Just about any paint will work, but the Higher the grade....the better consistancy you will have in the shots.
Strengths:
Has several "levels" to choose from
Shoots Farther and more accurate than Flatline
Weaknesses:
Shroud must be turned in counter clockwise motion to prevent barrel from unscrewing
Review:
The Apex has several "levels" (8 clicks/positions to be exact)from which to select/adjust from. Position 2-3 is equal in distance to the Flatline but is more accurate. Position 4-5 gives about 30-50 more distance and also retains incredible accuracy. Posistion 6-7 gives EVEN more DISTANCE, but accuracy starts to drift off. Position 8 aka "Super Flatline" gives the greatest Distance (about 80ft more than the flatline for me), and has accuracy comparible to the Flatline itself.
Position 8 Divebomb, and Hook Left/Right are simply amazing. The individual user will need to experiment with these options in order to properly use them. They will need to be familiar with the angle, distance, and flight path which the ball takes.
The overall barrel length unmounted is exactly 10 3/4 inches. Inside the shroud, on the bottom there are several slots/grooves in it. When the ball is shot, the combination of it hitting the rubber piece and air flowing underneath the ball (via the slots) sets the backspin in motion.
When set on "Super Flatline" is has anywhere between a 2-4ft drop that initially occurrs before the ball levels back out. When it levels back out, the ball literally seems to float... and float....
I give this product a 9, simply because no product is perfect and can always be added upon to improve its abilities
edit: So far I have noticed no problems with the Apex barrel. The only real thing I have noticed though, is that when a ball breaks in the shroud... its a pain to clean out. The paint being in there didn't seem to effect performance, just looked ugly I suppose.
UPDATE!!! Tuesday, August 16th, 2005 at 4:09 pm PST I tested out the Apex to see exactly how far it would shoot with me being able to hit the target. I went threw exactly 2 1/2 cases of paint, and found that on lvl 8 setting I was able to hit the target at 303 feet. I did so at 2.4 out of 10 shots. On lvl 5 setting I was able to hit the target at 167 feet and did so 8.9 out of 10 shots.
UPDATE!!!! Wednesday, August 24th, 2005 at 3:35 pm PST I went to a 8 hour scenario August 20th and was able to properly field test the Apex. I was outshooting and hitting people easily. I was able to easily provide long range suppressive fire and to bunker several people. I tested out the "Dive Bomb" and after a few shots I was able to dive a few shots over a tree stump to hit a guy that was bunkered by another player. It was a Field Paint only event, and the paint was quite cheap... some no name white box junk. Out of 2 cases, I broke only one ball.
UPDATE!!! Monday, October 3rd, 2005 at 2:19 pm PSTI recently attended the Tippmann World Challenge (TWC) in Michigan, Sept 17-18. I played on the Tippmann Team. Dispite the poor paint, the Apex was performing amazingly. I demonstrated on field for a few people its capabilities. At one point I became a camera man, and followed the World team for pics. Several of them with high end markers were sporting Apex's. One guy who had just bought one was getting upset because he couldn't hit anything. I explained that he simply needed to back the ramping off. 2 clicks back.... and he cleared the road.... took out 6 guys. He was outshooting those with Flatlines. I have been able to battle (field) test this barrel thoroughly, and I am still very impressed with its performance.
Conclusion:
This barrel is without a doubt the evolutionary upgrade of the Flatline, and unfortunately (sad to say this since I own a flatty as well) now puts the Flatline in the stone age.
Rating:
9 out of 10
Last edited on Monday, October 3rd, 2005 at 2:26 pm PST
quote:Originally posted by alijan does it slow down more than the flatline over a distance?
My Flatline FPS was 266, while my Apex FPS is around 272-275. So actually the Apex is shooting 6-9 FPS faster. But from appearance slow down is about the same.
quote:Originally posted by dedzone2k How big was the target? Could you give an approximation of how tight was the grouping was?
Target was an Adult Upper Torso. At around 200 ft (estimate only), the grouping was around 2-3 feet diameter. The accuracy of the Apex is quite good. I prefer the Apex over the Flatline anyday.
