SPRING 2013
Paintball Sniper
What came to your mind the last time you heard someone use the term Paintball Sniper ?
For most paintballers the answer is either visualizing a player decked out in a full guillie suit with a 21 ” barrel camping in one location waiting for someone to walk past , or nothing because you don ’ t think there can be snipers in our sport .
The technology in our industry continues to evolve and it is now possible to have an experienced player become a trained paintball sniper . Markers are becoming extremely consistent and new options of ammunition are more accurate than your standard . 68 caliber paintball . For instance , First Strike Rounds ( FSRs ) coupled with a consistent marker have been proven to be able to mark targets at a further range and have the ability to actually use a scope properly . Recently , David Williams paired with a Carmatech Engineering SAR-12 , Mil Dot Sight , Hammerhead barrel , and FSRs was able to mark a torso sized target at 280 feet consecutively five times . That is almost the length of an American football field !
The next time you hear the term Paintball Sniper do not remain in denial , because you may just end up with a FSR to your face .
Matt “ ColMustard ” Leonard Shadow Dragon Initiative Valken Corps – Southeast USA
SPRING 2013
Having extra reach on the field is only one aspect of being a paintball sniper . While guillie suits are not required by the role , the player does need to be able to move discreetly on the field . A skilled paintball sniper should be able to evade detection by slow , steady movement placing natural terrain and bunkers between themselves and their target . Successful snipers stalk their prey , rather than camping in one position on the field .
To assist in avoiding detection , a paintball sniper will only take single shots at a time . This is coupled with the fact that their markers usually have a lower decibel muzzle announcement than standard markers when fired . Paintball snipers can often times get numerous eliminations with a limited amount of ammunition .
Anyone that has played with or against me knows that I am far from fitting into the category that I have described here . I do however have numerous friends that fit into this category and respect them for the skill that it takes to be successful as a sniper in our sport .
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