Smart Parts SP-8 - very good but much more fragile and upgrade are more expensive, seems to have some problems with the eyes.
Spyder Rodeo - doesn't really compare as it is a mechanical however stock barrel is pretty nice.
Marker Setup:
Spyder MR3 with 3000psi HPA, remote coil, viewloader Evlution II
Recommended Upgrades:
Remote coil, fast e-hopper, air is possible, maybe a longer barrel if you like to play back/sniper.
Strengths:
Very fast trigger
Accurate stock
Eyes work great
Very durable
Easy to Maintain
Nice feel
Weaknesses:
Grip is a little loose.
A bit heavy if your used to tourney style markers.
Review:
I used this marker for the third time on a game day yesterday and was very impressed yet again with its performance,
Firstly the gun is incredibly durable being mostly metal with an ultra hard plastic hand guard which is always a good thing when playing scenario.
Its also very low maintanence as long as you don't get it wet all you need do is put a little oil in the asa before use.
One thing I really like about the MR3 is its military feel being more of a scenario player my self. Although it may seem heavy once you have the stock attached and your using a remote line its handling becomes effortless. The trigger frame is also incredibly quick on semi - eyes on and you can easily shoot 15bps. The battery also last more than long enough for a good days paintball (I usually shoot around 3000 balls+).
People say that the bolt is open when the stock is removed and this is true but to be honest I can't see myself removing the stock as its very light anyway and it makes the gun much heasier to hold still for longer shots.
The stock barrel is surprisingly accurate considering its only 10" and I could hit targets at 70 feet on about 280fps although I think I may get a longer barrel for the times when you want to play back.
The eyes also work a treat, I have used the gun on semi-w/eyes virtually all the time and I havn't suffered one break so far.
I've been using diablo formula 13 and it runs fine.
Lastly I would recommend the VL evo II for this gun as it easily keeps up on semi and it has a nice low profile.
Conclusion:
Brilliant scenario gun, can outshoot all competitors and the eyes work a treat. Very durable, will really help improve your game with its speed, accuracy and manouverability as the hand guard helps to decrease barrel vibration at high bps's allowing you to maintain your accuracy.
Good review. So do you recommend the MR3 over the SP-8? I'll be buying one of the two come spring, and since you said you've used the SP-8 I figured you could help. How does the MR3 perform with CO2? I know CO2 is less consistant than air, but does it perform below average, average, or above average compared to some other markers on CO2? I'll be buying air eventually, but I'm not sure when.
Hi, I have been using the MR3 for a couple of months now playing along side people with sp-8's and i'm still very happy with my choice. The eyes are better than those in the sp-8 and the whole gun is more compact which is a plus when playing small bunkers. Its incredibly durable, more so than the sp-8 (i've put it in mud and played in intense rain and the electronics weren't effected at all) and its quite a bit cheaper so i would definatly recommend it over the sp-8. I have used it on c02 once and didnt notice any performance drops although the day was quite mild, obviously the gun got very cold whne firing at high bps whihc may have eventually led to a freeze but apart from that it was fine.
P.S. The range on the stock barrel at 270fps is amazing for a 10" and barely in need of an upgrade imo.
Forgot to mention the ramping available on the sp8 is obviously a plus with the blackheart board upgrade offering tons more firing modes but in my experience there is no need for such modes on the scenario paintball filed and i can shoot 15bps on semi with the trigger adjusted correctly.
hey, love the review, might even buy 1 my self. i was just woundering if i bought say a 14,16,20" barrle would it dramaticly change the distance the ball travels?
