Visors & aiming aids for paintball sports - what is there to consider?
When it comes to sighting devices for paintball, several factors are important. On the one hand, the setup is crucial, i.e. which marker you play and whether it is designed for short or long distances. Then on the ammunition used and last but not least on the planned shooting distance.
As a leading supplier of accessories in the field of Woodland & Scenario Paintball, we offer you a large selection of different types of visors. Starting with the standard sight, consisting of rear sight and front sight, to red dot sights with illuminated dots, sniper sights with zoom function and modern Holosight sights with projected crosshairs, as known from computer games such as Call of Duty.
The different visor types, their suitability and the special features
A general distinction is made between 3 types of visors. At this point we would like to give you a small overview and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the individual models and construction methods.
Rear sight & front sight - For short distances
This is the simplest form of the visor. The target reticle consists of the rear sight, a small depression, at the rear end of the weapon and the front sight, a small bar or circle at the front part. To aim, the shooter simply brings the line of sight of the rear sight and front sight over each other so that they visually interlock on one line. Then the barrel is aligned and the target is surely hit. The rear sight and front sight are sufficient for recreational players and shots at short to medium distances.
Red Dots & Holosight visors - For medium distances and quick aiming
Red dot sights, so-called Red Dots, are the most commonly used type of aiming aids in paintball sports. A small illuminated dot is projected onto a pane of glass in the shooter's field of vision and acts as a crosshair. The practical thing about the Red Dot is the fact that you can see through it from almost any angle, as long as the dot stays on the target, you will hit it. In addition, the shooter can keep both eyes open when shooting, which gives him a better overview of the terrain and he can keep an eye on the surroundings even with the target in his sights.
Visors such as the well-known E552 from Eotech are called holosights. These are the latest generation of Red Dots, in which not just a simple dot is projected onto a disc, but a real crosshair or other target reticles. Holosights allow the user a much easier and faster target acquisition. In addition, the visor can be adjusted individually according to the wishes of the user and changed in color and brightness. For this reason, militaries around the world almost exclusively use holosight sights these days and no longer use normal red dots.
Since red dots and holosights usually have no magnification, they are used for medium shooting distances and are used on assault rifles and in urban combat, the so-called CQB area . If you want to use red dots at longer distances, you can use a so-called magnifier, an eyepiece with magnification that can be folded in front of the visor and enables a 3-5x magnification. You can then shoot accurately at distances of up to 100 meters and more.
Zoom sights with magnification - For snipers and long-range shots
Sights with magnification are ideal for long-range shots. So if you are a sniper in paintball, you are usually equipped with a zoom visor with a 2-6x magnification and hit your target accurately at distances between 50 and 120 meters. There are also different models of zoom visors. We only have 2 models to choose from because anything over 6x magnification doesn't make sense in paintball. That's why we prefer to only offer you a small selection, which has proven its worth. Our paintball visor with magnification also has a crosshair that can be illuminated in green and red for games at night, making it easier for the player to aim at night and in the twilight.
What should be considered when using a paintball marker visor?
Like all other sighting devices, sighting devices for paintball markers are not designed for direct hits. As a player, you should always keep this in mind when using sighting devices for markers. Even the highest quality visors cannot withstand direct fire and they shouldn't. Taking a real-life example, a soldier with an E552 Holosight sight is being fired upon by the enemy. If the enemy hits the visor, it will break, if the impact deflects the bullet, the user will probably be less happy about the defective visor and more about their well-being. The same applies to a lesser extent to paintball. The visor is only ever designed as an aiming aid. If a paintball ball hits the glass of a visor from a short distance or with a hard shell, it can be damaged. We therefore recommend the purchase of appropriate protective caps and covers to prevent damage of this kind.