Hey! It's another movie about a hit man! The American features a sinuous, sad, tattooed George Clooney as an assassin who agrees to do one last job and lots of moody, plinkity background music. It doesn't look half bad, especially if you like serious movies with gorgeous aerial shots of Italy, women who know their way around a sniper rifle, George Clooney falling in love without his shirt on, and freighted theological conversations (“I don't think God is very interested in me, Father.”). Director Anton Corbijn's follow-up to Control won't be out until the beginning of September, at which point it should signal the shift from popcorn flicks full of guns to potential Oscar films full of guns.
I don’t know about you guys but ever since I booted up my first FPS game I was fascinated with guns. Of course, utilizing them in-game is a whole lot more glorious, moral and overall fun than it is in real life. However, if you’re like me it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside when some new destructive technology gets off the drawing boards and into production, you’re going to like this one.
It seems that the United States Government is investing a whole $5.6 million into the design, development and production of an upgrade to their already heavily used and incredible valuable M24 sniper rifle (Call of Duty players, you payin’ attention?). The current version of the M24 rifle has the capability of firing ad deadly shot from up to 800 meters away, or about half a mile. Well, this new and improved version of the sniper rifle has the ability to disable (read: kill) a target with .300 Winchester Magnum rounds from over a kilometer away. Couple this with the gun’s new 16.5x – 25x adjustable magnification scope and a attachment loving body and you have yourself a very, very deadly weapon.
In all honesty, this advancement in firearm technology will prove itself to be extremely valuable to the United States military currently positioned in the Middle East. The M24 is already known to be a silent killer but with the added range, new and improved scope and the ability to be paired up with attachments like night vision, this new rifle may very well be a game changer.
The War on Terror has seen a number of guerrilla warfare tactics utilized by the Middle Eastern insurgents so being able to neutralize enemies silently, efficiently and quickly is an absolute must. However, before you head over to your local gun shop to pre-order one of these puppies, think again; the only way you’re going to get your hands on one of these brand new M24 sniper rifles is if you enlist in the military or wait until game developers incorporate it into their games.
Using the best Rifles
What size BB is best for my gun? Does it matter what brand it is? For the experienced airsoft sniper or designated marksman, you may already know what ammo make, model and size is best for your particular gun. For the new sniper, this article will prove to be very important! There are many factors that come in to play when it comes to being a successful sniper: Picking the right ammo for your gun is one of them. There are many common misconceptions about choosing a BB. For example, it is a well spread rumor that the heavier the BB, the shorter your effective range. This isn't the case. In fact, the key to your success is finding the heaviest BB your gun can handle and sticking with it. You can have the nicest rifle with the most advanced upgrades available for it, but your gun is only going to be as good as the ammo you're using!
First let's go over the recommended BB sizes:
.12g – Very lightweight. Too easily affected by weather and hop-up. NOT RECOMMENDED for any gun!
.15g – A little heavier than the .12g, but still way too light for any airsoft sniper rifle.
.20g – A well-made .2g will produce acceptable results, but still not recommended (unless for low-end guns)
.23g – Almost there. Can be used with good results in an airsoft rifle, but why not go for a .25g BB?
.25g – Now we're talking. This weight of BBs is the lowest recommended weight for a quality airsoft rifle.
.28g – Welcome to the heavy-weights. These are for mid-grade (or upgraded guns) to high-grade rifles.
.30g+ – These are for high-end and/or heavily upgraded guns only. Find which works best for your rifle.
Now let's take a look at the different recommended brands of BBs:
Tokyo Marui
KSC
Excel
Matrix
Airsoft Elite (AE)
Systema
AIM
SRC
Stealth
Maruzen
*The higher-end BBs like these stated are shaped to better standards than other makers, which in return means less jamming and more accuracy!
The truth is there's no clear cut way for me to tell you exactly which type of BB would be best for you and your gun. The type of BB you should choose depends on many factors like what gun you'll be using, what (if any) parts are upgraded, what is the weather like most often where you play, and what distances are you most often shooting from, just to name a few. The best advice is to buy a few small bags of the recommended brands and sizes I mentioned above, and try them out yourself! Sight your scope in and adjust your hop-up with each brand and size of BB, making sure to fire off many rounds with each to get a clear idea of the individual performances. Find which BB works best with your needs and your gun's abilities and go with it! This process takes a small investment and possibly a good bit of time, but it's well worth it. Having the right BB for you and your gun can make a serious difference in your game.
Even more information about airsoft sniping can be found at http://www.theairsoftsniper.com