Simply Airsoft Guns

Picture a sniper and you’ll see ghillie suits and bolt action rifles – but how effective are snipers in airsoft?

The airsoft sniper

I’ve been an airsoft sniper for many years and began my sniping career using an H&K SG-1 with a magnified scope. Although it wasn’t a bolt action and the barrel length wasn’t the longest of the airsoft sniper rifles, it was a very effective marksman rifle and could pull off some fantastic shots.

After a couple of years I changed to an electric H&K PSG-1 – a long barrelled semi automatic sniper rifle, which was great on paper but was so long and creaky it was actually too unwieldy on the field.

I settled with a UTG L96, and have had great success with it.

Concealment

I wear a ghillie suit when sniping, allowing me to conceal myself and pick off targets without giving away my position. The ghillie suit is also particularly effective when scouting, allowing me to move quietly around enemy positions for recon and flanking manoeuvres.

Airsoft sniper effectiveness

In my opinion, recent rule changes of minimum engagement distances and low feet-per-second (fps) limits for airsoft sniper rifles limited the advantage of an airsoft sniper against players with ordinary airsoft guns.

With those rules in place, standard airsoft electric guns with scopes tend can still engage at extreme distances and allow players to lay down heavy fire on a sniper if their position is compromised.

New airsoft bb guns such as the A&K SR25 or the JG Dragunov also allow you to shoot targets at long range while still offering fully automatic or semi automatic options. Some people even snipe with gas MK23 S.O.C.O.M airsoft guns with extended barrels, engaging players at extreme ranges without having to carry a large airsoft sniper rifle.

The verdict

Everyone will have their opinion on what sniping is and how it can be applied on the airsoft field. Personally, I feel a true sniper should have a ghillie suit and a bolt action rifle, and there’s nothing more fun than waiting patiently in a concealed position for that one player to come right into the middle of your crosshair – One shot. One kill!

Article written by Phantom of the UK based Defenders of the Earth airsoft team.