Dirt Cheap EOTech Replica!

The usefulness of a red dot scope on a paintball gun is disputed, as paintballs tend to drop quickly after being fired. Any optic intended for straight-line fire doesn't do much good. Still, MilSim is all about the LOOK, which makes red dot sights a hot item. The EOTech 552 holographic sight is one that most MilSim players would love to get their hands on, as it's loaded with features, and also looks pretty mean!

The main obstacle to owning one is PRICE. A bonafide 552 can cost $500 CDN and up, and it's overkill anyway for the reasons stated above. Most of the replicas selling on eBay can run well over $100 CDN. About the cheapest I've seen it sold for in Canada is at Tactical-Mod, at $69.99 plus tax. With the cost being this high, most players who want a red dot on their markers usually settle for a cheap NcStar open sight from eBay, or even a Crossman red dot scope from Crappy Tire (both around $40 CDN).

A few weeks ago I came across an EOTech replica sight on the web site of Hong Kong e-tailer Deal Extreme, for only about $37 USD shipped (that's about $41 CDN as I write this).  Now I'm the type who likes to "dress up" his MilSim marker, and put all sorts of cool-looking accessories on it for no reason in particular (and I know most Milsim players feel the same way - just admit it already). At that price, there was no way I could pass it up. In the order went, and about 2 weeks later I was the proud owner of another gadget to make my marker look badass.

First impressions: On the outside it's almost identical to a real EOTech 552, right down to the stickers and branding on the sides.

The buttons on the rear of the unit are also identical:

The piece itself feels solid and well-made. There are screws on the side to adjust for elevation and windage (and they DO work, despite some of the reviews on Deal Extreme). It mounted easily on the Picatinny rails on my Pruject Salvo, and with a riser I can sight through it while wearing any of my paintball masks. On that note though, be warned that like most replicas, the parallax correction is a little off. What this means is that if you're not looking into the sight from directly behind it, the targeting reticle may "float" off the target a bit. A real EOTech doesn't have this problem, as it uses a laser to paint the reticle (the replicas all use a small built-in LED, which isn't as exact). Again, as a sight for lobbing paintballs at typical ranges in paintball games, it's not really an issue. Just don't buy this intending to use it on a real firearm that your life may depend on!

Now to show you how it looks mounted (I know the EOTech should ideally be mounted a little further ahead on the gun, but I had to keep it near the back to make room for the feedneck and Tacamo Arc Loader):

Dollar Store Paintball Gear

As unbelievable as the title may sound, it's true that you can find some useful gear for paintballing at the Dollar Store. I took a trip to my local Dollarama and picked up some items to show you just what a treasure trove the place can be for a MilSim paintballer on a budget.

For starters, and considering it's winter, let's look at the winter gear I found. Here's a pair of fleece gloves in woodland camo, nice and toasty (and also nicely priced) at $1.25.



There were also fleece tuques (that's beanies or skullcaps for you non-Canadians), as well as fleece scarves in woodland camouflage. Not to mention that there are cold weather socks, underwear, and other goodies (like Hot Paws hand-warming packs near the cash register), all at $1 or $1.25.

Ok so that's it for the winter gear. For those of you who choose to stay indoors in winter (and I don't blame you!), the rest of this post will deal with items that are good for paintballing in nicer weather (or indoor paintball in the winter).

Microfiber cloths are a godsend for paintballers. Microfiber cloths are used to clean your goggle lens while minimizing scratches and smearing, and can generally extend the life of your lens. With replacement thermal lenses costing $35 or more, a microfiber cloth is a great investment. Major chain stores sell microfiber cloths for $5 or more, while buying one with a Dye logo on it from a paintball store online can run you a good $10. The one below can be had from Dollarama for a cool $1.



Next I found some nice HeadWear brand bandanas in the accessories aisle, again for a buck. They have woodland camo version, or a sort of urban/winter camo as well if that's what you're looking for. Bandanas are great for keeping paint out of your hair, or keeping sweat from running down into your paintball goggles, where it can fog them up. These bandanas are so cheap you could also buy a few to cover up and camouflage parts of your gear (wrap them around the stock or handguard on your marker, etc).



Just in case you were wondering when you scanned the picture below, YES those are indeed gardening gloves! When considering paintball gloves for woodsball, what's important is that they protect your hands from scratches and cuts from branches and gravel, and allow you to grip your marker in all conditions. These gardening gloves have silicone beading all over the palms and undersides of the fingers, meaning that no matter how wet your hands get, your marker will practically stick to your grip anyway. The silicone also provides a measure of anti-puncture protection. And with them costing only $1 a pair, you wouldn't have to agonize over whether you should cut the fingers off or not!



If you've ever played with an electronic marker or hopper, then you know how intense play can really eat through batteries. And sometimes rechargeable batteries won't cut it (for example with the Invert Halo Too loader). Luckily, all kinds of batteries are available at Dollarama. Name-brand batteries from Panasonic and Sunbeam, of all shapes and sizes, are usually near the cash register. Alkaline batteries are best for paintball equipment, and Panasonic 9V alkalines can be had for $2 each. A pack of 4+1 Panasonic alkaline AA batteries are available at a cost of $1.



Anyone who's spent more than 2 minutes in a netted deadbox in the middle of the woods will tell you that a mosquito head net is a great thing to have in your cargo pocket. One dollar!



Of course duct tape is a very useful thing in a lot of situations, and woodsball play is one of them. For winter games, you can use white duct tape to camo your marker and equipment. Black duct tape also comes in handy for wrapping your remote line - it makes a decent cover that you can just rinse under water and dry, with none of the hassle of removal and machine washing required with cloth ones.



This nylon bag is great for throwing all your dirty gear into after a game, thereby keeping your car clean on the drive home.



$2 gets you this folding green knapsack that can compact into a pouch the size of a wallet. This can be useful to have for big games, when you may need to carry things around with you for your team for a couple hours.



Last but not least, Dollarama carries a small whiteboard with a dry-erase marker. You can tuck one of these into your gear bag so you can talk strategy with your team before a tournament or big game, while drawing it out.



There are plenty of other things at the Dollar Store that can make your game a little more convenient: Snack foods, drinks, washcloths for cleaning off after a hit, etc. Take a walk through your local store one day, and look around. If it's something that will make your day at the field more convenient, you'll know it when you see it.

All this is to show you that you can find cheap paintball gear in some of the unlikeliest of places. Keep an eye out!

Boxing Week Sale at Paintballgear.ca and Tacticalpaintball.ca

www.paintballgear.ca, as well as its sister store www.tacticalpaintball.ca, are holding a Boxing Week sale, with everything in the store being sold at employee pricing. Depending on the markup on some items, you can find some merchandise there being sold at 70% off.



If you've got some Christmas money kicking around, or were lucky enough to receive a gift voucher from Paintballgear.ca for Christmas, now is the perfect time to pick up an item you've been wanting for the 2010 season. I've had my eye on the BT TM-7 for a while now, and was actually able to buy it at a $50.00 discount thanks to this sale!

The sale runs until January 1st, 2010.

"Paintball is NOT a budget sport"

I read the words above on a YouTube comment lately, and was that poster ever right.

In 1994, when I was a student living at home, with a part-time job in the Canadian Forces reserve (and some money to spare), I became addicted to the game at my local paintball field. I went as often as I could on weekends I had off, renting the original SL-68 pump gun, putting on my combat pants and a black shirt, and playing until I ran out of money for more paintballs. Now any junkie will tell you that at some point the fix just gets too expensive, and eventually you either have to kick the habit, or start doing sketchy stuff to find cash. As I started to feel the financial crunch, and I wasn't inclined to start stealing car stereos or selling my body, that was it for me! I stopped going, and eventually when I moved out and got my own place and responsibilities, I never really had the money to get back into the game at the level I wanted to.

Fast-forward 15 years to mid-summer 2009, and I found myself with a well-paying job in a new city. I took a date Karting at a local track with an indoor MilSim paintball field next door. I noticed the players with their camouflage and combat boots and realistic-looking paintball guns, and decided it was time to get back into the game! I'd been looking for an athletic activity to get back into, and as a military buff there was that instant appeal. Not to mention, having played before I knew I would get to experience all that fun again.

Now, after one season and a LOT of money spent, I can DEFINITELY agree that "Paintball is not a budget sport"! After having spent so much and done so much research, I've decided to pass on tips to other players on how to keep the costs for this game as low as possible. I want to help players who are currently in the situation I was in 15 years ago: Loving MilSim paintball, but feeling the financial crunch of tuition, bills, and your social life starting to limit your chances to get out and play the game.

Paintball will never be as low-cost as soccer or basketball, but I can show you where to find the deals, how to get into games for free, and how to cut costs on your favorite gear so that you don't have to break the bank to have fun.

Keep an eye on this blog weekly for updates on how to keep playing paintball, while keeping your costs to a minimum. As I primarily play in Ottawa and Montreal, these entries will tend to focus sometimes on fields and stores in those two Canadian cities. But the same principles will usually apply wherever you are. And of course, with deals on gear found on the Internet, it won't matter where on Earth you are!

Note: I don't work in the paintball industry, or for any retailer dealing in paintball goods. I don't receive any kickbacks, affiliate deals, or commissions from retailers I recommend. If you see me recommend a retailer at any time on this blog, it's because what they're offering is an amazing deal, pure and simple!