Oh and invest $10 or whatever in some gloves (biking or whatever). You'll thank me when you get shot in the hand and your knuckles aren't all bruised, cut up, and bleeding.

Thats probably more info than you cared for I bet.
 
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Don't get Tippmann 98, let just say they can't play over 50 plays. In other words it'll break, just get Tippmann A-5, Tippmann X-7 or New Spyder Series (any model they made are best).
 
The 98custom is a decent gun but all my friends and myself use the A-5 due to fact that it is cyclone fed and not gravity fed. To me when we rented the 98 customs at our local field we had to shake them to get balls to drop and I have not had that problem with my A-5. Also the A-5 seems to be more upgradeable. Once you play a few times or get some extra cash buy a barrel, my suggestion is a 14 inch J&J ceramic barrel my gun is loud from behind (which all tippmann guns will be since they are blow back guns) but from the front my friend said when i fired from his side toward him at maybe 40 feet he never heard the gun only the balls flying past. As for the mask yes the thermal lens is best but make sure the mask is comfortable and covers all areas you want covered like you jaw or ears as some expensive masks are very low profile and I have a big jaw line and most "High End" masks dont fit me great.
 
The Tippman 98 is a great gun and very reliable. I'm a big fan of the Smart Parts Ion. It's decently priced and works very well. It's an electronic marker and is a great starter marker. The only cons are that you need a decent eletronic hopper if you want to shoot to its potential. You also need to use HPA tanks.

All together, with the tank, its a little about your $200 price.
 
I would have to agree with RonnieWrecked and Jest about buying a good mask.
I also add get a good thermal lens.
I would also warn against thinking that upgrading a beginner paintball marker for better performance. The upgrades that do pay off are HPA (high pressure output 850psi), and barrel kit. everything else is just aesthetics. Also don't expect a good resale value on any paintball marker. IMO the most important things to consider in selecting a marker are Ease of maintenance and reliability.

I've had several markers which recieved the oil in the ASA (Caution: Never put oil into the fill nipple of HPA tanks since this can cause flash fires or explosion of the tank) prior to attaching the tank was the only maintenance they recieved. And I've had markers which required tear down, cleaning, lube and reassembly.
 
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