Airsoft Sniping

Airsoft sniping – the position most people want to do. Sure you can have a 500FPS scoped sniper rifle and all the rest of the gear, but that doesn't mean you know HOW to properly be a sniper. I've been in a game where a fellow had a 500FPS rifle, but he was using it like you would full auto – running around, standing up, and then he wonders why he is getting shot all the time.

Being a sniper is two things, equipment, and a mindset. We'll discuss equipment first, and later take a look into the mind of a sniper. Ready to get started? Alright we're off!

Part 1 - Equipment

Airsoft weaponry for a sniper is highly debated. Some say you need a +$400 scoped beauty, and others say you can do it with an AEG. Truth is, it depends on whether you want to be a sniper full-time, or just occasionally as your team needs it. If sniping is all you're going to be doing, I would recommend spending a little more on your weapon.

A 450fps beginners sniper rifle can be bought for $90-$150 on eBay. I am currently looking at a 420-450fps gun that is $90. Also, if you are going to be sniping full-time, you need a sidearm. A sniper's sidearm should be fully-automatic, and pretty compact. A sidearm lets you shoot people when you are too close to shoot with your rifle (no one likes to get hit from 20' with a high-powered gun).

Some fields require high-power weapons players to engage from further away than normal. Sidearms don't need to be too expensive, but try to get one that doesn't jam all the time. Look online at reviews for various guns, these are a big help. Also, if you are a sniper and you are laying on the ground all the time, don't keep your sidearm at in a holster at your side. It will fall out and you will lose it. Trust me, it sucks to be looking all around for your lost weapon. Get a vest or at least a holster with a clip that doesn't let the gun come out unless you un-clip it first.

Now for ammo, I strongly recommend getting .2 to .3 bbs. I do not recommend buying .12 bbs, they will break in the gun, rendering it jammed or even worse, damaged. High-polished bbs is what you want to look for, eBay is a great tool.

When you are deciding whether to go with a mask or goggles, keep in mind that with most full-face masks it is difficult or even impossible to use the scope. Just saying :-)

So let's check out the list:

Sniper rifle (the higher-powered, the better)

Mask/Goggles

Ammo (.2-.3)

Gloves (comes in handy (pun not intended) to keep a good grip on your weapon)

Ghillie suit or camo

Sidearm

Backpack (depends on what you're doing)

Water and food (for longer matches/rounds)

A partner (nice to have, especially if they have a decent full-auto)

I will say that having a partner with a full-auto is a great combo. You take out the long distance guys, he takes out the close ones and protects you from other full-autos who might try to out-gun you.

Part 2 – Mindset

Like in the story I mentioned earlier, a sniper doesn't play like a full-auto player and doesn't move around that much. The point of sniping is most often to stay still, pick off long-distance players with 1 shot (ideally), and stay stealthy while providing back-up.

Finding a location to snipe from can be difficult. It also depends on what type of camo or ghillie suit you have. In this example picture, we'll assume you have medium to dark camo, that is green (versus gray/brown). These are my opinions on the locations:

1: Good cover, make sure you can shoot though, you want enough cover, but still be able to fire easily.

2: Less cover, enough for laying down. Stay still and low.

3: Stand up area. Not the best place to be, but still ok.

4: Side of the hill – tough to do without sticking out. If there are rocks around then you could try to look like one or hide behind one.

5: Flat land – not good.

6: Up close and personal. Don't shoot from too close. Also, don't be in the open while you're trying to waste somebody who's behind cover. Period.

Now what do you do when you've spotted someone? You should have already done some shooting with your gun prior to using it in a war, so try to mentally calculate if they are in range. If they are approaching, you want to stay as still as possible. Let's say you have a 12 o'clock contact. Wait til they are in range, and pick 'em off.

If they are going perpendicular and in front of you, it's a bit easier since they are probably looking around and not always looking in your direction, which lets you adjust your aim.

Taking a 3 or 9 o'clock shot is interesting if you are laying down. You have to figure out how to either move the gun and/or yourself to be able to take a shot. If they are far enough away, slowly turn and waste 'em with the sniper rifle. If they are close, hopefully you can access your full-auto sidearm and take them with that. Remember, once you are spotted you can be easily out-gunned by a full-auto (if you don't have a sidearm).

And now the 6 o'clock. This is one of the worst things to happen, as you have to turn around somewhat. This isn't too bad if there aren't many leaves/sticks around that could crackle and make noise. This situation can be prevented by keeping your eyes and ears open, but also a support gunner is your best tool here.

Other Stuff

If you are near a trail, you can booby trap it with an airsoft trip mine. I will show how to make one in another article. Basically you stake it in the ground facing the trail. The end of the tripwire gets staked on the other side of the trail. When they walk through, it triggers the mine and shoots anywhere from 30-200 bbs, depending on how full you loaded it. A properly made one doesn't get seen 95% of the time, and shoots about 20-30 feet.

Some people get creative and set these up before the game begins (with you should do anyways) attached 5-10 feet in the air to a tree. The tripwire is long and they manually pull it when someone comes through. The nice thing is, if you shoot and miss a newbie (you didn't really, did you?), they'll think it was a generic tripmine and so they get distracted by it, which gives you time to snipe them.

Thanks for reading and please comment with other suggestions below, but be nice :-)


--Ghost