Remember that if you're zeroing really long ranges that necessitate a ballistic arc to reach, some areas "inside" the zero point will fall BELOW the aim point, i.e., your shot will fly ABOVE where your crosshair is pointed (and you'll actually end up with a Near and a Far Zero). The distances and arcs in airsoft are negligeable enough that it won't really prevent you from hitting a man-sized target (unless you're using some crazy arcs to try and get a 100m zero) but it may mess up some precision shooting (top of a shoulder sticking out from behind cover, etc)

well i almost reply to my question in asking it.

I thought i should put my zero point just before the bb arent still straight. So basicly shooting progressively to get the perfect further zero point then use the Arcs and calculate wind , denivalation\elevation to takedown opponent according to the situation. I do my zero point indoor, good temperature and range. but i think i need longer range.

what do you guys think of those lasers to set the zero point.. is it helpful? i've never try them yet. (maybe tomorrow)

I have the G&P M3 scope, it has working windage and range knobs, cant wait for the spring to start my "shot book" I'll be putting in every detail from
range(guessing of course)
windage set
range set
point of aim
point of impact

should be interesting to see if I can actually get some standard settings for wind and range.....once I finish putting the damn rifle together

Yes, that's the other way of doing it - however it really depends on how long a range you plan on engaging. The flat trajectory leg in airsoft is really short; it's probably a better way to zero optics for assault weapons.

Especially if sniper rifles (BA) have longer "minimum engagement range" rules where you play because of higher velocities; it really doesn't matter how accurate the aim is at 20 feet if you can't engage a target inside 30.

My recommendation (and others may not agree, this is just my personal preference) is 1) find the longest range you can engage accurately AND consistently (using a shallow ballistic arc) - not necessarily the furthest you can get shots out to effectively, 2) using that arc, Far Zero your scope to the point you were hitting consistently; measure that distance, and get used to eyeballing it, 3) using the same arc again, figure out where the Near Zero intersects with the trajectory (mostly trial and error) - measure exactly how far that is, since it may be inside your minimum "legal" range.

So now you know the range depth (between the two zeros) where shots may pass over your target (testing will show you by how much), you have a known range where you know your sight is zeroed and you should be able to nail stuff in that range with impunity, and testing/practice will show you how much you need to compensate to hit targets beyond that range, and just how far out you can engage (and be able to hit a torso-sized target more often than not).

Patience is one of the sniper's virtues, and the discipline is avoiding the temptation to try and take shots you can't make.

That's what I'm using also. I mostly use the lower settings for basic play. I use the higher settings in larger areas for spotting and gathering int. The 50mm is nice as it allows quite a bit of light gathering giving you a clearer picture through the scope.

as far as scope goes... spend your money on quality lens (clear) rather then distance, 'cause you really don't need that in airsoft.

a 150-200$ cnd scope with a good eye relief and a good ocular opening is the way to go in my opinion. Don't bother with distance adjustments are "proper" crosshair moa or whatever system you like, its not usefull in airsoft.

Somehow, i'd wish a company like Guarder or Kings would think about making an 'airsoft' scope... with moa designed for for airsoft... anyways.. ;)

interested...

I have the Tasco 3-9X42mm, and i found it enough for sniping. However, I do find the mildot reticle to be pretty useful when I snipe.

Here's the list of interested parties so far.
SKI
Big G
Incursori
Bean
Concept_8
dj_ghillie
JacoNB
flack
Phil_Black
Drake
SniperChic
G_unit
Memel
Mon-KeiGH
CDN_Stalker
Redneck
pivot
Field_gunner
tsuru
Shotgun-Man
*ATF*Feanor
wey ferro
Xepharo
Iceman
Fox_111
OnePunch
wacho
BanditoKM

If I missed anyone, let me know.

I'll join in

I use the Simmons 6-24 x 42 AO MILDOT scope, one thing I like most about this is the mildot, even if you are slightly off, you can use one of the mildots as an aiming point until you are able to properly adjust. With a higher powered scope, you can use it for recce purposes. I do have one on sale, that is brand new, it is in Jaroons store if you want to check it out.

Put me in the interested bunch.

I'm diggity down

Cause this is so big to read all the messages, quick question...

Has anyone mentioned that a good sniper should be able to pick-up any rifle and hit a target?

Just my 2 pents.

We've mostly been hammering out what should be in the sniper section.

Yuppers

Figured, just thought I would make sure. I have noticed over the years, what everyone thinks should be there gets missed.

And can anyone tell me what is better for a PSG-1, a Bi-pod or small Tri-pod?

I used a Bipod with my PSG. It was adjustable and swivel. The tripod requires a little more setup time and isn't as versitile. It's great for stationary target shooting though.

I never use bipods. My fist, my rucksac or a beanbag is the best way to work. Then again, i'm a crawler, so i,m sort of different.

I don't really like the Swat-type sniping.. better to be in the action ;)

I've done my time with assault rifle sniping off my forarm/elbow cradle, and was thinking of picking up the PSG. I found from using a friends that because of an injury sustained I need a mount of some sort until I fully heal. Anymore suggestions?

Thanks for the ones already made like the fist, beanbag, etc...

(NOTE: I currently own a M700 from Sun Project, good for building sniping.)

I'd recommend staying away from the PSG1. It's unreliable at best, a useless piece of junk at worst (and usually after only a couple of months).

ok, I have a bfg fetish... can't help it...

Iceman is right. I find that a bipod gets snagged on the brush when I'm prone and crawling.

As far as wether a PSG-1 is a good sniper platform, it has it's pros and cons. If you plan to upgrade, go with a tightbore and accuracy type mods. They will increase your muzzle velocity a little and won't make your gun unreliable. I also dissabled the bolt so it wouldn't make as much noise when firing.

Anyone here have a Tasco 6-24x 50mm scope? If so, i'm havin trouble sighting it in? Any suggestions with the dials?

G,

First thing, set your mounts to elevate the scope's rear as much as possible to give you as much elevation deviation as possible.

Then, Set the dials at zero/zero.

Give a good couple of shots at your maximum engaging distance. Hopefully your rifle has a nice grouping.

From there, Adjust for elevation and windage with the scope to attain a good aim.

(ex. if after 10 shots you find the bbs always on the upper right corner of your crosshair, you'll want to adjust the elevation and windage in consequence).

Once you have made adjustments, start all over again, but with the new Elev./wind. adjustments.

That's the easy and best way of doing it.

Remember tho, this being airsoft and all, you won't be using a Mildot type winding of your dials... you'll want to 'screw/unscrew' a few turns every time you adjust... That's why i was making a reference to a 'airsoft-specific scope'... i wish they'd make one for that.

cheers,

Yeah, I see what you mean, thanks for explaining it to me. I gotta find an indoor place where I can shoot to do all my adjustments with out the wind factor.

count me in for the list :salute:

interested

Just throwing in an idea for the forum section how about starting out with 3 basic sub sections to keep things simple, and have somewhat of a division for finding info easily like,. Guns, Gear/camo, Tactics/field craft,.

It's all I can think of right now, but it might make it easy to navigate through all the info I'm sure will add up pretty quickly.

just anidea:
i know you can be a sniper with a stock gun and all, but maybe a section says info on what upgrades are needed for what guns if your gonna upgrade.

If we get an upgrade section we could make a specific thread for each gun. Have a vsr thread and have all the info, have a m700 thread and so on. That way things are easy to ifnd and all in one place.

-_-
 

Yeah... that'd be nice.

Like a section for the APS2s, then some other sections for different AEGs.. like M14, PSG1, M16 (SPR heheheh), or whatever.

It'd be a lot easier to find what we need. Not that many sniper rifles around anyways... well theres some... but u know what I mean.

That's basically what we're going to try to do. That's why we've been collecting names so that admins may find it worth while.

yeah that will be easier for noobs to find out...lol...

I'll tell you now that for the M700, not much in the way of upgrades without modifications.

I

Its a rare rifle you have. Should stick it in the closet and grab an AEG. Sell it in 10 years and make millions! :nod:

Been a while mike, lol! Good to see ya!

Sure add my name. I have no idea what's going on though. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to comprehend.

i'm not sure why we're collecting names, i'm sure all the admins have seen this thread a thousand times. it'd probably be more useful discussing proposed admins for the section as well as suggestions for subsections and structure of the whole deal to show that we're actually interested in having this go somewhere than boosting post counts with fascinating contributions such as "interested".

The purpose of the list of names is to facilitate the admins jobs, as im sure they have a life other than airsoft :nod: rather than having to sift through on who is interested and so on, all they have to do is view the list and if need be copy paste.

As for the subsections, that is the idea is to have a separate section for airsoft snipers, then have sebsections, ie.
Equipment: BA, APS2, M700, VSR10, etc. Upgrades can be discussed within the respective thread related to that BA.
AEG: PSG1, G3, etc. Upgrades can be discussed within the respective thread related to that AEG.
Ghillie suits: discussion oh how to make these, as well as where to get the materials to make these, and which type of ghillie suit is best for what enviorment and style of play.
optics: rifle scope, spotting scope, binos, etc different manufactureres will be discussed as well as discussions on various scope settings, etc.
Tactics/Fieldcraft self explanatory
Cam/concealment self explanatory
sniper ammo: bb's and weight and how they affect velocity, trajectory as well as range and other factors.

As for reviews, those can go under the review section, unless the mods decide otherwise. Speaking of which who would like to see reviews pertaining to sniper weapons under the sniper section?

I think I have covered it all, for some reason I have a feeling I missed out on something....as usual :banghead: .......

Reviews on the gun arent needed in the sniper section. However reviews on the upgraded gun and reviews ont he upgrades themselves would be good.

I personally do not see why a sniper specific section is needed, because then your going to have the support people wanting a support section, and the assault players an assault section and so on. If your titles are properly labelled, and clear in description then the search feature makes it easy to find sniper related information.

And dont get me wrong, I like sniping, I have a gun set up for sniping. I'm not built to be running and gunning, and spend most of my time creeping and digging in. But I find all the info I need via search either here or on other forums.

There is an area for specific gear why not sniping? Sniping is one of the things with loads of misconceptions and things that need to be dispelled.

Well actually there is one section for gear, then there is a Themed Airsoft section (is that what you meant?) if so then yeah put a sniping section in the themed section, but no need for all the other threads. After all Assault, Support, etc do not have them.

http://www.airsoftcanada.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7

i'm not sure i see a need for so many subsections... or you'll end up with half a dozen subsections with about 5-10 posts in each.

Thats why we are discusssing this, what will work best, but ultimatley we would like to see a section dedicated to the airsoft sniping world, for both the new guys and veterans. It would also clear up alot of issues as to what us airsoft snipers really do, it is to give all an understanding.

I know, that's why I mentioned it ;) If something eventually takes up so much space, it can get a subsection then.

Also, maybe too early now, but when the section opens it might be interesting to have people post what kind of setup they're using, and what kind of sniper role they prefer playing. I know many use the traditional BA and ghillie kinda setup, but there's a handful of people with alternative setups, be it SWAT or designated marksman, or even a WW2 sniper impression (I'm also thinking there's probably some of the Nam/InCountry folks in the sniper role, too? I'm always impressed by how together the InCountry players' shit is.)

I think a lot of those can go into broader catagories.. 3 is probably the maximum subsections I would go for. These are forums afterall we can post about whatever it is as long as the section is relatively related. I propose:

-Gun Tech and equipment (upgrades, scopes, mounts, guns, and the almighty teflon tape etc.)
-Camo, Fieldcraft, and loadout
-Tactics, Movement, Team roles and other sniper discussions

oh put me on the list too plz. :)

I agree. I think that would make sense.

Interested, stick me on the list

yes, but what do they need a list of names for if it's going to be a public section? that is silly. isn't this thread's existance proof enough that there is interest in a section like this?
as for making a special section for assault/support etc. it'd be more of a guide than a place of discussion and experiments and thus less of a need for it being a forum exists. there is a HUGE amount of undocumented airsoft sniper knowledge in this community and if this is the way to get it in writing then so be it.
valcrow seems to be thinking straight, good on you. wake up people, use your heads.

It was some kind of petition for the mods to see how much people where interested.

this thread is 10 pages long and covers MANY topics without even really being about them, thus proving the outstanding wealth of information this community has, but hasnt shared and that there is a large amount of interest out there for airsoft sniping. the admins know that it's there because they arent retarded, the thing is that (as is the case with wiseowl) some solid arguments need to be made to validate a sniper section's existence. at least that's what i thought this thread was about, if i'm wrong and this is a thread where we make a list of names you can petition my ass right out of it.

*crickets*

I can hear the dust falling......

here's one for all you ghillie wearers out there.

What colour/colours do you prefer in an all round ghillie meaning you'd wear it in woodland (green) areas or sandy/dirt or dead yellowed brush areas or any time of the year?

Personally, I've got and am working on multiple colours of suits, and in different set ups for different times of year with the temp changes n all.
But I find the tan suits maybe with some grey or brown to be most effective in the widest range of environments.

Mostly due to the lightness of the colour I find it easier to cover the tan with green foliage or a couple of touches of paint in the field making it blend well in bush rather than making a green suit blend in well in dead brush or sandy/dirt covered terrain.

Anyone else have any thaughts on ghillie colouring and ranges or limits in different terrains?
I'd love to hear what some of you guy's....or gals ;) think.

IMO, Brown and tan ghillie work the best for all around.

My ghillie was green and tan at first. But as soon as I stepped in a pine forest, I was a bright green patch to shoot.

Now My ghillie is mainly Brown with some green and Tan strands and it.
I can add more foliage of matching color to completely dissapear.

All in all, Brown is a good color base IMO.

It varies upon the enivorment you play in. Me personally I rather use colours that are as close to the colours in the enviroment I play in. So if the vegetation is leafy green, I wear my leafy green ghillie, if the vegetation is a mixture of green leafs and non leaf materials, I wear my woodland ghillie. Every so often I add colours here and there, again pending on the enviroment I play in. I am in the process of making a third ghillie suit, just debating what colours to use.....

What I do is have a colour or two in a bundle, eg, lets say you have 6 strands of jute in a bundle, 3 of those stands will be in OD, the other 3 will be in lime green persay. You do not want to have alot of strands of jute in a bundle, not more than 6, this is my personal preference, again it is ultimatly up to the individual. when it comes to more than one colour in a bundle of jute I like to keep them similar in colour, my preference. I also like to attach rugged straps of burlap as well to make for the leaf effect.

Ultimately your ghillie suit SHOULD be made according to the enviroment you play in. Rule of thumb is, 40% garnish/jute/burlap, and 60% actuall vegetation.....this is airsoft, but if you want to go ahead and attach real time vegetation to your ghillie suit by all means go ahead and all the better to you.

I'm currently building (do you "build" a ghillie suit??) ...''fashioning" a suit, my base colors are going to be tans and browns... mostly because even in the thick wooded areas behind my house, all the ground level foliage is dead branches, trees bushes or grass... and it's all brown. If I was making a kit to stand up/run around in, I'd consider making it darker greens and browns, I think.

Plus, burlap and jute are mostly brown or tan anyway, so... saves money on dye or paint or whatever.

Any extra color I'm going to add is going to be scrim or actual branches and such.

BTW, I found rolls of jute twine at the DOLLAR store today... heavy duty, nice and thick... 190ft rolls of it. 8)

Just remember that the jute twine looks like rope. it takes a while for it to unravel. I used it in my ghillie but I also used stripped burlap. If you only use the twine, you will need to unravel it before you apply it. It's a bit of a pain but it will "fill" out your suit nicely. I washed mine after in order to smooth out the jute making it a little more "clumpy".

Did Airsoft Retreat's Sniper Perch just loose all it's info?? I just checked there and there's only 5 topics and my username won't let me log in. Also it looks like the entire board just go changed.

When all you snipers go "out" in the field, do you go in pairs? Such as a shooter, and a spoter? I was just woundering, cause that is what we do. Our shooter is armed with a M-21 sniper system, and a glock 9mm, where the spoter is armed with a C8A1, and his back-up is a M21 sniper system incase he needs to take the shot.

How do you guys play? Do you sit in one spot and "camp" or do you "run and gun?" What kind of gear do you use. Does your suit cover the front as well, or just the back? Do you camo your face and hands, and forget about the back of your neck and ears; or do you use cloths to cover these areas?

Is your weapon painted, or is it covered in a wrap? If it is covered in a wrap; how about the bi-pod legs. Are they covered?
Is your scope covered so that your weapon no longer looks like a weapon? Has your lens been covered with a mesh so that the glare from the sun does not give away your position?

Do you know where to set yourself up so that your back is covered, and that you have 360* round vision, so no one can sneek up on you? And don't about your shadow, it will give you away faster thn you can say "Oops."

I hope this helps someone out, and I hope that this was the place to post this.

Yeah, I may unravel it by hand, I'm that patient. ;) The only problem is, it tends to shed a lot... like a LOT... so I may not end up using this stuff at all. But thanks for the tip, I'll try washing it too.

Am sure I have more mud and sticks in my ghillie than anything else! Took it out to add more Lee Valley Gardening section green jute twine to, had a beach on my floor from all the mud it has collected the past season, and there were countless sticks, twigs and other crap imbedded in it that I neer noticed before. Mind you, there have only been a couple times last season my ghillie has been out in the field, but at one point it was literrally SOAKED in thick muddy puddle, took me about 2 weeks to dry it out, then about 4-5 beatings to get all the muddy sand residue out of it. Recall a few times putting my boonie on, and having sand/dirt fall out of it and get all in my hair. Ya, best way to simulate nature is to use nature as your colouring. Mud and local foliage! :lol:

Jaco, beat it, soak it, let it dry in the sun, comb your fingers through it, slam it into the gournd, drag it behind your car down a dirt road, soak it in mud, rinse it, let dry, etc. Ghillie's that are baby'd tend to not work as well as those that are hardcore abused and used. Remember, as long as you go by natural colours and shades, the uglier it gets from abuse, the better it works. Last thing you want is a pretty ghillie that looks good in pics. ;)

i think the most effective airsoft sniping would be a 3 man assault sniper team.
3 snipers spread out all who have angles to the same area.
one takes a shot and then another and you switch it up so the other team cant tell where its coming from.(all while using black bb's)

lol... true... Thanks!

My biggest problem right now is getting some BDUs or something in my size to attach everything to. I'm not buying new CADPAT BDUs to make a Ghillie, so I'll be hitting up the surplus stores soon. :D

:tup:

Jacon, you want to make your Ghillie 'Oversized' to what you wear. If you are wearing MEdium BDUs (standard Propper Medium), then make your Ghillie 'Large'.

The reason for this is, the GHilliesuit is mostly worn over a regular BDU. Usually, snipers do not have fashion time to change into their Ghillie... when a sniper 'infiltrates' a terrain, he's not usually in Ghillie. He'll have his Ghillie in a pack or attached to it, with his rifle and all relevant material in his rifle/drag bag and will enter the hot zone with a rifle and backup.

Once the infiltration phase begins, Ghiilie goes on and all the rest goes out.

I usually go by myself. Its always fun to think about Sniper/Spoter in real life 'because its usefull... in airsoft, its not really that useful.

So i'm a crawling loner ;)

I usualy have a spotter. It does help whith target identification and he's their to cover my ass when problems arise.

As far as the ghillie, I only cover the back so it's easier to crawl. i haven't covered my rifle yet as I draw my hood over it. I will be covering the front end of the rifle as soon as I get a few minutes to myself. As far as the scope goes. I use a scope extension to keep it from catching glare from the sun. I also use the hood to cover the scope. I won't bother covering the legs of the bipod as they are covered by the grass and foliage on the ground.

Cool... okay... I take a large, unfortunately. lol... looks like I'll need more jute and burlap. ;) I'm short, but stout. :D

Shameless plug here.

All you snipers, if you are looking to test your skills, I made a sniper oriented milsim.
http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=24020

The english translation is not up yet, as some few details that need to be tweeked.

It's going to be a very hard milsim!

Pending on the game and scenario, I prefer having a spotter with me, he basically watches my other 180 and should crap hit the fan he will cover my arse while I get out of the area, then follow. In much larger scenarios, 12hrs or more I prefer 3 man sniper team, Shooter, Spotter, and rear security.

as for ghillie suits, I prefer to have only the back with garnish as apposed to the front, and heavy canvas covering the front.

My rifle is camed, I always wrap my home made rifle wrap on my APS. I used to have a bipod on it, decided to place it on my Lee Enfield :grin: as i dont use it in airsoft, as I like to keep a low profile.

As for my scope, it has a scope hood/extension therefore I dont require the "honeycomb"

I do lots of "recce" and Observing and I mean lots of that, on average I get 4-6 kills, not much, but I spend most of my time moving from one location to the next reccying and observing.

I am very selective on the postions I take up, I always ensure I have a few routes to take should I get "bumped" and always ensure the postion I take up offers me full field of view and no one can "just" sneak up from behind.

BE VERY OBSERVANT AND PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Is there any recomendations for a "light" sniper rifle. I do a lot of recce and general sneaking in my games, and more than once I have had the opportunity for some great shots that I coun't take because my P90 just can't do it. I love my P90, and I can do some very fast maneuvering in my games which I just couldn't do with any other gun, but I really wish I could carry a rifle that I could take the occational shot with.

Depends on the equipment. If I'm with another sniper, I'll go in pairs. Otherwise, I take 4 gunners with me to cover the four points of the compass. In a pinch the gunners can be redeployed as an assault team if the situation warrants it.

You could just grab a TM G-SPEC and take off the silencer. That way you have a nice and short rifle that you could sling on your back.

I agree. One thing to think about though. You don't want to be too short or then you're back to square one. The G-SPEC would be a good "little" BA to carry.

hmm, about how much would I spend to be able send a .29 grandmaster off at 350 fps without going through sears like popcorn?

interested

The best thing that I have found for a backing is a cam net. Here it is already can be fixed to the back of your combats, and then you can add to it as you go. If done correct you will have yourself the start of a very effective suit.

I also found that if you use berlap and pull it apart into its single stran form, bunch a few together then use a light coat of camo paint; ( the kind you would find in Canadian Tire ) this will add some depth to your suit. This works real well. I spent 3 days in one that I made up, and the enemy force never even saw me.

Since we don't have a section yet, maybe large posts, will help move the mods to create one.

Sniper Deployment/Gear/Weapon review:
IMO, an airsoft sniper is about 60% accuracy 40% stealth. When i look for a new BA (bolt action), I am mainly looking for accuracy, I’ve tried the psg1/tanaka kar98/tanaka m700 takedown/vsr-10/vsr gspec, as well as a m4-sniper variant with psg-1 tight bore length barrel.

In my experience, the most useful rifle is the one where you can take a second shot if needed, the shot could be to correct for environmental changes, weapon consistence issues, or perhaps eliminate a second player. As much as I would like to say my rifles can hit there target +80% of the time, during all conditions. Wind/bb quality/weapon consistency/situation takes that number out the window. Yes when you setup a blind, and wait, finally someone comes across your path, and a single shot is all that’s required, but you become useless to the rest of your team, for the entire time you wait. A more urban sniper is required for effectiveness.

Here is my view, and how I manage to contribute to my team as a sniper.

Weapons of Choice (so far):
TM VSR GSpec
KSC Glock 19 w/ g17 length clips + adaptors

I would like to upgrade it to about 380 maybe even 400 fps (club limit is 475), going too much higher may make the gun far too loud to prove useful.

Reason for weapon:
Sound of the gun. My 100% kill range is <100ft. this doesn’t give me too much room for error when it comes to sound. A Gspec allows for a second shot (usually the second most useful target) and a small gap to escape, and in some cases stay hidden while enemy looks for you. I can get a 50% kill range of about 150-200ft, this begins to become just a waste of bbs, only useful in scare tactics. I have scored the odd kill at the 200ft + range, but it I more luck than anything.

Another advantage of the gspec, is the short barrel length. Using a biathlon’s sling or hawk camel back, the gun can be easily slung, held out of the way to increase movement while crawling. (more in my gear section) The short barrel length allows for using the gun in tighter areas, moving easier, and less of a perpendicular profile.

The glock was not chosen for any reason, it is small and very reliable. I added a threaded barrel and stubby silencer, but more for looks than function. I can accurately engage a target at 30ft with 100% kill, or 50ft with 60% kill. It is a backup weapon used for cqb or during movement.

By 100% kill range, I mean… If I can see more than 6 square inches of there body, in good conditions, a single shot is all that’s required.

Gear Loadout:
Ghillie: I no longer use a ghillie suit for several reasons. First they are very bulky and required great attention to feel a hit from an enemy shot. Secondly, they tend to hinder your abilities more often then improve them, this mainly because of the fields I play on.

A ghillie suit can be deployed once a suitable location has been found, but requires a small amount of time to deploy then, again another small amount of time to re pack when the situation calls for you to move. This time can better be spent observing or engaging the enemy. I find a ghillie’s effectiveness increases directly proportional with the distance from the enemy. And since my rifle has such sort 100% kill range, a ghillie no longer suits my needs. Don’t get me wrong, they are incredibly useful in cretin areas and conditions, I have been stepped on before while wearing my old one. What one needs to do is think of how long a usual game is, the terrain, and conditions and decide dynamically if they feel a ghillie is useful to carry around with you.

Camo: in my opinion what ever floats your boat. I have four sets to pick from, woodland/tri color/marpat/ and snow. In any condition (Calgary Alberta) I can choose one of these to suit my needs. Mainly the tri-color works best for the fields for anything other than summer, and the marpat/woodland for summer. A boonie hat with webbing around the ring works usually, but sometimes due to conditions/environment a shemagh works.

Kit: when deployed as a sniper, I use a belt kit, with one drop pistol holster, and one drop mag holster. The drop mag holster was designed to hold 308 shells, after removing the webbing inside the pouches, it fits 4 sniper mags. The belt kit has few pouches for extra pistol mags, and one small butt pack for holding tools and nv (if needed).

I wear a hawg camelback with the main body synched tight to create a low profile pack. The molle straps on the back can hold foliage to increase camo effectiveness, as well as a small drawstring on my left side to hold my rifle vertical along the pack. With one pull, the rifle rolls off my left shoulder and can be shot within seconds. With the rifle attached to my back a drag bag is not needed, which cuts down on the sound I make, as well as makes low crawling and movement easier.

I carry few other items, a compass, topo map of the area, rino gps/frs radio, and a waterproof notebook + pencil/pen. + food.

Deployment Strategy

Obviously during a recce or hit n run style attack, I would deploy traditional sniper style. But 9/10 times my unit travels as an attacking force. My role when deployed as a sniper is to provide observations of movements/long range engagement/fear tactics/and support fire.

My most successful deployments have been in urban environments, lightly wooded areas and high grass. Being attached to a fighting force, I am required to move often, and spend less time on concealment and more on position. When taking on a fortified position, I will pull back behind my unit, and move around to a flank adopting a more traditional sniper deployment, depending on my concealment to get me in my 100% kill range, only engaging targets with tactical importance, for my team to take the fortification. If I were to just fire on any target of opportunity, on the off chance my position is discovered, any joe using his aeg as mortars could take me out of the equitation.

During deployments of less than satisfactory conditions, such as open fields with little or no cover, or defending well lit, open areas. I depend on my range and size to keep the enemy back, and my small rifle and pistol to defend a more close quarters environment. My deployment works best in the front when opposed with a defensive cqb/poor environment.

I have seen several snipers attempt to use there range by moving away from the structures and try to pick off enemy from a distance. Since it is defensive, the enemy will move fast and erratic to breach your defense, removing your usefulness. Usually in this situation, snipers tend to watch the action go by them.

So when positioned up front, having your main force defending the guts of the structure, they support you and rely on your position and speed to engage only close targets. I have in the past had our support gunner carry a m4 on there back for these situations, but found it wasn’t needed most of the time, and only slowed the unit down.

Limiting yourself to a traditional sniper role in airsoft limits the units you work with. Stealth and concealment do play a role in an effective deployment, but tend to hinder the usefulness of your unit/team. It is entirely possible to deploy alone, but tends to produce mixed results. I find, alone you tend to hold fire on targets that could pose a direct threat to you, and with a team of any type, you can engage targets while a firefight distracts your enemy. I have deployed in several games that lasted in the 24hr time ranges, but since any (unexpected) one kill is so menial, even when a sim’s goal is to eliminate a single person, they are usually so well protected during the operation window, a single sniper has a better chance helping a unit pick a time/location for an engagement then engage the vip directly.

My style depicts the type of requirement my team has for me. Traditional snipers are still useful, but I find need to work alone, breaking down the communications structure a team can provide.

I would like to hear from other snipers, about there rifles / deployment strategies, whether they are alone or attach to a unit, if they find they are useful to a team with a BA in there hands.

nice post.
brad?

yep

I don't agree with all your post, but it does make a lot of sens for a sertain style of play.

If I speak only for myself, here is how I do it.

Rifle: upgraded M24, 450fps, harris bipod and bushnell 3x10-40mm scope. Rifle is painted cadpat and most of the time, ghillied.

I use a KJW M9 with 3 mags as a backup. When my drag bag is reasy, I'll probably pack my P90tr too for movements and for when shit it the fan too close for safe sniping.

Gear: Cadpat BDU and most of the time, a ghillie suit
I use a old CF webbing that look like crap, but the busted old C7 magpouches hold 2 M24 mags each and the whole thing fit under my ghillie suit. In my webbing, I carry 3 mags (+1 in the rifle), radio, spare ammo, map, food. I also use a camel back for hydratation.

Now is my two style of play.

First, if my ghillie suit is not suitable for the field, or the game we play don't allow for long infiltration and require rapide and consecutives movements, I'll play in just my capdat and webbing and ditch the ghillie. Then, I'll stick with a fireteam and provide long range shots, observation and flank protection....

Second, if the field match my ghillie and the game allow for long infiltration, I'll use my ghillie and go alone or with someone dedicated enough not to shoot everything he see and stay hidded. Than I'll procede the an erea usefull for the mission and set up an observation point. Depending on the mission, I'll go kills commanders, provide trail or zone interdiction or just harras the other team(s).

I find both my style of play to be rewarding in a sens that both are usefull and provide the kind of action I like. Playing with the fireteam give me a lot of target to shoot at and my killboard is crowded at the end of the game. When I play alone, I may get less than 10 kills, but each of them is like a work of art hehe.

My minimum engagement distance is about 100fts and my max is.... well, I got a confirmed kill a about 300-350 fts if not more.
I mainely use .30g or .36g depending on the field. .36g for open field, .30 for wooded field with less wind. I like both weight and they work almost the same, except for the .36g that give a nicer ballistic curve and is easyer to predict the bullet impact.

true

Where did this post get moved to? Did we get a section on snipers yet?

We'll I'm just about to receive my CA M24 (which is sitting at Specarms waiting for the rest of the order, Damn you Customs).

My question is, I know that the screws need to have lock-tite put on them but which ones need it? Is it just the two on the receiver and the two on the trigger unit, or is it every single screw on the rifle? Also what strength of lock-tite is enough? I have Permatex Medium Strength Blue, would this be too strong?

Thanks guys

M24 Exploded Diagram

The permacrap blue stuff will do OK. Not as good as real locktite but then the potmetal of airsoft guns can't realy handle the removal of screws locked with the good stuff either.... It will serve your needs. As for witch screws I can't realy help you but I figure it would be the two screws that hold teh receiver to the stock.. just like the aps i have sitting down in the shop with stripped screws...

Only the screws on the trigger assembly, and I mean ALL the screws on the trigger assembly. Remove one, put thread locker on it, put it back in and snug it, Move onto another screw, do the same. Continue til you have all of them done. Thread locker on external (main) screws.............. them coming loose isn't much of a problem, it's the screws stripping out the threads set in the pot metal that are the main problem.

i found the screw for the cocking handle is a loosy too.

True. A good amount of loctite in there helps a lot as well. Clean the threads best you can, apply a fair bit, snug it in well, then leave it alone for overnight or a day or two. I did that and it hasn't budged in a few months.

Here's a tip for you: Buy the stock pouch/shellholder/cheek pad and put it on your M24. I have one on mine, looks badass, but I keep an extra mag in there and two long allen keys.............. one to adjust the hop up in the field, the other to snug down the screw that attaches the endcap to the cylinder. Maybe toss a magnet in there as well to hold your keys together so they won't fall out when you pull your mag out.

Awesome, thanks guys.

Stalker, when you say all the trigger unit screws do you just mean the two that hold it to the receiver (seen in diagram) or is there more that isn't shown.

well there is also the saftey screw, that thing comes loose also. throw some loctite in there too.

On my previous M24, the screws holding the receiver to the main body AND the trigger unit where locktited. (retaped also)

On my newer M24, the bolt "but" screw nearly came off in the last game. I had to stop used the rifle. So this one will get locktited after I ensure there is no damage done to the bolt other than the loose screw.

Diagram doesn't show anything. On the trigger assembly, there are maybe 6-7 screws on it. Do all of them except the one that has a locknut on the right side.

As for the safety screw, just remove the safety lever and the pin that links it up to the trigger. 1/ The safety isn't very good to begin with, and will eventually break anyways; and 2/ The trigger and safety is poorly designed as it is, and makes the trigger feel grinding and very heavy when you install a higher power spring. Even felt that way on mine because the safety pin going in behind the trigger was still in place. Huge improvement after I pulled it out.

All this 'keep the tricks secret' stuff is all a load of crap, I see how you don't want to have to put in alot of extra effort, restating points and tips to every single noob who comes in, hey, me neither, but how do you think we are going to become good sharpshooters if we don't get valuable first hand information from the veterans of this role.

By reading Sniper books? maybe, by googling, perhaps, but what is this new board going to be about, aiding new snipers and discussing tactics and such, or this group of shady snipers who keep to themselves when requested advice, and end up being like some high-school clique.


I just hope that when someone asks a question about (almost) anything, that they will be given some good suggestions (not saying you don't give anough good ones now) and advice, and have some of the better players 'reveal' some of their leet tricks of the trade.

Happy Hunting





JT.

yeah the saftey is pointless anyway on a BA, but if you want it, id loctite it.
i just tookmine off too.

The issue wasn't with revealing info to other snipers. It was to try to keep it between snipers. Everyone has access to these threads.

I think showing up at games might have a lot to do with what you are asking. Get on the field with a sniper-oriented player and you'll learn more then through a board.

Also, since you are in ontario, check out Sha_do ... he's got a sniper clinic going.

I'd sell my left nut to attend one of those clinics...

Well... maybe rent it out...


I might actually try and plan a road trip around one someday. :)

yeah... well just from Montreal its 6 hours drive... that's a long ride for a 1day trip

I'm in Fredericton, NB... it's a really long drive for a day trip. But I have friends and family all over Ontario, so making it a weekend thing is easy enough. :) I'll just convince the wife it's so she can go shopping. ;)

You are going to have to check out some of our gear this summer JacoNB. A few of us were looking at a road trip to the GTO this summer for a game or two.