Are you tired of using your M4 to mow down enemies? Do you want to take out enemies from afar?
Snipers have you covered. Yea it’s fun running around the field shooting people, but being stealthy can be fun too.
Here’s the thing:
You want to make sure you get the best airsoft sniper rifle possible.
We created this airsoft sniper guide so that you can pick a good rifle without being overwhelmed. Fire up.
Comparison of the Best Airsoft Sniper Rifles
| ASG ASW338LM | UMAREX H&K SL9 | CYMA CM032EBR M14 | VFC LICENSED MCMILLAN M40A5 | UTG SPORT GEN 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging |  |  |  |  |  |
| More Info | View | View | View | View | View |
| FPS | 394 | 430 | 400 | 440 | 450 |
| Power Source | Spring | Electric | Electric | Green Gas | Spring |
| Source | Hobbytron | Hobbytron | Hobbytron | Hobbytron | Amazon |
| Our Choice |  |
(Scroll to the right to see all the guns)
Content:
- What is an airsoft sniper rifle
- Benefits of getting an airsoft sniper rifle
- Choosing your base rifle
- Optics
- Airsoft glossary
- Best airsoft sniper rifles reviewed
What is An Airsoft Sniper Rifle
Relatively speaking, an airsoft sniper rifle also allows you to pick off opponents from a greater distance than a pistol or other airsoft weapon, in the same way an actual sniper rifle picks off opponents with bullets.
They have long barrels that allow for improved accuracy, and will have rails that allow you to attach accessories such as scopes.
Airsoft sniper rifles are intended to look like modern day sniper rifles. Modern sniper rifles can’t be owned by the general public, which means airsoft snipers are the next best thing.
Actual sniper rifles are commonly divided into two classes, military and law enforcement.
The ones designed for military service are made to be durable, long-range, repairable under adverse conditions and light as minimization of weight is important as soldiers often carry their rifles long distances. The trade-off of this is that the guns are slightly less accurate.
Rifles designed for police work don’t have to have such a long range as the military variety, but they do need to be as accurate as possible.
As a sniper, you’ll be mostly alone, or with one other sniper. This means you’ll be away from close range battle, while till having the ability to take out enemies.
With the proper airsoft sniper loadout, this can be pretty fun to do.
Benefits of Getting an Airsoft Sniper Rifle
The main benefit of owning a sniper rifle over any other type of airsoft gun is the range. Sniper rifles have a greater amount of range than pistols and other types of guns, which means enemies will have to get close in order to take you out.
They are also more accurate at longer ranges than other types of guns. This makes it quite easy to see why having a sniper rifle is a popular choice.
In order for snipers to be truly effective, they will have to be able to hit targets further than 100 yards. If it can’t hit targets from that far, than what you’re using is really just an ordinary rifle.
Cons of Getting an Airsoft Sniper Rifle
There are some cons to getting an airsoft sniper rifle that I feel people should be aware of.
The first one, and maybe the most apparent, is the price. High quality airsoft rifles can pretty expensive, so if your budget is tight, I’d avoid getting an airsoft sniper rifle.
For a lower price you can get an airsoft gun (like an AEG or AK-47) for cheaper. Check our airsoft gun guide for more info about that.
The second con is gameplay. With snipers, patience is huge. Depending on how large the airsoft field is, you may spend a bit of time waiting on a visual of an enemy.
If you don’t have patience, buying an airsoft sniper rifle may be a bad choice.
Choosing your Base Rifle
Be very careful when choosing a base rifle. What you choose will affect your upgrade potential down the road. Further, choosing a good base rifle, though possibly more costly in the short term can save you money in the long-term.
Spring-powered
Spring-powered sniper rifles, or springers as they are sometimes called, are the type of sniper rifle most people begin with. If you take care of them, they are very long-lasting and reliable.
On top of that, they are also very cost-effective. They don’t require batteries or gas to operate, and work off the power of a coiled spring, making them really easy to repair if something breaks. Keep in mind that you will have to manually compress the spring, which can take some effort from people who have never used an airsoft sniper rifle before. That being said, compressing the spring adds to the airsoft game, and makes it more exciting.
Another benefit of spring-powered rifles is how quiet they are. If you’re in a match, you want to make it as difficult as possible to be found. Having a loud airsoft gun will make it easier for opponents to find you.
Gas-powered
Much like other airsoft guns, there are also gas-powered sniper rifles, in both red and green gas. These rifles can be somewhat temperamental, inconsistent and heavy to carry.
However, if you get them properly tuned, they are great. They are also especially good if you want a gun that shoots accurately straight out of the box and takes minimal tuning to get good results.
However, if you plan on buying a gas sniper rifle, research it extensively first. This can save you a lot of time, heartache and money later.
Why the research?
Gas powered rifles require more maintenance to keep them at peak performance. If you aren’t willing to constantly clean and lubricate these guns, it won’t be worth getting.
Gas rifles are also loud. If you are worried about being seen, you might want to avoid these guns. However, I can tell you that the sounds make the game more fun and realistic.
AEG
AEG’s are rifles that are powered by motors. They don’t have the range or power of the other sniper above, but they are able to fire BBs at a much faster rate. These snipers would be great for mid-sized and smaller fields.
These guns are also more versatile in that you can use them on more airsoft fields due to the lower FPS. You won’t be able to use high powered rifles in close quarter battles (CQB), and it would be useless to use them in the first place. Imagine trying to reload you rifle after firing once, and then having an opponent hit you with a barrage of BBs. Definitely not worth it.
DMR’s
DMR stands for Designated Marksman’s Rifle. DMR’s are supposed to be a sort of in-between rifle. I won’t go into too much detail about them. Just know that these sniper rifles take a lot of money and time to do properly. It’s necessary to research thoroughly what platform you want, and how you want to achieve that. You wouldn’t want to put all that labor, time and money into a gun you don’t want to use.
Optics
One type of optic is scopes. Scopes are extremely useful when using your sniper rifle. In its basic form, scopes are magnifying glasses that help you see far away. This is important since you will be far from the main battle area for most of the game.
Scopes also have something called a reticle. These are lines that help improve your accuracy when you fire a BB. Take a look at the image below to get a sense of what I mean.
Using a rifle without a scope is like playing baseball with your eyes closed. You’re going to have a tough time being accurate.
Airsoft Glossary
No matter what type of airsoft gun you intend on buying, it’s important to know the terminology. Knowing this information can save you a lot of confusion and frustration, and make the overall process of buying an airsoft sniper rifle more pleasant.
AEG – Automatic Electric Gun. An airsoft gun, including sniper rifles, that is powered by a motor through a set of gears and a piston that compresses air to fire the pellets.
BB – Ball bullet. The plastic pellets used in airsoft sports.
GBB – Gas Blowback. A mechanism found in airsoft pistols but more commonly in rifles that allows the rifle’s bolt to move, reloading the weapon.
FPS – Feet per second. The rate at which a BB will travel from the barrel of your gun.
High-cap – High-capacity magazines. Usually holds 200-400 rounds. Using this kind of magazine means you won’t have to reload nearly as often. These feed ammunition through the gun using a wind-up mechanism.
Low-cap – Low-capacity magazines holding 50 or 100 BBs. These feed ammunition through the gun via springs.
ROF – Rate of fire.
RPM – Rounds per minute. A measurement of ROF.
Skirmish – Organized airsoft battle.
Now that you have a good idea of what airsoft sniper rifles are, how they work, and what kinds are available, you can use the remainder of this guide to make a much more informed decision on which gun is right for you.
Best Airsoft Sniper Rifles Reviewed
ASG ASW338LM FPS-394 Spring Airsoft Sniper Rifle
This sniper rifle is honestly really impressive. The design of the ASG was actually influenced by the 3D drawings provided by Ashbury International Group.
For those of you who don’t know what Ashbury International Group is, they create high-end products and services used by people in the military. One of those products is, of course, snipers.
Like most snipers, this airsoft sniper has a top rail for when you want to use your scope to take out enemies. It also features side and bottom rails for mounting bi-pods and other accessories.
The internals on this airsoft sniper are VSR 10 compatible. If you’re not sure what that means, here’s a brief explanation:
VSR is a very popular sniper platform in airsoft, which means there are a variety of parts and upgrades on the market. That means if you were looking to upgrade the ASG in the future, you’ll have no trouble finding parts that will work well with the gun.
In terms of physical attributes, the ASG is about 42 inches long. It’s spring-powered, and has an FPS of about 394. It has an adjustable hop up for improving your accuracy, and is bolt action.
If money isn’t an issue, this sniper rifle is one of the best in the market today.
Umarex H&K SL9 FPS-430 Blowback Electric Airsoft Sniper Rifle
The SL9 is an electric blowback airsoft sniper rifle. It has a top rail for your scope, and an ergonomic grip.
The rifle shoots at about 430 FPS with .20g BBs, and has a length of approximately 43 inches.
The externals are made from polymer, making it lighter than other sniper rifles. This important for when you want to move around the airsoft field as quickly as possible.
When you buy this rifle, you’ll also get an adjustable spring-loaded bipod as well as a 35 round magazine. What you won’t get is the battery and the charger, which means you’ll need to buy it separately.
Something to keep in mind is that the barrel is pretty long. This can be annoying for some people. Another possible annoyance is the silencer that comes with the gun. If you want to remove it, you’ll have to use a heat gun.
CYMA CM032EBR M14 Sniper Rifle Black FPS-400 Electric Airsoft Gun
The Cyma M14 is an electric airsoft sniper rifle that looks to impress with its wide range of features.
The length of the rifle is about 37 inches, and 40 inches with the stock extended. With no upgrades it can fire .20g BBs at about 400 FPS. Keep in mind that airsoft fields have limits on FPS, so always check that out before buying an airsoft gun.
This rifle also features a full metal iron sight, and has an optics rail mount for when you want to add on a scope.
Unlike other rifles mentioned, this gun comes with a crane stock battery and a wall charger. This rifle is essentially ready to operate right out of the box.
If you ever want to upgrade this M14, the internals are upgradeable with V7 parts.
VFC Licensed McMillan M40A5 FPS-440 Gas Powered Bolt Action Airsoft
The VFC McMillan is a green gas powered airsoft sniper rifle. Since this rifle is gas powered, you’ll experience similarities to using a real sniper rifle.
What’s amazing about this gun is that you can actually adjust the power of this gun. If you want to play in matches that have an FPS limit, this gun allows you to meet those requirements.
In terms of size, this gun is 46 inches long and weighs about 9.5 pounds. This gun is at a 1:1 scale with actual snipers used by the United States Marines Corp, which is pretty awesome.
The gun also comes with a variety of accessories. Some accessories include a removable flash suppressor and a magazine that holds up to 15 rounds. Keep in mind that since this airsoft gun is green gas, you’re going to need to keep purchasing green gas in order for the gun to operate.
UTG SPORT GEN 5 AIRSOFT MASTER SNIPER RIFLE
The Sport Gen 5 is a spring-powered sniper rifle. When firing .2g BBs, you’ll find that the FPS is around 450 FPS.
When you purchase this gun, you will need to do some light assembly before using it. This rifle comes with a speed loader, which is essentially a device that’s used to reload guns at a faster rate.
You can adjust the hop up to improve the line of fire. When firing, you may realize it’s a bit difficult to pull the bolt back the first few times, although it gets easier.
There are a bunch of accessories that come included with this gun. You’ll get a spare magazine, a spring operated speedloader, and a black bipod.
That wraps up our airsoft sniper rifle guide. Hopefully you now get a sense of what to look for and what to expect when you a rifle. Have fun on the battlefield!
