What do you need in order to be a successful paintball sniper? You have basic personality needs, equipment needs, and the proper strategy. All of these combined will give you the tools you need to become a paintball sniper but you will have to put all of these together on your own to really be triumphant.
First you need to make sure you have the basic traits needed to be successful. You need to be patient. There are many matches that will have you stuck in positions for long periods of time before the perfect shot comes into focus. You will also be playing alone for the most part so you should be comfortable being in that role. This really can take out some of the basic fun of paintball which is the camaraderie but if you can get through this then you will be ahead of the game. You also have to be a confident paintballer. You will be waiting for long periods of time by yourself waiting on the perfect shot and you need to be sure that you can make it when the time comes because you usually only have that one shot.
You will not need much extra equipment other than your basic paintball needs. You will of course need a marker (gun) if you do not already have one. Most guns shoot the same distance because of industry guidelines keeping the speed of the paintballs exiting the barrel at less than 300 feet per second. So it is more important to find a marker that is comfortable to you so you can be your most accurate and consistent when the times comes for the shot. If you do have a marker you are comfortable with then you can simply purchase a paintball sniper kit that can convert your marker into a paintball sniper gun or buy the sniper gun parts separate such as a barrel or scope. You can get a paintball sniper barrel that will put more backspin on the paintball and slightly increase range but it is very difficult to increase range and not lose accuracy. You also need to match the paint you use to the barrel. A paintball sniper scope can also help some. High powered scopes are mostly useless in paintball because the markers will not have the range to make good use of this type of scope. I prefer a simple red dot scope cause of its ease of use and effectiveness at short and long range. Clothing can also enhance your effectiveness as a paintball sniper. One of the main keys to being a great sniper is stealth and a good camouflage outfit can greatly decrease your visibility. Some paintball snipers prefer a ghillie suit which are the best but can be pricey but you can do about the same with a camouflage suit that matches your surroundings. All of this equipment will help but will mean nothing if you don't use your head.
Thinking through the match calmly, using your teammates, and having the proper strategy are the attributes that will separate you from the rest of the paintball snipers. Some of these you will have already and some you may have to develop. You need to be able to find a good hiding spot where you can be comfortable. Then you need to be able to use your teammates to help in putting targets in the proper position to get a good shot. You will also have to use your head to know when it is the proper time to take the shot. If you are lacking in one of these areas, practice time can help you get better. Practice will make you comfortable with your surroundings which will calm you down and allow you to use your teammates to implement the strategy you are using.
Be patient once you find a hiding spot (your suit will hide you), use your teammates to implement your strategy (always be thinking), then use the proper equipment and be confident that you will make the perfect shot at the perfect time and make that one shot kill.
