How Long Do Paintballs Last?

Found a good deal on paintballs at your local store and think about how long do paintballs last whether to buy them in bulk or not because you are not sure if you could use them in a few months.

Simply put, paintballs remain good for about 4 to 6 months, but expiration time varies depending upon the paint and encasing polymer. However, they may last past their expiry date by up to a year when stored properly.

But why do paintballs have an expiry date, and what if you use expired ones? This article will help you learn how long paintballs are good for, what factors affect their shelf life, and how to store them for longevity.

So, let’s dive in and find out if you can use paintballs after six months;

How Long Are Paintballs Good For?

Most paintball packets carry an expiry date of about four months after manufacturing. This is the duration in which the circular covering maintains a perfect shape, and inbound paint produces intensely pigmented results as guaranteed by the company.

However, the shelf life of paintballs is highly dependent upon storage conditions and the type of paint filled in the balls. Most paintballs are filled with biodegradable, non-toxic paint. This quality makes them safer tools for playing but also results in sooner degradation and expiry.

In contrast, some paintballs have non-biodegradable paint, which stays good for a longer time as it is not affected as severely by environmental conditions as biodegradable ones.

The gelatinous coverings are also sensitive to temperature and moisture. That is why the balls deform or burst sooner if you just throw them anywhere in your storeroom. On the other side, if you store them according to guidelines, they may last up to ten or twelve months.

Related Post: How Long Does a Paintball Game Last?

Factors Affecting Paintballs’ Shelf Life 

Like any game supply, paintballs won’t last forever and will become useless even if you store them in optimum conditions. However, some environmental factors significantly speed up the degradation process either by damaging their outer coating or reducing the pigmentation and fluidity of the paint. 

Here are the main factors affecting the shelf-life of paintballs;

Humidity 

Moisture can deteriorate the shell as well as paint in paintballs. Shell is usually made up of gelatin material which absorbs water when air is humid, or the paint inside is drying. Consequently, paint consistency, intensity, and composition are damaged by absorbed water.

Besides that, the main disadvantage of humidity and water absorption is that paintballs become bouncy. It is more difficult to aim correctly with a bouncy ball compared to a firm one. Also, bouncy balls often don’t burst upon hitting; rather, they recoil and get wasted.

Temperature

Paintballs are highly sensitive to temperature. If the surrounding temperature is too hot, the shell becomes soft and flaccid, losing its velocity and functionality. Likewise, too low a temperature can make them hard and brittle. 

On one side, frozen balls do not splutter as the paint is all frozen, and on the other side, it’s relatively unsafe to play with hardened balls. These rock-hard particles can hurt, causing bruises and pain on impact. Hence, it is not recommended to store them in the refrigerator. 

Sunlight

Ideally, your paintballs should never be exposed to sun rays because it quickly reduces paintballs’ shelf life. Ultraviolet rays deteriorate the paint quality. Likewise, UV radiations break down bonds in the shell, damaging its shape and resulting in dimples. 

In some balls, the coating layer may become thinner when exposed to sunlight for a while. In this case, the ball might burst inside your gun even before you fire. Another damage sun rays can do to your balls is dehydration, making them brittle or cracked.

How To Tell If Paintballs Are Bad?  

As discussed above, paintballs may last longer than expiry with good care. If not expiry, then how can you distinguish a viable paintball from a ball that has gone bad? Well, it is quite easy because damage to balls is clearly visible in the form of;

• Dimpling
• Cracking
• Flattening
• Hardening
• Swelling

Let’s analyze how this degradation happens;

Dimpling 

Dimpling is the most common sign of outdated paintballs. Usually, it occurs due to humidity because increased water content softens the shell, reducing its rigidity and strength. 

A warm environment can also induce dimpling as heat weakens the shell structure, causing indentations. 

Cracking 

Cracking usually happens to old paintballs if the climate is hot and dry. As their shell is gelatinous, water can evaporate if the temperature is too high. Resultantly, the shell is weakened, its shape gets disrupted, and little cracks may appear on some points.

Cracking eventually causes leakage of paint, rendering paintballs useless.

Flattening 

Not only excessive humidity but also dehydration can damage paintballs. Even when stored properly, paintballs lose moisture over time, and the paint starts drying. These balls may shrink, becoming smaller and often flattened in shape. 

If your balls have only become smaller but perform well in test shots, you can still use them in-game. However, if they have lost their shape, using them would not be a good idea as they will only get your score down.

Another reason for paintball flattening is lying in the same position for longer. The circular coat can become flattened at the bottom under gravitational pressure. The weight of overlying balls also adds to this pressure.

Hardening

Paintballs harden during the cold season or when kept in a refrigerator. Mostly the paint consists of soft polysaccharide glycols, which become brittle crystals when stored in extremely low temperatures. 

Brittle balls are hard to touch and break like glass instead of bursting like fragile balls. That is why frozen paintballs can cause skin damage or bruises.

Swelling

Sometimes paint, filled inside balls, decomposes into two layers and starts thickening. In this condition, the shell starts absorbing moisture from outside to stay distended. However, paintballs often get swollen due to the gradual absorption of water. These swollen balls look good, but their functionality is reduced.

They are often bouncier than normal balls. When a swollen paintball strikes the target, it bounces back or sideways instead of bursting and showering the competitor in color.

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How To Make Paintballs Last For A Long Time

Next, we share some proven techniques and storage tips to increase paintball longevity.

Best Conditions To Store Paintballs

Moderate temperature range: Extreme temperatures are bad for paintballs mostly due to their biodegradable composition. Gelatinous shells lose their stiffness in high temperatures but become too hard when the temperature falls below freezing.

Similar is the case with paint; temperature changes change the fluidity and consistency of the paint.

All in all, paintballs stay in good condition when stored at moderate temperature, somewhere between 10°C to 21°C.

Moderate humidity: As we know, humidity damages the ball shape and makes it less effective for the game. This factor should be kept in mind while storing them. Always keep them in a dry place with less than 50% humidity level. This makes your kitchen a less suitable place for storing paintballs.

Store in an air-tight container: To prevent swelling and deformation from humidity, you must keep them in a dry place. Air-tight containers are a good way to do that. A handy tip is to put them in a zip lock bag and then keep them in a plastic container to ensure complete safety from moisture.

Not exposed to sun damage: UV rays and heat from the sun can ruin the shape and composition of paintballs. That is why you should never leave them exposed to sunlight.

Rotate them often: Turn the paintball box upside down once a week. In this way, balls at the bottom of the container won’t crumble under the burden of overlying balls.

Storing Paintballs During The Game

Taking care of paintballs is also important during the game. If you have brought a full pack of balls to the field, you can’t just leave the extra balls anywhere. Otherwise, the sunlight or frosty climate will ruin them.

Instead, keep them in a shady, dry place where the temperature is just right. You can keep them in your car if it’s not parked in the sun.

What Happens If You Use Expired/Damaged Paintballs?

If the paintballs are in good condition with no signs of damage, being expired is less likely to ruin your game. 

However, if you use a dimpled or swollen ball, it may fall away upon firing because it has lost the velocity and aerodynamic features of the distended, round shape. Also, deformed balls often don’t burst upon hitting the target, wasting your correctly aimed shots.

If the paint is dried or curdled, it won’t color the opponent as you want. Resultantly, you won’t get any score even if your shots are perfect.

Lastly, if you use hardened or frozen paintballs, you will put safety at risk. Hard and brittle balls can cause injuries and bruises. That is why you should never store paintballs in a freezer.

What To Do With Old Paintballs?

If they have perfect, distended, round shapes and look like newer balls, you can still use them in your game. Try one on a wall or ground to see if the paint inside is in good condition or has curdled. 

But if the balls have deformed or the paint is degraded, it’s better to discard them.

Final Verdicts

To sum up, how long do paintballs last, you need not worry if many paintballs are left unused in your current game session. You can use them two weeks later in the next game session because paintballs stay good for 4-6 months.

However, storage conditions and environmental factors significantly impact the shelf life of these game supplies. Their shape may deform or the paint may degrade sooner when exposed to ultraviolet sun rays, extremely hot or freezing temperatures, and humidity.

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