The Personality and Habits of a Paintball Sniper

To be a good paintball sniper you need certain personality traits, the right physical skills, specialized equipment (including a paintball sniper gun), and the proper know-how. Personality TraitsA successful paintball sniper has mastered certain personality traits, including patience, self-confidence, and independence. Patience is crucial because as a sniper, you must wait for the best shot to present itself to you. Snipers that take the first shot that comes their way usually expose their location and open themselves to attack. Self-confidence is another extremely important characteristic for a paintball sniper. The right shot only rarely comes along, and if you don’t have the confidence to take the shot in the split-second moment that it appears, you probably won’t make for a very good sniper.  Second-guessing oneself typically hinders a paintball sniper. A great paintball sniper also demonstrates independence. The master sniper is a loner, cutting himself off from the fun and camaraderie of team play for the chance to help his teammates win. It’s a noble but lonely role, and if you aren’t comfortable with being by yourself you may find that you can’t resist the urge to get onto the field and be a more active part of the team.  Physical SkillsOf course, any good paintball sniper must be a good shot. Practice long-distance shooting as much as you can, as this skill is the paintball sniper’s main advantage. You will also need to be able to accurately follow a target with your gun and fire as soon as the target stops. Aside from shooting ability, there are a number of other physical skills that can assist you as a paintball sniper. The ability to stay alert in a crouched or sitting position for a long period of time is essential. Flexibility is key, so do some flexibility exercises, such as basic stretching or yoga, before each game. EquipmentThe right equipment is very important for a paintball sniper. If you don’t have the right marker, scope, or camouflage outfit you might as well not even bother. The industry standard for markers restricts the speed of paintballs exiting the barrel at 300 feet per second, which many guns are quite similar to each other. However, you can buy marker enhancement equipment such as tactical red dot sights and barrel mounts. These accessories turn your ordinary paintball marker into a true paintball sniper rifle—a sniper’s dream weapon. Scopes are probably the best accessory you can get for your paintball sniper gun. A high-powered magnification scope or eyepiece will allow you to take down targets at greater distances, but be careful