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  • sniping tactics

    right then i thought i would offer up my advice on sniping. (i hope this is worth its own thread as there is quite a lot)

    i stress now that i am NOT in the army or TA - i have recieved some military training in the UOTC. most of what i know comes from 6 yrs of air rifle shooting - hunting live quarry and shooting competitions. - i am passing on my opinions and knowledge gained through experience.


    now then:


    Airsoft sniper:
    i use the term sniper in airsoft rather loosely - it is not a term i particularly like applying as it is a title some work incredibly hard to earn.
    but call it what you will airsoft sniping still employs an ethos close to real sniping.
    your goal as a airsoft sniper is to take out enemy personnel at range, ideally without being seen; using a more accurate and more long range weapon than others in your team.

    you could also be employed in recon work - spotting enemy movements etc etc.

    weapons:
    some believe you have to use a single shot rifle to qualify as a sniper - personally i dont care.

    what ever weapon you use - you must know it inside out. you must be able to properly clean and care for it. - i leave it to you to find out how if you don't already know.

    - its up to you if you carry a side arm. - i personally don't as i prefer to rely on camo and fieldcraft than to enter a fire fight if i can.

    i use a tm vsr 10 - it is reliable - accurate and does the job. - there are loads of reviews on different options for your primary weapon and 99% of them will do the same job. it is really up to you which you use.

    set up:
    quite a few people new to seem to have little idea about setting up their rifle so here are my opinions.


    OPTICS:
    there are a large number of "airsoft" scopes out there - imo unless you specifically want the reticule they offer (the reticule is cross hairs you aim with through the scope) - i suggest you avoid these like the plague. - they are imo extremely over priced.

    fixed or variable zoom?
    at general airsoft ranges i do not believe variable zoom to be of much use. - it can have uses and it is no problem if you use a vari zoom scope.
    i prefer a fixed zoom scope - i use a 4x zoom as it provides ample magnification for these ranges.

    good brands of scope:
    hawke
    nikko sterling
    ags

    i can put up a how to of zeroing you scope if you guys want?

    ammo:

    just like real steal the ammo you use can have an effect on your accuracy and consistency.
    have a play around with a few different weights and brands.
    find which works best for you and play around with your hop to give the best range etc.


    once you have set up your rifle the way you like it

    PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE - then practice some more.

    get as much practice as you possibly can. - practice in different weather conditions. learn to compensate for wind - that is easy enough - find out which way the wind is blowing then aim slightly in the other direction.

    range estimation:
    this is a big factor in airsoft and it is a skill that is quite hard to master. - you need to find something in your area which is a known distance (the distance between street lamps is a good one (100yrds i believe)) - once you know that range - apply it to your skirmish site.
    better yet - measure out areas of your site.


    kit?
    so now you have set up your rifle and you can shoot the a gnat at 100 paces. what other kit do you carry?
    personally i travel light. - i carry a mag with a speed loader full of bbs - maybe a small penknife or garden shears to cut foliage. possibly some food and water too.
    each to their own though really.


    the big one - CAMO:

    there are a load of camo options open to the airsoft sniper.
    ghillie suit
    leshy suit
    straight bdu's
    ninja suit :p
    webtex concealment vest

    bdu's are good for the sniper who like to hit and run and is very light on his feet.
    some people like the leshy suit as a lighter version of the ghillie - personally i think its a bit shite but i am sure it can be quite effective.

    the ghillie suit:
    when used correctly this is arguably the best camouflage available to us.

    you can buy ready made ghillie suits - these often need a little bit of work to make them good but are definitely a good option.
    the other option is to hand make your own suit. i made my own a few years ago, partly for hunting and partly for airsoft.

    there are loads of "how to" websites out there. mine is a two piece suite with a large dpm smock and trousers.
    i like the two piece versionas you can use the top half on its own for a slightly lighter rig.
    when making a ghillie - i advise not using a hood but rather an hat with a tail - like the stereotypical french foreign legion hat. - this allows for more freedom of movement.

    i applied elastic loops to my ghillie to attach local vegetation with. this is what makes the ghillie most affective. - particularly when static for long periods.
    just be careful when you move as the vegetation may change.



    general tactics:
    airsoft sniping is much like hunting pigeons. you can stalk about after them or lie up and wait for them to come to you.
    as it happens the latter is more effective for both :D

    you need to find a position which offers you concealment yet at the same time a good view of a place likely to be occupied by enemy at some point. - eg a road, a likely base, an objective etc etc.
    the perfect spot would also offer you a good escape route.

    you eventually get an eye for these places - so if you aren't playing as a sniper but find your self pinned down - you can put fire one points where you think they are likely to be.


    movement:
    again there are loads of websites showing different types of movement and tbh a lot of them are common sense.
    main one to note is a low crawl - just get down on your belt buckle and crawl as slowly as possible - ie 1" at a time.
    i was once told that British snipers during movement training are told to move an inch then stop and read a page of a book. - don't know if that's true though.

    im sure there is more i could add but im drawing a blank.
    i hope that is of some use to at least some one.

    i'll answer any questions if i can.

    kind regards
    mac
    Originally posted by Coz
    Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
    http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

  • #2
    Re: sniping tactics

    round two:

    breathing:

    controlling your breathing techniques can definitely aid your shooting.

    breathe slowly and calmly. - the accuracy in airsoft is such that this isnt a huge factor but it can still help.

    i have heard several techniques for shooting:

    1. deep breath in, deep breath out
    deep breath in - hold for the count of 1 - breath out slowly - hold with no air in your lungs - then shoot.

    2: this is the same except you hold with half a breath in your lungs before shooting.

    - i have read that some snipers go as far as to shoot between heart beats to minimise body movement before taking the shot. but that isn't really necessary.


    trigger control:

    squeeze - don't snap. pull the trigger gently until the round goes off.
    my old shooting instructor told me that the round going off should almost be a surprise.

    trigger control links to your shooting platform and how you hover over your target with the cross hairs.
    no one can hold a perfectly stable aim - even on a bipod you still get some wobble.

    so -

    breath in - aim above the target - breath out - bring cross hairs down onto target
    slight pressure on the trigger
    breath in - float around

    breath out - float onto target - slightly more pressure on the trigger
    hold - slightly more pressure and the shot is away.

    easier to do that describe i promise.


    a note on ghillie suits - don't do what i did back when i was 17 and think you are invisible the moment you put it on.
    trust me - you aren't!!

    i see so many airsoft snipers wearing a ghillie but playing like they are like everyone else and running about like tart.

    sniping is a slow game - that is why people often give up on it.

    get down on your belt buckle - you drag your carcass 1" at a time to your target location.
    if you can get off a shot - great. - if you aren't seen - even better.

    even in airsoft - a good sniper can be a real morale killer.
    even just the sight of a sniper rifle will put a lot of peoples heads down. - this is a great thing to know because people always think you have the range on them even if you don't.
    my own vsr runs stock - 250fps at best - but people don't know that so they stick their heads down even though i have no chance of hitting them. lol.


    tactics?

    i recently saw a video of american snipers baiting insurgents in iraq i think. - they would put out something to make an ied - then shoot anyone who picked it up and left with it.
    rather naughty but that could be applied to airsoft suppose :p



    lone wolf or pair?
    i haven't ever worked in a pair myself but by all accounts it is a good way to snipe. two heads are better than one after all.
    if you have a mate who you get on well with and know what you are doing then go for it.
    i would be interested to hear from some one who does snipe as a team!

    i usually work alone - it has advantages in that you can be quieter and you don't have someone to slow you down/ generally get in the way.
    each to their own.

    also another word about rifles:

    i often get the impression from people who are just starting out in airsoft sniping that they thing you have to get a 500fps sniper asap.
    this really is not the case - indeed some sites don't let you use such a beast until you can prove to the marshals that you can handle it.

    you are better off starting with something under powered - then working on your field craft rather than relying on the extra power of your rifle to do the job. this just leads to shoddy camo and general field craft - hence you get caught more often and get into the position where you regularly need an smg as a side arm.
    sorry for the rant on that one but it bugs me.

    mac
    Originally posted by Coz
    Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
    http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: sniping tactics

      bloomin edit button.

      one other thing i see a lot is people do not make the best use of the available cover.

      yes you have the magic ghillie - but you still need to make yourself as hard to spot as possible.

      so rather than setting up in the thin grass - set up with a lot of your body in shadows or better yet - bushes.

      in more open woodland - get behind a tree - with only your rifle exposed.
      common sense really.
      Originally posted by Coz
      Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
      http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: sniping tactics

        thank you for such a helpful thread
        could you possibly do one on zeroing in your scope as i am struggling at the mo
        Originally posted by parky
        If you're looking for a good sniper, I hear Vassily Zaitsev is good this time of year.

        It's sniper RIFLE.

        What do they teach these 19 year olds these days...

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: sniping tactics

          i think sniping in teams for airsoft would be a gud idea, as a spotter is suposed to aid the sniper with windage instructions/ targets/ enemy behind you, at least thats what they do in the real world. In the SAS, theres no such thing as lone snipers (acording to some ex SAS blokes on tv), but i can see for airsoft, its only a game, and nothing like 'real' sniping, due to ranges/ scenario etc. But nice interesting post overall
          I apologize for anything that might pxss you off

          rate me: http://www.zeroin.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37396

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: sniping tactics

            It's ok LT i've got this one.

            Zeroing

            Zeroing your sight can be very tempremental. Firstly it's a good to know that your rifle is shooting roughly the same FPS each shot, so within 5-8 FPS each shot. Any more and zeroing the sight is going to be difficuilt because, it's not going to be the same amount of power in each shot.

            You need to get an A4 piece of paper and draw a cross like this + on the paper running the entire page. Set it up on a range or at the back of your garden (roughly about 25-30 feet long). Now every shot you should aim the reticle on your sight at the center of the cross on the page. Take two shots at the page and see where they are on the piece of paper. If the the two shots are in the top left hand side of the paper, then you need to do the opposite of where the shots are to bring them to the center, so in this case they will need to come down and right on your sight. Now it's up to you how many clicks you move the sight barrels, personnaly i move them 10 clicks before i take my next two shots.

            So you keep doing this reducing how many clicks you move the barrels until your happy with how close to the center you are. To finish off, when i'm happy i would usually do a five round grouping on the target just to be sure. When i zero a new sight i can go through up to about five different targets just to be sure.

            If anybody else as any otherways of doing this i would like to hear how please.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: sniping tactics

              nice one andy. and cheers guys.

              zeroing is a pain defo.

              you move the cross hairs to accommodate where your shots are falling.

              bear in mind though that airsoft rifles are not that accurate - so you wont be getting 1" groupings.

              im quite happy if i can put all shots into an A5 piece of paper as this is plenty accurate for a man sized target at these ranges.
              Originally posted by Coz
              Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
              http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: sniping tactics

                Originally posted by xissteve View Post
                i think sniping in teams for airsoft would be a gud idea, as a spotter is suposed to aid the sniper with windage instructions/ targets/ enemy behind you, at least thats what they do in the real world. In the SAS, theres no such thing as lone snipers (acording to some ex SAS blokes on tv), but i can see for airsoft, its only a game, and nothing like 'real' sniping, due to ranges/ scenario etc. But nice interesting post overall
                a team would be good - if nothing else it gives you some one to chat to.

                you would have to make sure you can both snipe though as it would probably get a bit unfair and boring for the spotter if the sniper is getting all the kills.
                Originally posted by Coz
                Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
                http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: sniping tactics

                  The main idea of spotter teams, is when you are out for long periods of time, you swap every now and then. So one becomes the sniper, and one the spotter. In airsoft, sniping in teams will cause more problems than advantages. Two guys are easier to see, and you need to know the other guy inside out, and he needs to know you the same way. You need to think on the same wavelength. There's also not really much point in spotting in airsoft either due to the relatively small engagement distances. Although of course, two pairs of eyes are better than one.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: sniping tactics

                    I dunno in airsoft if the spotter has an AEG then it could be quite useful when in a tight spot/someone is within the snipers engagement range

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: sniping tactics

                      Originally posted by Utrinque Paratus View Post
                      The main idea of spotter teams, is when you are out for long periods of time, you swap every now and then. So one becomes the sniper, and one the spotter. In airsoft, sniping in teams will cause more problems than advantages. Two guys are easier to see, and you need to know the other guy inside out, and he needs to know you the same way. You need to think on the same wavelength. There's also not really much point in spotting in airsoft either due to the relatively small engagement distances. Although of course, two pairs of eyes are better than one.
                      Im going to differ with you on this, not saying your wrong because all the above points are damned good ones and should be thought about for anyone wishing to snipe in a pair. I have the preverlidge of reguarly shooting with a pair of snipers who seem to do alot better than the lone wolf type snipers that you more comonly encounter. This could be down to the fact that the know each other inside out and back to front or posibly because they are both quite competertive.

                      I wouldnt shun the idea of having a spotter, even if hes just packing an AEG for those times when your neck deep in it and a pistol just wont do.

                      Lots of great advice hear, thank you for putting the time in to share it with us all.

                      Curtis

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: sniping tactics

                        i can't believe i havent mentioned the 5 S's

                        Shape
                        Shadow
                        Shine
                        Silhouette
                        Smell
                        Movement


                        these are all factors which will give your position away.

                        shape:
                        the human eye recognises shapes very easily. the outline of another human is easy to spot - as is the shape of your rifle. straight lines are a total give away. - break up your shape with the ghillie suit - attach vegetation to your rifle or hand netting from it to break up its lines.

                        Shadow:
                        stick to the shadows - you are harder to spot in darker areas than in direct light.

                        Shine:
                        does any of your kit shine? if so - leave it in the car or modify it so that it is dull and does not reflect light. - most of your kit will be on you under your ghillie so this isn't too much of a problem. if it is shiny wrap it up in sniper tape - job done!
                        but try and ensure that none of your rifle is shiny - light can be seen for a very long way away. - if the sun is glinting off of your scope - you are a easy target.
                        paint - or tape up your rifle with sniper tape. - cover your scope with a sunshade. - mine was made from a plastic sweet tube covered in tape with some netting over the end to stop light getting reflected off of my scope.

                        silhouette:
                        - do not let yourself be backlit - you stand out light a sore thumb - if you have to walk about - keep low and don't walk on the top of a hill.

                        smell - not really an issue in airsoft.

                        movement - we got taught this version of the 5 S's in the OTC - movement is the biggest give away for anything. - while hunting rabbits or small game i tend to let my eyes drift out of focus while looking at an area - you would be amazed how quickly you are drawn to movement.
                        - to combat this you simply need to stay low and stay slow. - as i said above - move an inch then stop - wait listen - maybe slowly lift your head to look around. lower it again.

                        it is better to be cautious then bold if you want to snipe.

                        more as it comes to me.
                        questions welcome as usual

                        mac
                        Originally posted by Coz
                        Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
                        http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: sniping tactics

                          To add to the 5 S's:

                          Shadow - don't just stick to them, also think about where your shadow will fall if you're making one.

                          Smell - a non-smoker can smell a smoker from a long way off. A different issue in the real world, where the sniper may be half a mile away from their target and they are worried about hunting forces while they are laid up, but at airsoft ranges it's something you need to thinks about as your target may be down wind of you. If you're having a break from the game, and want a smoke, lose the ghillie at the least.

                          Nice job BTW Lt
                          sigpic

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: sniping tactics

                            ha ha - i wrote out a thing about smokers but edited it out. lol.


                            good points there mate.

                            my 5 S's knowledge isn't that great - im sure some of our serving members will be able to provide better info.
                            cheers
                            mac
                            Originally posted by Coz
                            Holds gun like a super sniper pro......Cries when wind blows his BB off course.
                            http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...iping-tactics- sniping tactics thread.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: sniping tactics

                              I quit about 15 years ago, work in a non-smoking environment and my wife doesn't smoke either, so my nose is pretty sensitive. I can smell someone smoking from inside the car as I drive past them, with the windows up, if the vents are on.

                              The number of times I've smelt someone (while playing) before I've seen them is ridiculous.

                              Strangely, this is something I also tell learner drivers. It was always amusing to be giving bootys a lecture on the 5 S's when they were on a mob driving course.
                              sigpic

                              Comment

                              About the Author

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                              Lt. Macka A work offshore in the North Sea. Depending on Internet connection and how busy I am, I'm typically more active on the forums when I'm away offshore. When I'm ashore I'm generally busy with various hobbies. Find out more about Lt. Macka
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