What fps is best?

[T-Time]

Hey guys,
Me again. So should I get a 500 fps sniper rifle or one that is in between 400 and 500 fps.
Kind of unsure on what I should get. I just want to be able to count on the range.
Thanks a lot guys!

[Shortbu]

1st off, I would be remorse if I didn't give my $.02 worth on airsoft sniper rifles. For one, if you plan on being an effective sniper in airsoft, you'd better have deep pockets. Building a reliable(that's a very loose term) sniper rifle with effective range and accuracy isn't cheap. I've yet to find any stock bolts that fit the bill. I have 2 of them, and have around a grand into both of them, and still have issues on occasion. Might I also say, they were both built by a VERY reputable tech. Granted, I get around 300' effective range, but it's taken a lot of money, and headache.
Secondly, most people don't really know how to be an effective sniper. It takes lots of patience, practice, and skill. You aren't going to just go out, and sit back out of range and pick off a whole squad. They WILL find you fairly quick, and then it's you with a bolt and side arm, against multiple full, or semi auto AEG's honing in on your position. Jester and I pretty much use ours in a move and shoot role. It's not like Call of Duty, and you have to adjust your skill set accordingly. Don't get me wrong, there are a few guys out there that are very effective in the sniper role, ie. Phiz, and Nug. (They have both spent A LOT on their equipment) But, as a whole, airsoft sniping is an effort in futility.
That being said, deciding between the proper FPS is all relative. Some guns can be set up to get pretty decent range at lower FPS. FPS doesn't equall range. It's about hop-up, barrel, and FPS to BB weight ratio. Having things like barrel spacers so you don't have resonance in the barrel make a difference at long range. I have an AEG that outranges just about any stock bolt,and it shoots 390 FPS. I shoot .30 gram BB's and get around 230' effective range. My Sniper rifles both shoot between 545-549 FPS, and with .40 gram BB's I get around 300' effective range.
My suggestion: figure out whether sniping is actually for you, then figure out your budget. Talk with a reliable tech. He will be able to tell you around what it's going to cost to make your rifle do what you expect it to. Then decide if it's really worth it.
I'm honestly not trying to talk you out of being a sniper, if that's what you REALLY want to do, I say go for it. But I've seen way too many people run out, and buy a stock sniper rifle, expect it to outrange everybody on the field, and get dissapointed when they get lit up all day.
Feel free to PM me if you have further questions, or just want pointed in the right direction of who to talk to. Good luck!

[McNair]

All the FPS.

But in reality. You're 13. Ditch the sniper rifle idea and get an AEG.

Thank you for calling it a sniper rifle, though. You're on the right path there. Many of us have to bang our canes against our porch railings whenever we see someone call a rifle a "sniper".

[T-Time]

1st off, I would be remorse if I didn't give my $.02 worth on airsoft sniper rifles. For one, if you plan on being an effective sniper in airsoft, you'd better have deep pockets. Building a reliable(that's a very loose term) sniper rifle with effective range and accuracy isn't cheap. I've yet to find any stock bolts that fit the bill. I have 2 of them, and have around a grand into both of them, and still have issues on occasion. Might I also say, they were both built by a VERY reputable tech. Granted, I get around 300' effective range, but it's taken a lot of money, and headache.
Secondly, most people don't really know how to be an effective sniper. It takes lots of patience, practice, and skill. You aren't going to just go out, and sit back out of range and pick off a whole squad. They WILL find you fairly quick, and then it's you with a bolt and side arm, against multiple full, or semi auto AEG's honing in on your position. Jester and I pretty much use ours in a move and shoot role. It's not like Call of Duty, and you have to adjust your skill set accordingly. Don't get me wrong, there are a few guys out there that are very effective in the sniper role, ie. Phiz, and Nug. (They have both spent A LOT on their equipment) But, as a whole, airsoft sniping is an effort in futility.
That being said, deciding between the proper FPS is all relative. Some guns can be set up to get pretty decent range at lower FPS. FPS doesn't equall range. It's about hop-up, barrel, and FPS to BB weight ratio. Having things like barrel spacers so you don't have resonance in the barrel make a difference at long range. I have an AEG that outranges just about any stock bolt,and it shoots 390 FPS. I shoot .30 gram BB's and get around 230' effective range. My Sniper rifles both shoot between 545-549 FPS, and with .40 gram BB's I get around 300' effective range.
My suggestion: figure out whether sniping is actually for you, then figure out your budget. Talk with a reliable tech. He will be able to tell you around what it's going to cost to make your rifle do what you expect it to. Then decide if it's really worth it.
I'm honestly not trying to talk you out of being a sniper, if that's what you REALLY want to do, I say go for it. But I've seen way too many people run out, and buy a stock sniper rifle, expect it to outrange everybody on the field, and get dissapointed when they get lit up all day.
Feel free to PM me if you have further questions, or just want pointed in the right direction of who to talk to. Good luck!

Hey man,
Thanks for putting in the time to post a reply.That was some very useful information. And it really helped.
Who would you recommend to talk to? I need something affordable. I don't need something that hurts, but just
something that hits hard enough so someone can feel it and call hit.
Thanks again. Really appreciate it.

[T-Time]

All the FPS.

But in reality. You're 13. Ditch the sniper rifle idea and get an AEG.

Thank you for calling it a sniper rifle, though. You're on the right path there. Many of us have to bang our canes against our porch railings whenever we see someone call a rifle a "sniper".

Ha Ha.
I had a sniper rifle before and really enjoyed camping somewhere and sniping.
But Unfortunately, it wasn't very reliable and broke. I DO have a trusty AK-47 that has
never failed me. But I think it would be pretty cool to get a sniper rifle and maybe a ghillie suit.
Thanks for the reply

[Cyclops]

Problem with guile suits is that when you get hit you don't feel it. I've tried running with one and never really felt anything. But when I took it off all these Bbs come falling out (at a team practice). so I never wore it again. Last thing you want is someone saying that your not calling your hits. So knowing that when I come across a player in a guile I try to shoot there hand or sry to say this but their head. But this doesn't happen as often as there is a lot of room and very few players with guile suit on.

[T-Time]

Problem with guile suits is that when you get hit you don't feel it. I've tried running with one and never really felt anything. But when I took it off all these Bbs come falling out (at a team practice). so I never wore it again. Last thing you want is someone saying that your not calling your hits. So knowing that when I come across a player in a guile I try to shoot there hand or sry to say this but their head. But this doesn't happen as often as there is a lot of room and very few players with guile suit on.

Hmmmm. Good point. I guess I should think about that.
Thanks

[ClownBaby]

Just Google image: Cobra Sniper Hood.
They're kind of experience, but worth it. It doesn't cover anything but your head and shoulders, leaving everything else exposed to BB fire.
Also, they're not too incredibly difficult to make yourself.

[T-Time]

What anyone suggest buying one without any attachments and just building it up?

[Cyclops]

I personally like the L96 type sniper guns. Others may prefer the VSR10 type. Really just go into a shop and hold the gun. If it feels right then it is the one for you. May sound funny but why run a gun that doesn't feel right to your body? Most snipers now a days chrono around 475 to 550. Stick with that for awhile and if it works out for ya then slowly start building the gun. BUT like ShortBu said it does take a lot of money to get it where it should be.

[ClownBaby]

T-time, if you meant the hood, yes.

You buy them blank, and then you stuff freshly picked foliage to put in it. At the end of the day, you pull all that plant material out, shake it off, and bag it up.

That's the benefit of this system, it'll match wherever you are operating.

[T-Time]

Sorry guys.
But how much should I buy a sniper rifle for?

[Cyclops]

New $160 to $250 ish. Basically your buying a gun knowing you will be stripping out like 90% of the internals. That's where it gets expensive.

[ClownBaby]

Yeah, don't get the $80 one on Evike.

Go to ThunderKissNW or Airsoft Outlet Northwest, they'll hook you up.

[B.O.P. Hawk]

If you are gonna be putting the money into the platform, there is no reason not to go up to 550 fps. But to do that reliably you have to replace the piston, the sears, the trigger box (most of the time), the spring guide, the cylinder, probably the bolt handle, and finally the spring... or in short, everything behind the hop-up...

I need something affordable. I don't need something that...

This statement does not go with a bolt-action platform at all.



You can PM me for tech advice if you want. I'm fairly experienced, and I run a small (tiny) business from home as an airsmith. I have a ~$1400 rifle with all of the top-tier components in it.


If you really like the idea of sitting back and ploinking, but don't have the money for a bolt platform, I would suggest looking in to getting a DMR platform set up. That will give you more versatility than a bolt,and it's WAY cheaper, it just requires an experienced tech to put it together.


You are young. You have a lot of time to invest into airsoft before you are out of the house and life hits ya. I would suggest getting a good reliable AEG to start and maybe putting a few upgrades in that so it's nice on the field and you can play while you upgrade you other gun.
Then in a couple months or so, get a good sturdy bolt platform and get a tightbore in it, then upgrade the hop-unit and trigger box, then move back into the compression. Accuracy and consistency is the most important thing with a bolt rifle.

VSR10 style plaforms are lighter weight, more versatile and slightly cheaper to upgrade, but they come stock with a 45 degree piston sear, which is bad juju 90% of the time.

L96/APS2 style platforms are slightly heavier and harder to find parts for, but they have 90 degree piston sears. You will have to buy a new trigger box almost every time with this one, too, as they come with potato-chip-strength plastic ones.

You can PM me for more information about anything.

Good luck!