What makes the best airsoft sniper rifle?
If you plan to play the sniper position in airsoft you can not pick just any airsoft gun, even if it comes highly recommended. You need a sniper rifle.
More than that, you need a sniper rifle that meets certain standards as we are going to outline here.
What is the best airsoft sniper rifle made of?
The Characteristics you should be looking at.
Accuracy
Have you ever heard the phrase “ ‘Close’ only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades?”
Well, if you assume a role where you use an airsoft grenade launcher, or even a machine gun, ‘close’ may be good enough.
This is not so with the sniper position. A sniper usually has one shot before they give away their position, so that one shot needs to hit the target. Accuracy is one of the two top characteristics to look for in a good sniper rifle.
The other is range, but we will discuss that next.
Accuracy is affected by a few things. The following is a list of factors that affect accuracy of the BB.
The Barrel Bore-Precision of the bore All good things deserve the best start in life, and your BB exiting the barrel is no exception.
The walls of the barrel (along with the hop-up nub) are the first thing your BB encounters as it travels out of your gun on its path to your intended target.
The barrel walls are the only guide the BB has to get it on a straight trajectory, so the more precise and even the walls are, the straighter the BB will travel.
The most accurate airsoft sniper rifle will have a metal barrel, or at least a barrel with a metal liner. Metal can be machined more precisely that plastic, which is usually molded.
Tightness of the bore
The bore diameter of most airsoft guns ranges between 6.08 to 6.05. The BB is 6mm, so this bore diameter allows some wiggle room and reduces jamming.
This wiggle room also throws off the accuracy of the gun. For a sniper rifle, the best bore is a 6.03 tight bore. That will give the best accuracy. Any lower that that and you are inviting the BB to jam in your gun, not a great move if you only have one shot to hit your target to begin with.
A tight bore is still more prone to jamming than the ‘loosy-goosy’ 6.05 to 6.08 on stock barrels, so as a sniper, you must clean the barrel frequently as dust and debris can lead to jams.
Length of the barrel
A longer barrel equals a more accurate shot, up to a certain point. If the barrel is too long, the BB begins to lose momentum and accuracy, or more specifically, range, are affected.
There is not a set rule, but a barrel a little over stock length, between 450mm and 499mm is ideal.
Hop-up
The hop up is a rubber nub that comes in contact with the BB as it is shot out of the gun. If the hop up puts too much of a spin, the BB will fly too high after exiting the barrel and be off target.
If the spin is too low the BB will not go long enough and can not reach its target. What you are looking for is the ‘goldilocks’ hop-up setting. A hop-up set ‘just right’ will give the BB the distance you need, without sending it up to high.
The hop-up on the most accurate airsoft sniper rifle will be adjustable, so you can find your ‘goldilocks’ setting. It will also use high quality rubber that won’t crack break or become brittle and perform poorly.
The BB
At a minimum, a sniper should use a .2 gram BB. The heavier the BB, the less affected by outside forces it is. It also tends to hit harder.
If all other variables remain the same, a heavy BB will have a longer range (go farther), and be more accurate. A heavy bb holds onto energy and spin longer. This may seem contradictory, but a heavy BB will drop your FPS, it will travel slower, but go longer than a lighter BB.
Think of a heavy train vs. a light airplane. The airplane can fly faster, but once the engine is turned off, it loses its velocity quickly. A heavy train can shut off its engine and coast for quite a while.
BB quality also matters. A smooth perfectly round BB will fly straighter and longer that an uneven or dimpled BB, or one with a rough surface.
Dimples and rough un-shiny surface on a BB will cause air drag, slow the BB down, and warp it’s trajectory. In the worst case scenario, a low quality BB will break apart, jamming the gun or possibly causing damage.
Range
Range is important for a sniper because the farther away you are when you hit your target the better. The element of surprise and ability to remain undetected increase the farther you are from the target.
Range is the second most important performance factor to look for when searching for the best airsoft sniper rifle.
One major factor affecting range is the FPS of the sniper rifle out of the box. Of course many factors affect the FPS, such as BB weight, bore diameter and barrel length.
The only way to accurately measure the FPS is with a chrono gun, but the specs from the manufacturer are with the stock barrel, stock bore diameter and usually a .2g BB.
Upgradeability
Most snipers will be making upgrades to their rifle so it is important to get a rifle that you can easily upgrade.
The most common upgrades will be for the barrel, and if it is a spring powered bolt action rifle, the spring will be a common upgrade.
Other items often upgraded on the best airsoft sniper rifles are the trigger, cylinder, bolt, piston, hop-up, barrel spacers and bucking.
The point is, make sure the gun is easy to work with, maintain and upgrade, because you will probably be doing those things.
Spring Powered vs. Electric Powered Semi Automatic AEG vs. Gas Powered
The most common type of top rated sniper rifle out there is the spring powered bolt action rifle.
Bolt action rifles normally have higher FPS and they create less noise than electric guns. Their one disadvantage is that they have a lower rate of fire, they do not spray bbs like an electric auto or semi auto gun.
A true sniper rifle, the best airsoft sniper rifle on the market, is a bolt action rifle.
Spring Powered Bolt Action Rifles vs. Gas Powered.
Spring powered bolt action rifles are the most common. Spring powered guns are easy to take apart and maintain, they are simple to upgrade ad work in a wide range of weather conditions. The downside is they are louder than gas powered rifles.
Gas powered rifles can be quiet and may have higher power, but they can be inconsistent, often varying by plus or minus 50 FPS from shot to shot.
Best Airsoft Sniper Rifle Reviews
Black UTG Type 96 L96 Airsoft Sniper Rifle
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Review
The UTG L96 is a spring powered bolt action Maruzen L96 clone airsoft rifle that is very upgradeable, at an affordable budget. Parts and upgrades are inexpensive and easy to find.
Full metal adjustable stock that is foldable for close quarter play. The body is durable plastic. It has a precision machined one piece metal barrel. This gun has a good range and is accurate right out of the box.
Pros
- 465 FPS with .2 gram BBs.
- Most components, excluding stock, are metal.
- 3-9×40 Scope included.
Cons
- Will need upgrades to get the most out of the gun, but it still performs well as a stock gun.
Conclusion
Fast and accurate, at an affordable budget. One of the best airsoft sniper rifle on the market.
Well MB4411G Bolt Action Spring Sniper Rifle
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Review
The Well MB4411 spring powered bolt action sniper rifle is a great sniper rifle that looks good and has several rails to customize.
The gun has a foldable stock and scope included, plus a bipod. The pistol grip is very comfortable. This rifle is also very upgradeable.
Pros
- 30 round mag that can be released with either hand.
- Adjustable cheek rest.
- Adjustable hop-up.
- 395 FPS stock with .2 gram bbs.
Cons
- Can not get a spare mag, they are not sold separately.
Conclusion
A good looking sniper rifle that has a great speed and is easy to upgrade.
Well L96 AWP Bolt Action Spring Powered Sniper Rifle Airsoft Gun
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Review
The WELL L96 is ‘well’ known in the airsoft sniper community. This popular sniper rifle has a well placed magazine.
I makes a great beginner sniper rifle because it is affordable and very upgradeable.
This is a spring powered bolt action rifle. It has a very smooth, easy to pull trigger.
Pros
- 30 round mag and bb loader included.
- Adjustable hop up on the side.
- Adjustable cheek weld and stock.
- One top rail included.
- 420 FPS.
Cons
- Scope and bi-pod not included.
Conclusion
This is an excellent beginner sniper rifle that is fast and upgradeable. The best spring airsoft sniper rifle.
Well MB01 High Power Pro Airsoft Sniper Rifle
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Review
The Well MB01 Bolt action Airsoft sniper rifle is a well built rifle that gives you a lot compared to what you pay.
This comes as a set with a bipod and a high quality 3 x 9 zoom 40 mm diameter scope.
The rifle features full hop up and a top rail for accessories.
Pros
- Adjustable rubber butt pad, sling mounts and a cheek rest.
- Bipod attaches easily to the bottom rail.
- 25 round magazine.
Cons
- Fires at 420 fps, will need to mod the gun to get the FPS higher.
Conclusion
A high quality sniper rifle with the extras you need.
Well L96 Spring Airsoft Sniper Rifle
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Review
This is one of the most common starter airsoft sniper rifles. The trigger is very light. This gun is easy to upgrade and adjust.
One of the reasons it is so popular. It is common for snipers to make mods that quiet the rifle, and this is a great gun to mod.
This gun includes a scope and mount, plus it shoots 450 fps out of the box.
Pros
- Two sling mounts.
- Bipod mountable.
- Adjustable cheek weld and butt pad.
- Top rail for attachments.
- The magazine is removable with either hand.
Cons
- Shoots 450 FPS out of the box, the most common mod to this gun is increasing the FPS, followed by noise dampening.
Conclusion
An excellent introduction to beginning sniping.
Well MB06 SR-2 Tactical Airsoft Sniper Rifle
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Review
The Well MB06 Bolt action Sniper rifle is an affordable yet quality gun. This gun includes a full metal scope making it a great value.
The bolt is easy to pull and the gun has 450-500 FPS out of the box. Range of 100 to 150 out of the box.
Pros
- The gun has a mount for a bipod.
- The stock gives the gun a unique look.
- It is adjustable and has a sling mount.
- Metal barrel and trigger housing.
- Magazine holds up to 30 rounds.
Cons
- The magazine is awkward to remove and load, because it needs a specific tip to load.
- Speed loader tip offered separately.
Conclusion
This gun is ideal for the airsoft sniper on a budget.
This concludes our best airsoft sniper rifle reviews. We hope you are able to ‘scope out’ an excellent sniper rifle for your airsoft game.
Last update on 2024-10-23 at 03:40 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API