Sniper suggestions?

[CStrife91]

I am sort of new to the sport in that I havent played overly long and outside of general AR AEGs, snipers/shotguns or lmgs aren't my knowledge pool. I want a sniper but I am not sure what to really go for, I have a pretty healthy budget but I don't want to go outlandish for a first sniper like the SRS A2 which don't get me wrong is beautiful but I am not sure it would be something I want.

So I live in the UK and am at war with website stock availability but I would say £2-350 for my budget. Any directions I can look into? 

Also yes I have had a few game days with a friends sniper so I am used to the game style and we do some woodland days so I want one specifically for that as the other site we go to is CQB and I run my Specna carbine for that.

All help much appreciated.

 

[Impulse]

First off, welcome to the forums

For that budget you should be able to get something decent (and I don't care if people say "no, you must drop £800+ into a boltie to make it good" because they're objectively wrong ). Patrolbase has both the JG BAR10 (https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/jing-gong-bar-10) and the Cyma cm.701b in stock at the moment (https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/cyma-cm-701b-vsr-bar-10), both of which are based on the TM VSR platform, which has been a really strong platform for over a decade, so there's an absolute plethora of parts. The JG comes in at £120 and the Cyma at £130, so that'll leave you with room for upgrades.

For immediate upgrades to put into it, I'd look at the Action Army hop unit, a 70 degree silicone Maple Leaf Autobot bucking and a Maple Leaf Omega nub. This'll put you up to just under £200 and the rifle will perform decently well. Some sort of cheap scope if you don't already have one will be useful too; you can get plenty of decent ones for around £50. Then I'd pick up two spare mags (£10 each) and call it a day for now. You can stash the mags in a pistol mag pouch, or even just in your pockets.

A tightbore barrel would be the next thing I'd get, which'd put it up to about £320ish (depending how much you spend on the scope), but this isn't really a necessity as the stock barrel will do the job well enough. My choice for barrel is Laylax because I'm old school, but I know people love the Maple Leaf Crazy Jets too.

Then power upgrades cost a lot and don't make a huge difference from the stock 420fps/1.7ish joules power, so I'd just use it until you decide you want to invest more, or until the internal parts break.

The other thing I'd ask is, do you have a sidearm? Having a pistol is pretty essential when you're running a BASR, since you'll have an MED to deal with, and BASRs aren't the greatest platform for putting down any weight of fire in case you get caught out while moving. If not, I'd actually get a pistol first and run it alongside your AEG. Make a conscious effort to use it, since with an AEG you rarely actually need a pistol, but it'll help you get used to the movements and shooting it, which will help when you transition to using a BASR. For sidearms, I'll always recommend TM pistols, because they're fantastic and work all year round, though they do come with a ~£150 price tag. Good thing is, you don't need to do anything to them; they shoot fantastically well out of the box. Yes, you can run a BASR and an AEG (like your Specna carbine), but unless you practice doing it, it's awkward and clunky.

I just realised I've written quite a lot, so I'll leave it there before I ramble even more. I love sniping in airsoft and could go on about it for hours ?

 

[CStrife91]

First off, welcome to the forums

For that budget you should be able to get something decent (and I don't care if people say "no, you must drop £800+ into a boltie to make it good" because they're objectively wrong ). Patrolbase has both the JG BAR10 (https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/jing-gong-bar-10) and the Cyma cm.701b in stock at the moment (https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/cyma-cm-701b-vsr-bar-10), both of which are based on the TM VSR platform, which has been a really strong platform for over a decade, so there's an absolute plethora of parts. The JG comes in at £120 and the Cyma at £130, so that'll leave you with room for upgrades.

For immediate upgrades to put into it, I'd look at the Action Army hop unit, a 70 degree silicone Maple Leaf Autobot bucking and a Maple Leaf Omega nub. This'll put you up to just under £200 and the rifle will perform decently well. Some sort of cheap scope if you don't already have one will be useful too; you can get plenty of decent ones for around £50. Then I'd pick up two spare mags (£10 each) and call it a day for now. You can stash the mags in a pistol mag pouch, or even just in your pockets.

A tightbore barrel would be the next thing I'd get, which'd put it up to about £320ish (depending how much you spend on the scope), but this isn't really a necessity as the stock barrel will do the job well enough. My choice for barrel is Laylax because I'm old school, but I know people love the Maple Leaf Crazy Jets too.

Then power upgrades cost a lot and don't make a huge difference from the stock 420fps/1.7ish joules power, so I'd just use it until you decide you want to invest more, or until the internal parts break.

The other thing I'd ask is, do you have a sidearm? Having a pistol is pretty essential when you're running a BASR, since you'll have an MED to deal with, and BASRs aren't the greatest platform for putting down any weight of fire in case you get caught out while moving. If not, I'd actually get a pistol first and run it alongside your AEG. Make a conscious effort to use it, since with an AEG you rarely actually need a pistol, but it'll help you get used to the movements and shooting it, which will help when you transition to using a BASR. For sidearms, I'll always recommend TM pistols, because they're fantastic and work all year round, though they do come with a ~£150 price tag. Good thing is, you don't need to do anything to them; they shoot fantastically well out of the box. Yes, you can run a BASR and an AEG (like your Specna carbine), but unless you practice doing it, it's awkward and clunky.

I just realised I've written quite a lot, so I'll leave it there before I ramble even more. I love sniping in airsoft and could go on about it for hours ?

Click to shrink...

Hello thank you for the kind welcome and the plethora of information. Are there any other snipers you recommend as well? Don't get me wrong I like the designs of what you've suggested but I do like a bit of customisation via the stock etc. I see so many people saying plumb down money for a Silverback and I am like that looks like a lot for out of the box or could I match it with something cheaper and upgrade it haha. 

In regards to pistol I have 2, I have an ASG Shadow 2 and a TM 1911 haha so I am good on the pistol front and you are right about AEG very little have I needed to actually go to my sidearm. The one thing I am considering is maybe like a sniper with an arp9 sort of size pistol caliber AEG. I haven't decided yet and the sniper is more my next purchase in mind. I will happily listen to you talk for hours if it means I get insight and knowledge pertaining to a weapon style im foreign to haha.

 

[strykerles]

Another option  which sits in between would be a AEG DMR such as an SR-25

I was going to go for a bolty but had an SR-25 come up for sale locally and gave it a try as it was a steal

Can get good range without having the fire limitations of a bolty, still have the MED though

 

[Impulse]

Hello thank you for the kind welcome and the plethora of information. Are there any other snipers you recommend as well? Don't get me wrong I like the designs of what you've suggested but I do like a bit of customisation via the stock etc. I see so many people saying plumb down money for a Silverback and I am like that looks like a lot for out of the box or could I match it with something cheaper and upgrade it haha. 

Click to shrink...

Maple Leaf do a stock for the VSR with stock adjustment, though I believe they're around £150 for just the stock. Also, at some point, they'll be bringing out a new, super lightweight stock for the VSR, but Novritsch has exclusivity on it for the moment for his SSG10A3. Who knows how much it'll retail for when it does release though.

I think the SRS vs VSR debate really just comes down to preference on how it looks. I think the VSR is the better platform, in terms of parts availability and shot to shot consistency, but the SRS is shorter and more agile, and easier to make it very quiet from what I've heard, though I just went HPA with my VSR and solved that problem that way!

Another option  which sits in between would be a AEG DMR such as an SR-25

I was going to go for a bolty but had an SR-25 come up for sale locally and gave it a try as it was a steal

Can get good range without having the fire limitations of a bolty, still have the MED though

Click to shrink...

Also this, but... well, I'm not a fan of DMRs at all. I don't believe that the extra 0.5J is worth a 30m MED, since you won't gain that much more effective range. Some people love playing with DMRs though, so again I think it's personal preference.

 

[strykerles]

Also this, but... well, I'm not a fan of DMRs at all. I don't believe that the extra 0.5J is worth a 30m MED, since you won't gain that much more effective range. Some people love playing with DMRs though, so again I think it's personal preference.

Click to shrink...

Didn't think I would be at first as not a true sniper

like the mobility and also run a small AEG or pistol when things get up close

also run an SVD which just looks cool

 

[Oneshotscott]

Haters on standby.... I can only recommend from my personal experiences.  

Ive owned a fair few boltys and the best thus far is my ssg10. 

I'd buy the a1 version(strip & clean before use) , fit the tridos tdc, watch YouTube for free methods to silence it/make it better and away you go. 

The silverback lineup do appear impressive but I've never needed to buy one yet. 

Don't forget that you can save alot buy going second hand. 

 

[CStrife91]

Maple Leaf do a stock for the VSR with stock adjustment, though I believe they're around £150 for just the stock. Also, at some point, they'll be bringing out a new, super lightweight stock for the VSR, but Novritsch has exclusivity on it for the moment for his SSG10A3. Who knows how much it'll retail for when it does release though.

I think the SRS vs VSR debate really just comes down to preference on how it looks. I think the VSR is the better platform, in terms of parts availability and shot to shot consistency, but the SRS is shorter and more agile, and easier to make it very quiet from what I've heard, though I just went HPA with my VSR and solved that problem that way!

Also this, but... well, I'm not a fan of DMRs at all. I don't believe that the extra 0.5J is worth a 30m MED, since you won't gain that much more effective range. Some people love playing with DMRs though, so again I think it's personal preference.

Click to shrink...

I was thinking of DMR but it would be a lot of work to make it something decent then you suffer with engagement distances at the sights im at and I would rather money go to something more dedicated so a sniper is the way I would go with it. I have no intention of spending £500 on a rifle without even having the scope for the gun which will cost more for something I will be using every other game day cause we site flip a fair bit. 
What does HPA actually provide for the sniper I am still new in that regard so HPA is a little out there for me...all I know is you know when you've been hit by a HPA cause it stings like a bitch. Maybe that Cyma might be a good start I don't know XD then I do like the designs of the L96 rifles...its like a kid in a candy store syndrome haha.

 

[Impulse]

What does HPA actually provide for the sniper I am still new in that regard so HPA is a little out there for me...all I know is you know when you've been hit by a HPA cause it stings like a bitch. Maybe that Cyma might be a good start I don't know XD then I do like the designs of the L96 rifles...its like a kid in a candy store syndrome haha.

Click to shrink...

Take your time and get what you really want. I suggested the VSR because it's what I have a lot of experience with, but you can do L96 builds, SRS builds, heck even m24 builds if you look hard enough and are feeling adventurous. Then there's semi-auto builds like SVDs, m14s, SR-25s etc; most people call them DMRs, but the only real difference between DMR and sniper is the style of play. You can be a DMR with a bolt action rifle, similar to how you can be a sniper with a 1J SVD. Everyone sees me as a "sniper" even when I'm running my m21 build at 1.1J, because of how I play and that it's tuned pretty well so it still has pretty nice range. A sniper rifle, whatever platform you choose, can be a pretty big investment if you really like it and decide it's the avenue you want to go down, and you don't want to look at your rifle and go "ew, I don't really want to use that, but I will because it performs well..."

I would not recommend HPA as a first build. HPA is something that you need to make the conscious decision to go into, especially if you're installing it yourself as opposed to just buying a pre-built HPA gun like an MTW. It usually involves drilling holes in things and dremeling parts off the inside of your gun to get everything to fit nicely, or at least I'm 2 for 2 on that, since my VSR and m21 both required some DIY modification to the internals to get it together.

HPA is a learning curve, but once you understand it it's a lot simpler than gearboxes. I've converted one of my VSRs and one of my m14s to HPA and they're the two main guns I bring to every skirmish day or event (my m21 is my main gun, with the VSR as a backup). The benefits of it for a sniper particularly (we don't need the ROF bulls**t that those zoomer speedsofters want) are that it's really, really quiet, it's really, really consistent and you can fine tune the power to exactly where you want it. Also, an aspect that people really underestimate for sniping, it makes the bolt pull absolutely effortless on a BASR. The number of times I've counter-sniped someone because I've seen their arm move to pull their spring bolt back, while they've had no idea where I am because my movement is a lot less and a lot more deliberate... It's a large number. Being able to pull the bolt back with a short finger movement that you can do nice and slowly makes you a lot less likely to be spotted than having to use your whole arm to pull back a spring bolt.

The downside is that you either have to run a tank, which takes some getting used to and may also take a while to get right for you, as different people use different methods to carry their tank around. For example, I run a tiny 10ci tank in a stock pouch which makes it look impossible to shoulder (it's not on the right, but is on the left, but I can't aim on the left through a scope anyway because I can't close my right eye without closing my left), but most people run a tank in a belt pouch or small backpack with a line connecting it to the gun. Or you run a CO2 adapter in either a stock pouch or in the stock itself and run it on CO2 bulbs, but it's not quite as consistent and will start dropping the power as you reach the end of the CO2 bulb. Oh, it also costs an arm and a leg. I think my VSR cost me about £450 all in for the Wolverine Bolt, regulator, CO2 adapter and cylinder (and that's on top of the rifle and other upgrades outside the cylinder), and my m21 cost me around £400 for just the HPA engine. Then a tank, line and regulator is going to set you back another £100+, depending on which one you get. Then if you're running anything but the small 10/13ci tanks you probably need a scuba tank and fill adapter valve thingy, which will be another like £250 - 300... Yeah, it's pricey. Thankfully, I only use small tanks so I bought a hand pump for £50 for mine and just pump it manually. Takes about 15 mins for my 10ci, which means a normal 48ci tank (what most people run) would likely take me about 75 mins of pumping. No thanks!  

A well tuned spring rifle will sting just as much as an HPA rifle (assuming the HPA player isn't being a dirty cheatsydoodler and upping their PSI or dwell settings after chrono). It's usually because the person is using heavy BBs that it stings a lot. A well tuned spring rifle will also be about as consistent as an HPA setup too, but it's harder to tune to perfection since you are at the mercy of the spring god and all springs are not created equal. A well tuned spring rifle can also be tuned to be really quiet, but I don't think it can be as quiet as an HPA rifle because no moving parts in the latter. However, a spring rifle will never run out of power and doesn't need you to carry a tank. Like most things in airsoft, horses for courses and all that jazz.

EDIT: Oh look, I wrote a small essay again. I should approach a university with my PhD thesis on airsoft sniping at this point ?????

 

[AK47frizzle]

Hate to say it but the ssg10 is up your alley. It does work decent out of the box.

Maple Leaf do a stock for the VSR with stock adjustment, though I believe they're around £150 for just the stock. Also, at some point, they'll be bringing out a new, super lightweight stock for the VSR, but Novritsch has exclusivity on it for the moment for his SSG10A3. Who knows how much it'll retail for when it does release though.

Click to shrink...

You mean this stock? It's available as a separate piece: https://www.wgcshop.com/products/maple-leaf-mlc-s2-stock 

In terms of tuning, gas sniper rifles require the least amount because they don't have to hold any heavy springs for prolonged periods of time. Most of the just need a new hop bucking and barrel and you're set. They're my favourite kind of sniper rifles but you have to work around the gas performance fluctuations.

 

[Hudson]

Have a look at the action army T11 too. 

VSR based, so plenty of upgrades, 90 degree trigger as standard and they're about £160 new with a more modern look, if that's what you're after. 

Follow impulses upgrade plan and you should be good. 

 

[PopRocket123]

Maybe look at the Silverback Tac-41 instead of the SRS. Essentially the same system but in a more traditional layout. It's just over your budget and that's without any extras though at around £365 new. I'm yet to see any turn up second hand. The only complaint I've seen so far is that the BB retainer sometimes breaks but it's an easy enough thing to fix and I believe some places or offering replacement or improved parts foc. There are plenty of upgrades available but frankly it performs incredibly stock. Plus the mag placement is more realistic for those of use who hate fiddling with vsr mags

 

[alxndrhll]

Only advice to throw on the pile is to get the internals as you want them before spunking cash up the wall on externals. It doesn't matter how nice it looks, if you can't hit a barn door with a banjo you're not going to want to use it for very long.

It's worth doing some hunting on YouTube as to what's involved with upgrading and fettling, you can figure out from there if it's something you'd want to do yourself. If it turns out to not be something you want to do something like the TAC/SRS/T11/SSG would probably be a wiser choice than a VSR. Having used or owned most of them, it's much of muchness in my opinion. Spend hours and hours (and a small fortune) so you can take the nuts off a fly at 70m to spend most of your time shooting things within 50-60m (or as is frequently my experience, within MED having to use your sidearm).

I will say I personally think teching your own bolties should be something you invest some time into learning how to do it, gradually building knowledge of what things do and don't mess with your air seal/consistency/accuracy/smoothness of bolt pull etc etc. But I get that it isn't for everyone. Granted this comes with a degree of hypocrisy, I do all my own tech work on HPA, GBB(R) and springers but wouldn't touch the insides of an AEG with a barge pole. We all have our comfort zones ?‍.

 

[Impulse]

Spend hours and hours (and a small fortune) so you can take the nuts off a fly at 70m to spend most of your time shooting things within 50-60m (or as is frequently my experience, within MED having to use your sidearm).

Click to shrink...

This is basically airsoft sniping in a nutshell and is why I've transitioned to a 1J m21 build, especially since I play at a thick woodland site that gets pretty overgrown in the summer. That's not just your experience, I probably get more mk23 kills than VSR kills these days ?

 

[CStrife91]

Only advice to throw on the pile is to get the internals as you want them before spunking cash up the wall on externals. It doesn't matter how nice it looks, if you can't hit a barn door with a banjo you're not going to want to use it for very long.

It's worth doing some hunting on YouTube as to what's involved with upgrading and fettling, you can figure out from there if it's something you'd want to do yourself. If it turns out to not be something you want to do something like the TAC/SRS/T11/SSG would probably be a wiser choice than a VSR. Having used or owned most of them, it's much of muchness in my opinion. Spend hours and hours (and a small fortune) so you can take the nuts off a fly at 70m to spend most of your time shooting things within 50-60m (or as is frequently my experience, within MED having to use your sidearm).

I will say I personally think teching your own bolties should be something you invest some time into learning how to do it, gradually building knowledge of what things do and don't mess with your air seal/consistency/accuracy/smoothness of bolt pull etc etc. But I get that it isn't for everyone. Granted this comes with a degree of hypocrisy, I do all my own tech work on HPA, GBB(R) and springers but wouldn't touch the insides of an AEG with a barge pole. We all have our comfort zones ?‍.

Click to shrink...

I appreciate your response and well upon looking at some videos the vsr sort of upgrade and breakdown is a little fiddly yes but something I can comprehend more so then an AEG like you yourself say I wouldn't want to touch one with a barge pole haha.

 

[alxndrhll]

I appreciate your response and well upon looking at some videos the vsr sort of upgrade and breakdown is a little fiddly yes but something I can comprehend more so then an AEG like you yourself say I wouldn't want to touch one with a barge pole haha.

Click to shrink...

Aye, the main things the videos don't tell you how much of a massive prick it is stripping things back down and putting them back together over and over until it's all working right. As you get a feel for it you start to know what isn't quite right once it's all back together, so know immediately where to go to correct it but before that it'll be a lot of trial and error. I remember effing and blinding all over the place when I couldn't stop one of my first G-Specs slam firing (firing once cocked without me touching the trigger) because the process for taking it all apart and stripping the cylinder out is a real process when compared to how easy it is on the SRS.

Just food for thought, the videos tend to assume you'll nail it first try and aren't great for teaching the problem solving elements. The VSR is an easy platform to work on in as much as it's mechanically very simple but it definitely shows it's age in how accessible it can be to get to specific parts. Changing out a hop bucking, or stripping the front end down for a proper barrel clean is a right faff.

 

[leadly]

If you fancy a read of my build thread, its essentially a step by step process for building a decent VSR 10. Lots of issues ran into and solved, some by myself and some with advice from most of the chaps who have commented above me. A lot of stripping down and rebuilding as @alxndrhll has said, but I got there in the end and now I never use it ? I blame my MTW!!

My one bit of advice would be to get your own chrono. You really can't build a sniper without one!

All the best!

 

[GothicGhost]

Once I got my MTW I got rid of my VSR lol

I can switch from DMR to CQB mode during the day if I wanted.