Paintball Snipers: Fact and Fiction

There is a long standing Holy War on the subject of snipers and paintball. If you ask 10 players what they think on the subject, you will likely get 11 answers. For what it's worth, this is my take on the subject.

Paintball sniping is a style of play, not a matter of greater range or better accuracy.

It's that simple. For comparison, let's talk about real soldiers for a minute. In real life, a sniper is a trained marksman equipped with a specialty weapon used with a particular set of tactics. Training. Equipment. Tactics. That's what separates snipers from light infantrymen. They are not equipped to do light infantry tasks, and would be at a disadvantage if used as light infantry.

In paintball, there is no such thing as gun that shoots farther than any other. There are differences in gun performance, to be sure. But in absolutely ideal conditions, including a perfectly round ball, perfectly consistent shots at the maximum safe velocity and a barrel that imparted a perfect arc to the ball, all guns would shoot the same distance and hit the same size targets. The key is to get as close to those ideals as you can, given the limits of paintballs and the guns that shoot them.

Even with lots of money and good gun design, building a gun that is measurably more accurate and consistent is difficult. For more information on what makes a paintball gun accurate, read this article.

On a parallel note: this is also why there is not really such thing as a "light rifleman" or "heavy gunner" in paintball either. Each player has about the same amount of paintballs loaded on their gun, and how much extra paint they choose to carry is personal preference. Each player can shoot the same distance. This is NOT the same relationship as a rifleman to a machine gunner in an infantry squad. There is a BIG difference between an M4 rifle and an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon when it comes to firepower and range. A squad leader employs these troops differently because their capabilities are so different. This relationship is not the same in paintball; it's much less pronounced. It's more a matter of play style that might classify you as anything other than just "a player" rather than firepower. Yes, some guns have righer rates of fire. However, the range, accuracy and amount of ammunition available is not that different from player to player.

So what is paintball sniping? It's a style of play that emphasizes stealth and surprise to offset the traditional paintball play style. A player in the role of a sniper attempts to reduce an opponent's Visual Zone to less than his own Engagement Zone. He focuses on surprise and eliminating his targets before they have a chance to react, or better, without them being able to react at all.

You can work on playing sniper-style paintball using the same three areas as a real sniper:

Training

Experience and practice is a major factor in this style of play. Get to know your gear. Know what you can hit at what distance. Practice positioning for shots from varying positions; prone, kneeling, etc. to maximize your opportunity to use terrain. Learn to identify places with clear lanes of fire, good visibility, good cover and concealment and good traffic. Practice moving quietly and away from traffic spots and skirting the edges of a game.

Equipment

Equipment choices are important, too, but despite the HUGE hype campaigns, it is not THE most important. Since you won't have a gun that outranges your opponents, you should focus on gear that helps you reduce your opponent's VZ, and that helps you shoot consistent, accurate shots. Good camouflage and smart play are usually much more valuable than fancy guns and gizmos.

A paintball sniper goes to extreme lengths to make himself hard to see. From camouflaging everything on his person to using proper movement techniques, his whole game is to reduce his opponent's VZ to less than his own EZ. Attention to detail in this will pay off, and requires that you suit your equipment to your environment. There is no "one size fits all" solution for camouflage or equipment choice.

Items like the SpecOps Longbow are designed to compliment this style of play. They have low profiles, less ammo and are ergonomically suited to using sights. These are good, but expensive, additions to this style of play. Usually, any well tuned gun will do, if employed properly. The fine lines of performance lie in the difficult calculus of paintball accuracy.

The Tippmann Flatline is often touted as a "sniper" upgrade. The Flatline does indeed impart more range than a standard barrel. However, this range comes at a cost. First, the curved nature of the barrel makes it very sensitive to being held perpendicular to the ground. If it is held off of alignment when shot, a "hook" effect can make shots less accurate. Second, the rolling action imparted to the paintball to give it backspin prevents many thin-shelled varieties from being used. And finally, the backspin of the ball robs the ball of velocity at long range. In effect, it goes farther, but flies slower at that extended range. This means that achieving a HIT may be possible, but achieving a BREAK is much harder. Considering factor two, (no brittle paint) this magnifies the effect of bounces at range.

Overall, I believe the Flatline makes a good area denial weapon, but a poor choice for a sniper. It causes players at the edge of your EZ to think twice. They have to be aware of the potential "hard spot hit" and will act accordingly. I also think that the Flatline has some unique uses in close terrain where arcing a ball is impractical. This is rare, but possible.

Tactics

Once you have practiced your movement, and selected your gear, you need to employ them correctly. Sniper play is NOT for every game. If the field is small, and players know you are camouflaged to the gills and planning a patient game, you lose advantage. In regular-field play, playing sniper-style it is extraordinarily difficult and often has little value.

In scenario or large field games, a sniper can become a valuable asset of information and a valuable flanker. Staying unseen has myriad advantages when information can be translated into field control. A good sniper in a hide with a radio can be invaluable to his team's command structure.

Practice patience. Wait for the opportunity. Shoot only when you have advantage and can eliminate your opponents in one engagement. Use the tactics that keep you at an advantage.

In conclusion, this subject is worth many articles, not just one. If you fancy playing a patient, hide-and-seek sort of game, then being a sniper may be for you. Choose the right games to play in, and you will find it rewarding. Remember the real world advantages, and adapt them to paintball: Training, Equipment, and Tactics.

If you care to discuss the wide range of fact and fiction about paintball accuracy and sniper play, bring the Bourbon and be prepared for a long conversation. Until then, I'll see you on the field!