Choices For an Airsoft Sniper Part 1 of 2

Of all the options that can be given for a good or best sniper rifle, the option of choice is the biggest factor. By choice I mean it is up to the individual. Each shooter will have their set of preferences. These are driven either by experience or by information gathered or given by others.

Again this information could be good, if given by those that really have experience or bad if taken from the Internet and those that are giving the info have never been involved in the sport. These will include the rifle as a starter and go as deep as to which brand of BB they will use. Now each of these choices will add to or detract from the performance of the shooter. Add to this the ability of the shooter and you have a mix of variables that determine how well or bad the shooter can perform as a sniper.

Now you may wonder what the draw is to being a sniper. Movies for one thing; another is the ability to be where the enemy does not expect you to be and to pick off those that are out of reach by the normal soldier. The normal grunt is shooting at everything that moves. The sniper is waiting for that one shot that will disable the enemy. He or she, (yes, women like being snipers too, sneaky aren't they), may be looking for glory, too.

Now this next item deals more with the pocketbook than the shooter. Well maybe not since the shooter controls the pocketbook. How much do I spend on a rifle? That is a good question. If you opt out for the cheap gun you are asking for trouble. Here is why, they will break, fall apart, jam up, make you pull out your hair before the game is even started. Now you know how I feel, lets try and be non emotional about it. Cheap rifles suck.

As the old saying goes "you get what you pay for". That is especially true for Airsoft guns. If you want a toy to play with in the back yard, go to Wal-Mart for a gun. If you want a rifle to actually use in an Airsoft combat game then you need to go to a dealer that sells realistic Airsoft weapons. Ones that are made for this type of use and will hold up under fire, so to speak.

Now you can go online and find great deals, and the good dealers usually have a good return policy. Prices in the range of $200 to $350 will buy you a good rifle, one that is accurate and sturdy. Also the rifle should be able to shoot a 3-inch grouping at about 100 - 130 foot range. Of course you have to take into account all the normal elements, wind, rain, snow and of course the urge to go potty.

One of the variables that are always good for a rousing discussion is, bolt or semi-auto action. This again has many points to the decision of the shooter. On one side you have the fact that a bolt action is more solid and has the advantage of fewer parts to fail, so it is more dependable. On the other side we have the fact that a semi-auto action allows you to get off another shot quickly if you need to before the target disappears. But then again, the idea of being a sniper is the ability to not be seen and have the advantage of surprise, while the enemy is trying to find you; you have the opportunity to get off another shot regardless of the type of action you have chosen.

History will always play a role in the type of weapon being chosen for the Airsoft sniper's rifle. Some shooters like reliving the past and will choose a weapon that was popular in previous wars. Nothing wrong with that in Airsoft combat as the playing field is pretty much even. By that I mean all the Airsoft weapons are pretty well matched in performance or ability regardless of the style. Now today in the real world, using a WW2 weapon against a modern 50 cal. Sniper rifle would be suicide. The ability to reach out and touch someone is far more advanced today.

Which power of scope do I choose? That question comes up a lot, especially with the new Airsoft player trying to get into the game as a sniper. Do I go with a variable power or just get one that is super powerful to start with? You have to remember most Airsoft play is not at 1000 yards but more like 100 yards to start, the length of a football field. As the action closes in to 130 to 150 feet range you should be able to start getting kill shot. So a super powerful scope would be over kill and not be the best choice. Choose something in the area of a variable 3X to 9X, this should give the best field of vision and also provide a good magnification of the target. One last suggestion buy a scope that has illuminated cross hairs, you will need this in darker areas.

The second part will recap a little of Part 1, and then cover some of the other variables; BB's good or bad, is it the weapon or the shooter, and then accuracy and maybe more. Hope this has given you some useful information if you are thinking about becoming a sniper in the sport of Airsoft and be sure to read "Choices For an Airsoft Sniper Part 2".

Check here for more information on Sniper gear and other items that you might need. Airsoft-Gear offers a great selection of Military, Special Operations and tactical gear along with special sales. Choose to buy your Airsoft gear from http://airsoft-gear.net/ today.

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Choices of an Airsoft Sniper Part 2 of 2

In part one I covered some areas like; Should I buy a bolt action or a semi-auto or what style of rifle? These are really personal issues, so only you can decide. What is the best scope? Maybe it should be how much of a good scope can you afford? Scopes like guns are not cheap, but they last a long time. So buy the best that you can afford.

A ghillie suit, is it needed? Well my opinion is no. Now if you want to get into the sniper thing 100% okay, be my guest. Just remember the snipers that really use them are usually by themselves and moving very slowly behind enemy lines. Airsoft is a quicker scenario than that. I would opt for camos, a gun wrap, and floppy cam hat and of course a camo head wrap. As to the amount of gear that you carry is up to you. This way you can move as the team moves and still be almost invisible. Of course you need to make sure you have the right colors or you may be really visible.

Now when we come to accuracy in Airsoft weapons; is it the weapon or the shooter? We hit an area that has some limitations; not due to the shooter so much, however this can play a big role at times, but the weapon itself. Because of the variables in the quality of the BB's and the tolerances that the inner barrel has to be held to, it is hard to become super accurate at long distances. I will try to cover as many factors in the following paragraphs as possible.

Airsoft weapons in general are smooth bore guns, like shotguns, but only shooting one pellet at a time. Yes, I knew that you knew that. Some of the problem comes from the fact of the space between the BB and the inside of the barrel. This space allows the BB to kind of bounce around just a little in the barrel as it is being pushed out. The BB might have been bouncing up or down or even sideways, also it is spinning, which could be good or bad as it left the barrel. This of course means that it may not go where you expected it to go. A solution to this is to purchase a closer fitting barrel so the BB cannot move as much. If I were to buy a new inner barrel I would get one that had a clearance of 0.03. This seems to be about optimum. This will accomplish two things. First; the rifle will be more accurate and second, it will have more power because less air is escaping around the BB. More power means longer shots. Win win!

Now about this spinning of the BB thing; we want to make sure the BB is spinning in the right direction. So if you purchased a good sniper rifle it will have a good hop-up unit. This will allow you to adjust the spin so that it is in the right direction, therefore giving you better control of the BB and adding more distance and accuracy. Again Win win!

The sniper plays a big part in this thing of accuracy while trying to pick off the enemy. It's not quite the same for them as the grunt. Yes, the regular soldier has to aim properly in shooting but when you're spraying 5 or 10 BBs at a time you have quantity on you side. So if their breathing is wrong it isn't noticed. But with a sniper, if all is not done correctly, it could be a shot that missed the target. The same techniques that are employed with regular target shooting should be practiced here. Again it takes a special person to be a sniper.

Now I am presuming that you have spent the necessary time to sight in your rifle and scope. If not then you a lost before you even start. I am not going to cover that right now but will later on when I have more time to write.

Here are a few tips. Even if you know them some may not, so just read on. These are not any order, however if they are followed it will make a big difference in your shooting. I'm sure someone will say "come on this is Airsoft, what do you expect, perfection?" YES!

Breathing: It is one of the things that will throw off a shot. As you get ready to shoot, make sure you take a couple of good breaths and as you let out the second one hold it as you sight in your target. If you are not able to get the shot off, then start again. This control will help keep the rifle steady.
Trigger control: I have seen more than a couple of snipers trying to yank the trigger out of the stock. As with all firearms a steady pull is one answer to accurate shooting. A steady pull with carry through will accomplish a lot.
Lets not forget that a good solid support is needed. Now I am not saying that you have to use the tri-pod on your gun, just that it needs to be steady and not rocking around. Could you imagine a marine sniper letting his/her 50 Cal. move while shooting? The shot could go anywhere at the range they shoot.
One last pointer: Practice, practice, and practice. Practice does help to make you an outstanding sniper.

BB's. This alone is worth a lengthy discussion. In reading forums and letters to magazines this come up frequently. Aren't all BB's the same, NO! That would be like saying all pizza is the same? Not so! Rather than telling you about bad BBs I will only tell you about the best BBs. They are polished so that there is no seam. They are manufactured to higher standards and closer tolerances. Quality BBs will travel straighter and not jam in you gun, normally.

One other tip I would like to pass onto all of you, sniper or not. I know that the norm for almost all players is to use white BBs. I would like to suggest for the sniper in you squad that they use black BBs. They are harder to see coming and they do not leave a white line pointing back to your position as they fly through the air.

Okay sniper's you have my input, again hope some of this is of use to you. Pass the good stuff onto others so they can benefit. Enjoy your time in the field and be safe.

Check here for more information on The Best BBs and other items that you might need. Airsoft-Gear offers a great selection of Military, Special Operations and tactical gear along with special sales. Choose to buy your Airsoft gear from http://airsoft-gear.net/ today.

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