Choosing a hopper can be a daunting task
for a new player. In choosing a hopper you must know what
category of marker you intend to shoot and what type of
game-play you intend to participate in.
This is loosely termed as there are “Stock
Class” players that compete against speed ball autos
and win consistently.
When choosing a hopper it is a good idea
to read some reviews written by players. These are usually
very helpful in finding out what the weaknesses are for
a given item. There as several types of hoppers available
for a new player.
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There are gravity fed hoppers which are
usually the ones that come with your marker when you
purchased it. These will work ok for moderate rec ball.
They feed the marker at a rate of about 5 balls per
second. These are suitable for moderate mechanical autos
and pump markers that accept a hopper. Using these hoppers
on an electro or marker that is capable of shooting
more than 8 balls per second will result in broken paint
in the feed neck and hopper. And will make a mess that
you will not enjoy cleaning. |
The next step is a powered
hopper. There are several different kinds that are
available.
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View Loader Quantum.
These entry level powered hoppers are on a full time
agitation once turned on. Without mercy these hoppers
continually make noise until they are turned off. This
constant noise will quickly become an incredible annoyance
when hiding. These hoppers usually feed at about 8 bps. |
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Halo TSA (or other HALO hoppers).
These hoppers are a great alternative to the above constant
paint grinder. The TSA comes in several colors that
will match the rest of your gear. Among the features
of TSA there is sound activation which turns on the
hopper only while you are shooting or when it detects
a sound similar. On occasion it can be triggered by
a nearby sound but this is rare. Also the TSA features
a tilt sensor. This allows the agitator to turn opposite
of the tilt bringing the ball back to the top of the
feed neck. When tilted right the agitator turns left
and vice versa. Hoppers like this one are well capable
of 13-15 bps. Some of the higher end Halo hoppers, like
the Halo B with the Rip drive are capable of well over
15 bps. |
The all new eVLution™ II with Y-Board™
force feed electronic loader won't starve your marker,
no matter how fast you shoot. The eVLution™
II with Y-Board™ features a feed rate that matches
a marker's optimal fire rate up to 19 balls per second,
a specially designed feeding propeller with new flexible
blades, a stronger spring loaded curved door which
opens down, acting as a funnel for faster fills and
less spills. It also includes a high impact resistant
shell and longer feed neck with an LED low-battery
indicator, and a IR sensor controlling on/off propeller
actuation with battery saving circuitry. The eVLution™
II's easy cleaning design takes after the VL Revolution's™
field proven construction. eVlution™ II, the
ultimate in force feeding electronic loaders. Available
in Black Onyx and Diamond Clear. |
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The Viewloader Tri-Pod with
X-Board technology is a multi capacity version
of the Viewloader Revolution. It is an agitating loader
with a feed rate of up to 15 balls per second that
comes in three sizes (sold with a 200 count).
These three pods can be easily changed between games.
They include a 140 count pod for front players that
shoot less paint and want to present a smaller profile
to their opponents. A 200 count pod for mid-players
that need to carry a bit more paintballs, and a 300
count pod for back players.
Players can easily change the size and capacity of
their loaders between games to match the size and
location of the bunkers that they will be playing.
Designed for the serious tournament player, the VL
Tri-Pod incorporates a spring loaded flip cap, and
improved paddle design that provides a much quicker
response time and unmatched feed rate. This is the
loader to use if you need fast and dependable performance.
It is equipped with an improved vision system that
easily recognizes dark shell or black shell paintballs.
This internal vision system tells the paddle when
to spin to provide fast continuous feed rates of up
to 15 balls per second. |
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The Ricochet 2k is very popular
with recreational players who need a reliable 12 BPS
loader. This loader requires only one nine volt battery
and will deliver 6,000 shots on a single 9 volt battery.
It's more economical to operate than the VL Revolution
or Empire Reloader, which require 2 nine volts.
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Warp Feed from Airgun Designs. The
Warp Feed system exceeds 20 shots per second feed
rate with 12 volt input. This is a completely different
animal than the standard powered hopper. These hoppers
were the first force fed hoppers in the world. While
they require some creativity to mount on your marker
system, they are well worth it for many reasons. The
first one is the very high rate of fire. The second
benefit is that the profile of your marker is much
shorter with a Warp Feed system installed because
the hopper is no longer on top of the marker; instead
it mounts on top of the Warp Feed on the side of the
marker. |
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Q-Loader. Now these are very cool
in that they can force feed your marker like the above
hoppers, but without the batteries! Q-Loaders are
spring loaded like a magazine. These look something
like a loader tube and have a special setup for them
to be received on your marker. Q-Loaders like the
Warp Feed system help you to remove the hopper from
the top of your marker. As a matter of fact the Q-Loader
when setup on your marker under the barrel will have
no bigger of a profile than the end of a loader tube. |
Keep it real, keep it safe |
Choosing A Paintball Hopper
