Becoming a sniper isn’t easy. You get there by inculcating strong skills and dedication. To be a Paintball sniper, you should know certain reinforcements from the enemy’s end and locate enemies in the land.
Snipers must shoot people over long distances and cover their team against enemy teams. Following up on these quick tips will help you easily get there!
Tips to Become a Paintball Sniper
#1 Use Quality Paintballs
The experts follow this religiously. As a starter to this game, you should always use high or good-quality paintballs. It’s mandatory to use good quality paintballs for high accuracy as there is no place for compromise.
The only thing that differentiates a good sniper from a bad one is dare and courage. The first paintball shot is the hardest yet the luckiest one. Therefore, as a sniper, you should possess courage and a willingness to learn.
Good-quality paintballs increase your chances of hitting enemies. That’s why buying the right paintball is the most daunting yet important step to becoming a pro-sniper paintball shooter! Before buying one, you have to consider certain characteristics, like picking paintballs consistent in shape without brittles and dimples.
The performance of your paintball is highly dependent on the gun. If you use a mag-fed or a spring-fed loader, you will see the effect of humidity on the paintballs.
This is because paintballs are somewhat similar to sponges and have a tendency to absorb moisture in the air, which results in making them soft. Hence, balls with a hard shell are highly preferred.
How well paintball works with the weather, humidity, and most importantly, the gun? Whether the paintball is strong enough to withstand humid weather? Will the paintball get deformed easily? These are some questions you should ask yourself before buying paintballs.
#2 Choose a Good Paintball Gun
Now that you know which type of paintball you should pick, discuss the gun.
Using some high-quality paintballs will certainly not help you in your sniping skills. You need a reliable gun too. A reliable gun saves you from issues like jams during an ongoing match.
You’ll witness many players facing issues with their guns during games and matches. Whenever you play, whoever you play this game with, or you play a dead serious match, you are bound to see players having issues with their guns. It usually happens due to the over-use of these guns, with heavy customizations.
When your gun is jammed, either you have returned to your camp to fix it, or you have to borrow one from one of your teammates. To avoid situations like this, you have to use a reliable gun to perform well throughout the match.
#3 Always Use a High-Quality Barrel
Next up is selecting a barrel.
A barrel is necessary as it helps in increasing your shooting accuracy and controls the gun’s recoil.
Several paintball guns come with a pre-equipped barrel that specifically increases the shooter’s accuracy. Furthermore, in the case of FSR, guns are not rifled and don’t exert rotational force before the paintball leaves the barrel.
#4 Equip the Perfect Scope
The scope is the gateway to perfect sniping skills.
However, there is one bad decision that most players make, that is, they equip a scope with higher magnification and vice-versa. This can cause a bad effect on your shooting skills.
If you use a scope with a 3x magnification level or higher, you’ll have difficulty looking for your target when on the standard range. Also, the same can happen for FSR as well.
For a game like a paintball, it is better to use a scope with a magnification level of 1.5x to 2.5x. These scopes and reflex sights provide you with a wider and greater vision in the field.
Another benefit is you can mark your targets pretty easily. So, in a game like paintball, you cannot have scopes with a higher magnification as this game is fast-paced, and also, using 3x or higher scopes will make it extremely difficult to mark your enemies.
Know your focal length. The focal length is the distance between your eyes to the lens.
If the focal length is too short, your mask will interfere in blocking you from having a proper and standard focal length.
#5 Customize the Optics
Just getting the scopes and equipping it, is not all. You have to adjust the optics according to your needs. The scope’s reflection can only do it at variant ranges and different stances. This will help you determine the engagement range to adjust your aim at different ranges.
For FSR, you have to adjust to the aiming point of your scope to estimate your target’s average range.
Once you have adjusted your scope the right way, you will feel the ease of shooting over distances.
#6 Do Not Shoot by Tilting Your Gun When the Scope with a Scope On
The scope is necessary for shooting over long distances. And here is a thing that you need to avoid, shooting by tilting your gun to the side.
Keep your gun firm while shooting. You cannot afford to let your gun tilt to the side when shooting because there is a high chance for your shots to go berserk.
You may elevate the front end of the gun as much as you want, but never allow your gun to tilt on either side when shooting using a scope.
#7 Hone Your Shooting Skills
Practice is the way to perfection.
The only way you can improve your shooting skills is by practicing it. Do you want to be a good sniper?
A good sniper is defined by his ability to knock his opponents with just one shot irrespective of the range. Reaching this level of mastery takes a lot of practice.
If the others can do it then why can’t you?
It becomes possible with consistency and experience.
You may use paper plates to start with the practice, sticking them to wooden boxes, trees, or anything you like. Make sure you practice shooting on various ranges as well as positions.
This will help you figure out what range, level, and speed will help you make the paintball hit the target.
#8 Discover Your Effective Range
It is quite easy to shoot efficiently at a close range. But when it comes to long ranges, it can be quite challenging.
As a team sniper, you need to figure out the effective range. Knowing how far you can shoot effectively will help you during the game.
However, when it comes to long-range shooting, there are a lot of factors that act as a barrier. Say, if you use a poor quality paintball or consider the weather conditions, it takes multiple trial and error sessions to discover your effective range.
#9 Pick Proper Clothing
Clothing is very important for shooting games like paintball, speedball, etc. Clothing is used for safety and also helps in camouflaging.
Say you are playing in an area that has a woody environment, make sure you pick clothes that can help you blend in and find the perfect place to camouflage.
Camo efficiently helps snipers to blend into the environment. Hence, always match your camo according to the place you plan to hide in.
But, if you are not convinced with camo and wish to distort your outline further, use a ghillie suit.
All you have to do is pick your ghillie suit, lay low on the ground, pick a couple of leaves and add up to the illusion.
#10 Study the Arena
A good sniper knows and studies the key spots of the field very well. These places in the field have multiple benefits such as –
- These places can help you watch the field and track your enemies, and locate position places that will offer prime shooting positions.
- You will be able to track all your enemies irrespective of where they hide
A sniper should always be aware of things going on the field. Without it, you cannot control the game. As a sniper, you will have multiple things to look after, like controlling the crowd and providing back your teammates on their missions.
#11 Stay Cautious and Aware
Most newbies think sniping is all about camping in a cold spot and waiting for targets to arrive. Well, this is incorrect. For a sniper to win paintball, a sniper has to be active and out of sight in this game.
Now, what if a sniper plans to sit at one place and waits for the enemies? This is highly not advisable because remaining fixed at one position allows your enemies to learn your positions. And this increases your chances of being tracked and attacked. So, Don’t let your opponent take the upper hand in the match!
Keep shifting from one position to another, stay out of sight.
You may come across a situation to knock multiple targets at once. It’s upon you to utilize this opportunity. But it’s highly advisable to keep changing your position, and attacking your targets in chronological order.
Agility is very important. They provide two prime benefits –It helps you develop quick strategies to kill your opponents quickly without a second thought. Secondly, your opponents can be easily attacked with proper rapo between you and your teammates.
#12 Hide in Greeneries
A sniper can use the trees, bushes, or even leaves to his advantage in the field. As they’re determined to knock opponents and keep their teammates safe. Use a ghillie, put some more leaves or hide in a bush, and you’ll be untraceable.
If you are a newbie, you may feel afraid to hide in a bush, but do not be afraid. Remember, you are a sniper!
Hiding in a bush is very beneficial as it saves the player from opponent players walking around.
Certainly, these locations can be pretty defensible. Using the stealth illusion, you can remain hidden for a prolonged period, knocking out enemies.
This tactic works even better on distracted opponents. Because distracted enemies are the easiest to target without any consequences. You can defend your team members the best way by targeting less focused and distracted opponents.
#13 Use Natural Blinds to Your Advance
On-field, there are plenty of tactics available to us. Natural blinds like bushes or trees can guard you. You can take shelter in them by making holes and staying within. You can make a hollow space inside the tree trunk and take refuge inside the trunk and locate your opponents.
Isn’t it interesting?
#14 Choose Your Targets Wisely
Let’s say a team has six members, four of them are overly aggressive while the rest are noobs. In such cases, targeting aggressive ones first might increase your chances of winning. The aggressive players generally range from LAW, Generals, or medics.
You’ll acquire this natural skill of targeting and eliminating overtime. Eliminating chosen targets is a knack, which comes with time and consistent playing. However, it ultimately gives you better points and increases your scope of winning.
Also, during a game, there are certain calls you have to make. For example, if you see your opponents pushing your team back, you have to take out their key players and settle the score!
#15 Shooting Speed
Ever wondered with what speed do snipers shoot? Unless engaged in an open fight, these crafted shooters follow a speed of one shot per second.
One-shot per second will serve you multiple benefits such as–
- Lower chances of getting traced
- Conserve your paintballs
- No need for frequent reloads
Remember, the prime objective is to track and knock the opponent’s key players without giving them the idea of your location.
#16 Plan Your Escape Way
There will be situations where you may feel like retreating. In these cases, you need to plan some good escape routes before the game begins. This route will help you quickly retreat with your team and plan for an ambush asap!
#17 Carry a Secondary Weapon
Always carry a secondary weapon with you because you can encounter a firelight anytime. It is better to pull the sidearm than reload your primary gun in a limited setup. And this can be the prime difference that can get you eliminated or the winner.
#18 Train Yourself in Gear Management
Gear management is a very crucial skill to learn. In this game, everything matters, along with shooting skills. You need good reflexes, good shooting skills, agility, physical strength, and keenness while shooting. A sniper has to be very quick with everything he does, be it shooting, reloading, moving, etc.
There will be times where you need to reload your paint and start firing quickly but get stuck and not have sufficient space to move; here’s where your gear plays a role.
Practicing with your gears will help you learn how to pull out magazines and store the empty mags. Also, these practice sessions will help you develop your skills.
#19 Customize Your Gears as Per Your Requirement
In the end, you are the players; you are the only ones who will go there and make a difference. As a sniper, you should check and customize your gears as your equipment carries unnecessary loads, hence only keeping the required things.
The more weight you carry, the slower you’ll become. It may result in fatigue. Hence, only carry the essential gears.
#20 Know Your Purpose
If you are participating in a paintball-themed game or a special gaming event, you should manage between your game and your role without any casualties.
Other event managers can set specific rules for snipers in the game, like predetermined engagement ranges for FSR, or even introduce special rules for players in ghillies.
Above all, your teammates may have their own set of expectations of you, such as covering them up or scouting their way ahead.
It is tough playing as a sniper!
#21 Communication Is the Key
This game is largely based on communication and tactics. Scouting can give you information that you need to pass on to your team. However, this could lead to blowing off your cover, and you can easily get spotted.
The best way to communicate is via radio. The sniper observes and passes the info to his team via radio. This mode of communication is the best, and if followed correctly, you can emerge victoriously.
#22 Act as a Diversion
Various valuable players appeal for a retreat or a diversion to make an opening for the entire team to move without getting spotted. This is the time when you get to use the nerve-wracking factor of your class to prodigious effect.
Changing locations, eliminating one of their players, and other tactics divert the opponents’ attention to you. Once they get diverted, the ball is in your court. Many opponents become afraid of snipers especially when they have already knocked some of them. You can use this chance as snipers are a constant threat! You can easily target the diverted players and shoot them!
#23 Always Keep Backup Guns at the Base
In some games, teams get pulled back to the main base, and the only way to get rid of the enemies is to engage them in an old-fashioned firefight.
Keeping backup guns at the base is very helpful because this game can get drastically unpredictable!
#24 Snipers Get Together!
For a fast-paced game like this, you must communicate, and set tactics by coordinating with the other snipers in the team.
The duo snipers work the best. If two snipers stay together, they cover each other while wiping away the opponents. As a result, they’ll get to cover more ground and maintain pressure on the enemies.
#25 No Reflective Lenses
As a sniper, you are the most important asset of your team. Anything can cause you to lose the game, even carrying reflective surfaces. You would not wish to be traced by the reflection caused by your mask or scope. Yes, reflective gears can cost you your position. Hence use mirrored lenses to avoid reflections and always use a scope diffuser.
A scope diffuser helps hide the scope’s reflection and keeps you hidden when aiming.
#26 Save Time
These games take long hours to finish, so evidently, there will be times when you feel the urge to drink or eat. And eventually, you may have to sacrifice your position and travel back to the base.
To prevent this wastage of time, ask your teammate to carry some beverages and snacks. Or you might carry them as well. This will allow you to stay longer on the field and focus on the game!
Final Thoughts
We understand what it takes to become a world-class sniper through this guide.
It requires skills, unmatched strength, and dedication to be a great paintball sniper, and there is a lot of practice.
Practicing will give you the vision and hone your skills to be a great sniper!
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