FEATURE
Another difference between the two
worlds is probably the most obvious
one: the weapons, and the ability of
these weapons. An airsoft sniper will
spend hundreds of pounds upgrading
their rifle so at a push they may
accurately engage a man-size target
out to around 100m. A real sniper
would be actively looking to engage
targets anywhere from 400m – and the
longest recorded shot ever, which was
made by a British sniper, is 2,475m.
Now I know these differences are
very obvious – no one’s expecting you
to use a spring-powered airsoft rifle
to take out a target at 2,000m. But
although the differences in ranges are
massive, the tactics and equipment
employed to get into a firing position,
whether airsoft or real, should be the
same. Slow and methodical, allowing
you to approach your target without
being seen, heard, or generally letting
the enemy know that you are even
there, till you decide to reveal your
position by taking your shot.
I have seen many would-be airsoft
snipers let down by their equipment.
By this I mean the type of webbing
they are wearing, their ghille suits, their
boots and even their basic camouflage
and concealment. I could write an
entire book on just these four points,
but I will restrain myself and briefly
explain a few of them.
A sniper spends most of his life
on his belt buckle, so things like plate
carriers and any type of webbing or
vest that has pouches mounted on the
chest are a massive no. Ghille suits
are personal to the individual and time
should be taken to build one yourself.
Here’s a little tip for you: there is
nothing in nature that is pure black –
meaning if you wear black leather boots
they need to be painted, paying special
attention to the sole. When lying prone
it’s not so clever to be all ghilled-up if
somebody’s standing behind you, the
big black sole of your boot staring back
at them. As for basic cam and con,
use camouflage paint on hands, face,
ears (inside and out), back of the neck
and anywhere else that skin may be
exposed when stalking a target.
This article is a very brief insight to
a snipers’ world. I have done this job
for real and understand that, although
there is a crossover, sometimes these
two worlds are very far apart. But
despite all this I enjoyed my job and
was good at it. If you believe this is a
role for you then take some time, do
some research and speak to people.
You will be amazed at what you can
learn and achieve as a sniper with a
few simple questions.
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
017