Best Shooting Position for a the Paintball Sniper?

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:33:57 +0000

Have a look at the photo below. Have you utilized this position before? What positions do you us most? Any better than any other?

Leave a comment below and I’ll chime in as they roll!

Two Critical Qualities of the Most Effective Paintball Snipers

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:07:43 +0000

This is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of the “Paintball Sniper Field Training Manual“.

The whole manual is available to members of the Paintball Sniper Codex Training program available here: Paintball Sniper Codex

Patience is "Character Quality #1" for a Paintball Sniper

Quality #1: Patience
Timing is everything. The first rule of skilled paintball snipers is: one shot, one out. This is an ideal scenario that we work to achieve. (The reality is that paintballs are unreliable. Two shots, one out is more accurate and a better strategy in most practical situations.) More on that later but with that objective in mind, you can imagine that a lot more than the right marker goes into a snipers success. In fact, one of the best weapons you can have on the playing field is patience.
During a scenario game of tactical paintball, most players become enthralled with the excitement of the game. This enthusiasm leads them to move too quickly or to respond without thinking through all of the options. The patient player has an extreme advantage. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stepped on by players rushing the field or how many eliminations I’ve made within feet or inches of my target because they were blundering blindly.

Dictionary.com defines patience as “the ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.” It takes time to wait out a situation, plan a skilled move, or uncover your opponent’s weak spots and tactical plan. A paintball sniper who is disciplined in patience and stable enough to endure the “rush” of the game without rushing ahead will give them an advantage. This takes training and trial and error to perfect.

Quality #2: Fortitude

Fortitude is "Character Quality #2" for the Paintball Sniper

Being able to remain mentally and emotionally strong during a threatening or difficult situation is a quality that all successful paintball snipers share. The basic skill set that snipers are trained to master cannot be successfully maintained and performed if they cannot remain in control during turmoil. Having the fortitude to remain strong in a hectic environment will give you an advantage over your opponent. Your eyes stay clear, your breathing stays regulated, your thoughts sharp. As the famous author, Rudyard Kipling, wrote: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs….then you’ll be a man my son.”

Patience and fortitude aid in achieving stealth since you must be able to wait out the best opportunity and slowly approach your position undetected.

Paintball sniper training course?

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:45:53 +0000

So summer has hit and I’ve got a few weeks off from the usual awesome work I get to do. And I thought I’d put together this massive collection of paintball sniper training. A full course.

And it’s keeping me super busy. But I’m stuck on a name for this thing. Something exciting. Something informational. So I thought I’d put it up here for your ideas and input.

Leave a comment below with your idea for a name for this wicked training.

Paintball Ghillie 30 Second Mod for Paintball Snipers

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:03:27 +0000

The paintball ghillie suit can be a wicked addition to the paintball sniper arsenal of tricks. But, outta the bag, it’s really lame actually. Yes, you’ll hide on people while wearing it. But hiding on most people is simply a matter of sitting still, just out of their field of view. But if someone starts looking for you, spotting a massive, furry lump of yarn isn’t too hard. This 30 second tip will make your paintball ghillie suit 10x more effective.

Paintball Sniper Interview with DownRange Magazine

admin — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:47:08 +0000

DR: Please tell us a little about yourself (your name or callsign, your team if you are a part of one, your marker setup, etc.):
My mom and dad call me Doug. That works. My kids call me daddy but that’d be a little weird. You can just call me Doug. I don’t play on a team typically. My oldest son and I play weekly as a two man team. Just scenario ball. I run an A-5 with 3 position collapsible stock and a 14″ J&J barrel. I play with tank on the marker and still run CO2 only because HPA tanks are so danged expensive. I’m going to be testing out the Ninja 12 cubic inch high pressure tank this year. It’s small and will only require me to sell one kidney on eBay.

DR: When did you discover your passion for being a paintball sniper?

It was never really the “paintball sniper” that was my passion per se. It was the art and science of camouflage, stealth, reconnaissance and awareness that became part of my life through many incredible experiences and some awesome instructors. As I played paintball, there was never any other way I wanted to play it. And the paintball sniper role was just one way I could exercise those skills against real human opponents. It’s so sweet to use the skills to get within a couple of feet of deer and other critters but to ply the trade against humans is just a different level. Now, if you can get within a few feet of deer, humans are actually pretty easy.

DR: Out of all the equipment you’ve used, what’s been your favourite and why?
I rely on my Tippmann A-5. It’s a workhorse. Louder than heck unfortunately but I have literally, in 7 years, never had a ball break in it. Anywhere. I’m not sure what other “equipment” I really use honestly. A good pair of shoes. I use the Merrell Pivot-Lace with a Vibram sole. Wicked shoe. Doesn’t have the higher ankle support that I would recommend but it’s light and very durable. And it comes in a brown and tan color scheme, which is a fine base for camouflage. Um, I always have my beef jerky and Jelly Belly gourmet jelly beans close at hand. And I drink G2 Gatorade through the day. But I cut it 1/2 and 1/2 with water. Otherwise that stuff will actually dehydrate you more.

DR: Do you have any pre-event rituals or habits that you’d be willing to share with the paintball sniper community? If any, is it or are they a significant part of your game?
Getting camouflaged is a big ritual for me. It’s like donning battle armor. When you settle yourself down and really pay attention to the details of your camouflage, you’ll sink into that zone where nothing escapes your notice, your attention. Then I just carry that into the field. And I believe in helping people be better people. So I socialize before the game. I look for the players that look like they want to be paintball snipers. I help people with their gear. Especially younger players. I ask questions, joke it up. And I’ve always got it in my mind “How can I leave this person better than when I first encountered them?”

DR: As a player with years in the craft, are there any words of wisdom that you would wish a skilled player would have told you when you first started out as a paintball sniper?

Go slow! That’s just SUCH a critical concept. Your camouflage can be half-baked but if you’re going slow and getting low you’ll slip under the radar of the majority of people. Sometime I’ll have to share the time when I nearly got pee’d on by a gal. Sheesh.

DR: Given the chance what is the biggest misconception that you would want to clear up about the paintball sniper?
The paintball sniper, as much as players want to believe it, is NOT a long distance shooter. Sorry. You can do a few basic things to increase your distance and, by all means, I encourage that, but by and large a paintball only goes as far as a paintball goes. Focus on being an ACCURATE shooter. A stealthy, invisible, accurate shooter who’s primary tool, next to his marker, is his cunning and his ability to cause hesitancy, incite confusion and decimate morale.

DR: With the 2011 paintball season looming, what is the newest paintball technology that you are the most excited about? Why?
Technology? Paintball technology? Nah. I’m probably still going to be shooting my camo’d A-5. Still gonna wear my Borderwalker ghillie jacket. I might (and that’s a big “might”) try out a pistol or two. I like the freedom of movement. When you get into the close-range zone, moving around a 14″ barrel is a huge liability. So I might give a TPX or Tiberius pistol a spin. A paintball sniper does not rely on technology. Give me my old PMI Trracer, a small hopper and 10 balls and I’m going to be effective. You definitely don’t need expensive gear. In fact, that’s the freedom of the paintball sniper. Light, fast, mobile and invisible.

DR: Do you think newer paintball snipers starting out are experiencing the same difficulties/issues that you ran into when you first started? Can you give us an example?
Yep. The same issues are still there. The world still moves too fast. Then when you try and get on the field and slow down, you can’t do it. You’re twitchy, impatient, because you’ve been moving a hundred miles an hour, in and out of malls, traffic, high speed interweb, phones. Try and sit still, perfectly still, in a chair in your living room for thirty minutes. Better yet, try it outside in your yard or the local park. Bet you can’t make it past five minutes before you get itchy. Slow down. The pace of the western world is literally killing us.

DR: As a paintball sniper, which of the 5 main of being a paintball sniper components (marksmanship, patience, observation skills, stealth and concealment and counter-sniper skills) do you think have the most relevance on the field? Why?

Patience. Hands down. And no one wants to face that fact. Why? Because playing a “patient” game can also be a very boring game. Potentially. But the patience will put you into positions that NO OTHER player will get into. Like having a 4 man squad pass you and give you access to their unprotected backs. Combine patience with impeccable camouflage and cunning stealth movement. Deadly.

DR: We would like to take this chance to thank you for your time and effort in answering our questions, in closing, as a paintball sniper; what is a good venue, organization or event that you find is furthering the paintball sniper community?
Well I’ve got two huge suggestions. One is our site. No jokes. I’m not tooting my own horn. The web is largely devoid of concise, clear, actionable content for paintball snipers. That’s what we’re bringing. Articles, videos, interviews, photos. And there are some HUGE surprises to come in the next two months, before the season gets started. For early bird access and to download our “10 Keys to Killer Camo” training module, go to http://www.tacticalpaintballsniper.com. Send us your e-mail and we’ll get you hooked up with that module and weekly training articles and videos.

The other is a gear site that I highly recommend. I did an interview with the owner, Dan Klaas at http://www.rockstartactical.com. He specializes in gear for the paintball sniper along with all other manner of tactical paintball equipment. Dan knows his stuff, runs a great online store and I highly recommend him as an information source too.

The Definitive Paintball Sniper Gear List

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:18:53 +0000

No B.S. No frills. Just plain and simple, tried, tested and true paintball sniper gear. The marker choice WILL surprise you. The camouflage pattern may not.

Click here to see my “Paintball Sniper Gear List“.

If you just want the list, here it is:

Tippmann SL-68 II Pump Marker
50 Round Hopper
50 Round Pod
V-Force Morph Goggle System (with amber lenses)
Crye Multicam BDU Cargo Pants
Mossy Oak Brush Long Sleeve Shirt
Mossy Oak McNett Camouflage Tape
Merrell Moab Ventilator Hiking Shoe
Extreme Rage Flexi-Swamp Squeegee
Tippmann Booby Bomb Grenade
Major Paintball Master Paint Mine
Rotcho 3 Pack Face Paint (for your hands)

Paintball sniper history lesson!

admin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:38:59 +0000

Where did the role of paintball sniper come from? Snipers through military history have played a major role but now their role is a science and an art form. As paintball snipers, we need to learn where we came from to know better where we can go with this role in tactical paintball.

Paintball Sniper Marker – Ion Longbow for Sale

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:08:25 +0000

Vote for the Paintball Sniper YouTube Commercial!

admin — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:18:55 +0000

Hey, don’t forget to watch and comment on the paintball sniper commercial on YouTube, created by yours truly!

Go now and leave a comment!

Click here: Paintball Sniper YouTube Channel

Paintball Sniper Agility Fitness Training

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:03:00 +0000

Sniper Agility Fitness
Improving your reflexes is also a great way to increase your ability on the playing field. Increasing your reaction time can have an incredible effect on your game. Reacting unexpectedly and heading off your opponents before they see you are sure ways to win any competition.

The following workout recommendations are simple, basic training skills that will help you improve your speed and agility.

Cross Country Running (in other words, running in the woods)
Running through nature is a great way to learn to expect the unexpected. Foliage, ditches, natural changes in the landscape will all work against you, causing you to remain alert and careful–thus improving your agility. Your body will be forced to work in unpredictable ways in order to get through uneven terrain, or unexpected changes. The key to this exercise is to run as fast as you can. You want to train your mind to react quickly.

Solo Wall Bounce
Stand in front of any wall with any ball and bounce it against the wall, catching it on its return. By hitting the wall at different speeds and angles, you can give yourself a great workout and really train your body to react in a variety of stances.

Mountain Climbers
Yes, like the standard ones your high school coaches made you suffer through, but taken up a notch. Drop down with your hands on the floor. Raising your butt in the air and on the balls of your feet, begin jogging in place. You’ll begin to stretch out your calves and your plantar (bottoms) of your feet. Your thighs will get a great workout which will serve to stabilize you when you need to slow down to a dead still stalk. Once you master the skill, increase the speed.

And, I can’t believe I’m saying this but….

Video Games
You’re welcome. Now you have an excuse. To improve your visual speed under dire circumstances, using a video game can really make a difference. It’s the perfect way to enhance response reaction and visual perception. Try something that is difficult and challenging for you, something you haven’t mastered yet. Do this 2 days a week, for 30 minutes.

This can literally be done in your basement, garage, rec room, gym or backyard.

Determine your goals. Set a schedule. Stick to it.