Paintball Sight Review

If you have an accurate gun, consistent air source, and decent paint, adding a sight could be exactly what you need to take your game to the next level.  A sight allows you to quickly and easily target your opponent and shoot with confidence. Put the red dot on your opponent, squeeze the trigger, and… “HIT!” Another enemy player takes the long walk to the “dead box”.

If you haven’t bought a sight yet because of the cost, consider this: a sight could easily pay for itself over time. Let’s say you play paintball once a week and shoot half a case of paint or roughly 1000 balls. That’s 52,000 balls a year. Now let’s say you add a sight and your accuracy increases by 25 percent, which is a very conservative estimate. Assuming you spend about $40 a case for paintballs, you would have saved $260 each year by adding a red dot sight and increasing your accuracy. Over time, the sight would not only pay for itself but save you money down the road.

Taking into consideration how often you play, what position you play, and your budget, there is a good chance that one of the sights listed below will meet your needs and offer you all the features you are looking for. For a comparison of each sight, scroll down to the table below.

Note: Tippmann A-5’s require an offset mount in order to use any of the sights in this review. An offset mount is inexpensive and very easy to install.

Swatforce

Designed to meet the demands of law enforcement, the Swatforce Tactical and Quick Aim red dot sights offer features other sights can’t match. Both sights have screw down caps that cover the elevation and windage dials. This is a nice feature because it prevents accidentally adjusting your sight. Adjustments can be made with a coin and are very precise – probably more precise than a most paintball players need. The red dot brightness on the Tactical sight can be adjusted to your exact specification by rotating the on/off dial whereas the Quick Aim sight has seven brightness levels. Flip top lens caps are a handy feature that allow you to keep your sight clean and protected from dirt or paint until you are ready to use the sight. Keep the lens caps down while you move into position, flip them open and take your shot.

Installing a Swatforce sight requires a 3”x 7/8^th accessory rail which fits over the standard 3/8^th dovetail. The accessory rail can be installed very easily and quickly with a screwdriver.

The Swatforce sights are perfect anyone looking for a precision instrument that is durable and looks great. No sight offers as much realism and features as the Swatforce Tactical and Quick Aim red dot sights.

ADCO

If you know anyone who owns a red dot sight, there is a good chance that it’s made by ADCO. ADCO sights have been the top choice of woodsballers™ for several years and for good reason. These simple, inexpensive sights are small, light, and effective. The Sure Shot and Hot Shot models come with a warranty against damage while playing paintball. Simply send the broken sight back with $8 for shipping and ADCO will replace your sight for free.

The iMP is ADCO’s smallest, lightest sight. Easy to install and adjustable by hand, the iMP is a good choice for budget minded players. The Hot Shot offers a larger viewing area and two brightness levels. The Hot Shot has a classic design that will meet the needs of most players without emptying your wallet. The Sure Shot model is my favorite. I like the simple, clean design and no-nonsense controls. Easy to install, adjust, and clean, the Sure Shot is a great choice for someone looking to make a move to the next level.

Armson

The first time you use an occluded sight, you may think its not working. You squint and see… nothing. The Armson occluded sight is not battery powered. Using collected light and visual trickery, an occluded sight projects a red dot on your target when you learn to look “past” the sight and not “through” it. While not as bright as battery powered red dot sights, the Armson is a popular choice for advanced level woodsball™ players who value its super heavy duty construction, low profile, and reliability. No batteries means no worries.

When testing the Armson sight on my A-5, I found it difficult to see with my mask on due to the offset mount. The sight was much easier to see on my Custom 98. That said, I know of at least one top level player who uses this sight on an A-5 so it can be done. Occluded sights do take some getting used to but with patience and practice you can learn to quickly sight your gun and take out your target.

Durability Test

It’s a fact. If you add a sight to your paintball gun, it will eventually take a direct hit. Splatter is annoying and can render some sights temporarily useless. A direct hit, however, can knock a sight out of alignment or shatter optical elements. To test durability, we subjected each sight to a direct paintball hit from 45 feet. Each sight was shot head on to simulate what typically can happen in a game.

Each of the Adco sights successfully survived a direct hit. The Armson also survived a direct hit. Unlike the Adco sights, the Armson could continue to be used after a quick wipe. The Swatforce sights didn’t fare as well. A direct hit completely shattered the Quick Aim’s front lens. The flip up lens caps were also easily shot off from 45 feet.

The Armson is easily the most durable sight available. Because it is an occluded sight, it can be easily cleaned and remain usable. I was impressed with the Adco sights durability. Combined with their warranty against paintball damage, these sights make a lot of sense for players on a budget who need a sight that can take a hit. The larger lenses and precision performance of the Swatforce sights make them perfect for snipers who don’t take a lot of return fire. Like a Ferrari, these high performance sights aren’t designed for heavy abuse.

Recommendations

No matter how seriously you play or what your budget is, there is an accurate, reliable sight that will meet your needs. My recommendations for the entry level or budget conscious player is the ADCO Sure Shot. It has a simple clean design and gives you just the features you need. For the sniper or scenario player who prizes a realistic look and precision accuracy, the Swatforce Quick Aim is my top choice. With the widest field of view of all sights tested, the Quick Aim is easy to install and use straight out of the box. For the advanced player who needs a slim profile and bullet proof reliability, the Armson occluded sight is my pick. You won’t find a sight that is sturdier and the battery-less operation offers no-hassle performance.