Don’t Be A Movie Sniper

In movies we are taught to believe that to be a sniper you must have a super long gun, the coolest outfit, and the biggest scope.  We are taught that to be a sniper we have to hide by ourselves on the tops of buildings taking ridiculously long shots at almost invisible enemies.  If you expect to be this type of sniper in airsoft you are in for a big surprise.

In airsoft there are two types of snipers.  Some try to be like the one above.  They may make a few kills and scare the tar out of the other team; but eventually they run up against a few levelheaded guys with automatics that put them back in their place.

The other type of sniper is the one that teams up with an observer, knows his mission, and executes it well.  That is the type of sniper we will be talking about here.  This is the best way to be an airsoft sniper.

Get an observer
An observer is the sniper’s battle buddy.  He adds an extra pair of eyes and ears.  He carries an automatic to offset the sniper’s powerful, but low rate of fire, rifle.  Having an observer along allows the sniper/observer team to use better tactics.  A good observer allows the sniper to do his mission better.  So what is the snipers mission?

The Sniper’s Mission
The mission of a sniper is to engage important targets and to observe and provide recon of the battlefield.  The sniper’s main targets are other snipers, enemy commanders, and important areas of enemy activity.  The sniper team can deny large areas to enemy forces and confuse them.  The sniper team should observe the battlefield and give important information to the team commander.

Execution of Sniper Missions
The sniper team has to execute its mission effectively all the time due to the nature of its missions and the small size of its group.  Several tactics come in handy to the sniper team.  Stealth is one of the most important tactics for a sniper team to use.  If the sniper team is discovered before it can complete its mission it may ruin the whole team operation.   Ambushes can be effective for the sniper team because the element of surprise can make up for their lack of manpower.

A good sniper team can be an important and effective part of an airsoft team if they know what to do and how to do it.  Be sure that you and anyone on a sniper team understand their purpose and can do their job.  Otherwise all you have is an ineffective and potentially team endangering movie-class sniper.