The 8 Best Paintballs

For most weekend players, Valken Infinity is the safe case to buy, and it has the biggest owner following of any paint we looked at. Valken pitches it at beginners and seasoned players alike, in the woods or on a speedball field. The shell is tough enough to feed without bursting, yet it still breaks on a hit, and the orange fill washes out. It's mid-grade paint, so it won't group as tightly as tournament balls at long range.

Players who want straighter shots without ordering from a specialty shop can turn to Valken Graffiti. Valken sells it as tournament-grade paint, and it tends to fly true, with a thick, bright fill that leaves a mark referees can't miss. The swirled two-tone shell makes your own paint easy to spot, and Valken rates it for all weather. It's pricey, and a few cases arrive with some balls already broken, so check the box before game day.

Woodsball and scenario players get a lot of splat for the money from Xball Inferno, a GI Sportz brand. Its fluorescent orange fill stands out against bark and leaves, which helps when a referee has to call a hit from across the field. The shell is built to survive a bumpy hopper on a long day outdoors, and the box promises a pro-level formula. This box holds half a standard case, so compare the count before you order.

Xball Triumph is a full case of mid-grade paint for players who shoot a lot and want to keep the cost of each game down. Both the shell and the fill are aqua blue, and the fill is meant to wipe off masks and rinse out of clothes. GI Sportz aims it at casual and competitive games alike. Its owner following is small and split between happy and unhappy buyers, so its track record is still thin.

Scented paint sounds like a gimmick, but HK Army Scented Premier comes from the maker's middle tier, so it's real game paint. Each flavor pairs a metallic shell with a bright fill, and a hit leaves a fruity smell on the target. HK Army rates this grade at level three, below its two top tiers. It costs about as much as tournament paint, flavors depend on what's in stock, and owner feedback is still too thin to show a pattern.

If you need paint for a backyard game or a first day at the field, Loader Basic Training is an inexpensive bag to start with. It's DXS Basic Training paint sold under another name, a plain entry grade. Shell colors vary from order to order, with orange or yellow fill. A small bag can run out in one busy afternoon, and cheaper paint is less uniform, so shots tend to wander at longer range.

Owners of T4E training pistols and rifles need a smaller ball, and Umarex T4E Premium .43 comes from the company that makes those markers. Umarex gives it a strengthened shell to hold up in a magazine-fed gun, and the blue fill marks a target clearly. It comes in a screw-top tub, which keeps the balls dry between sessions. It won't fit a standard field marker, so buy it only for a T4E or another gun of the same caliber.

Low-impact games for younger players use a smaller ball that stings less, and Tippmann Brigade .50 is a large supply of it. Tippmann rates the paint for all weather and gives it a bright yellow fill that washes out. It ships as several smaller boxes, so you can open one at a time and keep the rest sealed and fresh. It's new to stores, with almost no owner feedback yet, and stock runs short.