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PICKING A RIFLE
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Written by: Ryan Kemper
First thing's first - your rifle. Although choosing a quality rifle is important, it doesn't necessarily make or break a sniper. There are many factors that determine the success of a sniper, the rifle is just one of them. This is the reason so many people on airsoft forums hate to hear "which gun should I buy?" from people just getting into airsoft. The fact is that no one can decide that but you. You know your skills, weaknesses, and the amount of money you're able and willing to spend. All I can do, and anyone else can do, is give you pointers on where to look and what to look for. I do, however, recommend you read these things before you decide which gun to purchase:
1- Buy from a credible source. If you're going to purchase online, Airsoft Extreme is one example of a credible source. Ebay, however, may or may not be a wise choice in places to buy from. Too often people are fooled in to buying cheap imitation (clone) guns that are manufactured very poorly but the pictures of the gun are made to project the gun as something it is not. Throw in a cleverly written explanation of the gun and you have yourself a rip-off! I'm not saying don't buy from Ebay, I'm just saying be careful of which gun you choose, and ask plenty of questions!
2- Pick a gun that you've either used before or a friend has used before. If nothing else, search around on the internet for user reviews of the specific gun you're interested in. Make sure your final opinion of the gun is based on several different reviews on different sites - don't let just one or two make up your mind. And never, EVER impulse buy!
3- Pay at least $100 for a sniper rifle. I know I said earlier that how much money you spend on a gun doesn't make a sniper, but you have to draw the line somewhere. A cheap plastic gun won't last long and won't give you a consistent shot! $100 is the VERY least you should spend on a brand-new gun. Many people will spend several hundred dollars on the rifle and its upgrades.
4- Go for consistency and accuracy over barrel speed (for example 500fps). Make sure the shots are hitting within near vicinities each and every shot. Every shot counts in sniping so it's vital to know where your bb is going before the shot is made.
5- Read the following article. I wrote it a while back on our partner forum and I thought it was still applicable here. Take the time to read it carefully.
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Welcome to www.theairsoftsniper.com!
Written by Ryan Kemper
Answer to question "Which sniper rifle should I buy?'
This is an extremely popular question, and one that gets answered often, especially on airsoft forums.
1st - A good FPS for a sniper rifle is anywhere between 450-600 FPS, depending on your environment and field rules. Do not be confused by guns online that offer an $80 gun that's firing 500 FPS. FPS means nothing if your gun is crap and fires inaccurately. Besides, they're typically chronoed with .12g - .20g BBs. You should be using .25g to .30g+ BBs during skirmishes.
2nd - Here are some good choices of airsoft sniper rifles, from cheapest to most expensive. Please do not ask "Which one is better?" It all depends on you, your environment, your gear, your spending allowance, etc. etc. Obviously a Maruzen L96 will be better built than an UTG L96. However, maybe you don't have the $$ to spend on the gun and the needed upgrades. It all depends on YOU. I will say this though, for someone looking to get into sniping on a budget - the JG Bar-10 is a great rifle. I, along with most members on this forum, will always recommend this gun first (and it's only $100):
JG Bar-10: 4.4/5 overall rating
This gun is amazing, especially for it's $100 price tag. It looks and feels great, and gives you great performance out of box. One of the famous attributes of this gun is it's ability to be easily upgraded. It can be made into a rifle firing 500 +/- with only a few "tweaks" to the internals which can be done 100% FREE (except maybe for a tightbore barrel) - in fact, we even have a guide w/pictures on how to do this yourself.
UTG/WELL L96: 4.0/5 overall rating
This is a very popular gun among airsofters because it offers all the specs and looks they desire, but still comes with a fairly low price tag of around $120-$130. The WELL version even comes with a scope. This gun is very impressive for its price, and can take some serious abuse w/its durable ABS plastic body and metal scope rail, outer barrel, trigger, bolt, etc. It has somewhat of a heavy pull to the bolt, but it makes up for it with a 435 average FPS (.25g). Upgrades can get costly, but if you're on a budget and looking for a good looking gun that you don't plan on putting a lot of upgrades into, then this gun will suit your needs just fine.
Tokyo Marui VSR 10: 4.2/5 overall rating
Tokyo Marui is one of the most advanced airsoft manufacturers out there, and therefore one of the most well-known as well. They pretty much set the standard for all guns, every model available. The VSR 10 is a great rifle made by TM. It feels great, shoots great, pretty much gives you everything you'd expect from a Tokyo Marui replica... including low FPS. Firing at a stock FPS of around 285, we're not talking great specs here. However, throw in a few upgrades and you have yourself a top-of-the-line sniper rifle. And because the rifle is fairly cheap (around $185), you won't have to completely break the bank throwing upgrades into it. You'll still be able to use it un-upgraded, but I honestly wouldn't recommend going like that for long. Then again, I'd recommend getting the JG bar-10 (G Spec) for $85 less and throwing the extra $$ into that - but that's my opinion. Smile
KJW M700: 4.1/5 overall rating
The KJW M700 is a clone of the impressive Tanaka M700 sniper rifle. It's different than standard sniper rifles you're used to seeing because it runs on gas as opposed to bolt spring/batteries. Because it's gas-powered it requires little bolt-pull and comes standard with a high stock FPS (around 500-550). I've yet to fire this gun myself, but based on reviews I've read it's very impressive and highly-underrated. I hear it's fairly accurate, although it could use a tightbore barrel, and it can be adjusted to shoot between 375 FPS all the way to 610+ FPS depending on your manual adjustments and type of Gas you use. One negative aspect to take note of is its small mag capacity of only 10 rounds. Also, gas guns are known to not work that well in very cold conditions.
Tokyo Marui M24: 4.3/5 overall rating
The TM M24 is another impressive rifle that seems to be much like the VSR 10. It has the low FPS, but everything else is above par for airsoft sniper rifles. It looks and feels great, and you'll think you're holding a real steel rifle. You'll still most likely need the upgrades in this gun to reach satisfactory range and speed.
Link: (CA Version)
Maruzen Type 96: 4.6/5 overall rating
I thought I'd go ahead and throw out one of my favorite, more expensive rifles - the Maruzen type 96. It has a great physical feel to it and will impress anyone and everyone who lays their eyes upon it Smile It's well balanced and has strong enough internals to simply throw in a stronger spring for higher FPS (as PrecisionAirsoft states in the link below), which means you're ready to go for fairly cheap upgrades! It's of course going to cost a little more ($400), but it's well worth it if you have the money.
Tanaka Type 96: 4.7/5 overall rating
This gun looks much like other type 96 rifles, but unlike most it's powered by Gas as opposed to the standard spring models. This can be good or bad depending on your preferences. I personally wouldn't mind having the gas version. It allows for a higher FPS w/fewer modifications and has several other benefits. The spring versions have their benefits too though which is why I stated it depends on your preferences. This gun is heavy, as are most type 96s, but still offers the great balance that most Type 96s have as well.
Hope that helps! There are obviously other manufacturers and models to choose from, these are just a few I chose to mention. Just try to stick to popular manufacturers and if you feel a specific model/make needs to be included in this guide please message me.
READ THIS AS WELL:
A lot of airsofters start off wanting to get into sniping because they remember back to watching movies like Shooter and Sniper and see it as this exciting role where they're making amazing long-distanced shots on "high-level" targets (presidents, VIPs, etc.). This just simply isn't the case. Most often they will be in the action, but not nearly as much as an AEG carrier. A Sniper's main goal will typically be to give recon to its team, provide support when needed, and harass troops. Sure it can be an adrenaline rush and it's a lot of fun, but it also takes patience, a clear mind, maturity, and skill in many different areas. That's why I recommend to most newer players that you start off with an AEG. They're still a blast to play with, they give you a better idea of how airsoft works, and they still have incredible ranges.
For those who are still going to purchase an airsoft sniper rifle, please - by all means - spend at least $100 on a gun. And the only reason I keep it that low is because of the JG Bar-10. (It really is an incredible rifle) Other than that, don't go out and throw down $70-$120 on a mid to low grade gun that looks great in the pictures and supposedly shoots a whopping 500 FPS (with .12g bbs). It's a waste of your time and money. If you don't have the patience to wait to save enough money to buy a decent gun, then I'd say you don't have the patience enough to be a decent sniper.
Another thing, and now I'm just venting - don't get on forums or go to events and brag about how great of a sniper you are, about how amazing of shots you've made, or about how great your gun is. You will only be laughed at, looked down upon and labeled immature, and you won't give a good name to snipers. If you make a great shot then awesome - isn't your internal pride of knowing it good enough? You can brag about it to one or two of your friends who may be playing with you, but don't start sharing it with everyone you cross ways with. If you come off as being cocky and arrogant, you come off as being weak and easy to manipulate. This is not the way of the sniper.
So purchase a nice rifle, take care of the upgrades, keep your gun well maintained, and have fun!! Just remember every single person out there on the field has a specific and important role - no one is superior to another. So show respect to everyone equally.
Thank you.
