How to be a sniper

[Dowly]

Ok, I've "sniped" since Delta Force and I still see the same mistakes made.
1. If you get sniped, NEVER go to the same area, hoping to get revenge. You just get sniped again.
2. Never EVER use the obvious spots. Towers, tops of the hills, etc. the first thing any competent sniper checks.
3. What you want to do? Get kills but die, or get kills and dont die. That's the difference between medium range and long range snipers.
Med.Range are those who are near the combat, maybe get a kill or two and die.
Long range snipers are those who kill a sniper or two from the enemy side, but never die.

Add your tips! :yep:

Edited to add: What not to do and do when under Sniper fire:
1. Dont run from cover to cover, he sees you, he waits you to poke your head up from behind the new cover.
2. If you get shot, leave the area. Sprint out, then walk, remember, human eye catches motion. The sniper is looking for you.

[Aktungbby]

Never RUN you'll just die tired!:dead:

[Oberon]

Don't get confused between cover and concealment.

If you can see the enemy, he can see you.

Sniping a buttoned up tank doesn't work.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Don't let the calls of 'camper' from the dead and dying get you down.

[reignofdeath]

Move after each shot, seriously. Especially in games like battlefield where if it isnt set to show the player who killed you, it will pan over that direction. But seriously, the tips you wrote down are pretty much spot on.

That and knowing the difference of when to wait for the perfect shot and when to squeeze off the shot because you are losing your opportunity fast.

Also survey the area you are going to be sniping, and if bullet travel is a thing, take shots at static objects to get an idea of how long it will take for your rounds to travel that distance. Helps with leads if you need to.

[Red October1984]

Move after each shot, seriously. Especially in games like battlefield where if it isnt set to show the player who killed you, it will pan over that direction. But seriously, the tips you wrote down are pretty much spot on.

That and knowing the difference of when to wait for the perfect shot and when to squeeze off the shot because you are losing your opportunity fast.

Also survey the area you are going to be sniping, and if bullet travel is a thing, take shots at static objects to get an idea of how long it will take for your rounds to travel that distance. Helps with leads if you need to.

Somebody has definitely played a round of Battlefield.

I don't play many things online....but for a while when we got our new(er) ISP, I played a lot of Battlefield 3.

Just some things I picked up from there...

Moving=Important. If you're in a game with a bunch of sore losers, smartasses, etc. They'll come after you with all the firepower they can if you don't move. There's a map in Battlefield 3...Kharg Island....it's got an abundance of hiding spots in the mountains.

http://www.gpforums.co.nz/attachment.php?attachmentid=183268&stc=1&d=1319935193

On the left side, near the boundary in that empty space, is a long ridgeline with ditches running perpendicular to the ridgetop. Usually I get in a small buggy (USMC) or an F-18 (for an improvised HALO jump), and I drop in there and pick a ditch. It gives you a huge view of the entire combat zone. For a while there, I got dang good as a Marine sniper. I'd get 4-6 kills in a game and maybe die once or twice....but even in one of the biggest maps with a lot of brush and concealment...they will find you....and they will kill you. I shot a guy at something like 593 Meters (remembered because it was my longest shot for a while, eventually broke it) and he came back with a T-90. He just started pumping rounds in my direction until he found me.

There's one other map that has a similar possible setup. Operation Firestorm. You can hide out on a mountain, along a ridge and there are even some buildings (but I'd be careful...T-90s and stuff)

Urban sniping hasn't lasted long for me because there's always some guy with a rocket who figures out where you are and blows a hole in the building.

Something I found invaluable is being able to eyeball distances based on your mil-dots/dashes in your scope. That saved me from wasting ammo and possibly giving away my position to dial in my shots. I always hated playing as the Russians because their starting sniper rifle didn't have Mil-dots/dashes.

So...basically this...


Movement
Accuracy
Proper concealment
Common Sense


I say common sense because as Dowly said....there are many obvious spots. And the obvious spots will kill you. The small pile of rubble has done better than the water tower.

[Jimbuna]

Never fire more than once from any position.

Don't be greedy, patience is a virtue.

Don't get over confident, your opponent is probably as skilled as you are.

[Nippelspanner]

Ok, I've "sniped" since Delta Force...
Ha, brofist! :D
I ceased trying to educate people on this subject though.
Only time it did work out was during my ArmA-time where I was running 1-week sniper courses that covered... pretty much everything necessary/useful in correlation to ArmA.
In all other games, non of the real stuff really applies besides the common-sense basics (which are being ignored anyways as you pointed out).

In the end, be glad when they do the same mistakes over and over again... more kills for you! :03:

[Gargamel]

Don't let the calls of 'camper' from the dead and dying get you down.

This.

Fixed, defendable positions, be it a chokepoint, bunker, or sniper's nest, are an essential element of warfare. If the territory you can cover from these positions holds an advantage for you or your team, do it.

[Dowly]

I'm quite surprised how little whining there is about sniping or generally defending an area in Battlefield 4. So kudos for that to the community. :yep:

EDIT: Example of a great defensive position is in BF4's Zavod 311/331 (whichever). Is it US' first flag, with the tower, F? Anyways, in that map,
both sides do lots of helidrops on each other's first flag (F and A). Usually the attackers on F go to the tower and either look through the windows
or go all the way to the top. Unfortunately for them, the tower is visible from the US spawn and the small buildings at spawn are good places to
sit in and wait for any attacker to raise his head enough to get shot through the window.

Flag A is very similar, just no tower. I always get a medium range scope (x4) and sit near the Russian spawn that has great visibility towards A.
Last night, joining midgame, I ended up with 19/3 stats simply defending A as a short/medium range sniper.


I have to disagree about relocating after every shot. Of course, there are situations where that is necessary, if for example the game has a killcam.
Doing so unnecessarely heightens the risk of being visually spotted.

[Red October1984]

I have to disagree about relocating after every shot. Of course, there are situations where that is necessary, if for example the game has a killcam.
Doing so unnecessarely heightens the risk of being visually spotted.

I'll go back on what I said and revise it to this: Read the situation. Move if it's necessary.

Killcams make me angry. If you got shot, you got shot fair and square. It doesn't matter exactly how.

Yes, it increases risk of being spotted....but in smaller games with not as many players, you can only shoot at so many people before they all figure out there's a sniper and come after you.

I don't usually move after EVERY shot...but after 7-10 shots I'll move over the next ridge or something. Far enough to be hidden but close enough to have the same view of the combat area.

[Penguin]

If you happen to find yourself in some early/mid 20th century conflict, don't forget that many modern sniper weapons derive from anti-tank rifles...

[Aktungbby]

INDEED! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_anti-tank_rifle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_anti-tank_rifle) "used by the US Marine Corps in early 1942 on the Philippines against dug in infantry positions; it was also used by Marine Raiders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Raiders) During the Korean War, The Marine Corps borrowed some Boys rifles from Canadian troops, strengthened the action and mounted them with scopes. They were used as long-range sniper rifles on an experimental basis, firing double charged .50 BMG ammunition. These rifles had a range of over 2000 yards." I recall from my years of reading (WWII Magazine?:hmmm:) that the Boys Rifle(occasionally misspelled Boyce) was equipped in the Bay of Bengal with 1/2 of a naval binocular to facilitate inter-island sniping against Japanese fishing at a safe distance on neighboring islands but cannot find the old magazine. This was my first intro to the Boys Rifle so I'm pretty sure of the fact. YIPES what A monster...caused considerable back/ shoulder & neck injury to fire too! Can't imagine the target's ergonomics:dead:Must a been a winner: Swedes on skis don't mess around...I'm part Norwegian-trust me.:doh: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Swedish_Winter_War_volunteers.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Boys_Mk_I_AT_Rifle.jpg

[Arclight]

Don't miss.

Better to wait for a good shot than start blasting when you spot someone. A missed shot means an alerted enemy, and he's not likely to present you a good shot at that point.

Also, engage targets who are already engaged. People getting shot at tend not to think about the possible sniper on their flank.

Of course that last one doesn't really apply to videogames were everyone is running around like a moron rather than taking cover when engaged, but there you go.

[Platapus]

A lot of the tips for being a successful submarine captain apply too.

But then a submarine is just an underwater sniper. :up:

[Stealhead]

I wish there was a game that really simulated sniping. Thus far there inst one in my opinion most shooters and such tend to feel more like a desgintaed marksman and not so much a sniper.

An example a USMC sniper and spotter spent nearly 72 hours in a hide during this time they achivedvmany kills the longest ranged was over 800m. Firearm used was an M40. Sniper reported that after the battle he could still see the cross hairs when he closed his eyes such was the amount of time he spent in position ready to fire.

Come think of it I highly doubt most people would have the patience for a highly realistic sniper sim. The attention to detail that real world sniping requires is just mind bogeling.

Another story this one USMC sniper in Beruit 1983. An enemy sniper had been harassing the post for some time finally permission was given to counter snipe him. Well he was very clever what he did was hide in an apartment block at various windows the only time he'd fire was when they ladies removed their hanging laundry thus hoping that these places hidden from view due to clothes hanging where not hides when really they where.
So this time again USMC sniper observed the ruse next he observed the hide change pattern at the correct time the shot was sent just as the lady removed the wash that was dry the fire harassing the Marines ceased.

[NeonSamurai]

Another tip, avoid positions that silhouette you. If it's a realistic game, learn how to use the sights correctly (ranging, compensating for wind and drop, etc). Also pick a spot where people cant easily come up behind you, or work as real world snipers do, with a spotter.

I'm another Delta Force sniper (DF1 and on).

[Stealhead]

I'd say as well with more realistic ballistics games you'll want to also be skilled at snap shots as well as the two forms of leading a moving target. The following lead where you move your sights/firearm on your hold and lead point and what I call the held lead where the firearm/sights is moved only once or twice on the estimated hit point where the target will be (in other words not constantly following but adjusted only once or twice then held and fired at the correct estimated point).

Personally I prefer to pick the most easy stationary target followed by a target moving directly towards or away from me followed by a target moving diagonally last would a target moving directly laterally as they are the hardest lead. A zigzagger to me is usually easier as his movement extends his exposure time vs had he just run in a straight line. Also zigzagging or serpintine is well predictable cause he's likely going to zagg and in at the same times. As I said exposure time the longer one is exposed the more likely a chunk of lead will blow his zigzagging brains out.

[Penguin]

Also zigzagging or serpintine is well predictable cause he's likely going to zagg and in at the same times. As I said exposure time the longer one is exposed the more likely a chunk of lead will blow his zigzagging brains out.

This reminds me of this scene from Generation Kill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdaQHTWT_ZI - if he died it would have been Peter Falk's fault. :)

[Stealhead]

Yes that had entered my mind as well. I recall reading in the book the author did it and the Marines where perplexed as they simply ran directly and quickly to the nearest cover.

I recall sometime ago two men where shooting people around the DC area. Some cop advised to walk in a serpentine pattern. My thought process is that there is a golden BB for each of us so don't over think things cause it might kill you such a walking pattern surely raises the odds of tripping and breaking your neck and thus saving the sniper the effort.

Its like the what would last meal be question people ask. I always say whatever it is I happen to eat before I die.

[NeonSamurai]

Zigzagging is pretty easy to nail if they are heading at all away or towards you. Since you can't exactly instantly reverse your momentum, there will be a lag point where the person is stopped on one plane of movement, which simplifies the equation. People also tend to naturally follow patterns.

The hardest shot is someone that is running on uneven ground between points of cover, while randomly alternating between running and sprinting.