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The Spring's Panthers Paintball Team
We updated our page! We now have a list of paintball fields in Colorado, two articles about snipers by our two experts Jordan Corbett and Logan Lacey, We are also providing a newbie page for all those new players just follow our newbie link to Panther Mans Tips!
Panther Paintball wants to send out some shouts to our sponsors at G3 paintball for providing us with our rifles and to our future member, Logan Lacey.
Evading Enemy Snipers
By: Logan “Newbie” Lacey
Usually on enemy team there will be an enemy sniper. These are the people that you have to look out for. An enemy can be just as or more deadly than you. Most snipers are either very experienced or are newbie’s not in between so be on the look out. Some tips for evading snipers are this:
1) Look for hiding spots. An enemy is liable to be in one of the blinds.
2) Wait for a slip. Every one will make a mistake (a snapped twig rustling noises).
3) Don’t hesitate. One second while you and an opponent see each other can bring victory, or death.
4) If you’re playing a tourney capture the flag a sniper is usually in sight if both teams flags so keep that in mind.
And REMEMBER “Don’t think shoot.”
The Art Of A Sniper
By:Jordan "Snipes" Corbett
In the age of rapid-fire, semi-auto and full auto paintball guns, the role of the sniper is not what it used to be in paintball. But knowing the limitations of this style of play can turn it into a great and rewarding experience.
First, sniping is a recreational hobby. Tournament paintball is power paintball. Field control and fast action are the order of the day. Even most recreational fields don't have the space needed to let a sniper do his work. So pick your events carefully when deciding for a day of one-shot kills. Choose games in "big game" format, or ones with large fields and long time limits to give you a chance to set up and play.
The two factors that most affect a sniper are visibility and patience. Accuracy is a factor, but we'll get to that a little later.
To effectively pull off a good snipe, you must be invisible. This means taking a good look at your gear and covering everything in camo or "low observable" material. Your gun, mask, bottles, shoes, etc. all must be examined. Black is also not always a good choice, as it tends to "blob up" to the human eye at a distance and very few things in nature are black anyway. Use light colors that closely match your surroundings, like grays and tans, when you can't find gear camouflaged the way you want it. Hunting sections of sporting goods stores are great for all kinds of cammo gear, so look around and you may be surprised. A great product (seen in the photo) is Skinz one-way lens covers. These allow vision and remove that tell-tale goggle signature!
In looking at your gear, figure what you really need and chuck the rest. The less of you there is to hide, and the less man-made, regular shapes you have on you, the easier it will be to hide. Because you will only firing a few shots (hopefully) you can dispense with bulky air and paint hauling systems. Load what you need in the loader, take maybe one spare loader, and as small a tank as you dare. Look at breaking up your outline as much as possible, which is the basic principle that camouflage works on anyway. Loose clothing, small scraps of cloth or the branches and leaves near the area you plan to wait in all help you blend in. Investment in a piece of camouflage netting or ghillie suit may be cool, but check with the field operator for rules on this. Ghille suits can cover some marks from paintballs, but in a honest and fun game, not a tourney, they shouldn't have any reason to object.
Patience is the other main factor of a sniper. You have to be willing to wait for most of game for a prime shot. You have to allow groups too large and too close to get to the right ambush zones. You have to be willing to wait for just the right moment. If you can settle for this, you can pull off some sweet shots and have stories unlike the rest of the crowd to tell. Planning your spot and knowing the field are good here too. Where do players commonly congregate? Where are the big fire fights at? Choose locations you know well and where you are likely to get action without being caught up in the general melee.
Accuracy of your gun or your own shooting are other important factors in sniping, but not as controllable as one might think. First, we are not talking about custom made, hyper-accurate 7mm bullets here. Paintballs range from around .685 to nearly .695 caliber, and are not perfect, even with today's high standards. Also, the round shape of a paintball is not the best choice for a projectile. But barring a change in ammunition (this has been tried and I have some personal views on making a true paintball sniper's gun, but we will get into that at another date....) you have little choice in the matter. Choose a paint you like, and use it. Dark color shells can help a lot here. I don't like them for high-volume games, because they are hard to see outgoing from your gun, but they are just as hard to see incoming too, so this may be one more little advantage you need. Read your targets for reaction to trace your paint.
What does matter is this: Get used to your equipment. Know how it shoots at X range, and at Y range. Find spots on familiar fields that you know you can hit. Practice, practice practice. A few rounds in a safe shooting area and a reliably accurate gun can accomplish a lot more than expensive barrels, sights, and all the other trash you see claiming to improve you accuracy. Get a barrel you like, a sighting system you like and stick with it.
I have never had any luck with telescopics, as the ranges and high drop off of paintballs are not well suited to small aperture sights. A pair of binoculars may help out, but make sure you can use them with your goggles on. Red dot or other sights make good at up to say 20 meters, but are hard to judge beyond that. I am experimenting more with them now. A really good, long shot method of targeting is something to think about, and if you have ideas, please email me. I am trying out ideas with bow sights, since arrows seem to have similar speed and drop off rates, but no luck in adapting one to paintball yet.
A good investment, if legal where you are, is a silencer. If not a silencer, then opt for as quiet a gun or barrel as you can. I prefer Armson stealth or SmartParts standards here. Very quiet barrels. Noise is very important, as is learning to be still and wait. Sounds carry, and padding or quieting your equipment is an important consideration ,too. Also, remember the human eye is very sensitive to motion; the more you move, the easier you are to see. (also works against a Tyranosaurus Rex, see Jurrasic Park for details.)
As for a gun, the choice is yours. I recommend a really good pump, but these can be hard to find these days. (I'm in the market for a good SniperII, Phantom CA or Sterling if anyone knows where to acquire one at a reasonable price.) Minimize the size of the gun as best you can. Go for a small ,quiet old 45-90 round Viewloader or even a pipe loader. These are quiet and have plenty of capacity for your needs. Cover bulk loaders in quieting Neoprene or experiment with inner-lined loaders. Small = good here, folks. Rely on your patience and skill to keep you out of the heavy ,and expensive, fire fights.
If you use a semi, you must be disciplined enough not to use that firepower until the crap hits the fan and you are found. Finding the source of one discreet, long distance shot is very difficult on a good field, and a well hidden sniper with patience should know this. You missed? Observe. Did they notice where the shot came from? Are they alerted at all? How and where are they looking? If the situation merits, you can turn a snipe into a nasty ambush with a good, accurate semi. But your patience must be king here.
Overall, remember to choose your fights, come prepared to wait, and watch for those loud mouthed players you've been waiting to give a taste of paint. Have fun, be safe, and remember:
One shot, one kill.
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