The art of the airsoft sniper

(1)Intro:
(2)Weapon:
(3)Optics:
(4)Roles:
(5)Gear:
(6)Posistioning:
(7)Communication:
(8)Senses:
(9)Conditioning:
(10)Be Creative:
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(1)Intro: Im going to attempt to create a generalized guide to becoming an effective airsoft sniper.This isn't going to be the end all guide to sniping as most if not all of this info is IMO.Hopefully it will serve to assist new snipers as well as some veterans.First things first.Are you sure you A.want to be a sniper B.are capable of being a sniper. It takes alot of patience to be a sniper,more than most can bare.You have to deal with harsh conditions even on the sunniest day.Running through brush noone else would dare step into to,climbing to high ground that is not only a physical strain but frustrating at times because of the gear you have with you.Dealing with whatever nature throws at you and lying perfectly still.You may not be able to just shoo the snake or spider away.That snow youve been lying in for 2 hours may start to sting a bit,but you may not be able to move.The sun on your back with the gillie on has been slow roasting you for hours,but you can't take your eye off the scope or your hand off the rifle to wipe that sweat building up.It can be as physically and mentally demanding as any other role you could take intrest in with all these other great perks as well.There is great responsibility with playing the sniper so youd better be ready to take the heat from your squad if you can't fill the role.There are many satisfying roles in airsoft that are just as important as sniping.Do a little research and make sure this is for you before you spend alot of money only to be reminded where there is pro's, there are con's.
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(2)Weapon:Probably the most asked question and rightly so,Which rifle should I buy? Your rifle is an extension of yourself,a 5th limb if you will,and thus needs to be 1 you can trust and are comfortable using.With so many options to choose from,how can you be sure your getting a descent rifle that is right for you? Well,you can't.There are a few basic guidelines I used when looking into mine.First off,you need to decide what is in your budget.Try to include the original cost of the rifle and any future upgrades you plan on doing.If your new to airsoft,you wont know what to look for.Don't be overwhelmed with the mass of aftermarket upgrades available.Keep it simple.For sniping,you want range,accuracy and above all consistency.The first impulse for most players is to run out and up the FPS of the rifle.This isn't going to get you much of anything other than range.After a little research,Ive come to the conclusion that an M150 or = spring weight is a good place to start.If you go above that,you can expect to keep dumping money into pistons,sears and trigger mechanism and thats after upgrading to hold the spring.This should be one of the last mods you do simply because your rifle wont hold it without damage over time.When you decide to up your FPS,your gonna want to strengthen most if not all of your internals first.For a spring rifle this includes the spring guide,piston sear,piston,piston head and cylinder.For an AEG,the gearbox will need to have strengthend high torque gears,metal bushings,piston head,piston,cylinder,spring guide and in some cases a new battery and motor.This is the bare minimum to hold the heavier springs.Keep in mind that most rifles will accept an M120 without any upgrades at all.Thankfully someone has taken the time to review many options for us.Take a look here if you haven't yet!
http://www.airsoftallies.com/general-sniper-discussion-f37/which-sniper-rifle-is-the-best-t395.htm
Second,accuracy and consistency go hand in hand.Achieving 1 will get you the other.To do this,the often overlooked and cheapest way would be to use proper bb's.The .25g is kinda the standard,however,I suggest using no lighter than a .28!The heavier the bb,the more accurate the shot.There is a point that you start sacrificing FPS for more accuracy so you need to find the right bb's for your rifle setup.Next,youll want a tightbore barrel. There are many to choose from.A 6.01 will increase your FPS slightly while adding considerable accuracy.But, if your concerned about jams,you could get a bit larger barrel-6.03.However,this can be nearly alleviated with high grade bb's.Next is gonna be your hopup/bucking.If you don't have a hopup,get one.There is a few types of buckings to choose from.A good rule of thumb is if your over 400FPS get a hard bucking,if your between 3-400FPS get a medium and under 300 get a soft.
After budget comes usability.If your new to sniping in general,you may opt for an AEG which is considered standard for new players due to the rate of fire(ROF).But,They also require a little more care and can be costly to upgrade to get similar results as an upgraded spring rifle.There good for learning the role if your not accustomed to it because you can always go to full auto when things go bad.The single shot action of a spring rifle doesnt offer this luxury and should only be considered if or when your sure of your abilities.As for gas rifles,other than there is alot more maintenance involved I don't know alot about these yet.I do know there prone to inaccuracy.Also,weather can be a big factor in your decision.AEG's batterys drain faster in the cold and overheat in the summer and gas loses consistency in the cold.
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(3)Optics: Your optics should be similar to what youd expect to find on a bb gun.You don't need a 14x28 zoom for an airsfot rifle.A nice 3x9 should do fine.There are a few other considerations.For the new sniper,you may want to look for a scope with range estimation built in.This is simply the little dots on your crosshair.After awhile though,you wont need them cause youll be able to accuratley gauge distance/windage from time on field.Some prefer a mildot.To me this is more for CQB rather than longshots,but each his own.You also want a sturdy scope.What I mean isn't just the material its made of,but it needs to withstand the abuse of running,diving,climbing and lowcrawling without losing its zero.Most scopes can withstand this abuse but not all.It will require a little research on your part to get the best buy.Also,the eye relief is important due to goggles or other eye protection youll have on.Not enough relief and you wont be able to fire your rifle without bumping the scope.Lens glare,another biggie.This can give away your posistion from a considerable distance.This can be remedied easily with a lens cover.
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(4)Roles: There are actually many roles you can play as a sniper.The well rounded sniper will do well do learn them all.There is still a need for specialized snipers however.Well take a look at a few here so you can get the general idea.
(a)The most common is squad suport.This is generally a beginner role cause you don't spend anytime away from your squad.Basically your there to take out the enemy while your squad lays down suppresing fire.Flanking manuevers will be used almost always in this role as you want to create a little distance between you and your squad.You don't want to be spotted because it will force your opposistion to not only read the flank,but collapse on your posistion.Besides the obvious downfall of this,you now also put the whole squad at risk because they are forced to swing out to your aid and quite often put themselves in the path of enemy fire.So its a stepping stone to learn stealth and other practical tactics youll deploy later on.You can get away with BDU's here but purchase your gillie's soon,or make plans too.
(b)The ambush sniper.This is your next step up the ladder.Here you will simply get out in front of your squad a considerable distance and find or create a good hide,sit and wait for your target(s) to approach and take them out using suprise and stealth.Stealth becomes more important here as you now are on your own,unless running with a spotter.Youll want a full gille for this and should be accustomed to long shots(200 ft +).You may not get more than 1 shot per target.This can be a tricky role for new snipers because you wont be as good at deciding on when to take the shot.Also,your nerves will be running rapid unless youve been out away from your squad before on your own.So this is the time to start learning patience over all else.Youll be required to sit an wait for a long time to get the perfect shot(s),and even when you get it you may opt not to take it depending on the circumstances.
(c)The scout sniper.This is where it starts to get difficult.Your squad will be relying on you to get downrange and effectively spot and relay data to them such as,enemy location,# of enemys,how fast are they approaching,which angle if any would be the best approach for the squad and various other important factors.With a little practice,you should be able to do this with relative ease.You are also a moving target.Even the best can be spotted here more so if the enemy has also fielded a sniper(s).Run through open areas and stalk through heavily brushed territory.If your in a area that encompasses both,goto your lowcrawl and never raise up higher than 4-5 feet.If your in a scout posistion,you should be accustomed to playing the ambush or squad sniper by now.Be prepared to bounce between the 3 at any given moment.A half gillie,good conditioning and a good radio will be needed here.
(d)The hit-n-run sniper.My personal favorite, but its kinda like playing rambo so its looked down on by some.This is where you deploy all youve learned thus far.The whole idea here is you are a superior player at this point and have mastered stealth,cover,patience,retreating,scouting,shooting and manuevering.This is a dangerous role and should only be attempted if you have a backup sniper fielded and no spotter.Youll want to run solo here becasue of the nature of what your doing.You are gonna want to confuse the enemy so not only can they not pinpoint your location,but also so they have no idea how many of you there are.Your going to use stalling tactics both while scouting or, you want to remove a particular element fast with minimal losses.You should be at a good range for this,approx. 200+ feet! Youll also want a fast way to retreat and to relocate.Hills are best for this.Simply take a shot and hopefully tag out a player.You instantly without waiting to see if you got the hit relocate to another firing posistion without being detected.Although they may have the general vacinity that your in,don't let them pinpoint you.After you relocate and are confident you haven't been seen,pop up and take another shot,then repeat.Keep doing this untill your squad or some support arrives.The enemy will be so dumbfounded as to your location and the barrage of bb's coming in from your squad that its almost always an easy clear.Once your squad has made contact,rotate around to the flank or behind them and pick them off 1 by 1.If youve done your job,your squad will sustain no losses.Youll want a half gillie ,good conditioning,good radio and a superior rifle to pull this off.

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(5)Gear.A highly overlooked part of sniping is the gear.Im not talking about the obvious rifle or optics here.Im reffering to everything else.A good gillie should be at the top of your list.Depending on your role,a full gillie or half gillie will need to be purchased.There are many to choose from so be careful.The most important consideration is the patterns colors and makeup of the suit.Does it blend with YOUR enviroment?You can choose to buy a prefabbed one but I prefer the suit you have to make yourself.This way you can decide if you want to go heavy or light to better blend in with your area of play.You don't want a huge clump of strings sitting in the middle of an open field,likewise,you don't want to be to few strings sitting in a heavy brushed area.Either of these will give you away by outlining your silloutte or just looking out of place, the idea is to trick the human eye.Next,your basic loadout.IE:ammo,clips,batterys etc etc.The key thing here is you don't want to be running around sounding like a baby rattle.Take a few preloaded clips and batterys but keep them in seperate pockets to minimize noise.If you must carry bb's with you,I suggest using a ziplock bag or other cheap non noise producing substitute.Don't use alot of bulky vests and harnesses as they will hang up on everything and damper your sniping.Try to keep it simple.Radio,rifle,extra mags,gillie,bb's if you must and of course eye protection.Keep all the extra crap off your weapon.Flashlights and lasers are bad and only add to your headache of keeping stealth.If you use a bipod,don't go with the one that mounts to the end of your barrel,instead use one that is more central.Makes it much easier to change firing posistion fast and less hang ups on brush.Good rule of thumb,keep it simple keep it light!
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(6)Posistioning.Your hide or firing location is one of the most important things you need to master early on.A single bush in an open field is not a good place to be as this is where most will look first.Dense foilage is obviously gonna be your best bet for woodland combat.If your around buildings that you can utilize,get to a high point if possible.Same goes for woodland,always look for the high point as long as you have a fast escape route.Firing down on someone is far superior to firing up or eye to eye.When confronted with an area that doesnt offer the best cover but is where you must locate too,try to find a clump of like foilage or bushes that you can set up in.Take some of the branches,leaves,mud whatever it is that made you choose that spot and cover your self in it.Attach them to your gillie or randomly lay them acroos your body,whatever it takes to blend in to that location.With practice this can be achieved fast and efficiently.Over time youll get so good at it,that you can litterally have them stepping on you and they still wont have a clue.I try to stay away from trees if i can as you become a sitting duck here and isn't optimal by any means.Though it looks good in the movies,youll find it hard to steady a shot after awhile due to muscle fatigue and mosquitos if you have them.
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(7)Communication.If your a squad sniper,youll want to learn handsignals as these are best for close proximity combat.For anything else,get a good radio with a 2 mile range,a headset and prefferably a voice activated throat mic.There are many advantages to the throatmic over standard radio setups.First off you can whisper and be heard clearly.You don't have to give up target aqusition to cue the mic and they are generally small and easy to equip.If your playing any other role than squad sniper then a radio period is a must.Remember,there is more to it than a good radio though.If you want to be effective youll need to master map reading as well.With practice,youll be able to call in your squad to within 3 yards give or take with any map.Its also helpful to break down your sentences to keep chatter at a minimum.You need to maintain radio contact with the squad and let them know what you are doing at all times,even if your accustomed to playing with them.The squad leader may need you to do something fast that you can't do becasue of your current statis.By keeping open communication, you eleviate alot of this.
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(8)Senses.Never trust only your eyes.You have been given a remarakable set of senses,use them.Your ears should almost take priority over your eyes in the some instances because you can get a much better feel of whats happening around you.When I create my gillie's,I focus on keeping materials away from my eyes and ears as much as possible without blowing the cover of the suit.There may be times you can't move at all.A slight headturn may result in giving away your posistion.This is where your ears come in handy.If you have trouble focusing because of whats happening in front of you,close your eyes for a second and listen.Youll pick up on anything you need to.This is especially true for nightops.Touch is just as important as you need to have the greatest finesse when squeezing the trigger and recocking the rifle so you can keep your target in the crosshair.Smell doesnt do you a whole lot of good unless your overheating,in this case youd use it as a possible early warning of rifle failure.
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(9)Conditioning.Another important aspect of sniping overlooked too often.Now,yes jogging and weight training will help but this isn't the olympics.Im reffering more to the finer points.Your breathing,if you didnt already know ,is very important to achieving accuracy.What I mean is you need to train yourself to squeeze the trigger on your exhale.This greatly improves your shot and helps with keeping you calm to boot.Youll need to get accustomed to sweating and being covered with dirt so get out there with that gillie and practice your shots as if you were in the field.Also,there is a noticable fatigue from sitting in prone for any amount of time that can be trained again if you just get out and do it.So,anytime your firing your rifle for testing purposes,keep these things in mind and try to condition your muscles to accomadate the strange load on them.This doesnt take long to achieve but needs to be maintained like any other workout regiment to be effective.Another good thing to train is simply your abilities as a sniper.Get out there with 1 other person and practice not only sniping but stalking as well.The bent over action of the stalk will take its toll on your lower back if your not accustomed to it.An added benifit of this,through the practice of stalking a friend,you will better learn how to conceal yourself and stay quiet from you and your friends mistakes.Its also a good time to work on your breathing while stalking and lying in your firing posistion.Don't hold your breath when the enemy is near as this will transversly raise your pulse rate making you more nervous and shaky.You need to keep your calm at all times,even while at a full sprint.
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(10)Be Creative.Being a sniper requires a sharp mind with quick wit.Don't be afraid to take a few extra seconds to set up distractions once youve found a suitable hide.There are many many ways to do this.If you have the extra money you could buy paintball/airsoft
claymores.These make great backdoor protection where you can't always see whats going on.There also perfect to use if you can herd your enemy into a small clump and pull them into one taking out multiples at once(If there allowed on your field).Lying sticks and twigs where there normally isn't any as you move along can be useful as well just to give you an audible warning when something approaches that you missed.Small triplines set up again where you may attempt to drive the enemy into.Lying anything noticable but unusual on the ground where it can be easily spotted could get you an easy shot.If you know where there coming from you could find a spot in there path where there forced to transverse difficult terrain and pick them off easily as they walk around a fallen tree lets say.There are any number of things you can do if you put your mind to it.Always stay sharp and aware of your surroundings,you never know what youll find until you look.
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So,this is a very general guide to the way I play.Its not comprehensive and I didnt add any links outside this forum cause I just am not that familiar with all the airsoft equiptment as of yet and don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction.I also feel the guides here are a great source for info and shouldnt be overlooked.I hope this helps someone and feel free to add anything you wish,ill edit and put it in as soon as I can.Thanks for reading!

Special thanks for there input:
Slob212--Sticks.13--Insane Mercc

Nice Gridlock

I enjoyed that, but one point that you might want to address,

Are you ``READY´´ to be an AirSoft Sniper ?

It is amazing how many new players jump into Airsoft, and right away, they want to be a Sniper.
Most don´t realize the amount of Work that goes into being effective, the amount of discipline that is required, the level of patience, all large parts of being a Good AirSoft Sniper.

Great guide Gridlock! I'm glad your willing to put so much time into furthering the FAQ's on this forum!

Although there are some things I would tweek a little, nothing to much just some paintball stuff that isn't as relative/more relative in airsoft. But over all this looks like a great guide!

sticks

You guys are mods,feel free to tweak it anyway you like.Im gonna add what slob 212 stated.Its a good point I forgot to mention.And the point merc brought up a few posts down.Thanks....

Ill fix the lines as well later,not sure why they showed up like they did.I have to step out but will get back to it asap.

I just brought it due to the fact that `` Everybody ´´ wants to be a Sniper, and most don´t understand the role or what is really required to fill that role.

Depending on how you look at it it could be a good or bad thing, The Sniper that doesn´t have clue, boosts everybody else's moral, `` We bagged the Sniper !!!´´ but the new sniper learns nothing and is frustrated after getting continuously taken out. Either he/she learns, changes roles, or quits entirely. The last reason is the worst, if they were properly informed and had an understanding about the job, maybe they would have gone a different route, collected experience, learned the game inside and out, developed skills and then maybe later attempted the Sniper role.

Not to be too evil, the best part about inexperienced and uniformed Players attempting to be a Sniper and failing, later you can buy their guns real cheap .

I thought this was a great guide but you could have added in the conditioning part about when you are stalking or concealing yourself is to not hold your breath and get excited when people are walking near you.

Im gonna keep adding ,taking out and proffreading a little every day as I find time.Thanks for your input so far and lets make this a comprehensive guide.Please keep posting any ideas that are relevent and ill get them in asap.We can add another subtopic as well if anyone can think of any.

slob212 wrote:

Not to be too evil, the best part about inexperienced and uniformed Players attempting to be a Sniper and failing, later you can buy their guns real cheap .

So true, so true. Slob, you're a wise man.

Looks really good Gridlock.

Gridlock wrote:

IE:ammo,clips,batterys etc etc.

Sorry about this but it's not "clips" it's "magazines" I know it is a common mistake but it makes me mad when people say something wrong like that. But other then that it was a great guide.

I have a question for you Gridlock. Does a good camo paint job on the gun help you, in being stealthy, or is it merely for aesthetics?

Assuming that your field craft and stealth skills are adequate or better, a good camo paint scheme on your weapon will help. If you are unskilled in field craft and bash through the brush like a bull in a china shop, no paint in the world can help you.

Right. Because i did a sick camo job on my gun, and i was wondering if it was all for nothing. Now if i can just get a ghille suit...

Ya the camo on the gun will make it so the opponent wont see your gun as well but if you don't have something to discise yourself with then it was kinda a waist.