Paintball tanks come in a lot of different sizes the sheer amount can be overwhelming.
There are two major questions you should ask yourself when looking to buy HPA (high-pressure air/compressed air) tanks, “How many shots do I need?” and “What length do I like?”
If you have played paintball before then you may have an idea how much you will shoot when you hit the field. Most new players though tend to shoot about 250 shots each match, and at a typical paintball field they like to play 2 or 3 matches in-between breaks. This can vary wildly though as some people aren’t just don’t shoot very much and others are trigger happy. For most new players it’s good to look for a tank that can get around 600 shot you can get through a set of matches.
Tanks that I’ve used and like
There is a quick rule that can tell you how many shots you can get from a tank, simply multiply the volume by 12 for 3000 PSI tanks or 17 for 4500 PSI tanks. For example a 48 CI / 3000 PSI (48/3000) would be 576 shots.
After you decide the minimum tank volume you need, it’s time to think about the different sizes. There are many compressed air tank sizes from 13 ci to 90 ci, and they all serve different purposes. I’ll use myself as an example. I don’t shoot that much, I might shoot 700 shots a set so I could almost use any tank size. I could get a 48/4500, which would be very small and lightweight, but for me it’s too small. It’s just too compact and makes the marker feel too short, so I like the longer feel of the 68 ci or even the 77 ci.
A made this video awhile back it might help out too.
