Paintball has the potential to deal out some pretty good pain, given the right circumstances.
However, those times are few and far between. I‘ve seen some guys get hit in the neck, and get fairly serious swelling and bruising at the impact site. I don‘t know first hand, but it sure LOOKS like it hurts.
When I got shot in the back at point blank, it was with enough force to tear openings in my skin and start blood freely flowing from all 3 "wounds". There was more blood than paint that‘s for sure.
Like most other injuries though the pain was brief, and then a certain numbness takes over. The next day they hurt again in the shower, similar to a bad blister. After that it was fine.
Getting shot on bare skin can sting pretty good, yet I see people play in shorts and tee shirts all the time.
As I said before, when people do stupid things when I‘m playing against them, I can be pretty ruthless about making sure they feel the pain when I get my opportunity.
I would challenge anyone to take a couple of high velocity, direct hits on their scalp (not their mask) and look me in the eye and tell me it didnt hurt. ‘Cause I‘d bet that I‘d be looking into a couple of watery looking eyes.
As for people relating paintball to "combat", well that‘s just rediculous. As was mentioned, paintball could be used by professionals to simulate certain aspects of combat, but recreational paintball is purely a game, and some who are very involved might even call it a sport.
I always feel uncomfortable when I tell someone new that I‘m into paintball, because there‘s so many kids out there that give it bad image by talking about it like its war or something. Lots of people associate paintball enthusiasts with wannabe commando types, and it‘s too bad because I think it actually keeps some people away from giving it a try.
It can be SOO much fun when you play with the right people.
It‘s even decent for cardio if you‘re not a person who climbs into a bunker and hides every single round.
The amount of pain you feel in paintball is perfect in my opinion. It‘s not so bad that after getting hit 1 time you never want to play again, but it‘s bad enough that you actually try to avoid getting hit whenever possible. It keeps people from just running straight up to you and exchanging paintballs from 5 feet away (usually).
It‘s the kind of pain that seems funny when you deal it out to a friend.
Shooting someone for real, stabbing, or bludgeoning them (combat) wouldn‘t be the kind of pain you‘d laugh into your buddies face after administering to them moments before.
PS.
I mean that its not a regular game like playing kiddie soccer. i mean a rough game for no wusses
I played in a game with a pair of girls who were somewhere around 10 or 11. In a game of attack and defend I got into the structure alone, and saw the girls guarding the stairs. I called out mercy shots, but they wanted to fight. I tried really hard to convince them to take the mercy shots while they were firing at me, but after about 30 seconds I decided to shoot back before the other 20 people came down the stairs to help them. All I heard was a pair of "ow, ow" and then they kept firing. I yelled that if they didn‘t stop shooting at me and leave, that I would have to shot them again. They laughed at me and kept shooting. I shot them each at least 3 times to the sounds of "ow" and then laughter, then "ow" again and more laughter.
The moral of my story is that if you have a hard time dealing with the sting of a paintball, then you are less hardcore than a couple of 10 year old girls.