How Electric Paintball Hoppers Can Advance Your Game

The hopper is a key component of paintball guns. The hopper is the container on top of your gun responsible for storing paintballs and feeding them into the marker. When choosing a paintball hopper, you want to find one that will maximize storage and load paintballs fast enough for you to shoot quickly. There are a variety of types of hoppers; including gravity-fed, agitated and electric. 

Gravity-fed hoppers allow the ball to fall into the marker from the container, using a simple design without any moving parts. Agitating hoppers use a propeller and fan blades to feed the paintballs quicker, but they allow for more mechanical failure. The best option is an electric paintball hopper; read on as we explain the advantages and features that support this claim. 

How Electric Paintball Hoppers Function

Electric paintball hoppers are the most efficient in delivering paintballs from the hopper to the barrel of the gun. Although there are different setups for these paintball gun parts, they all commonly use electric motors and a blade to feed paintballs into the marker. This setup forces the paintball into the marker far more quickly than other hoppers. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Hoppers

As with any equipment, electric hoppers have pros and cons. The biggest advantage of electronic hoppers is that they feed paintballs into the marker quickly, allowing for a faster firing rate and fewer chopped balls. Electronic hoppers also can be used for automatic firing with the right gun setup.  

Some of the disadvantages include a higher price point and more complex designs. If you have issues it can be more difficult to service the hopper yourself; check our YouTube channel and search for your hopper to see maintenance and service tips. Additionally, because they are battery powered, there is also the risk of running out of battery life while on the field. Consider a rechargeable battery if you plan on playing for long periods of time.

Tiers and Features

Electronic hoppers are often graded as entry, intermediate and professional for different styles of play, and they vary in features like fire rate, capacity and construction.  

Fire Rate

Electronic hoppers have a quicker firing rate in general. However, at the professional level, the firing rate can reach up to 30 paintballs per second, which is much faster than entry-level hoppers. 

Capacity

At the high end, hoppers can hold up to 200 paintballs, which is useful in competition or for frequent players. However, entry-level players often do not need a hopper with a capacity that high. 

Construction

Hoppers are available in different sizes and shapes, allowing you to choose a style that you like. Also, more practically, the design and material of the hopper will factor into the weight, which matters on the field. Professional-level hoppers may be heavier, but they will also be larger and more durable. 

Next Steps

For more information about paintball hoppers that are electric and all of your other paintball needs, browse our inventory of hoppers and accessories or check out our hopper reviews at Lone Wolf Paintball.