If you spend any time at all in the airsoft world, you will invariably come across someone who wants to be an airsoft “sniper.” You yourself may even want to be this in due time.
But what is an airsoft sniper exactly? As a new player to airsoft, you may be approaching the idea with visions of Battlefield 4 and being able to “quick-scope” your way through enemy legions. A quick glance at any forum or Craigslist for sale section, however, will tell you that disillusionment runs much deeper than the fantasy. It is extremely common for new players to offload their sniper rifles after one or two games when they find themselves either out-gunned, out-maneuvered, or the pace of battle is ultimately too slow for them. And believe me when I say I’ve seen it: there are folks who get rather disappointed when they can’t actually “quick-scope” in real life.
As someone who’s carried and used a high FPS airsoft replica than can be labeled a “sniper rifle”, here are a few of my thoughts regarding airsoft and sniping…
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You won’t be like Tom Berenger in Sniper…
Forget about what the movies show – sniping in airsoft has very little actual resemblance to what is portrayed in Hollywood – and even less than what is portrayed in video games. Getting dressed to kill in your ghillie suit with your uber-l33t UTG Shadow Ops bolt action may make you feel and marginally look the part, but you will soon discover that it’s another thing altogether to make these things work in cohesive harmony. Which brings me to the next point…
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Ghillie suits blow…
Unless you’re living in Siberia, a ghillie suit is HOT. It’s not too far removed from strapping on an infrared sauna to your body – except this one smells like sweaty burlap and fire retardant (which may or may not give you cancer in the long term) mixed with every pine needle and twig you just spent the last 2 hours crawling
through. Not only are they hot, but they snag on everything – including your load bearing gear. If you run anything that includes velcro, prepare to spend part of your time removing your ghillie-clad arm(s) from your pouches. Fastex buckles win the day.
Sniping is expensive…
Short of running a voracious BB hose like a SAW, M60 or the like, sniping is probably one of the more expensive aspects of airsoft to take up. Building up a truly dedicated long range platform that will out-range everything else you might encounter on the field is an exercise in patience, Airsoft mechanics know-how, and cold hard cash. You will spend just as many hours stalking your prey as you will tracking down high quality (and expensive) .40g+ BB’s to feed your “precious.” If you run a semi-auto sniper, prepare to spend almost double or triple on the base rifle and upgrades than a bolt action.
You will also be on a perpetual quest to eek out as much performance and range as possible from your rifle – often testing, and / or adopting new techniques and technologies as they arise. This in itself also represents expense, as more often than not, you will break or damage something in the pursuit of perfection.
Sniping requires a certain degree of skill…
You need to understand your rifle inside and out. You need to know where it shoots, how it behaves. You need to know its “sweet spot.” You need to understand the principles of camouflage and concealment. You need to know how to remain very still and register zero movement. You need to learn how to pull a trigger without flipping your muzzle. You need to learn when to take a shot, and when you shouldn’t. When you should dig in and wait for the enemy to pass you by … and when you should unload an ambush on them. All these and much, much more are considerations and learned skills to be mastered when you function as a sniper.
One shot kills aren’t always possible…
Airsoft technology has made some impressive leaps and bounds within the last few years. Even so, true “one shot, one kill” hits aren’t always possible at long range. Granted, within your equipments’ comfort envelope, this may fully be possible – but when you’re stretching your rifle’s capability to the extreme as we often do, it may take several shots before you land the one that does your opponent in.
In the world of paintball, most guns are on a fairly even playing field. There’s not a lot that can be done to make the heavy .68 caliber projectile travel much farther, faster, or flatter, than what everyone else is already doing out there. Unlike airsoft, you can’t apply the same technologies and recent innovations to paintball. That being said, my experience with “snipers” in paintball is that they are almost a degree above and beyond more devious and adept at stalking and killing than in airsoft. Mostly this is because they have to to cope with the technology limitations. And as such, they practice far more at their craft than airsofters do. I will never forget my first encounter with a paintball sniper… I had just finished hiking to the top of a rather steep and (albeit small) mountain, and while pausing to catch my breath, a bush rose from the ground 50 feet from me and dropped a round right between my eyes. Practice makes perfect as they say.
You might find yourself running… alot…
As a sniper, you will often find yourself operating alone, or in very small groups. More often than not, you may find yourself outnumbered or encountering a much larger force in the pursuit of your goals. It’s not too dissimilar to throwing rocks at a hornets nest and waiting to see what happens. You will be outgunned a lot of the time. Being able to pick up and run is a valuable skill to have. The alternative is you play “Alamo” and try and last as long as possible… but I digress.
Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight, and don’t bring a sniper rifle to a CQB engagement…
I’ve lost track of how many kids think they can use their sniper rifles in a CQB environment. Short of a QBU-88 or WA-2000, a sniper rifle is a long and unwieldy beast that is out of its element when it comes to CQB. It’s not fast, nor is it particularly effective in this realm. Moreover, it’s simply not safe to use one in such an environment – excepting instances where you’re sniping targets at long range. Even still…
You need a sidearm…
It is hubris to expect that you will be able to perpetually keep your opponents at bay – you have overwhelming range and accuracy on your side, of course! But this is a gross assumption and a mistake that should be avoided. One thing you will learn as a sniper is to always have a backup plan. Whether that is a pre-staged rally point where you can evacuate yourself to reinforcements, or something as simple as a spare assault rifle and some mags for when the going gets tough. One backup plan you should always have on hand is a sidearm, or a method to deal with close-in-threats. As a matter of safety, it is also important to have a sidearm or weapon that can be used at closer range too. Do not expect that you can “safety kill” your way around the battlefield with your sniper rifle. This only works in the rarest of cases.
It can be boring…
Yes, I said it. Sniping can be boring. Sometimes there’s just not a lot of action to be found. Sometimes you will be sitting around for hours before something interesting happens. Sometimes your commander will send you to the far reaches of the field to “recon” squirrels. At a lot of events, you will simply be a radio operator with a scope, taking very little (if any at all) in the way of shots or action. In this case, you need to possess a very patient personality. Or you need to pursue a different hobby.
It can also be the most fun you will ever have in airsoft…
Some of my best memories from airsoft are from playing a sniper role. One such memory was during an ROTC FTX down at Camp Grizzly. I was one of the last remaining survivors of our original group which had been overwhelmed by superior numbers. As a sniper, and faced with overwhelming odds, I decided to “peel the onion.” This is where you basically approach from the outside, removing security elements, sentries, etc. as your work your way through a stationary defense. Moving in this fashion, you can cause extreme havoc as the defenders slowly become whittled down and uncertain of your location. In my case, it worked out to my benefit even more so because the platoon leader decided to send off a small force to go searching for me in the hopes of flushing me out. I led this small contingent on for a bit, just enough to get them far and removed from their main force, before breaking off and returning to the defenders. While the search party was busy beating bushes in the middle of nowhere, I was busy sniping the command element. In the end, I managed to get close enough to the core group to require a transition to my AK-47 where I tried to finish off the rest before ENDEX.
With great power comes great responsibility…
I hate to use the tired cliche, but it’s true. Owning and using a sniper rifle is an exercise in responsibility and discipline. Many fields and many airsoft organizations require some form of vetting or safety course certification before allowing an individual to use an airsoft rifle. There are also important rules and restrictions one must observe when using such rifles, such as minimum engagement distances, and care must be taken to try and avoid head shots whenever possible. In summary: using a high FPS airsoft gun requires a degree of care and competency.
Lastly…
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