Airsoft Guns

The best snipers not only have the skill, stealth, and patience to effectively pick off opponents one by one, but they come to the field prepared. The sniping role is one that is easily compromised, so preparedness is vital to keeping under the opponents’ radar. When selecting gear, you should always consider the convenience of using the gear and, more importantly, the noise factor. Does the gear require you to make excessive movement to access it? Does it reflect light? While direct sunshine end up broadcasting your position like a mirror? Does the gear make noise or utilize materials that rattles or rustles. Noisy gear is a rooky mistake that will undoubtedly compromise your position.

Before you head out, consider the terrain you will be traversing, the weather, and carefully consider what you might encounter on the field. Do not overload with gear that you have little foreseen use for. Carefully decide what will serve a purpose on the field and make you a better sniper. The gear that you decide is important should be secured tight against your body with straps or duct tape.

The following is a summary of gear a sniper should consider when preparing for battle.

• Dress the Part – Check weather forecasts and make sure that you dress appropriately. It is best to wear fitted clothes that won’t snag on plants or terrain. Pockets are always a good feature.
• Tactical Holster or Tactical Vest – Pockets galore and a place for everything, the tactical holster or vest is your best friend when you need something.
• Ghillie Suit – Depending on the terrain a ghillie suit may help conceal your location.
• Your Primary Weapon and Side Arm – Obviously you will need your airsoft sniper rifle, but you should also bring a side arm in case you must engage in hand-to-hand combat.
• Airsoft Ammo – Keep 2 or 3 spare mags on hand to take you through the day.
• Safety Goggles or Glasses – This is a given whenever you participate in airsoft.
• Camel Back or Canteen – I favor camel backs because they minimize the amount of movement required to hydrate – wear it under your ghillie suit - but if you prefer a canteen, secure it tightly against your body.
• Provisions –Many airsofters don’t realize it, but milsim skirmishes are a serious workout, even for snipers. You must carry heavy equipment, making slow calculated movements that keep muscles flexed for prolonged periods of time. It can be exhausting and chances are you will get hungry. Keeping your blood sugar stable will also help your steadiness, shot accuracy, and critical decision making.
• Knife or Scissors – You never know when you will need to cut tape, branches or whatever gets in your way.
• Hand Radio – If you are not in an environment where hand signals will suffice, a radio will keep your team strategically aligned.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the VP of Operations of Airsoft Megastore, the fastest growing airsoft store in the nation, specializing in airsoft guns, gear and accessories. Airsoft Megastore offers guaranteed lowest prices on airsoft guns including airsoft sniper rifles.

Labels: airsoft sniper, airsoft sniper check list, airsoft sniper tips

The sniper role is easily one of the most coveted roles on the airsoft field. An effective sniper is highly valued because they not only actively eliminate opponents, but they also act as a communication hub for the team.

If you are interested in transitioning into the sniper role in upcoming skirmishes, here are a few tips to help you succeed on the battlefield.

Be stealthy.

Cunning is one of the most important qualities a sniper can have… maybe even more valuable than shot accuracy. Stealth alone can make a sniper a success. A stealthy sniper understands how to position themselves so that they can observe the field without being seen and how to keep their movements slight. They are adept to traversing the environment undetected – be it wooded or field. They also understand how to retreat from a compromised position efficiently, in near silence.

Be disciplined & patient.

As a sniper, you risk discovery whenever you take a shot. For this reason, you must ensure that the shot you are taking is worth the risk. Is the target within range? Is it attainable at your skill level? If you are fairly confident the odds are against you, it is better to lay low and remain undetected. In fact, many real-life snipers stalk a target for days before making a kill shot. Patience and discipline are key… and only shoot when the target is attainable and worth the risk.

Be decisive.

Ironically, even though patience and discipline are paramount to sniping success, you are also required to take decisive action when the time is right. The opportunity to take your kill shot may only last a few seconds, so you must calmly take action… line up the shot, and pull the trigger.

Be a partner.

In many cases, having a spotter or second shooter will help keep you alert at all moments and will increase the likelihood of a decisive kill. It is difficult to use binoculars or airsoft rifle scopes or optics for more than 20 minutes at a time and having a skilled partner will allow you to break up the task and increase efficiencies.

Be chill.

The sniper role is not a good fit for people with hot tempers. If you are quick to anger, it is likely you will make irrational or careless choices. Anger elevates the pulse, quickening the heartbeat, and resulting in fight or flight behavior. This is the exact opposite of what makes a good sniper. A good sniper is level headed, patient, calm and able to make rational choices – even under stress.

Be your sniper rifle.

Ideally a sniper’s rifle is second nature, but this will take time and practice. Use your airsoft sniper rifle as much as possible. Get an in-depth understanding of the rifle’s dimensions, capabilities and limitations. Target practice is critical. Practice firing low on the ground and in hiding. Work on long distance accuracy and maneuvering your rifle in silence.

A successful sniper needs to be stealthy, even tempered, patient, disciplined, decisive and accurate. Taking accurate shots, maneuvering stealthily and partnering with a skilled spotter or fellow sniper will help set the stage for success as an airsoft sniper.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the VP of Operations of Airsoft Megastore, an airsoft retailer offering electric and green gas & CO2 powered airsoft guns. Please visit Airsoft Megastore to shop for airsoft AEGs, full metal airsoft rifles or the right airsoft gas gun for players of any experience level.

Labels: airsoft sniper tactics, airsoft sniper tips, how to be an airosft sniper

One of the most coveted roles in airsoft is that of the sniper. Snipers are powerful forces on the field, often playing key roles in eradicating opponents and transmitting communications. The time-tested sniper tips that I consider to be the Big Three of successful sniping include stealth, patience and practice. After all, a sniper can only be successful if they remain undetected (stealth), wait for the right moments for the kill shot (patience) and shoot with high accuracy (practice, practice, practice!) In addition to the Big Three, you should also invest in the right gear. There are a number of airsoft sniper rifle upgrades and various airsoft field gear that will improve your performance, such as scopes, bipods, ghillie suits, a side arm for potential enemy ambushes and - of course - good-old black electrical tape.

While these tips - stealth, patience and practice - are all valuable and effective, they are also a bit general. The Airsoft Megastore team set out to find out more specific, concrete sniper recommendations and here are few "unconventional tips" that came straight from the playing field…

• Know the local vegetation. One sniper we spoke with noted that they recently discovered that they couldn’t crawl through a specific type of shrub. Even though they were flat on their belly, the bush tops moved significantly, giving away their position. Some other foliage is noisy or even painful to crawl through. Look for paths through the bush rather than attempting to crawl through.


• Consolidate equipment so that it is easy-to-reach. One inventive sniper we spoke with disclosed that he duct tape equipment like his radio to his arm or weapon. It keeps the item always within reach. The less you have to move, the less likely you will be seen.


• Partner up. Snipers are sometimes thought of as lone wolves, but partnering up with a spotter can make you much more effective. Lay side to side, facing opposite directions. This formation allows you to have a near 360 visual range.


• Sit one out. Volunteer as an airsoft skirmish referee. It is valuable to impartially observe a skirmish at some point in time. You can gain insight and create new strategies based on what you observe on the field.


• Take a note. After every skirmish, take a few moments to jot down what you learned from that day’s activities. Refer back to your notebook before the next match. It will refresh your memory and help you improve. Many airsoft players are predictable and use the same maneuvers time after time. By taking notes, you not only push yourself out of your ineffective ruts, but you can also identify other players' typical behaviors for future reference.


• Test all gear ahead of time - including your clothing. Make sure that your gear not only works, but is also quiet. Noisy items are truly frustrating on the field. If zippers / buckles jingle or pant legs rub together noisily, use black electric tape to correct the situation before you hit the field.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the President and COO of Airsoft Megastore, the #1 fastest growing Airsoft retailer in the U.S. Airsoft Megastore offers a full selection of gas and electric Airsoft guns including airsoft sniper rifles and spring airsoft shotguns.

Labels: airsoft sniper rifles, airsoft sniper tips, airsoft snipers