Up until I started playing airsoft, I like to think I was a pretty normal guy. I liked normal things, went normal places, and generally saw the world in a pretty normal way. Then it happened. I played my first airsoft game and a whole new world opened up to me. All of a sudden benches and tables were not just furniture, but cover. I slowly began seeing the world in terms of tactical angles and choke points. As I saw a friend approaching in the distance I began counting down the seconds until he was within my maximum effective distance. More disturbing than all that though, was my deep yearning for the coveted sniper rifle and my inexplicable desire to look like a tree… Go figure… More than anything else, I wanted to become a deadly shrub!
All kidding aside, for many new airsofters find themselves going through a very similar process. Some of you might relate to this right now. After their first game (in which they may have been pulverized into noob-sauce) some very strange things occur. They are usually pumped about the sport and ready to play again. They will typically start flooding the forums with questions and requests for info concerning guns, gear, and where to buy it all. Almost without fail, these inquiries are usually followed by one question, “Where can I get a good sniper rifle for cheap?” Perhaps it is a product of “pwning noobs” with a sniper on Halo or Modern Warfare 2 from across the map. Maybe it is the assumption that hiding outside your opponent’s kill range and popping them off will prevent the previous beatings received from occurring in the future. It could be that they simply think sniping is just too darn sexy. Whatever the reason, new player after new player at some point seems to have a deep desire for the sniper rifle, but is it really for everyone? Is it really much easier for new players to use? Does using a sniper really make you inherently less noobish on the battlefield? As one deadly shrub to all you shrubs-in-the-making, I want to tell you what I’ve learned from being an airsoft sniper.
The first and most important thing to understand about airsoft sniping is effectiveness usually depends more on the sniper than the rifle. That’s right, you can have the most expensive rifle with the best optics available or the cheapest of both and you’ll encounter the same problems. Airsoft sniper rifles are NOT like real-steal rifles. Real rifles gain accuracy (in part) thanks to the rifling of their barrels and the aerodynamics of their bullets. Airsoft riffles have no rifling so they do not cause spiraling of the round and they use spherical bbs rather than aerodynamic bullets. All this means that you cannot expect the same degree of accuracy as you might with even the cheapest real-steal rifle. That being said, they can be very accurate for air rifles IF the user learns how his respective gun fires. Every rifle has its own unique curve, power and reliability. No two are exactly the same, and very rarely can someone just pick up and use another person’s rifle effectively. For example, I have spent hours tuning my rifle (via the hopup unit) and scope as precisely as I can, but even then accuracy is fairly low and the curve of the bb is fairly significant. That being said, by tilting the whole gun about 20 degrees to the right the curve disappears and the accuracy greatly increases. This is something only the owner of the gun would know and be comfortable with.
The second thing that is important to know about airsoft sniper rifles is that they, along with all airsoft rifles, have their strengths and weakness. It is important to note however, that the sniper rifle is a specialist weapon. This means that while the strengths are significant (distance, power, accuracy), the weaknesses are more pronounced than most other airsoft guns. The main weaknesses that most sniper rifles suffer from are an incredibly low fire rate, and a very low ammo count. Regardless of whether you are using a gas or spring rifle, the sniper is generally forced to reload/tiny member the gun after every shot. This essentially means that if you, the deadly shrub, miss with the first shot you will potentially have given away your position and may look forward to a shower of bbs courtesy of the normal AEG users you were targeting. However, even if you are not showered with bbs, you must face the fact that while most AEGs have mags holding literally hundreds of shots, most sniper rifles are limited to around 30 or less. This puts the newbie-sniper at a distinct disadvantage in most airsoft games.
The final element of airsoft sniping that must be considered while tending to your dreams of murderous shrubbery imitation is that of camouflage. While real life snipers can literally be thousands of yards away, most airsoft snipers loose effectiveness at around 300 feet. This essentially means that in airsoft even snipers must be fairly up-close-and-personal to have any effectiveness. They must be able to move quietly, conceal themselves effectively, wait patiently, and have a keen sense of what is going on around them at any given time. It is true that while most AEGs are effective up to around 120-150 feet, the airsoft sniper can usually be effective to about twice that distance. That being said, once a position has been given away it is very easy for a harmless target to become charging threat. This is the deathblow of many early snipers and the salvation of many would be targets. The easiest way to defeat an airsoft sniper is, believe it or not, by charging directly at them while peppering the area. Many new snipers lose their cool as they realize that they went from the hunter to the prey and have no real means of recourse. Their accuracy goes down, their ability to hide diminishes, and they realize how few shots they truly have.
This short article may not dissuade anyone with true dreams of becoming a deadly shrub, but I do hope that it is at least eye opening to some who are feverishly trying to find a way to purchase a sniper rifle of their very own. While sniper rifles are often the dreams of the new airsofter, it usually takes a much more experienced player to realize their full potential. Most new airsofters would probably benefit from first purchasing a good AEG and learning how to play in and against many different styles of players. This will help them to first determine if they really want/need a sniper rifle, and second if they do decide to purchase one it will allow them to know what to expect from other players on the field. The ability to anticipate an opponent’s movements and tactics are key to knowing how best to put an airsoft sniper rifle to work for you and truly become a deadly shrub like me!
