My son has been running a paintball site in Yorkshire for the past twelve years and in that time it has grown from ten to fifteen players a day to over two hundred a day. I have played many times and I have been cut by a paintball which did hurt like hell but it was from about two yards and it hit me on the forehead, it also hurts when it hits you on the bare fingers but most of the shots don't hurt at all, in fact in every game people call marshals over to check them over for paint marks they didn't even feel. The modern guns we use are semi automatics and the speed of the paintball, propeled by co2, leaving the gun is between 125 and 200 feet per second. The paint ball itself is about half an inch round and consists of a water soluable dye inside a bio-degradable shell which is designed to burst if it hits a leaf. Most of our players come back again at a later date for another game so it can't hurt that much. However one of the main rules in the UK is that you don't shoot at anyone's head, if fact a head shot is not counted as being shot. Most reputable sites will supply goggles and face mask which will protecy the wearer from any shot to the eyes, temple, mouth, nose, ears and throat. Paintball goggles have to be tested for the job they are doing and the test is firing a half inch steel ball baring at 200 feet per second from one yard straight onto the lens. The main safety rule is never ever take goggles off during or after a game till you are in the designated safe area, a paintball will definatly take your eye out if the angle is right. We don't encourage players under 16 and our oldest player was 78, we also find that 33% are women who are usually the most cunning; while a man will run into the enemy shooting a woman usually waits in hiding and shoots you when you least expect it. As to Rick's idea regarding being against shooting birds etc; we don't usually get the shooting types who shoot at birds and rabbits, I think it is because the target they are shooting at in paintball is carrying a gun as well and they dont like the odds.
So Whimp Guy go ahead and enjoy yourself but remember to keep the goggles on.
Cheers Bill