What is an airsoft sniper rifle?

Airsoft snipers rifles are highly realistic replicas of real sniper rifles. Airsoft sniper rifles shoot 6mm plastic BBs and are designed for military simulation and survival games where players shoot at each other. They come in various models that replicate real sniper rifle models like Remington M700, M82 Barrett, L96, Dragunov, Silverback SRS, and many others. Airsoft sniper rifles can be powered by electric, gas, co2, spring-powered, or HPA.

Depending on the environment where you mostly play, different types of airsoft sniper rifles may be suited for you. Gas and co2 airsoft sniper rifles have the highest power potential and offer the most convenience, but if you often play in cold climates, then gas will not perform very well and you may experience significant power drops during rapid consecutive shots. In this case, you are better off considering an electric airsoft sniper rifle or a spring-powered airsoft sniper rifle. Electric airsoft sniper rifles are essentially spring-powered airsoft rifles but instead of the player manually cocking the rifle for each shot, an electric motor and gearbox does the cocking automatically. Pure spring-powered airsoft rifles often come in the form of bolt action airsoft sniper rifles, which are the most accurate due to fewer moving parts and higher build tolerances. The Youtuber Novritsch is probably the most well known airsoft player who has popularized airsoft sniping with his bolt action airsoft sniper rifle, and later his own release of the Novritsch SSG24 airsoft sniper rifle.

How much does a good airsoft sniper cost?

A good sniper rifle can cost anywhere between USD 200 to USD 500 depending on your requirement. A good USD 200 sniper rifle can deliver basic performance for beginners, but to really offer superior accuracy and range that can outshoot regular airsoft assault rifles and airsoft pistols, you should consider the mid-range airsoft sniper rifles from the likes of Silverback Airsoft. You can also consider first getting a Tokyo Marui VSR 10 sniper rifle which is an excellent platform to upgrade from, although the cost of upgrading to reach the performance levels of a mid-range sniper rifle may be about the same as buying a USD 500 Silverback SRS rifle. If you want something that delivers good entry level performance and looks great without breaking the bank, consider the AMOEBA Striker series of airsoft sniper rifles. On the other hand if you have the money to spend, then there are even more expensive sniper rifles that offer either higher performance, or more realism, such as shell ejecting 50 caliber sniper rifles.

How accurate are airsoft sniper rifles?

Most airsoft sniper rifles will easily hit man sized targets from 100 feet away. Accuracy can vary greatly depending on whether you purchase an entry level or mid-range airsoft sniper rifle. The biggest enemy of accuracy is the wind, as it can blow an airsoft BB off-course when it travels over great distances. A heavier BB will resist the effects of wind more so than lighter BBs. Shooting a 0.4g BB will always create more stability than using a 0.2g BB. But shooting heavier BBs will require a high powered airsoft sniper rifle, and you may need to upgrade your gun to be able to reliably shoot a 0.4g BB over great distances. At the end of the day, accuracy depends on a great number of things that you need to get right, and of course the shooting conditions.

How to perform airsoft sniper upgrade?

Upgrading an airsoft sniper will require sapping out some airsoft sniper internals for better components. The easiest way to upgrade the power and accuracy is to install a better inner barrel. When upgrading the airsoft inner barrel, look for something longer than your original factory barrel, and something that is tighter bore like 6.04mm or 6.01mm. A tighter bore means that there is a smaller gap between your BB and the inner walls of the barrel, creating a tighter seal and therefore higher compression behind the BB as it accelerates inside the barrel. You may also want to consider steel inner barrels that are more rigid, so that they do not wobble or flex from vibration. A barrel that flexes or resonates during shooting will lead to lower accuracy, throwing BBs left and right as it moves around. You should make sure that your inner barrel is properly supported inside the outer barrel, so that it is not moving. One important point that most people miss is that you must use good quality BBs to get good accuracy. Good BBs are well balanced and are perfectly round without irregular pieces of plastic sticking out that can rub against the inside of the inner barrel. Poor quality BBs can get jammed inside very tight bore barrels so make sure to use only high quality BBs after you upgrade your sniper.

Another easy way to enhance accuracy and range is to upgrade the hop-up bucking. Hop-up imparts a backspin on the BB as it travels in the air, helping it to travel further. A good hop-up bucking can also greatly increase accuracy and stabilty of the BB's flight.

Upgrading the power of gas airsoft sniper rifles can also be done by changing out the air nozzles and knocker springs to ensure a larger volume of air is used on each shot. Spring-powered airsoft rifles are the easiest to upgrade by simply upgrading the main spring. Keep in mind though that this would make cocking the sniper rifle much harder since you still need to compress the spring with your hands manually as you pull the bolt back. A stiffer spring may also cause the trigger sear to fail prematurely since it needs to hold back a lot more pressure than it was originally intended to in factory settings. So upgrading the trigger sear may also be required, amongst many other things.

Upgrading an airsoft sniper rifle is a lot of fun, and experimentation is necessary to find exactly the right formula for maximum potential. There is no single formula that works for every airsoft sniper rifle but hopefully the above simple airsoft sniper rifle upgrade guide gives you some idea of where to start.

What accessories to get for my Airsoft Sniper?

An airsoft sniper rifle is meant for long range shooting, and we recommend you install an airsoft sniper scope to help with aiming. A crosshair scope can help with targeting, and an illuminated crosshair scope can make things easier when there is not enough light. A lighted reticule also makes things more comfortable for your eyes. For serious shooters, consider installing a killflash device on the front of your scope so that sunlight doesn't easily reflect off the glass that can give away your position to opponents.

But aiming is only half the equation and you need to hold the sniper in a steady manner as you pull the trigger. An airsoft sniper bipod will help. For serious shooters, don't forget to dress yourself in proper camouflage so you are not easily spotted.

Playing a sniper role can be very gratifying if you get the right equipment and tune your rifle to match your abilities.