FPS for a Sniper or DM System

i was wondering what is the standared FPS that you like your sniper systems to have? just include the FPS the why and what your local fields/clubs terrain is like so we can get an idea.

for me i would have to say the 450FPS for a sniping or DM platform. the reason for this is that it only has a 50ft MED(minimum engagement distance) my effective range with my secondary (a KSC M9) is around 40ft max. but i can place shot on a man sized target at 55-60ft. almost all of the ohio fields are made of hills and woods so i wont be restricted to using my sidearm at Springfield per say because im fighting with in my 100ft MED (for a 500FPS sniper). right now with my M4 i can get 250ft accurately before my hop-up starts to over hop with .25 g bb's. so if i use .30 gram (ive done a test with this) and 450fps i should get about 300-350ft. what actually happened is i got around 300ft measured. most airsoft engagements for the standared player happen at about 90ft(30yds). ive found that most sniper engagements have happened at about 150ft(50yds i think correct me if im wrong). so why would we have a weapon with a MED of 100ft. IDK it just makes sence to me. i would love to hear some stories on how the 500fps has helped all of you.

thanks have fun with this one

sticks

PS: 200th POST WOOOOOO

First of all, congratulations on your 200th post, and your rank-up to Sergeant That's awesome, and you've contributed a lot to this forum!

With that said, I chose 400 fps, but I actually have mixed feelings. Here's my take on it:

400 fps on a semi/full auto DMR - allows for longer shots, and to still hold positions with regular AEG carriers.

450 fps on semi-auto AEG sniper rifles - also allows for long shots, but still follows most field engagement limits

500-550 fps on bolt-action sniper rifles - allows for heavier BBs and extra long/accurate shots. This means they can still have an upper-hand over AEGs.

Ok, this is my opinion and its not meant to put anybody down...

If you are shooting less than 400fps you are basically a rifleman. If AEG's are allowed to shoot 400fps full auto what is your advantage shooting less than 400fps? You wont have a range advantage and against a GOOD AEG you wont have much of an accuracy advantage either.

If you are shooting 450fps you will outrange some AEG's but you wont outrange the guy with a SAW shooting full auto at 450fps. Instead you will be pinned down due to the fact that you only have semi auto or a bolt action.

If you shoot anything over 450fps you are using a bolt action (in Ohio). So you better get it shooting somewhere around 500fps so you have some serious range advantage over your basic AEG users. At this range you will most likely have a MED engagement of 100ft, which is about 34 yards... if you think about it, that isnt very far. This means all you will need is a good sidearm and you will have a good shot at both long and short range.

Sorry if that sounds like I am putting down players that are shooting less fps, just my opinion of what a sniper should be. If you want to be a TRUE sniper, I think you need to go for as long of engagements as you possibly can, which in turn means you will need more FPS to be effective.

i wouldent say that true snipers need to have a high FPS gun. look at the 6mm hunters they use stock TM G-specs and they are some of the most experienced snipers in airsoft. they have been playing the game for over 12 years, thats almost as long as some of our members have been alive. i dont think snipers should HAVE to use high FPS guns just have a gun model that replicates a real sniper system.

sticks

I guess, but if you are getting outranged by a stock Echo 1 AK, what is the point of using a bolt action??
So you can really be outmatched, or just to say you did it?

well look at it this way. snipers are always talking about how good a certain hide was and how the enemy was almost on top of them and they still got away. now most of these stories are true because the average airsofter is not looking for snipers specifically. but have you guys ever herd of a sniper that got a kill from 10-30ft away? i havent, but could you imagine how anoying it would be to the enemy if you did. you could probably get 3 kills that close. so yes partially to just say it and most stock guns (280-300FPS) have a good accurate 120ft range, so you would just have to draw the enemy in a little closer to take a shot. i think a stock TM G-Spec can be just as effective as an upgraded JG BAR10. its not the rifle its the sniper(PS: i still think snipers should have a "sniper Rifle")

sticks

Ok, I see one small problem with your post...

If you give the same guy that is using a stock VSR 10 (300fps) a JG Bar 10 that is upgraded (with free mods) shooting 450-480fps, chances are that person is going to play a little different as he will now be able to hit people that cant even engage him yet due to the range difference between the replica's. Lets face it, the Bar 10 is basically a VSR when it comes down to it. So you can get the Bar shooting faster, use some .30 BB's and achieve more accurate and longer range shots than the VSR in stock form. Dont get me wrong, I know the VSR is a great rifle, but so is the Bar 10... just ask all the people it hit this past weekend from 40-60 yards.
If you are wanting to get kills from 10-30ft away, just carry a good sidearm and bust it out whenever the enemy gets close. I did this the other day with my M9 and was ready to go everytime I got close to somebody. If you had an MP5k, MP7, etc... as your sidearm (shooting 320-350fps) with a bolt action as a primary (shooting 500+ FPS), you would have the best of both worlds.

I guess my problem with using a bolt action that only shoots 300 fps is the fact that it isnt really realistic. A sniper rifle in real life is going to have more accuracy and range than an m4, g36c, etc... so in my opinion I guess I would say for me to be a sniper I would want to have the accuracy and range advantage over your common AEG's.

Just my thoughts...

i see what your saying there. i guess what makes the game fun for me is the recon aspect of it. how close i can get without being seen or being shot, can i get 4 or 1 of them from 30ft away? etc etc so i guess this type of sniping would just be my cup of tea

sticks

Trust me, I enjoy shooting people at less than 30 ft as well... at Blind Fury I had the opportunity to do it several times and I still laugh at the 2 kids I lit up from about 7-10ft away from me that literally walked right by me and I wasnt even in good cover. They jumped like you wouldnt believe when the CA36 unleashed its wrath on their legs.

My future plans are to get a good sidearm like an Echo 1 MP5k and push the Bar 10 up to about 550fps. Then I will have a great weapon for long range and a fantastic weapon for close encounters. Should be a good setup for me. I am also not really the type of sniper that just sits in one place the entire game... I like to move around a good bit. So chances are I will be tracking down enemies and engaging them from a distance or if I come up on them quickly I will have a good shot with the MP5k. Just kinda makes sense.
I didnt really think I would like the sniper role, then I tried the Bar 10... suddenly I think I could make a pretty good dent in the opposing teams lines with it fine tuned.

Seabass_9000 wrote:

I guess, but if you are getting outranged by a stock Echo 1 AK, what is the point of using a bolt action??
So you can really be outmatched, or just to say you did it?

How about the pride of using a bolt action? Sniper's will too often find it won't be about out-ranging their opponents anyway, but outsmarting them. It comes more down to a sniper's accuracy, quick thinking, and use of concealment. (also accepting less kills per game than using a standard AEG)

My opinion:
FPS is not even close to being everything (as I know you'd obviously agree Seabass). Your effectiveness as a sniper depends on all sorts of things. Range, accuracy, consistency, concealment, intelligence. FPS has a small part in all of these. Look at the crappy L96 knock-offs you can buy for $70 on Ebay - they're shooting 460+ fps! Does that mean they're good sniper rifles? Nope. They usually come with 6.08mm inner barrels, cheap internals, etc. I would say accuracy and consistency are more important than the almighty fps and range.

...

Admin wrote:

Seabass_9000 wrote:

I guess, but if you are getting outranged by a stock Echo 1 AK, what is the point of using a bolt action??
So you can really be outmatched, or just to say you did it?

How about the pride of using a bolt action? Sniper's will too often find it won't be about out-ranging their opponents anyway, but outsmarting them. It comes more down to a sniper's accuracy, quick thinking, and use of concealment. (also accepting less kills per game than using a standard AEG)

My opinion:
FPS is not even close to being everything (as I know you'd obviously agree Seabass). Your effectiveness as a sniper depends on all sorts of things. Range, accuracy, consistency, concealment, intelligence. FPS has a small part in all of these. Look at the crappy L96 knock-offs you can buy for $70 on Ebay - they're shooting 460+ fps! Does that mean they're good sniper rifles? Nope. They usually come with 6.08mm inner barrels, cheap internals, etc. I would say accuracy and consistency are more important than the almighty fps and range.

This is funny coming from the guy that just upgraded from a UTG Shadow Ops that shot 450fps accurately to a Classic Army CA8 that shoots 400+ FPS accurately.

You are correct FPS isnt everything and in no way should it be the only thing you look at when purchasing a replica. However, if you can get a decent replica that is shooting 430+ FPS such as a JG Bar 10, UTG Shadow Ops, etc... and it still has good accuracy and range for a lower price tag, then you will have the upper hand on a bolt action shooting around 300 fps at just about any range. Not only will you have a longer flight trajectory you also have to take into account how much longer the shot will have a flat trajectory and how much quicker the BB will reach the target in comparison. When we played the other day Slacker used his Classic Army M24 that is stock. While it is accurate it lacks range because it is only shooting 315fps (right now... he is tired of being outranged) and what made this obvious to me was a game in which we were on opposite teams and were about 50-60 yards away and his shots were dropping off before they could make it to me. I probably could have caught them with my hand if I had wanted to because they werent going very fast at that point either (I could watch him fire a shot and wait about 3 seconds before getting behind cover). My Bar 10 on the other hand was fully capable of reaching him and actually the shots were going past his location. He then decided the best route was to fall back... which shows Slacker's understanding of physics and his knowledge of Airsoft.
I have had numerous kills as a rifleman from all kinds of distances... I am just starting the sniper role and so far probably my favorite kill I have had so far since I started playing Airsoft is the long shot I had on Roamer the other day with the Bar 10. It does feel rewarding to use a bolt action and especially rewarding to me when you get a kill that seems impossible... after the game Roamer even said to me, "I thought I was out of range." What made the shot even more impressive is the fact that I had to put it through several tree's both on the right and left side of the flight path. After taking into account wind direction and elevation. There was about a 3" window to hit him... 2 shots and I hit him right where I was aiming.
If you are interested in getting extremely close and shooting people, why not use a pistol? That to me is more of a challenge as it isnt as easy to aim. They are accurate up to 20 yards or so and they shoot slow. Or better yet, why not use a stick with a BB glued to the end of it?

well if i only had a pistol then i couldent shoot at the other distances that i would want(120ft or more). im considering testing something like this. but for a second imagine how devastating seeing someone pop around the corner with a R700 at conquest would be? personally i wouldn't be scared but imagine your shield friend being hit with a stock sniper from 3 rooms away.

i have a friend with a gen1 UTG M324 with the teflon mod. right now im thinking its shooting in the 340's (i dont have a chrono). ill take it out for a game or too and tell all of you how i did.

sticks

I wouldnt be as frightened by an M24, L96, etc... coming around the corner as I would be if a SAW or P90 came around the corner. Reason being, I can get off about 20-30 shots from my AEG by the time the sniper gets his second shot off. <-- Kinda gives me the upper hand, especially if the sniper misses on his first shot.
Maybe I have just had some good AEG's but, from my experience an AEG shooting 350fps or so can be pretty accurate up to 120ft. So in a CQB environment it generally is the best weapon to use.

Get as high as you can, the farther you are from their aeg, the better, plus its fun when you make someone yelp.

has to be over 400fps in my opinion. The reason I say this is probably a bad one, but here goes. I plan to put a 120 spring in my gun... and I am not a sniper nor do I wish to be. I don't think I am alone in this, so for a sniper to have a gun around the same fps is sort of useless.

Has to be over 400fps... maybe even over 500fps if we are talking about a springer due to the fact that you'll need the range to compensate for a decreased rof.

Nice post as always sticks.13

450 cuz its the max i can afford lol