Airsoft Sniping: Awesome or Impractical

You peer at your enemy through the cross-hairs in your scope. Your fingers grasp the bolt of your rifle as you carefully pull it back towards yourself, then gently slide it forward, placing a round in the chamber. Gauge your distance to target, adjust for windage and drop. Slow, breathe slow. Feel every beat of your heart. Place your finger on the trigger and squeeze slowly.

Anyone who has ever fired a bolt action rifle, Airsoft or real steel, knows the awesome feeling of power it gives you. The highly tuned skills of the sniper make them seem almost supernatural, and this perception of power and invincibility causes many in the Airsoft community to gravitate towards the sniper role. However, before you go and buy yourself a cool bolt-action, there are some aspects you ought to consider.

In theory, there are two basic advantages to a bolt action sniper rifle; Consistency (the FPS output per shot), which translates into accuracy, and the fact that since there are few moving parts they are pretty quiet when fired. There is no motor or gear noise like and AEG, just the piston releasing and the air exiting the barrel.

There are three main types of bolt action Airsoft snipers on the market: HPA, gas and spring powered.

HPA snipers are the newest kid on the block. Technically it's an add on system, but I'm throwing it in anyway. They are quiet, consistent and powerful. However, they require pre-compressed air. Okay, I kind of made that term up: Unlike a spring powered rifle that compresses it's own air when fired and unlike gas rifles, which actually use a compressed gas like propane or C02, HPA is regular air just highly compressed. That air has to be transferred from some sort of high pressure tank into the firing mechanism. Unless the air tank is integrated into the stock, that generally means you have to carry one in a backpack on your back with an airline attached to the gun. Not the greatest for a role where your gear should be lightweight and minimalistic. Not to mention the probability of the hose getting snagged on things as you try to maneuver stealthily.

Gas snipers tend to be more powerful out of the box than their spring counterparts, but being gas, their performance can be affected by weather conditions. Also, gas guns tend to be less consistent which really hurts for a role like the sniper, where consistency is key. The largest advantage to gas rifles is that you don't have to struggle with pulling back a stiff spring like you do with the spring powered rifles.

Spring snipers are usually fairly cheap and offer pretty good consistency stock, although many of the cheaper ones do not have a very strong design internally, which means they are likely to break if you try to install a stronger spring. The advantage to spring powered snipers is a low purchase cost and the ready availability of upgrade parts. 

Any of these types will typically be quieter than a standard AEG, meaning you are less likely to give away your position when you take a shot.

However, the fact of the matter is that most stock Airsoft sniper rifles are not much, if at all, better than a typical AEG. Many Airsoft players, especially the new or inexperienced ones, think that owning a sniper rifle will somehow magically enhance their skills and get them a ton of kills, but this is simply not the case. Your gun will not help you any if you don't know how to use it.

The role of the sniper is all about providing pinpoint accurate fire from a concealed position. Much of the advantage to the bolt action sniper rifle is a higher, consistent FPS output and the use of heavy bbs - generally .32g to .43g. To often those new to sniping are using only .20 or .25g bbs and have not spent the time learning the quirks of their rifle. For instance, maybe the hop up is a little off and you have to compensate up, down or side to side. Making sure your scope is properly sighted is also very important.

Many times I see bolt action toting players try to engage directly with the opposing force. This is simply going to get you killed. Even if your range and accuracy is better than your enemy, it's not that much better. They can close the distance fast and spit out more plastic than you. Trying to take them head on is not a good idea. At it's core, sniping is about CONCEALMENT. If the enemy knows where you are, you are dead sooner or later. 

You must remember that in Airsoft, there is only a certain amount of range and accuracy that can be achieved, not matter how much money you are willing to shell out.

The best advice I can give is this: Try before you buy. Seriously. Find something the same or similar as the platform you want and test it out first.

Also, if you have an AEG with an FPS of 350 or higher, try some high grade .28g or .30g bbs and see how it performs. You may need to make some hop-up upgrades to handle the heavier bbs, but most likely you will see a jump in accuracy and even effective range.

I feel like 90% of those who get into sniping burn out quick. But who knows, maybe you'll try it and love it despite its limitations. If so, fantastic! Airsoft is about having fun, so find out what your style of play is and run with it.

Until next time, thanks for reading and always airsoft responsibly!

- Stryker