Tippman X7 R/T, Palmers Regulator, Palmers Brass + APEX Tip
Recommended Paintballs:
Expensive stuff like Marbs
Strengths:
Delivers flat trajectory most of the time. Very securely attached to X7.
Weaknesses:
Hard to tune, picky on paintballs, innacurate.
Review:
I have used all three flatline barrels, 98/a5/x7. The newer the flatline, the more quality seems to go down.
This barrel is insanely hard to keep tuned correctly, especially with weather changes. It is innacurate as you can get if not tuned right. It will have balls zipping every direction except where youre aiming. It is also a pain in the butt to tune, especially if you're a woodsball player who doesnt have access to a dyno every time you go out. It also breaks balls if its set too high (more often than regular barrel).
It is very picky with paintballs. If you use anything lower than mid quality paint you will break a lot of balls, and it will be innacurate. The barrel is VERY HARD to clean... yeah, not impossible, but very hard and takes way too long when youre out on the field.
The flatline was a great idea when it came out on the 98, but when you have options like the APEX barrel (which lets you put aftermarket [ACCURATE] barrels in combo with it!) which is more flexible, more accurate, and cheaper, there is no reason to get a flatline today.
Dispute: If your shots are going everywhere other than towards the target then you're shooting too fast. I had the same issue and as soon as I dropped my velocity and started to tune UP, I got to a point where I was getting great accuracy. Haven't had to change it yet.
BTW it's a chronometer (chrono) not dyno (dynometer)
Yes you HAVE to use premium paint. The barrel is specifically designed to put BACKSPIN on the ball. If you dont have a perfectly round ball (i.e. cheap paint) it wont spin correctly or at all causing breaks and poor accuracy. Anything but a *almost* perfectly round ball will not spin properly.
Use premium paint and you wont have to clean the barrel.
***EDIT
Basing this off my review. I've only owned the X7 and just recently tried the barrel. I've had no problems once it was tuned and chrono'ed
***EDIT
Updated as of 8/25/08
This barrel is STILL GREAT. I'm using Evil paintballs (gone through 4000 rounds) and haven't had 1 break yet. Very consistant and accurate.
If you can't setup a piece of equipment properly then of course you're going to have problems...
Last edited on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 12:12 pm PST
