Hey, Brad from the YouTube channel Paintball Ruined My Life. Paintball hoppers/loaders have come a long way in the last few years, some have electronic motors to help them feed while still some rely on gravity.
To make sure you get the most for your investment, I’ve picked out the best of the best.
Best high-end electronic hopper
Best mid-end electronic hopper
Best pump hopper
Best gravity fed paintball hopper
Best high-end electronic hopper
Type: Electronic Battery: 3x AA, Optional Rechargeable Li-Ion Weight: 467 (g) Capacity: 200
The Spire V, developed by a paintball’s leading loader brand, is the culmination of many years of continuous improvement. The Spire V is awesome because of its Dual Sensor Technology. It combines an accelerometer with 3 infrared sensors to detect the ball, making it super responsive in any situation. Its jam-proof performance ensures continuous feeding, even with lopsided paintballs; this prevents downtime during play. The hopper is user-friendly and requires not programming. The upgraded dual shell lock provides added durability during hard play, while its gentle rubber fingers cater to fragile tournament paintballs, reducing the risk of jams. Furthermore, its tool-less design allows for easy battery and drive removal, ensuring quick cleaning and maintenance. Constructed with durable glass-filled nylon, the lightweight Spire V is built to withstand abuse. All Spire V hoppers also come with Virtue’s Crown SF speedfed.
The Rotor R2 is the second hopper made by Dye. It has the super fast drive system of the original Dye Rotor, but also comes with some cool upgrades like a quick-release lid and expandable capacity.
Type: Electronic Battery: 4x AA, Optional Rechargeable Li-Ion Weight: 498 (g) Capacity: 200 and 260
The Dye Rotor R2 is known mainly for on thing, insane feed rates. With feed rates in the high 20 BPS, the R2 is the fastest feeding hopper in paintball, only followed by in little brother the Dye Rotor LT-R. The Rotor R2 is really cool because it has a shell that lets you switch between 200 or 260 rounds super easily, no need for extra shells or tools. It’s like magic! You just slide a switch on the back on the loader and it pops up adding capacity for 60 extra paintballs.
Best mid-end electronic hopper
The Spire IR2 is the perfect alternative to Virtue’s pricey high-end loader, the Spire V. It gives you similar performance without breaking the bank, and it’s got handy features like a tool-less design and a quick-release lid.
Type: Electronic Battery: 3x AA, Optional Rechargeable Li-Ion Weight: 444 (g) Capacity: 200
The best loader in its class. The Spire IR2 takes an already proven design and added some extra features that make it super reliable. You can trust this bad boy to get the job done. With Intelligent Proactive feeding, the Spire IR² will feed even more reliably than the Spire 200/260 without pulsing. Packed with the same features that made the original Spire great, the Spire IR² continues with Virtue’s philosophy of smaller, lighter and easier to use.
The Shocker line of paintball guns has been one the most popular for the last two decades. The AMP is the newest model, it has the famed the Freak XL barrel, its one of the lightest paintball markers, and it comes in at half the price of other high-end gun.
Type: Electronic Battery: 1x 9v Weight: 333 (g) Capacity: 200
The HK Army Sonic is newest hopper in paintball right now. It’s called the Sonic loader because it can feed paintballs super fast. And get this, it weighs less than 1 pound, so it won’t slow you down at all.
This bad boy is made of tough nylon material that won’t crack easily. Plus, the shell is tool-less, so you don’t need for tools to take it apart. Cleaning and maintaining it is a breeze with the removable tray that doesn’t require any tools either. The “H” board makes your battery last longer, so you can get up to 18 cases of paintballs before needing to switch out the single 9V battery.
Additional features include a single-button, one-touch on/off with force feed, a low battery indicator. It also includes soft paddles to prevent paintball breakage, and compatibility with all Spire/CTRL speed feeds.
Best pump hopper
50-round hoppers are an oddity in a game where most paintball guns shoot at high rates of fire. However, for those of us who prefer to be stealthy and not shoot as much, this hopper is perfect.
Type: Gravity Battery: None Weight: 94 (g) Capacity: 50
The Allen Sight Feeder 50rd Hopper is a classic 50 round hopper, its super small, lightweight and very basic. With standard 1″ feed neck the APP Sight Feeder will fit any started paintball marker feedneck. Perfect for pump gun play. Make from extra strong nylon.
Best gravity fed paintball hopper
The best feeding and most durable gravity fed paintball hopper on the market is the Proto Primo, its been out for years and its still the best.
Type: Gravity Battery: None Weight: 236 (g) Capacity: 180
From my testings the Proto Primo loader is the best feeding gravity paintball hopper. It features the Positive Feed Shelf that provides a gravity feed solution with minimal friction, resulting in higher rates of fire and reduced jams. With a 200-round capacity and an enlarged clear spring lid, this loader allows for easy loading and quick paint level checks. Constructed with a durable shell, the Primo is easy to clean and maintain, providing a reliable and efficient performance on the field.
