Sniping

Sniping. It sounds great doesn't it? Taking out your foes with surgical precision form an unknown vantage point. It's the perfect way to add the element of fear to the battlefield.

Sniping is a skill that requires days upon days of practice for each element of of the job to get good. The sniper usually isn't going to rack up the kills on the field, but he or she is probably the most efficient player on the team. Contrary to popular belief, the sniper's job is not to wait in one spot, and shoot. About 80% of the sniper's game is spent hidden behind enemy lines, relaying important information (such as enemy placement and positions or the best route for his team to take.) to the team commander. Occasionally, the sniper is asked or required to take a shot. This is where precision is most crucial. He or she must prioritize their targets according to the biggest threat to their team. Do they take out the commander, and ruin the other team's communications, look for a counter-sniper to reduce the risk of being spotted, or go for the infantry to weaken up the attack force, so his team can move in with minimal difficulty?

Decisions like this are commonplace in the sniper's game. After playing many games as a sniper, and owning an airsoft sniper myself, I have prepared a short guide on how to be proficient as a sniper. Enjoy! :]

Guide to Sniping: One Shot, One Kill

Playing the sniper is a tricky, complex job usually saved for an experienced player. However, there are some usefull tips on how to improve your game as a sniper.

1. Stealth- Undoubtedly the most important aspect of the snipers game is the ability to remain hidden. The most effiecient way to conceal yourself is to wear a ghillie suit. (See above image). A ghillie suit is a full-body suit usually made of strips of burlap or jute, sewn to a piece of clothing. Try to scout out the area you will be playing in, and attach pieces of foliage that will help you blend into the corresponding environment. (You dont want to wear a bushy suit if your playing in the desert). Try to sew or tie additional flaps onto your suit to break up your outline. The human eye is keen on the body's outline, so adding something that will remove your body's basic outline, you'll be that much more invisible.

Another important note is movement. The most obvious thing human's can detect is movement. Try to make your movements as slow and deliberate as possible. As environmental effects such as wind to conceal your movements, and stay as low as possible while still being able to move quickly and quietly to safety in case of emergencies.

2. The Shot- Obviously, if you cant hit the broad side of a barn, you might need some accuracy training before trying to snipe. The scope is like a surgeon's magnifying glass to the sniper. Most people ,when using a scope, try to put their eye right up to the scope. This is a bad idea. This reduces your field of vision when using the scope, and its bad for your eyes. The recoil of the gun firing slamming against your eye is not the most comfortable experience. Try to keep the scope about 2 in. away from your eye, or until the black ring around your vision when your looking throught the scope is gone.

Many people have a problem with having a steady hand when aiming, and as a result, their accuracy suffers. One very useful tip I have found is to take a deep breath, and let it out half-way, then hold it. I have no idea how this works, but it does. On the subject of steadyness, the bi-pod is an attachable piece of equipment (pictured below) that 'stands' your gun, so you can focus on just lifting the back of your gun, so you no longer have to use two hands to aim. Combine this with the half-breath technique, and you have just increased your accuracy ten-fold.

Well, that's it for now, I will update this when I think up and test new techniques.