Airsoft Snipers

[Money Bags]

(First of all, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section. I thought this belonged in 'Newbie Discussion' rather than 'The Game.')

 

I don't wish to offend anyone here, but basicly I was wondering about how effective snipers are in an airsoft game. (I've haven't been to one yet, hoping to go in the next month though!) Also, I'm not asking cause I want to be a sniper, I'd just like to know.

 

There are always loads of topics about sniper rifles etc. I can certainly understand the appeal of snipers because quite frankly, they are cool. The attraction of being able to pick someone off without them knowing you are even there and being too far away for them to pose a threat to you.

 

Since in airsoft, you fire 6mm plastic bbs, and sites (in the UK at least) usually have limits at about 328fps or somewhere round about, are snipers really that effective when AEGs have nearly the same power? I know some sites have 500fps limits for single action guns, but wouldn't that just really hurt your arm after a day of pulling back that power spring? Wouldn't you just be at serious disadvantage with single action?

 

Serious snipers with the ghile suits and what have you maybe play a part because when they're in their tree outfits and it would be incredibly difficult to see them if they sit somewhere waiting all day for just one shot.

 

Gas rifles may be more effective though cause you've got semi at least, but the majority of airsoft sniper rifles used are spring powered. Or not?

 

I'd just like to get some opinions of people who play the game. Thanks.

 

(I'll just leave you with a little picture of the sniper with most style! )

[Spantney]

Hey dude.

 

Sniper rifles can be very effictive when used properly. Even though the limit at most places is only 328fps - that does not matter so much. TM G-specs and suchlike have an extremely good hop-up system - so even bone stock VSR's will get above 120 feet or so in range due to the hop-up. Also, sniper rifles are usually very quiet. Using an AEG you will be able to hear the gearbox turning over. A g-spec is almost impossible to hear from more than about 10 feet or so! If you are frightened about your arm getting tired out then you could get a semi-auto sniper rifle - (a psg-1 or something), but its really not that bad. There are different methods to cock sniper rifles - Using the bolt but with different hand/arm positions. As for diversity of rifles - last time I went to woodland there was a plethora of VSR's and other spring powered rifles but there was a guy using a PSG-1 and another couple of guys using gas rifles.

[Billy210]

A lot of people ask the same question after starting airsoft. They see all the cool sniper films etc and think, 'that's so cool, I'll have a go at that'. What they don't realise is that airsoft sniping is a whole different ball game (ha,ha) than real-world sniping. The main difference is that in airsoft, although sniper rifles are generally very accurate and potentially almost silent, thay lack the great range advantage that real sniper rifles offer over regular small-arms.

 

Translation: the only advantages an airsoft sniper rifle affords are stealth and accuracy (unless you opt to go over the UK limits, which will only allow you to use the gun at some sites). If you just play with a sniper rifle instead of an AEG, in your usual playing style, you WILL get owned.

 

Airsoft sniping can be a very rewarding experience. However, in airsoft you have NO range advantage over most AEGs and that means you have to get into range without being seen. This requires that you learn basic fieldcraft (moving quietly, choosing good spots etc.) and use very effective camouflage- probably a ghillie suit.

 

In short, everyone has a hankering to become an airsoft sniper at some stage. However, it requires a lot of commitment to be a successful sniper in airsoft and even then, it is not for everyone. Most people just end up wasting their money.

 

And finally- I reccommend the VSR-10 Gspec because it is super-quiet, very accurate and has a great hop-up.

 

Hope that helps!

[Tariel]

In the US where I play there are rules that give snipers an edge. For example standard AEGs and automatics stick to 350 FPS, sniper rifles and semi autos only may go up to 550 FPS. In general I don't see bolt as a disadvantage at all. You only need one shot, and that shot will be far more acurate than standard AEG's. However, I do feel given the UK situation, sniper rifles are at a disadvantage no matter what way you put it.

[darkchild130]

At my local site aegs are limited to 350 with sniper rifles at 500, giving them a distinct advantage at range.

 

Makes for more interesting games, i feel.

 

Darkchild

[Money Bags]

^Thats a good idea. Theres a site in peterbourgh which is close enough for me and my friends to go to that does something like that. I think it's 500fps for single action, 350fps for GBBs and 300fps for AEGs.

 

I didn't think that airsoft sniping is not for me though, now i know for sure. I just wanted to know weather they are a real threat during a game. I'll look out for 'em!

 

A friend of mine who I'm going to the site with has A Gspec. He bought the gun with various upgrades from HK, and then took it Airsoft Armoury in Cannok to get them put in. Now it fires at about 450fps (sorry for breaking forum rules) I think, and now he needs to get a velocity reducer if he wants to use it when we go to pheonix airsoft in Nottingham.

 

Anyway, thanks alot for the info! Here, some tea for the UK residents, and some coffe for our friend from the US. :coffee: :coffee: Not sure which are which, I think the one in the middle on the left is the coffe and the rest are tea. You'll have to smell them to be sure.

 

But yeah, cheers!

[rifleman]

The real danger from a sniper is not when he's shooting, it's when he's deployed as an advance recce screen. Because of superior fieldcraft, you're unlikely to see him but he'll see you and report your movements to the rest of his team. To quote Murphy's Laws of Combat "If your advance is going really well, you're walking into an ambush" and generally it'll be a sniper advising the ambush team where you are, how many people in your patrol etc etc.

 

Even when he does shoot, chances are you won't see it coming (the majority of snipers I know use black BBs) and you're unlikely to hear it. A sniper will normally fire one or two shots at most before moving somewhere else so by the time you realise you're being shot at he's gone.

 

I currently have two sniper rifles, a stock TM VSR10 pro-sniper, which will be getting a tightbore barrel and a V hop up in the near future but apart from that it's going to stay stock as I want to use it for urban and my local site has a limit of 300fps for urban guns. The other rifle is a gas bolt model USR 11 which will also get a tightbore and V hopup (It'll probably get a paint job as well). Apart from that, it'll be fine for woodland.

[AGuy]

I find it better to be a sharpshooter, like an upgraded SG1 gives you enough accuracy,fps, and rof to be a counter sniper/sniper/ regular gunman

[TheBauer]

(First of all, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section. I thought this belonged in 'Newbie Discussion' rather than 'The Game.')

 

 

Since in airsoft, you fire 6mm plastic bbs, and sites (in the UK at least) usually have limits at about 328fps or somewhere round about, are snipers really that effective when AEGs have nearly the same power? I know some sites have 500fps limits for single action guns, but wouldn't that just really hurt your arm after a day of pulling back that power spring? Wouldn't you just be at serious disadvantage with single action?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well my arm doesnt hurt, a 150 spring on a VSR is ALOT easier to pull back than the equivliant on an APS.

 

i owned an APS96 running a 150 and the spring was quite difficault, even worse as im left handed and have to reach over and cock it, when i got my gspec i forgot how bad the aps was and i had a ago on the aps the other day and it seriously is a BIG difference, with a teflon cylinder the cocking on a 150 on a vsr is not that much more than a stock spring to me, granted you can pull a stock spring with your pinky finger and a 150 requires a little more effort but its really not that bad.

[Shard]

I chose sniping after playing an assault role for 2 years previously. I was bored of AEG's, had tried pistol only and enjoyed the challenge, and wanted more of the same sort of handicap regarding only having single shot rather than full auto.

 

The whole scenario of pull trigger and hose was boring me. Having to load each bb and know I dont have full auto instantly available at the flick of your thumb makes the game a lot more fun for me, and a lot more tense too.

 

I get greater satisfaction out of just sneaking about even if I dont get many kills when I play. A single kill from 60m can be enough to make the day for me even if it is the only one I get with the rifle in the whole day !

 

No doubt it can be cool, and the looks of wow / uh oh you sometimes get while wielding a maxed out rifle can be a bonus, but it isnt the primary reason I chose the role. At the end of the day I didn't choose sniping to be cool - I chose it for the challenge. Of course, the added extra of a site with a higher BA limit makes the role a bit more do able against AEG's

 

I agree with TheBauer on the VSR & higher springs. At first it took getting used to, but fortunately I'm not a small guy so its pretty comfortable & usuable really. Having seen some younger kids with pumped up rifles struggling a bit though, i can see where that thought comes from.

[TheBauer]

I chose sniping after playing an assault role for 2 years previously. I was bored of AEG's, had tried pistol only and enjoyed the challenge, and wanted more of the same sort of handicap regarding only having single shot rather than full auto.

 

The whole scenario of pull trigger and hose was boring me. Having to load each bb and know I dont have full auto instantly available at the flick of your thumb makes the game a lot more fun for me, and a lot more tense too.

 

I get greater satisfaction out of just sneaking about even if I dont get many kills when I play. A single kill from 60m can be enough to make the day for me even if it is the only one I get with the rifle in the whole day !

 

No doubt it can be cool, and the looks of wow / uh oh you sometimes get while wielding a maxed out rifle can be a bonus, but it isnt the primary reason I chose the role. At the end of the day I didn't choose sniping to be cool - I chose it for the challenge. Of course, the added extra of a site with a higher BA limit makes the role a bit more do able against AEG's 

 

I agree with TheBauer on the VSR & higher springs. At first it took getting used to, but fortunately I'm not a small guy so its pretty comfortable & usuable really. Having seen some younger kids with pumped up rifles struggling a bit though, i can see where that thought comes from.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats pretty much explains my view as well,

 

Bolt Action is more of a challange. and like shard has said playing at a site which allows you to have a range advatange over an AEG but with having to cock each shot as a handicap can make the game alot more intresting.

 

you do get alot of people 'ooing' at your rifle which is rather entertaining, especialy after you shoot them

 

at my site there are a few people that have sniper rifles. but most use them as a marksmen tool rather than stealth. which is what i prefer.

last sunday it was rather windy, and sniping wasnt really feasable at morethan 45m due to the wind. so i used my pistol, and kept up to par with my fellow aeg users.

the good thing about silenced pistols is that people can still hear them but the muffeled sound confuses their hearing so that cant actualy pinpoint your location, and by which time its to late.

 

i personaly use .28 in my pistol because it gives it the extra thwak when it hits so people know that they have been hit, range is only bout 15-20m though which is more than enough on a pistol.

[Billy210]

Some UK sites will allow you to use bolt-action sniper rifles up to 500fps #cough# under certian circumstances. At Alpha55, you can use such a gun, but only if you take a special sniper course run by a guy there. That way they can teach you to use your rifle carefully, and they can make sure you are responsible enough to handle that kind of FPS.

 

Once you have that kind of range advantage, it does make sniping a lot more realistic and I would probably consider doing this if I every wanted to learn to be a sniper.

[Samm]

And there is of course the fact that people like to ignore single shots, so often it has to be more than a one-shot kill Twunts.

[TheBauer]

And there is of course the fact that people like to ignore single shots, so often it has to be more than a one-shot kill Twunts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hence my sig

 

if people are like that and basicaly cheating twunts then its simply aim for the soft spots IE,

 

Hands

Neck

Forehead

There side (usualy where there webbing has a gap)

Backs of the legs

 

my favourite has to be the hands for cheating twunts though.

 

or if there wearing full face mask, center of the mask,* makes there head jolt back in shock, no one can refuse a hit from that then.

 

 

*no people wearing shooting glasses as face shots are just nasty and a last resort.

[Prolific]

My thoughts are that sniper rifles can be effective. But they aren't decisive. The presence of a sniper can be useful but its unlikely to change the outcome of a game.

 

Sadly it seems that the concept of stealth the sniper relies on is his undoing. Because people didn't hear or see where his shot came from, just felt it, they often don't take it. Putting it down to just a twig or branch hitting them.

 

A 500fps sniper generally doesn't fire anything below .30g, so it does hurt a little sometimes up close but normally it feels no different to being shot with an AEG.

[WeAreLegion]

Well I was always interested in Sniping.. Firstly I started with a Sawer 90.. he he he.. The BB was lucky if it cleared the end of the ENORMOUS barrel.. But it was a start.

 

Then I moved onto the SG1 1j. I enjoyed this gun, but it lacked the realism.

 

Now I use the Tanaka Kar98k, gas rifle. I have has to tune it down to play on our sites here in Ireland, but what a rifle. It is bolt action each time, and with it tuned down, has a wee bit more range than a your AEG's, (on the most part)

 

But in airsoft Sniping, it is all about field craft. on a recent excersion (with a poor turn out) I was pitted against 5. Firstly I had to attack a base.. Which I nearly succeeded, getting into a position, taking my shot, then spending 15 minutes working my way around the other side. Then they had to track me down in 'Sniper Hunt' and again my field craft gave me an advantage.

 

However, sniping is not for everyone. If you like the idea of sitting for half an hour in the mud, just waiting for that perfect kill...

[alema]

I find it better to be a sharpshooter, like an upgraded SG1 gives you enough accuracy,fps, and rof to be a counter sniper/sniper/ regular gunman

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeah, i agree with this. the TM m14 is seen to be a very suitbale weapon for this role.

[Money Bags]

^That's what i'd like to do really.

[TheBauer]

Get an M14 then mate

 

thats next on my list for when i fancy something different

[vbtb110]

This topic has been highly discussed. It all comes down to the type of play that you want. I have sniped for my team, and it is a lot of fun when you get the guy in your crosshairs, theres nothing better. But you usually have to wait a while in a game before that can happen. I think the most I ever fired in one game (When I was sniping) was about 20-25 bbs. If you want constant action, then sniping isnt for you. But if you want a moment of pure joy when you have a guy in the sights, but you are willing to wait for that moment, then sniping is for you.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Vbtb

[Billy210]

if people are like that and basicaly cheating twunts then its simply aim for the soft spots IE,

 

Hands

Neck

Forehead

There side (usualy where there webbing has a gap)

Backs of the legs

 

+ face

Ears

Nose

Groin

[Stealthbomber]

The real danger from a sniper is not when he's shooting, it's when he's deployed as an advance recce screen... etc... etc...

Absolutely.

 

I can't recall where I read it (USMC sniper manual I think) but there's a manual which defines the key rolls of a sniper in the following ways (in order of priority):-

 

1 Covertly observe and report on enemy activity.

2 Direct friendly forces to target and offer support.

3 Create panic, fear and confusion in enemy ranks.

4 Eliminate enemy targets.

 

You can see that most of those rolls are just as feasible for an airsofter as in the real military.

However, for various reasons, the way you'll carry out these rolls might vary during airsoft.

 

For example, you can scout a skirmish site a lot more easily if you know the area. When a game starts you can run to a secluded area somewhere in the middle of the site and be confident that the enemy WILL be coming this way soon.

 

You can just as easily create confusion in enemy ranks. Nothing slows down an advance or patrol faster than seeing a guy up ahead suddenly call hit after a shot from nowhere. I've seen teams run all the way back to their base camp after an encounter with a sniper. I've also seen teams avoid whole areas of the site for the entire day after losing players in the same place in the first couple of games.

 

As for eliminating targets, Don't forget that most snipers will be using (for example) a 7.62 bullet and, in theory, an enemy with a G3 or SLR could return fire on a level footing.

Of course, it's the superior construction and accuracy of the sniper weapon that gives it an edge, rather than the power of the bullet (Let's forget about the M82 for a minute. ). Add a decent scope to your rifle and you can see what makes a sniper rifle (airsoft or real steel) superior to a normal rifle.

 

You can create similar advantages in airsoft. Fit a good barrel and hop-up. Use the best BBs you can afford. Fit parts which make the gun quiet to cock and shoot. Camouflage the rifle so it can't be spotted by the enemy.

These are all things that an airsoft sniper can do, withot cheaping, to give himself an advantage over a normal player in the same way an army sniper has an advantage over his enemy.

 

Finally, there's the way you play. I can hose with my M16 and get half a dozen kills in 20 seconds. A sniper might have to crawl half a mile then wait for half an hour just to make one shot before scuttling away and starting over.

In airsoft it really is a thankless task (unless your enemy are idiots and keep on coming back for more) sosniping isn't for people who just want to take pot-shots from long distances. It genuinely does require that you enjoy spending most of the skirmish sneaking around and generally not getting involved in most of the fun.

[Dentonboy]

Sniping really isn't for everyone.

 

I would suggest getting a full auto capable rifle, like a TM SG-1 or a G&G SR-25, so you can snipe on single, but when the sh*t hits the fan, there is full auto to help out..

 

My bro has just sold his VSR-10 as sniping wasn't for him. But it was a superb gun and very accurate. You really need a site which allows 500fps single-shot snipers to get any kind of advantage over AEG's IMHO.

[Money Bags]

Get an M14 then mate

 

thats next on my list for when i fancy something different

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Already got it man! It's beautiful! Think i might put a 3-9 scope on it. Cause I like the look of the RAS thing you can get, and scopes are cool.

[Delta6]

One thing ive noticed about sniping yea the glory may be sweet takeing out someone with one shot with out them knowing you are there but the down side is it takes alot of patience and snipers usually work alone so they have know one really covering there behind out in the field

But as far as rifles you can be a sniper with any gun really even a pistol depends how good your shot is if your going to be a sniper i hope you like just waiting and looking around in the field the most amount of kills i have gotten in a 24 hour milsim was 1 15 rnd mag hahaha keystone booyea

but its fun to do