An impeller for an active-feed paintball loader has resilient arms that engage paintballs in the lower portion (well) of the loader and advance them to and through the outfeed tube. The resilient arms are sufficiently stiff to move unobstructed paintballs located between the arms, and sufficiently flexible to yield when forced against stationary paintballs so as not to rupture the paintball shells, the arms substantially returning to their original shape when the obstruction is removed. Accordingly, when the motor is shut off, the arms will simply flex backward as they encounter stationary paintballs. Should a paintball jam occur in the vicinity of the impeller, the arm(s) can flex around the jammed ball without breaking it, and help to dislodge it so as to clear the jam.