Modern Warfare

CoD4 Ultimate Sniping Guide

Sniping Guide: Snipers Guide by Feonian

This is my guide to sniping. Sniping is nice because you can sit back, way away from the action, and quickly take out enemies. Snipers usually do not rack up many kills with their gun only. Because they are away from the action, they tend to live longer, making them more likely than others to get helicopters and air strikes.  Once you get good, you can take out running targets and then keep the scope up after you fire, which makes you nearly impossible to track, even with the killcam. Snipers usually die in two ways. They either get counter-sniped, or they attract too much attention and someone throws a grenade into their hiding spot. In this guide, I will go over setting up your class, link to my guide that shows you where to snipe, and then tell you how to snipe effectively and safely. I will tell you tricks on hitting targets, how to not be seen visually, how to not be tracked via the killcam, how to beat other snipers, and what to do in various other situations.

Before you can snipe, you have to have a class. First, you should choose a gun, then perks that are compatible with the gun, and then pick out the pistol that fills in the weak spots.

BOLT ACTION VS SEMI-AUTO: This is the first choice you have to make. They both have their share of powerful and weak weapons. One is not the more powerful group. With the bolt actions, you gain accuracy, but lose the ability to fire off a second shot as quickly. If you are generally pretty accurate and are attempting many difficult shots, you will want the accuracy of the bolt actions. If you miss occasionally and would like to have the ability to make a second shot, go with the semi-auto snipers. I prefer bolt actions for regular sniping, and semi-autos for ACOG/mobile sniping. You will need the accuracy if you are camping, but at close range, you need to be able to make a second shot.

M40: This is a great rifle for normal and hardcore. The most accurate, with acceptable power, no recoil, but a low fire rate. Pick this gun if you want to be able to quickly and accurately take out targets across the map. My preference for hardcore because of its accuracy.
 Here is how it rates in each category:

Power: Below average.
NORMAL: If you have stopping power on, it will kill in a hit to the head, neck, chest, and stomach. If you do not have stopping power, or if you do and are shooting a juggernaut user, it will kill to the head and neck.
HARDCORE: It will kill in a hit no matter what. Look at other factors for determining your hardcore gun.

Accuracy: Accuracy is determined by how fast the crosshairs steady and how likely the bullet is to land where you point the crosshairs.  The M40 pulls up and steadies faster than any other sniper. In addition, since its bolt action, the bullet will go where your crosshairs are pointed. It is the most accurate sniper.

Fire Rate: This is determined by how fast you can get a second accurate shot off. Recoil and whether or not it is bolt action both affect these results. You can get another good shot off about every second; more at really long distances, and less at close range.

R700: This is another good gun. Use it if you like the M40, but feel it just is not strong enough. It fires very slowly, but if you are accurate, that is all you need. This gun really thrives on the idea of one shot, one kill and does it better than the others.

Power:
NORMAL: If you have stopping power on, it will kill in a hit to the head, neck, chest, and stomach. If you do not have stopping power, or you do and the enemy has juggernaut, it will kill in a hit to the head, neck, and chest. Tied with the Barrett .50cal for the hardest hitting sniper.
HARDCORE: Will kill in a hit no matter what. Look at other factors.

Accuracy: Since it�s bolt action, the bullet always goes where you want it to.

Fire Rate: This gun has the lowest fire rate of them all. You can get an accurate second shot off about every 1.25 seconds, which is painfully slow.

M21: Being semi-automatic, the bullet may not always go where you tell it. It usually does, but you will occasionally miss a dead on shot because of this. The M21 really thrives in being beginner friendly, especially compared to the bolt-action rifles. It has poor power, but you can get a second shot off quickly if you miss the first. By far the most forgiving sniper. If you miss with this, you are not totally screwed. This is most people�s choice for hardcore because its major downside is the power.

Power:
NORMAL: The worst amongst the snipers. With stopping power, you will kill in a hit to the head, neck, and chest. Without stopping power, or with it against a juggernaut user, you will kill in a hit to the head, and neck.
HARDCORE: Will kill in a hit no matter what. Look at other factors.

Accuracy: It is semi-auto, so occasionally you will miss dead-on shots. It is not very often, but it does happen.

Fire Rate: This has the best fire rate. You can get a second shot off in about .375 seconds, or 3/8 of a second.

Dragunov: This is the gun you should turn to if you would rather not use stopping power. It is not affected by stopping power, so if you would be willing to have a weaker weapon than most and have a perk such as juggernaut, UAV Jammer, or overkill instead, this is the gun you should use. This is also my choice for an ACOGed sniper for it’s acceptable power, and low recoil in case a 2nd shot is needed. 

Power:
NORMAL: The power is peculiar because it does not gain any ability to one-hit from stopping power. Without stopping power, its power is equal to that of the R700 and Barrett .50cal. Since the Dragunov has the least recoil and highest fire rate of the three, at the same power, it is the ideal choice for anyone wanting the utility of another perk two choice. With stopping power, you will kill in a hit to the head, neck, and chest. Without stopping power, or with it against juggernaut, you will also kill to the head, neck, and chest.
HARDCORE: Will kill in a hit no matter what. Look at other factors.

Accuracy: It is semi-auto, so occasionally you will miss dead-on shots. It is not very often, but it does happen.

Fire Rate: The second best, behind the M21. You can get an accurate second shot off roughly every .75 seconds; it�ll take less time up close, and more time at a distance.

Barrett .50cal: This is the gun most people think is the best, but it is balanced just like the others. It hits as hard as the R700, but its semi automatic, which makes it less likely to hit those difficult, long-range targets, but you can get a second shot off faster. Use the Barrett .50cal if you like power and the ability to one-hit targets, but are not always the best shot and may need to make a second shot.

Power:
NORMAL: If you have stopping power on, it will kill in a hit to the head, neck, chest, and stomach. If you do not have stopping power, or you do and the enemy has juggernaut, it will kill in a hit to the head, neck, and chest. Tied with the R700 for the hardest hitting sniper.
HARDCORE: Will kill in a hit no matter what. Look at other factors.

Accuracy: Just like all semi-autos, the accuracy is just ok. You will usually hit, but there will be the occasional dead-on shot that will miss.

Fire Rate: Roughly equal to the M40. You can get a second, accurate shot off about every second.

ATTACHMENTS:
Normal Scope: This is what you should generally be using while sniping. It is extremely accurate and works best at medium-long ranges.

ACOG: Works well if you are planning to snipe on a small level. Vacant and Killhouse are two examples where you should use it. The bullet goes to the tip of the triangle. You can ‘steady’ it for longer shots by fighting against where the scope wants to sway. The regular scope is for medium-long range, this is for medium-short range, or the sniper on the move.

Once you have chosen your weapon and attachment, you must decide on the perks for it.

Perk 1:
C4: Not very useful for snipers. C4 is okay as a close range grenade, but since you do not need to clear rooms, you should not need a grenade.

Special Grenades x3: This is another room-clearing perk. Do not use it.

RPG: Obviously good for taking out choppers, but that’s not really a sniper’s role. I would go for something different.

Claymores: This is the typical perk 1 for snipers, and for good reason. It guards your back and greatly extends your life. A must for everyone who is not ACOG sniping.

Frag x3: These are generally used in close quarters maps. Snipers should not get close enough to require these. MAYBE on an ACOG class.

Bandolier: My preference for ACOG sniping. The ACOG is not as accurate as the regular scope; it is just faster. That, combined with the more chaotic close quarters environment, means you will be missing many shots. Bandolier allows me to miss occasionally and I still have ammo to spare. This is my favorite perk one when I do not need to use claymores.

Bomb Squad: This is designed to help you sneak behind snipers. Leave this perk for the ghosts.

Perk 2:
Stopping Power: The standard perk 2 for snipers. Without stopping power, you have to aim really high in the body or make a second shot. Stopping power is going to help ensure one-hit kills, which are necessary for snipers. Unneeded in hardcore.

Juggernaut: Pretty useless while sniping. In sniper vs. sniper scenarios, the enemy should see only your head and neck, in which case juggernaut is not going to prevent a kill. Against rushers, it’ll let you stay alive for another bullet, but the power of stopping power is way more useful. In hardcore, it’s decent because it lets you stay alive from G3 hits, which are very common in hardcore.

Sleight of hand: You shouldn’t be in combat that’s fast paced enough to require this. Go for something else.

Double Tap: Makes no difference on the semi-auto rifles. It’s OK in hardcore on the M40, but there are better options for hardcore.

Overkill: This is a moderately popular perk for snipers. I’ll discuss it’s uses in both hardcore and regular modes. The point of overkill is having a weapon to suit every situation. The sniper covers long range. You want a weapon that will perform well at short-medium range. Shotguns cover close range brilliantly, but they don’t do anything at long range, so they’re out. That leaves assault rifles, sub machine guns, and light machine guns, which I’ll talk about for both regular and hardcore.

REGULAR: Light Machine Guns are a little slow to bring up and fire. I see them more as a choke-point clearing device opposed to a personal defense weapon, so I don’t use them. Among the sub machine guns, you are looking for not just a point-blank weapon, but also something that can hold it’s own at medium ranges. It needs to be pretty powerful, since you don’t have stopping power. The P90 is ok because of it’s large clip, but I prefer the AK-74u and MP5 because they kill faster, which is very important to you. It’s up to you, clip size, or faster killing. Among the assault rifles, you are looking for a high-powered, close quarters oriented one. They all can handle medium and close range, so you might as well get the most powerful. In this case, the AK-47 is going to be what you want. Those are the best options, so out of the P90, MP5, AK-74u, and AK-47, you want to pick out the gun that best covers short-medium range. I prefer the AK-47 myself, but if you want a little more power up close, then you can look into the sub machine guns.

HARDCORE: In hardcore, since you don’t need stopping power, overkill becomes a very valuable perk and should definitely be considered. You may be thinking: ‘The M4 is popular, so I’ll get that as my overkilled gun’. I actually don’t recommend the M4 for hardcore overkill. Think about what you’re using it for: close-medium range. The low recoil is being wasted. I prefer the AK-47 here as well. It has an acceptable fire rate, but since it’s pretty powerful, it has the ability to one-hit opponents from any distance. Another great choice would be the P90. Although it usually requires 2 hits, it has low enough recoil to be affective at medium ranges, but it’s high rate of fire, great hip-accuracy, and huge clip make it a beast at close range. Some people would say the SAW is good as well because it has a huge clip, can one-hit, and a high rate of fire, but it just isn’t compact enough to bring to a close quarters environment, and the hip fire is very inaccurate. MP5 gets the job done, but it has a decent amount of recoil, and I believe it falls short of the P90. The Skorpion, G36, and M4, can also get the job done, but I believe others cover short-medium range better. To me, you should chose between the AK-47’s ability to one hit, or the P90’s forgiving clip and fire rate.

The final thing I want to say about overkill is put the full auto gun first. This will be discussed in the priority section, but having a ghillie suit makes you a huge threat, and thus a target for enemy snipers. But having the SMG skin instead, you will be low priority, so you will last a lot longer. Also, if you spawn in the middle of combat, it’s always better to have your full-auto weapon out and ready. To put it simply, the ghillie suit is more trouble than it’s worth.

UAV Jammer: This is another perk people may consider while sniping. To be honest, I don’t like it. People are going to figure out where you are by either the killcam, or the huge sound made when you fire your gun. In regular, you will want to use the Dragunov, but I do not recommend this perk. For regular modes, if you don’t want stopping power, you can do better with overkill. The killcam will give away your position time after time. On hardcore modes, this is a viable option. First, you don’t need stopping power here, so that frees up perk 2. Second, there is no killcam, so you are harder to track. Third, you can go with a quieter gun such as the M21. I still prefer overkill for hardcore, but this is a great option for those sneaky types.

EDIT: While I do not prefer UAV Jammer personally, some people do. On the second page, tidsy made an argument on how it can be useful. IT is worth reading and considered both my viewpoint, and his.

Sonic Boom: This is usually a poor choice even with Frag x3 and Martyrdom. It shouldn’t even be considered for sniping.

Perk 3:
Extreme Conditioning: Some mobile snipers like to use this to quickly get from spot to spot. I personally prefer steady aim for mobile sniping. I don’t find I need to move THAT much as a sniper, so I’d rather have steady aim for those unexpected close quarters encounters.

Steady Aim: This is what I prefer for mobile sniping. When you’re moving around, you are bound to run into a guy with a P90. You might as well be prepared.

Last Stand: When you are sniping, you are usually hiding behind a wall, killing people across the map. If you get counter-sniped, you won’t be able to do anything in Last Stand. Even if you die from someone sneaking up behind you, odds are low you’ll get the kill, so last stand falls short of other options.

Martyrdom: When you are sniping, you are usually hiding behind a wall, killing people across the map. If you get counter-sniped, martyrdom won’t do anything. Even if you die from someone sneaking up behind you, odds are low you’ll get the kill, so martyrdom falls short of other options.

Deep Impact: This is the perk you should use if you don’t need a whole lot of time to steady the scope and take the shot. It works best on the Barrett .50cal because it’s got high power, and it’s semi-automatic. That way, you have a good chance of one-hitting thanks to the power. If you don’t kill in a hit, you can make a second shot quickly. Finally, you don’t need precision when shooting through walls. On hardcore, it helps you one hit through respectably thick walls and is an excellent option.

Iron Lungs: This was made for snipers. It really comes into it’s own in long range shooting and sniper versus sniper situations. The beautiful thing about Iron Lungs is it gives you the ability to have your scope steadied for a whole 10 seconds, while you wait for the sniper to stick his head up. Don’t overlook this one.

Dead Silence: It only makes a difference when sprinting in enemy territory, which is about the last thing a sniper should be doing. Don’t use it.

Eavesdrop: Useless even if you are close enough to hear enemy chatter. Since you’ll always be too far away from enemies anyway, don’t use this.

SPECIAL GRENADES:
Smoke: This is my choice for sniping, just because it has so many uses. It can be used to help you reach locations unharmed, location 1 on Creek from my Sniping Locations guide (https://www.cod4central.com/cod4-weapons-sniping-guide.php) is a good example. It can be used to help you get away if multiple people are rushing your building. If someone is coming up the stairs, you can toss a smoke grenade on them so they don’t see your claymores. If you are playing objective game types, it also has tons of uses, such as tossing it on the bomb planter.

Stun: These are used for clearing out buildings. While it can be used to give you an advantage when people are coming upstairs, your claymores can do a better job and you shouldn’t fight their MP5 with a puny pistol if you can help it.

Flash: These are used for clearing out buildings. While it can be used to give you an advantage when people are coming upstairs, your claymores can do a better job and you shouldn’t fight their MP5 with a puny pistol if you can help it.

Pistols: In your pistol, you are looking for a gun that completes the class you’ve made so far. Currently, you have nothing to defend yourself with when you are reaching your spot, and when you are in your spot, so you need a gun that is very good in close quarters. To stay competitive with sub machine guns, it needs to pack a punch, so M9 is out. You also need to have excellent hip-accuracy. Time spent bringing up the sights is enough time for you to be dead, so USP is out. Among the M1911 and Desert Eagle, the Desert Eagle has more power, and better hip-fire accuracy. The Desert Eagle is the best pistol for a sniper, but if you want to be able to silence your pistol, then use the M1911.

LOCATIONS AND CLAYMORES:

Locations: Now that you have your class, you need to know where to snipe, how to tell a good spot, and where to place your claymores. for where to snipe, and where to place claymores. Basically, a good spot is higher than surrounding terrain, has 2 or less entrances, preferably 1, an option to see enemy snipers, an option to only focus on rushers without enemy sniper interference, good cover, preferably to the point where only your head, and maybe neck is showing, not very well known, and removed from the action. Obviously, very few if any spots fit all those criteria, but that’s the basics on what you should look for in a spot if you’d rather not read my guide.

Claymore Placement: This is also shown in my sniping locations guide, but there is a trick to placing good claymores. First, you have to think what they enemy will be doing in this part of the building. Are they going to be sprinting inside to avoid gunfire, or is it pretty close to the sniper, and they will be moving slowly and cautiously? If they are sprinting, you can afford to put it in an obvious place, and you want something they will set off early, and run right into, unable to stop because they are sprinting, but also unable to run past. If it’s closer to you, then they will be moving slowly and cautiously. Here you want a more concealed claymore. Because of how slow they are moving, they will be more alert, but if it goes off without them noticing it, they are dead. The top of ladders are also good spots for claymores, but you have to place them right. It can’t have the beams hanging over the edge or they will notice and not go up. But the claymore cannot be too far back because people like to sprint when reaching the top of ladders. It’s best placed when the beams reach the edge, but don’t go over the edge. Then it’ll go off as they dismount the ladder at the top and they will have no where to go. Again, this is in my guide, but these are general tips if you’d prefer not to read it.

TECHNIQUES: Once you’ve got your class made, your location picked, and your claymores placed, you’ve got to know how to snipe. Some techniques in here may be rather basic, while others are more advanced. They are in no particular order.

Using smoke grenades to reach a spot: Smoke grenades are my grenade of choice for sniping, mainly because they allow to the reach a spot unharmed. When throwing them to lay down cover, don’t throw them at your feet, but not at the enemy’s feet, either. If it’s at your feet, you won’t be able to navigate your way around, and you’ll be caught in the open when the smoke settles down. If it’s at the enemies feet, they can walk forward and see you. It’s best to put the smoke in between you and the enemy, maybe favoring you, so you have good cover, but aren’t blinded. Once you throw the smoke, wait a second or two before making your move.

Using your pistol and being competitive with sub machine gun users: There will be times when you have to use your pistols to defend yourself against enemies with shotguns, sub machine guns, and assault rifles.

First you have to know your pistol and how it reacts. I’ll start with the Desert Eagle. The Desert Eagle has pretty poor iron sights by popular opinion. Luckily, it has pin-point accuracy from the hip; it’s crosshairs are the tightest in the game, even more than the sub machine guns. Also, the Desert Eagle packs a big punch, and will kill in a hit at the ranges you’ll be using it at. The downside is it has some large vertical recoil. To compensate for this, you should aim at the stomach and fire off 3 rounds, incase one misses. Because you aimed at the stomach on the first shot, the bullets will walk up the target, all hitting him. When used this way, the Desert Eagle’s recoil is irrelevant, but it’s 2-hitting power is very valuable. The M1911 is different in that you can hip-fire inside, but out in the open you’ll want to look down the sights. Also, you only need to aim for the chest in order to compromise for it’s recoil. The M1911 will kill in 2 hits at point blank, and 3 at close range.

Since the pistol would be seen by the majority as the under-dog against any of these weapons, you must exploit your advantages, and take advantage of their weaknesses. First, let’s talk about how to beat shotguns. There are a number of weaknesses that shotguns have. First, they have to be in range, so if they are close, back pedal as you fire at them. The farther away you get, the better your odds. Second, the crosshairs have to be centered on you, so the more you jump around and move, preferably left to right, the less chance they have of hitting you. Also, if you see them retreat behind a corner, 90% of the time that means they are reloading. Since shotguns tend to reload slowly, this is a great chance to grab the kill.

Sub machine guns and assault rifles are similar in how you beat them. First, you have to know they need 2-3 hits to kill you. You only need two. Their guns are fairly large on the screen and zoom in when aiming down the sights, so it’s harder to track abrupt movements up close. So, the more you move around, the harder you will be to follow. Also, since their guns generally are going to have recoil, it may be a good idea to hide behind cover, and make it difficult for them to hit you. What ever you do, don’t let them find you standing out in the open, lining up shots. You have to jump around and fire fast if you want a chance. The hip-fire is good, so you should use it.

Swapping out your pistol: While the Desert Eagle is a great close-medium range weapon, you can’t honestly say it’s the best. It beats a lot of guns, but there are some guns that are even better. So, if you happen to find one on the ground, why not pick it up and use it in the future. Here’s the guns and my views on whether you should swap your pistol for them or not.
M16: No. If you miss a burst you are dead. This is a long range gun, not a point blank one.
G3: This also kills in two hits, but it has worse hip-accuracy, so why downgrade?
M14: Hits as hard as a Deagle, but worse hip-accuracy – another down-grade.
AK-47: Kills in two hits just like the pistols, but is fully automatics. Worth swapping for.
M4: Kills in three hits, but has a high ROF, so it’s fine as well. Worth swapping for.
G36: Kills too slowly in my opinion. Optional; it�s an M4 with a lower ROF. I don’t swap for it, but if you really like the G36 feel free.
MP44: Another optional. It’s an AK with a lower ROF.
MP5: Built for close-medium range…
Skorpion: Built for close-medium range, but you may not like the clip size. Recommended, but optional.
Mini-Uzi: Built for close-medium range…
AK-74u: Built for close-medium range….
P90: Built for close-medium range…

Shotguns: I do not recommend swapping for these. You need to have something for medium ranges.

Snipers: No. Not even a .50cal using the full clip is acceptable for close range. Too much of a risk, too tight of crosshairs.

Light Machine Guns: Again, the crosshairs are too large. Don’t swap for these.

A lot of the guns you’ll swap your pistol for will be found on enemy corpses who died from your claymores. When the claymore kills them, don’t immediately grab his gun. He may have a buddy who was nearby that is about to set off your second claymores. Wait for a few seconds and see if the second claymore goes off. If not, you can go down and claim your gun.

What to do if a claymore goes off, but doesn’t kill: If it’s the first claymore that went off, toss a smoke grenade so they don’t see the second claymore or and might accidentally walk into it, and so they don�t see the grenade, then. you should toss a cooked grenade their way and hope either the grenade or the second claymore gets them. If the second claymore goes off but doesn’t kill, you should run to them and jump around the corner, hoping for that hit that will kill. This is what they are least expecting, so it’s the most likely to succeed.

Looking down the scope before spotting a target: You should look down the scope before you see anyone, but you should move it around any place where enemies could be. Occasionally, you should de-scope and check to see where everyone is on the radar.

Steadying the scope before spotting a target: You should not steady the scope before you know someone is there. Only steady the scope before hand in sniper-to-sniper battles, and if you KNOW someone is going to run around the corner. Probably the best way to know is to look at the UAV.

Priority- who to snipe if you’ve got the option: For this section, you have to at least know what snipers look like. They are the guys that either have caps on their heads, or are dressed in ghillie suits.

Once you are able to recognize what gun they have by their looks, you have to decide who is the biggest threat, and in turn who you should snipe first. Snipers usually know all the spots, so if they are facing your direction, you MUST kill them first. Even if you are aiming for a headshot on another guy, if a sniper enters your field of view he becomes top priority. Light machine gun users and assault rifle users are second priority, while sub machine gunners and shotgunners are a threat at all to you, so you can wait until everyone else is dead before focusing on them.

When to just take the shot and get the kill, and when to take the head shot: Obviously, headshots are nice to get, but there are times when you can take the time to line up a headshot and there are times when you should just go for the chest and get the kill. If a sniper is facing you, he’s about a second away from blowing your head off, so it’s best just to hit him and kill him any way you know how. However, seeing as snipers tend to not move, if you see one who isn’t facing your direction, you can take the headshot and know that he will not kill you and he will not move. If you see a shotgun user, he will be very likely to have juggernaut on, but he is also pretty likely to be rushing around. If you can one-hit juggernauts to the chest than do so, but if you can’t then aim high and hope for a headshot. Light machine gun users, according to my experience, are new to the game, and are likely to have juggernaut on, and are also prone to camping. These are the guys you should headshot the most. Since they may have juggernaut, it’s best to hit the kill and be assured of a kill. And since they are less likely to be moving around, you can line up a headshot with a decent amount of confidence that they won’t move. Assault rifle and sub machine gun users like to move quite a bit as well, and are unlikely to have juggernaut, so it’s best just to get the chest or stomach shot, kill them, and move on.

How to kill juggernaut users: Yes, you can get guns like the R700, .50cal, or Dragonuv and one-hit juggernauts to the chest, but what if you hit in the stomach…how do you kill them considering how slowly snipers fire? There is a technique I made up myself for killing them. When you hit with a sniper rifle, at the very worst, you will do 70 damage to a juggernaut. A Desert Eagle at maximum range does 30 damage under those conditions, or enough to finish them off. Since pistols swap out incredibly fast, you can hit them with your sniper, not kill, pull out your pistol that is already pre aimed to the target and fire off a single round, hitting and finishing them off. This also works quite well if you hit someone’s foot and don’t register a kill.

What to do if an LMG user opens fire on you: Light machine guns, as overpowered as they are, have the ability to shoot over long distances and penetrate walls with stunning efficiency. Most of the light machine gun users are new to the game, and have not quite learned the technique of burst firing…thank god. When they open fire, they will likely go full auto, so bullets will go everywhere. If he hits you once, there’s a good chance he will empty his whole clip on you until you are dead. There are two things you have to know to succeed here. 1. LMGs have horrible recoil, so the smaller the target you are the less likely to are to be hit. 2. After a bullet penetrates a wall, it’s damage is reduced the farther it goes. Simply put, the closer you are to the wall the more damage you’ll take. The trick to surviving a barrage of LMG bullets is to go prone immediately and back up from the wall. This will make you very hard to hit, and each hit won’t do a lot of damage.

What to do if a sniper spots you and has the scope pre-aimed, waiting for you: This is where a lot of people have trouble. What do you do when the enemy sniper is waiting for you to pop up? Well, he is expecting you to pop up exactly where you just where, so why not prone and move a couple feet to the left or right, adjusting your scope accordingly. Next, he probably has it steadied and most snipers use iron lungs, so wait about 11 seconds before making your move. When you go up, your scope should be already pre-aimed in their general direction, and it should be steadied. Just make the slight adjustment, and BANG. No more sniper. When you go up, the adjustment and shooting should preferably take around a second or less.

When to leave your spot and when to fight off enemies: When you get really good at sniping, and especially when you are going on those big kill streaks, enemies are going to start rushing your position. You have to know when to fight them off, and when to just book it. If it’s one or two guys and you’ve got claymores, let the claymores do their magic, maybe finish off the second guy if he doesn’t die. Once the claymores are gone, and no enemies are nearby, it’s best to leave the spot and group up with some teammates or other snipers. These situations are ideal, but sometimes maybe 4-6 people will rush you…and with that many, it doesn’t matter if you have claymores. If they are entering one a time you, it’s best to fire them off, one by one. Since they are going one by one, you can’t jump out the window or the end of the line will get you. However, since they are not together, they are probably unorganized and you’ve got a decent chance at fighting them off one at a time. If they enter as a group, they will be organized and no pistol can take on 4+ guys at once. Hell, a P90 or MP5 would struggle greatly at that. However, since they are together, when the first guy enters, so does the last, so you can jump out the window before they get to you and make a run for it, maybe tossing a smoke somewhere. You can tell how they are grouped by the killcam. Basically if you’ve got claymores stay, if not go. If there’s 3+, look at how they are grouped from the UAV and decide accordingly.

Cheating the kill cam: The kill cam is one of the sniper’s greatest enemies, since it gives away your position to the angry enemies. However, if you stay scoped in after the shot for about 3-4 seconds, all the enemy sees is a magnified view of where they died and it’s tougher to trace it back to you. I do not prefer to stick the scope into the sky of ground, since there may be someone near the guy you just killed and you can get a second kill. Once you get a kill, just keep the scope up, maybe scanning for friends. This way, you’ve got a chance at a second kill and you’ll be tough to trace.

Leading your target: This is a technique used by snipers to hit running targets. Let’s say you’ve got a guy running to the right across your screen. Simply place your crosshairs way to the right, and wait until he runs into the center of the crosshairs…and….BOOM. You should fire when he is in the center of your crosshairs or JUST before. 

No scoping: No scoping is fun and embarrassing to die from, but not nearly as effective or practical as actually looking down the sights. There are 4 techniques: Lucky, Spastic, G-shot, and Weapon Swap. Honestly, the only one that is somewhat practical in a game would be the spastic technique, but you waste a ton of ammo and you’re better off with a pistol. Here’s how each technique is done. Lucky: you just stand still, fire, and hope for a hit. Very low odds of success. Spastic: You unload a full clip from a semi-auto rifle at point blank range. It usually works about as well as a pistol, but it’s a waste of ammo. G-shot: Here you strafe either left or right. When you move, the crosshair expands, and when you stop it shrinks. Exactly when it is done shrinking is when you should take your shot. The bullet should go to the center of the crosshairs. Weapon Swap: First, you hit the weapon swap button. This is Y for xbox, 1 or 2 for PC, and triangle for PS3. So, hit weapon swap, then quickly follow up by hitting weapon swap and fire at the same time. For xbox, for example, you would hit Y, then Y and RT. If timed properly, the bullet will land in the center of the crosshairs.

Dragging and firing, very quickly: This is where you see an enemy, ‘toss’ the scope in his general direction and fire. It seems to work with the M40 and R700, but since the R700 can’t make a back-up shot if you miss, I’d only use it on the M40. It allows for quick kills, but you shouldn’t expect a hit all the time. It’s fun, but not quite practical, like no-scoping.

How to be tough to spot: This is the final thing you have to learn while sniping. The harder you are to see, the better. Obviously, you have to choose the stance that gives you the view, but makes you tough to see. Once you are in position, DO NOT MOVE. If you adjust to make a shot, it will give away your position to any snipers. When you have to adjust, go prone, make the necessary adjustment, then pop your head back up. Nothing is more obvious than moving and making adjustments while crouching. Your head will bob up and down. How obvious do you need it? If you prone, the head will disappear, than reappear, all in an instant. You are a lot less likely to be seen.

Well, that’s it for my guide. Hopefully after reading this you have a solid class made, know where to snipe, and most importantly, how. Any feedback is appreciated. If you see any grammatical, or spelling errors, or if I missed a technique or didn’t explain something properly please make me aware of it.