How to shoot long range.

Sniping is a difficult process, especially in VR. However some real life experience goes a long way, and I've got you covered there! Sit back and learn some of the tips and tricks to precision shooting.

1: Before we begin, some concepts.

I will try to write this without inserting myself into it very much, as I understand that this is about shooting a rifle in virtual reality and not about me. I will only give you this information: I've spent the past dozen years of my life shooting rifles competitively, for hunting, and in many cases training others to shoot for recreation. I've got plenty of real life experience, however that is not the point. Lets talk about popping weenies!

To judge 'long range shooting' we'll first need to consider what is 'long range'. Normally in real life I would tell you that the point you pass into 'long range' territory is at about 500 Meters (we will be using meters, although when I discuss MOA we will use Yards, as MOA is made for imperial units). This is not real life. HMDs have different distances they can view and controllers can be quirky for holding steady, especially in internal tracking units such as the Oculus Rift S or Quest. In Virtual Reality for all intents and purposes we will consider long distance to be 250 meters minimum.

I will be using some terms here that may not be common use, so I'll list a few here (any I use in the future will be annotated):

1: MOA. MOA is 'Minute of Angle', and to simplify it for the purposes of VR it is the distance between bullets impact measured in inches (I.E. a 1-MOA rifle will, if strapped into a concrete vice block, shoot bullets in a 1 Inch dispersion at a target at 100 yards). MOA scales for distance, a 1 MOA shot grouping will open up to 2 MOA at 200 yards so on so forth.

2: Doping. Doping is the compensation of bullet drop over distance. Bullets travel in arcs that is dependent on several things which we will go over in the 'doping' section of this guide. Think of it like a arc where the bullet drops, but your scope causes you to angle the rifle at a point that it's arced into a certain position.

3: Zero: The distance your sight is set for. In game there is a automatic sight adjustment that you can use, however it is not always correct for very precise shots as it uses a general velocity, it also does not account for windage, and in the discussions on the discord prior to the Meatmass 2020 map there was talk of windage being a factor later in the game. I am unsure if it is in game so we will assume it is not but I will touch on it anyway. Edit Summer 2021: Yeah that never happened. But hey who doesn't like some wind?

Most important rule of shooting in VR is to have fun doing it. I understand reading a very ♥♥♥♥ description of long range shooting in a VR game is not fun, but I'll give you a picture of a cute puppy to make this section of reading at least worthwhile.

2: Basics of sniping: Tools of the trade.

In this section we will cover the basics of long range precision shooting. It is important to remember that in H3VR many factors are not simulated, such as the curvature of the earth or wind and as such we will leave out things like barometers.

The first thing you need is going to be a bipod, if you do not have one there's always a chance that you can make that shot but it might take a lot of patience. Remember that you don't need to shoot the target the moment you see it, unless it's shooting back. Shooting without support, in the case of using precision rifles, should be a last resort.

The next thing you'll need is a optic at the proper magnification. That last part is essential. You don't want to be scoped out. Pick a versatile optic with enough power to do what you need it to. My general rule of thumb is the classic 3-9 is a great deer rifle optic but won't do you any favors, so I stick mainly to a optic that is magnified up to 12 power or more with lower power settings between 3-8. It is important that your scope be versatile, especially in situations where distance is not predictable. We will talk more about scopes in it's own section.

Obviously what you'll need however is a good rifle. Rifles can generally be put in different catagories, from 'poor' to 'precision'. I'll give a few examples in the catagories:

Poor choices: Weapons with no real stock point, I.E the Ar15 pistol in game, shotguns, homemade weapons, low velocity projectile weapons, etc. Accuracy of over 5 MOA.










Rack Grade (Service Grade): Service rifles with accuracy ranging from 2.5 MOA to 4 MOA. These include the SKS, many military surplus rifles, or rifles that are plenty accurate but not built for precision.













High grade: Rifles that are built with precision in mind but are not extended distance rifles, the M1 garand, SVT-40, the M14, and the G3 are all good examples.




Image in question for High Grade rifles is a US Army Infantry Designated Marksman in Mosul, Iraq, in 2004.







Precision rifles: Rifles made specifically to shoot incredibly precisely at very long distances. Rifles like the Cheytach, Barrett rifles, the FRS, M40, and other precise rifles fall into this category. These should be considered specialty weapons with a specific purpose in mind and are not general use weapons.












Chose your rifle accordingly to what you're doing. Are you shooting a sosig at 1200 meters and have to hit a specific part of its body lest it not go through the armor? You should probably pick a Precision rifle. Are you shooting within 1000 meters but still need to hit that vital section? Pick a high grade rifle. Do you need a rifle that can do a variety of roles and is still accurate enough to hit somewhere on a sosig at 500 meters? Pick a Rack Grade weapon. Poor choices are for last resort. You stuck with a 12 gauge shotgun, you're ♥♥♥♥ outta luck for shooting a target precisely at 500 meters. (note, I am not saying shotguns are bad obviously, we are referring to precision use).

3: MOA, what the heck is it?

I'll try to keep this one brief, or I'll fall asleep myself.


Essentially one minute of angle is a inch at 100 yards, yes yards. This means that if you are shooting a rifle at a target down range you will expect your rounds to land that the maximum distance apart those bullets will land will be that measurement. Most rifles, even rack grade rifles, will be more accurate then the person shooting it, for example the Ruger Precision rifles (not in game) are going to be 1/4 MOA, however most people using one will shoot .9 MOA groupings when they're sitting down and have a bipod on a bench. This is even more the case with SKS rifles, which theoretically can shoot 3 MOA groupings or even 2.5 being reported, however the individual shooting the SKS using iron sights at 100 yards will normally achieve what we call minute of man (10 MOA or more).

An important thing to keep in mind is that if your rifle is 1 MOA it will not shoot a 1 inch grouping at 1000 yards. MOA opens up the further out it goes as it essentially works like a cone. the longer that cone gets the wider it gets, simply because it's bullets and bullets fly.

Now for the people who want the really stupid nerd ♥♥♥♥ about MOA, I've got you covered.



I lied I don't have you covered. I do not have nearly the brainpower or patience to write this so here's cool video I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA2PZBD5Tjg

4: Doping, and why you should do it.

Doping is the use of illegal drugs in sports such as Soccer or Football

Okay no seriously doping is the adjustment of a rifle for firing at distance by moving the gun, instead of adjusting the sights itself. This is particularly useful if you are doing quick followup shots. You can judge the impact of the bullet against the target, or whatever you hit, and adjust the rifle itself to fire and watch the bullet curve into the target. Doping is generally used after doing probing shots, or shots in which you you are figuring out the range the enemy is at. It is optimal to use a rangefinder instead of probing shots, but they are not always available.

Many long range shooters have 'dope sheets' or sheets in which they have calculated the drop their rifle will have at various distances and what they would have to change in their point of aim to correct the shots. These sheets are often laminated onto the side of their rifle or kept in their range bag. Many snipers put this on their scopecap as well.













Doping is also referred to as things like Kentucky Windage, or hold overs. This is also what the marks to the left and right of your primary vertical line on your reticle are. These are not quite as useful in the game as they are in real life as they require your face be a certain distance from the scope and several optical illusions which are not in game, this is also why all ballistic drop indicators and the rangefinder on the PSO optic does not function for anything but decoration.

5: Sniping with older rifles

Now here is a good part. The history of sniping is pretty much as old as rifles with reasonable accuracy, and as such there is a long history of sniper rifles and how they are used. Most antique optics are going to be fixed power at either 3,4, or 8 power. We're going to go from oldest methods to newest here, and there's no better way to start with traditional ladder peep sights.






Older rifles did not have the benefit of the use of scopes, so snipers had to rely on rifle sights that were generally very finicky and difficult to use. In this section we are going to focus on rear peep sights, of which you will find on only a few guns. Some guns that currently have these types of aperture sights are the Sharps rifles and the BAR. What you are to do is line them up similar to M16 or M14 sights and utilise them to the distance needed. You will have issues with the Rolling Block Creedmoor as you will have the 45-70 bullet, requiring you to significantly hold your rifle over.





This period obviously didn't last forever, and early rifle optics were brought in, although they were generally fixed power and require some explanation in some cases. We're going to go through a few of these types of optics in particular.

T post optics.

T post optics are only really used in the M1 Carbine, M2 Carbine, M1 garand, and Lee Enfield optics.



These optics utilise a unique T post where there is essentially a T in the center of the optic and you use the top (above the intersection) as your point of aim. These optics can be difficult to use if you are not accustomed to them.

2022 update: I'm going to give you a hack that makes the Enfield T post reticle historically accurate: IRL the T Post is used where the top of the post (the tip of the triangle) is your Point of Aim (POA). However if you are to take the reticle in game you will find your POI (point of impact) is actually the point where the horizontal lines and retice intercept, which is supposed to be the ~300 meter zero. To adjust properly and use this reticle accurately, adjust the zero UPWARDS 3.5 to 4 MOA. You are welcome.

Duplex reticle optics (really only on the 1903 springfield and the Model 8 Scope)





The 1903's leatherman riflescope is a piece of absolute crap. I'm not going to cut corners on this, it is. However it's easier to use in real life then in game and it is the scope American snipers even in the Vietnam war often used. The trick with this thing is really just getting your face in the right position and holding it there. It's not for everyone, actually it's for nobody.

The lever action rifle scope is also subpar, however not quite as bad as the 1903's.

German post type optics.



German post type optics, frequently referred to as F post reticles, are the most useful of the optics listed. They have a thick post on them and horizontal hold markings. They draw the eye nicely and are some of the nicer sniper rifle optics of the antique rifles in game. The rifle is easy to dope in as the reticle is very clean and only draws the eye where you need it to be.

Soviet post type optics



These optics are on the PU optics, which are usable on the Mosin Nagant, SVT-40, and SKS (yes the SKS did have these, and many Eastern European countries even put PSO optics on them to turn them into scout rifles. More you know). A majority of the Soviet Post optics in game are not simulated accurately. Anton made the reticle on the Mosin Nagant 91-30 and didn't adjust it for other rifles so the reticle is way too small. On the Mosin it's *okay* but still not right. IRL these reticles are actually a bit large (I have shot both a mosin nagant 91-30 with one and a SVT40 with one. They're weirdly big).

6: Scopes, magnification and focal planes.

Scopes are a complex topic. Not one scope can do everything and anything. So instead I'm going to sortof make this about the uses of different types of optics. We can seperate these into the following:

Red Dots/holographic sights (in real life these are two very very different things but in H3 we'll call them the same)

COs (Combat Optics),

LPVOs (Low Power Variable Optics)

Riflescopes

High Power Riflescopes.

An important thing to consider is that each optic type has its place on a rifle. Iron sights aren't exactly the most optimal rifle sighting platform, and optics relieve this in various ways. In this we're going to start with the use of each optic.

One thing that is important to mention is that in H3VR all optics are FFP optics, or first focal plane. This means that when you increase the magnification the optic also zooms in on the reticle, causing the reticle to become enlarged. This can be a issue for precision shooting at higher magnification and is detrimental to the firefield LPVO in which is in game, which should have it's 1x reticle far smaller then it is in game. That's going to be touched on in the LPVO section.


Red dots:






Red dot optics are optics in which utilize a laser projected dot onto a piece of front glass, creating a single point aiming system in which you simply point the dot and fire. These dots are known for fast target identification and rapid target engagement, however they are not magnified optics. They are not useless however, as a properly sighted dot on its own can be used to about the same effect as iron sights, if not limited in range unless you are already aware of your rifles drop and can dope the shots in.

Magnifiers are a great addition to red dots, however you will still be required to know your rifle and it's ballistic quirks with its ammunition as the optic does not feature any BDC (ballistic drop indicator).

Now here is where we get into some really neat lifehacks, red dot zeros. Red dots can be used, with a direct hold on a .223 rifle, out to 300 meters if you zero it at 50. You heard this right. The 5.56 or .223 projectile will drop back down to zero at 300 if you zero it for 50, meaning that although in any distance between the two you are shooting slightly high (normally by 5 inches) you will still be capable of engaging these targets effectively. This is why I recommend with high velocity intermediate rifle cartridges such as 5.45, 5.8x42 (sadly there is no adapter for the QBZ95 to picatinny rails, so we'll just have to pretend), and others to have their zero set to 50 meters on your rifle optic if you are using a red dot. Keep in mind this DOES NOT WORK on lower velocity ammunition such as 7.62x39, 300 blackout, or full size calibers.

LPVO optics:




LPVO optics are the goldielocks of riflescopes. They do a bit of everything, but nothing really all that great. This is why the modern super cool hip with the kids awper8turs use them. I personally despise them in real life for not really doing anything all that great but I'm a stupid boomer and this isn't about me. LPVOs are generally magnified from 1-6 or 1-10, at 1 power they act sortof not really like a red dot optic. At the higher powers they're now riflescopes that can be used to kinda okay ranges. The problem is that they don't do the red dot job that well as they're prism optics, they have a reticle etched into the glass, meaning that if your head position changes the dot does not move. This makes them meh for close quarters fighting. At mid range they're pretty great because within 500 you have enough magnification to engage a target but not too much. At long range their effectiveness wanes as they do not have the magnification to really engage those targets effectively. However if you're doing a general purpose rifle they may be a good choice.

However, here's a big complaint: The LPVOs in the game are hampered by their reticles, LPVOs biggest benefits over a red dot in close quarters is their reticles may have BDC indicators on them, which aid in their use at distances. However in game the reticles on the firefield LPVO with it's mil dot reticle is too big at it's full power (Another criticism of LPVOs, you'll only use them on either max or minimum power) and it makes it pretty useless at distances beyond 100 meters. The Vudu (in real life the EO tech VUDU) is pretty useless too only because it doesn't have it's illumination turned on, so the reticle is easier to lose then a needle in a haystack. The only real good optic that is under this category in the game is the Elcan 1-4 but that's technically a Direct Power optic (it only goes 1x or 4x, nothing between) and is more in the terms of a Combat Optic which is described below.

2023 EDIT; The Vudu has been fixed. It was fixed a while ago and I forgor to update. sry


Combat Optics (CO):






Combat optics are fixed magnification prism optics generally designed with combat rifles in mind, although there are civilian offerings in the market like the Primary Arms Prism optics or the Vortex spitfire. The general idea of these optics is to give a soldier, or anyone really, a incredibly bombproof optic with a advanced reticle that allows for use in a variety of environments with as little things that can go wrong. Because of this they're not exactly ripe with features like variable magnification or in the case of the ACOG illumination adjustment. These optics are highly versatile, with just enough magnification for use out to 400 or 500 meters and to engage targets as close in as literally in your face with a super neat trick I'll tech in here in a few.

These combat optics are best used on standard fighting rifles and generally shouldn't be relied upon as a long range optic, doesn't make them a bad choice though for general use.

Now about that little trick, it works best with ACOGs (Trijicon even patented this technique) and is called the BAC or the Bindon Aiming Concept. The Bindon Aiming concept is when using a ACOG you have both of your eyes open and quickly raise the rifle to your shoulder, the reticle will appear in your face at practically 1 power for a split second due to a optical illusion caused by your brain registering the sudden change. I've linked below a more in depth idea of how it works from Trijicon, however if you use it you could possibly even use a ACOG in close quarter fighting.

https://www.trijicon.com/our-story/bindon-aiming-concept


Riflescopes:




Rifle scopes can be described as the more versatile of long range optics but are too low power for extreme distances (beyond 1000). What's there to say? They'll do what you need them to. Normally these are available in popular configurations like 2-7 (popularized by Simmons optics made for lever action rifles), 3-9 (Traditional deer rifle scope magnification), 3-12 (my favorite for general purpose use), or 5-15.

High Power Riflescopes:





Pictured Above, a Schmitt Bender 3-27. This ♥♥♥♥ is powerful as ♥♥♥♥ and goes to show how insane the 60x scope in game is

High powered riflescopes are very niche items, and generally are only used for competition, SWAT work, or special operations. They are not the most common optics out there and are often running thousands of dollars. To make matters worse for the utility of these optics, they tend to be quite fragile. However, in game these tend to sit in the 'overkill' side of the park far more often than what would justify you using them.

7: Iron sights shooting. Yes you can!

Iron sights are difficult to use in general. Not just in VR. So if you sit down and think "OH MY GOD IRON SIGHTS ITS THE END OF THE WORLD" I get you, but at the same time you need to take a deep breath and just get through it.

Most people who are missing shots with iron sights are simply not using them properly (To be fair this is easy to have happen when you can't rest your cheek on a stock), and so I'd first like to rectify this. Lets start with some examples. I'm going to start with 'Tangent sights', or those found on AK rifles, most bolt action rifles, and on others. Tangent sights utilize a ramp on the rear sight and a flat post on the front. The example I've shown is with a WASR-10 AK.

as you can see the individual has his rear and front sights lined up so that ***the tangent sight's opening is flat and level with the front sight post***.














In sights that are aperature sights such as the M16 series, the Lee Enfield No4 SMLE, and others, there is a bit of a challenge to this due to the amount of excess space in the rear sight, however it should look like this.










What happens when you use improper sight alignment you may ask? This.



Now with the two generally most common iron sight configurations out of the way. Lets discuss some common mistakes that people make with them.

The most common in virtual reality is canting the rifle, or holding it at a slight angle. It's natural for people to turn their heads or shake their hands when aiming down irons. However this throws your shot completely if your rifle itself is being held crooked, as in doing so the projectile is now flying diagonally towards what is inevitably not what you were aiming at. This is admittedly hard to pick up in a virtual reality setting, so it's important that you pay close attention to your hands and the cant of the rifle, as even a small cant can throw your shot off.

(summary: Don't tilt your rifle).





Another common mistake I see with individuals is that many do not understand you to use sight adjustments. Although doping can help you adjust for distance a properly adjusted sight alleviates the issue. Generally your rifle should be sighted for 100 meters. However if the target is farther, adjust accordingly. If it is closer aim low, as your bullets trajectory has not reached the point that the rifle sights are zeroed for.

If you don't think shooting long distance, which in VR is only 400 meters, is possible with irons. Just remember people in real life consistantly can use iron sights out to 1000 meters, and the world record attempt at longest range iron sights competition shooting was a shot with a Swiss K31 rifle at 2200 yards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk2BLSW1Hf4

8: Something you didn't think mattered in VR. Posture.

Posture is vital to all forms of accuracy that you can accomplish. Think of it like swinging a golf club. Most of your golf swing is in the buildup and follow-through, and shooting has a lot of similarities to it. Here I'll go over more then you could ever have cared to know about your posture.


Position one, offhand:




Offhand shooting is shooting unsupported while standing, just like how you say a 'offhand' comment without thinking or preparation. Offhand shooting is a major skill every marksman should know and it is incredibly important. This dapper old fellow in the picture above has a excellent form, take some notes. Notice that with the first image he has his elbow and stance bladed (he is sideways, kinda. His arm looks like a chicken wing), that is perfect for lining up a sight picture and BRINGING THE RIFLE TO YOUR FACE. Do not bring your head to the gun but the gun to your head. That sounded weird but I'll keep it. If you are using a heavy rifle or you are holding your gun upwards for a bit, you should lean your body backwards a little bit and rest your elbow on your hip, holding your rifle as he has listed here. With controllers I know this is not as easy but it does work.


Here's a good graphic of how it should look with your center of balance, which is very important so that you do not throw the rifle around willy nilly.




Now of course offhand is not the only shooting position, however there is one last major component of offhand shooting that you must know, but it will only be useful if you have a virtual stock with a sling. Slings can act as very good support for offhand shooting and will alleviate a lot of the sway of the rifle by pressuring it against your body. It also eliminates sway caused by the sling swinging around freely.



Note this man has his sling wrapped *over* his arm. This increases pressure against the body.




As I said earlier, we're now going to move on to crouched fire. Crouching increases some of the comfort and thus accuracy of your fire, however there's important things to consider, and one is the use of your elbows and knees in crouched fire. Crouching or kneeling fire should be used if you quickly need to get your head down and return fire. This is *not* the optimal position for sitting and shooting for a very long time or at a target at really extended distance. What you need to know is that your knees should be quickly placed in a comfortable position and your front elbow should rest upon your front knee. You should be sitting on your rear leg, unless you are shooting over cover and must extend higher upwards, in which case the position we all know is perfectly acceptable, but be prepared to not be able to hold it for too long.







The most important of all non-prone firing positions is easily the sitting positions. These are positions where you are not quite laying down but you aren't crouching. You can stay in these positions for varieties of time and utilize natural barriers for cover and stability, however in here I'll be going over a very old snipers trick as old as the sniper rifle itself, the traditional sitting position.







In the above image is legendary sniper and American sniping God himself Carlos Hathcock. Much of how Hathcock shoots however could easily be used for this guide but to avoid fanboying over this legend I'll limit my use of him. In this position you sit flat on your bottom like you were a schoolboy sitting on your pancake. you lift your firing knee upwards and rest your elbow of your leading arm upon it, using your hand on that arm to stabilize the rifle in the other hand, with your firing hand on the rifle and doing most of the fine movements.

Now if you don't want to be our lord and savior Hathcock sure, you can do this other position thats literally just sitting on your butt like a kindergardner, it works.





Now finally we can go over the prone position, the last of the positions that you really need to know. Prone firing is firing while your stomach is on the ground, and everyone pretty much has this down so I won't go over that. I'm going to try to keep in no nonsense for you but there's some wacky ones in this section, and if you *really* want to look into it you can, basically all you need to know is lie down on your stomach, make a triangle with your legs, and shoot.

Please do not be this guy

9: Ammunition selection.

Ammunition selection is incredibly important for what you do. As it dictates most of your rifles performance in a game like H3VR. Now for intents and purposes we are going to separate the ammo types into good bad and ugly. I'll start with the ugly.

The worst of the sniper rifle cartridges you can use are those never intended to be sniper rifle cartridges. These are things like shotgun slugs or .22 rifle calibers. You should not at all select these for serious consideration, as shotgun slugs may be neat and cool at 75 meters but once you push it it's really going to do you no favors. Plenty of other calibers are encompassed in this section however like .22 magnum and other calibers with low velocity and high dropoff. A expected inclusion to this is also pistol calibers. Even out of a rifle barrel you will not achieve serious accuracy beyond 200 meters. Yes this includes lever action rifles chambered in 45 Long colt, .357 Magnum, or .44 magnum. Even levergun calibers like .30-30 and .45-70 can be included as they drop off like a rock after 50 meters. Don't be dissuaded however as I have achieved hits over 400 meters with the .45-110 Sharps in this game. Point is don't make a bullet that drops like a rock your first choice.

Now we get into the just 'bad'. Bad caliber choices are things like intermediate calibers, also things never intended for sniper rifles. Sure the AR15 is plenty accurate as a rifle but it doesn't translate to stopping power after you reach even 400 meters. Other calibers however also make it on this list like 7.62x39 or lower velocity intermediate rifle calibers. These do pass energy on at distance but fail to really achieve reasonable trajectory for general use.

The good calibers you can chose are things like .308, .338, .50 BMG, 7.62x54r, .303, et cetera. These are rifle calibers that maintain a very good amount of energy over distance and have reasonable trajectories at these distances.

Ammo selection however is far more then just which bullet you pick, although that is easily the most important consideration. It is also important what type of bullet you chose. This is where we get into some more ballistics, which I'm unsure if it matters in VR but I'll get into it anyway

1: Full Metal Jacket. FMJ Projectiles simply punch in one side and out of the other of a target, generally not doing too much flash damage on the way. Generally if you hit somewhere important it will incapacitate a target. In H3 this ammo can be used effectively to the head to bleed the sosig out. It flies at a standard velocity.

2: Hollow point, Jacketed Hollowpoint, etc. These ammunition choices utilize a hollow point and core to maximize expansion and hydro-static damage, or flesh damage. These projectiles also tend to be lighter and fly at a higher velocity then their counterparts, although this is not always the case. They will have a worse time getting through body armor however, as they expand far more rapidly then what is required and disperse their energy into the armor rather then through it. This ammunition is generally preferred for shooting anything that isn't wearing body armor. In real life it is widely popular for hunting and defense.

3: Soft point, Pointed Soft Point (PSP), and polymer tip. These ammunition types are most generally used for hunting or defense and are a bit of a between from FMJ and HP. They utilise a bullet who's tip is soft or made of polymer to have a deeper, more controlled wound cavity. They will penetrate slightly more when hitting a flesh target and will have maximum damage a few inches into the target making it optimal for its intended purpose. It has a hard time going through body armor however for the same reason that HP does.

4: Tracer. Tracer ammunition uses a flammable or illuminating core that burns brightly when heated. This causes the fired projectile to be visible for a very long time, however incidentally makes them incredibly unsafe in most applications due to their tendency to start fires. As we do not need to worry about wildfires (Who likes the environment anyway? I pour packages of plastic straws into the ocean specifically to hurt sea turtles) we only really have the perks of Tracers in game. These are absolutely indispensable for sniping as they are perfect for probing shots, one of the only ways to confirm your zero is on target.

5: Incendiary. Normally these aren't that useful in real life and aren't even generally available in calibers smaller than things like 7.x62x54r. However in game they act as a alternative to tracer ammunition that does slightly less damage.

6: Armor Piercing. AP ammunition utilizes a hardened core and a higher velocity to essentially carry a high amount of energy through the armor plates a target is wearing. By doing so it is as it's name implies. In H3 this is the go to ammunition just in general since apparently all Kosher hot dogs now wear body armor.

7: Armor Piercing Incendiary. Normally in real life this ammunition is used in high caliber weapons (50 BMG or greater) to destroy vehicles. Apparently in game however 5.56 is big enough to carry a AP-I charge (don't ask me how). This is essentially one of the best ammo you can get and should be the primary ammunition you use for range finding as it's the only armor piercing tracer.

the 2021 update. Breathing techniques and how they work.

This is written while I am in the process of writing my next guide, the not very brief look at the AR family. I got a comment recently that inspired me to answer this question, 'My hands shake too much, and it isn't my controllers'. To give a adequate answer to how this can be rectified I have to give a certain piece of advice that any good shooter, and I'm certain everyone who's ever served with a weapon, has been told. This is the secret of relaxation and breathing.

Shooting a weapon in real life is a stressful affair, you are handling a dangerous piece of machinery and putting lead down range at over 2000 feet per second with a small explosion restricted to the chamber. This is in the most relaxing settings, being casual shooting. In sport shooting you are having to hit a very small part of a target, or even obstructed targets, while moving and in rapid succession. In the case of long range even the smallest error results in a completely off shot. In the case of hunting you are taking a life, which takes a degree of mental fortitude many do not have (if you have any respect for life that is), and if you are serving that is increased 100 fold as you must assume every time you grab your weapon that you are about to take a human life. The point is that using a weapon isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and it is as I put it in the beginning of this paragraph, a stressful affair.

Now, breathing techniques are a vital part not just of shooting, but of living life. The ability to calm yourself down is something that many live their whole lives wondering how to do. So this is advice you can take far outside of your gaming experience. Whether you decide that your path in life is in fact carrying a gun, or if you just can't calm down no matter what you do, no matter how much therapy you get or how much medication you are on, this will help you.

Pranayama

Pranayama is a technique that originates from the Hindu scripture of the Bhagavad Gita (an incredible book by the way, for anyone interested in philosophy), although it is also featured in other religious canon I will be describing the Hindu version which has been used for probably several millennia by ancient Hindu warriors to calm themselves down before battle. This was intended to get people ready to do what must be done, no matter how hard, by calming them down and getting them mentally prepared not only to fight but to die. It also is part of the Indian tradition of Hatha Yoga, and is a vital aspect in calming your nerves. This technique had been passed down for generations throughout India, only reaching the west in the 20th century in a very watered down form. Originally these breathing techniques were intended to accompany actions and verses of the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. However as we are practicing firing a rifle, which is a art in of itself, we will be talking about breathing exclusively.

The pranayama techniques are often referred to in the West by names like the '5-5-5 breathing technique' or 'Deep Breathing techniques' but the reality is that they both do not exactly encapsulate what pranayama is, by arbitrarily restricting you to a certain timeframe or manner of breathing. Pranayama is best practiced to each individual's accord, so long as it is done consistently. The steps of pranayama is rather simple. You breath in, deep, for a number of seconds (however long feels right), hold your breath for a number of seconds (normally the same number, but you will discover what is best for you), and then release for a number of seconds. The first and last are the most important here, you must breathe in gently but fully, and exhale calmly, releasing the stress you've built up with it. This does not mean that the matter which you hold your breath should be ignored, you should avoid choking and suffocating yourself. Hold it and feel comfort, if you feel uncomfortable you'll just stress yourself out more.

So why do I talk about why this matters with a gun? Because if you are stressed, even if you do not realize you are, you will struggle to hold still. Stress is an underlying thing that, although it surfaces from time to time, lies in wait for most of the time. Even if you do not feel stressed it is important to practice mindfulness to keep yourself calm. In the case of holding a gun, it puts you in the moment and improves you concentration so that you can perform better, as well as calming your muscles in your shoulders and neck. This ends with you being more steady on the exhale. If you shoot immediately after doing this (if done properly, this is not something you'll immediately know how to do) then you'll generally do better.

Keep in mind that this method should not be used exclusively in emergencies, pranayama is a complete package and you must practice it regularly (I recommend at least daily) to get the full benefit. You have to do this a lot, and bring it into your life. I recommend no music while you do pranayama, unless you feel comfortable doing so. If you manage to master this it will essentially help you reset your brain in the moment and get your mind off of things not in the immediate present.


The effects of pranayama have been tested even recently in the IJR's psychology field, with results on adolescents (which I believe are able to be extrapolated onto adults) showing some rather drastic effects.

The test in question for anyone willing to critique it.[www.semanticscholar.org] The test examines how stressed adolescents feel on a daily basis before and after consistent use of Pranayama.

Diaphram Breathing

Diaphram breathing has probably existed for a long time too, but I am not particularly well versed in the history of this one the way I am with pranayama. So for this I'll be very straightforward. This is another breathing exercise that you can do lying down before bed every night, and when you wake up every morning. I do it standing up throughout the day but I don't exactly recommend that. When lying down you prop your knees up and put a pillow behind your neck. Then you put a hand on your chest and the other on the stomach. Breathing through your nose until you cannot inhale anymore, focus on both hands movement and keep it as still as possible, letting it rise with your stomach and chest. Hold for a second or two, then exhale through your mouth (make the same shape with the mouth as if you were whistling) and do it until empty again, tightening your stomach muscles to get it all out. Think about this like a big deep breath. You can do it standing up but I, to avoid looking like an ♥♥♥♥♥ in public, put my hands with palms facing towards my chest close to the chest while inhaling, then invert them and push away as I exhale. Just preference there. Do what you want its your life.

Summary

There are dozens of other breath techniques you can try. No seriously, try them. I can't describe how much they've helped me over the years. I can say with great certainty that they will probably do you at least some good. With that in mind the most important part of these techniques is to not only use them when you need to, but use them when you do not. Use them when you're sitting alone, use them when you're scared, or use them when you are about to go to bed. As long as you use these techniques regularly and really incorporate them into your life you will see drastic benefit not only at your ability to shoot, but your ability to live a full, happy, and fulfilling life.

The 2024 update: pistol shooting.

Given that the game has undergone radical changes since I wrote this guide in 2020, I've decided to add a new chapter to further assist people who are learning how to shoot precisely. One trend in some comments I have gotten, as well as DMs, is that my guide focuses too heavily on the use of rifles. This is a fair criticism, even though I did in fact write the guide as how to shoot LONG range, the fact of the matter is that long range is noted in the guide as being anything over 200 meters in virtual reality. This means that long range in VR is equivalent to extreme range shooting in handguns. With a game which accurate simulates ballistics such as H3VR, this does mean that H3 is distinctly well suited for handgun simulation in this regard.

Thus, without focusing too much on any specific pistol competition sport, I would like to present some advice from the various sports which can be used for you to increase your accuracy in pistol shooting.

Firstly, the stance remains the single most important fundamental. Shooting is like golfing, without good stance you will get nowhere. To start on this topic, we will present a handful of pistol stances and then describe what situations they are useful in. We should ideally focus on the traditional combat pistol stances starting with the primary stance used in practical pistol competitions.


The shooting stance above is considered nowadays to be the most simple and effective stance for practical shooting, in particular combat shooting. There are two things to note in this image, firstly the shooter has leaned his body slightly forward into the firearm, stabilizing their upper torso. Your arms are connected to that, if you weren't aware. A second point of focus is the feet. Both toes are pointing forwards, which in turn focuses your body in that direction. The end goal of this stance is to bring your whole body to be facing your target with your arms ultimately bearing close to the center of your chest. To get a image of what I mean by this, below is a image of what it should look like from above.

As you can see, you are trying to use your stance to make the direction you are aiming as natural as possible.

Another important stance is the bladed pistol stance. This stance is most commonly seen in pistol bullseye sports and in some forms of unsupported pistol silhouette shooting (albeit this sport focuses more on... well pistols that are way more on brand for this guide now that I think about it).

The NRA has a good image to use of this stance, albeit a very old one as well as this image dates to a 1959 sport shooting manual. This should give you a idea of how dated this practice is compared to modern shooting postures.


The bladed posture however is still used today in many forms of bullseye sports as it allows for free hand motion and gives you a single point of control on the weapon. There is also the fact that many pistols where this grip is used are custom tailored to this approach so make of that what you will. However practically speaking this posture can be useful when you are making quick unexpected shots or in the case that your off hand is injured (this does not matter in game).

Lastly we have 'body supported' shooting. This is using something other than your off hand to stabilize your pistol. Not all of these have good pictures, although I must credit swatmag for some good images of seated shooting positions. I will do my best to make up for that.

Firstly you have seated positions. One thing you can do when sitting is rest one of your legs upwards and balance your shooting hand on your knee. This gives you a natural monopod and is a commonly used position in longer range pistol sports. This position is fantastic for stability, especially if you need to hold your firearm for a longer period of time to line up your shot as is often the case in long range shooting.


Next we have the... weird prone position. Frankly I'm certain there is a real name for this one but I always see this whenever I see someone shooting those silly bolt action Remington 700 competition pistols.


Without context this may look like a joke. It isn't. This position is often found within the halls of pistol silhouette shooting where there is a time limit and one shot rule on each steel animal. Honestly I don't know how much I recommend this but if anyone is willing to try it please let me know how you feel doing this in VR. Preferably in your living room where everyone can see you. The reactions will be priceless.

With posture out of the way I can give some more tips regarding another fun topic: Caliber choice.

In long range shooting, the caliber is one of the most essential choices when picking your tools. In the case of pistol shooting this is even more the case. One needs to consider first the distance they intend to shoot. In one form of competition called NRA Precision Pistol, shooters often pick .45 ACP as they are shooting only 50 yards and the scoring system makes larger bullets preferable. However if you shooting, say, 200 yards you may have to think twice about that choice. Many handgun calibers have the ballistics of a moldy potato and are not optimal for distance as noted early in the guide. This is further exacerbated by the fact that any practical handgun will have a remarkably short barrel, generally 5-7 inches.

To make the most out of this one can either pick the most optimal calibers for the job, or they can learn to compensate. Overwhelmingly you will have to do the latter. Thus it is vital that you learn your ballistic holds for handguns. A rule of thumb is to always aim high, and when you think you're aiming too high aim a little bit higher. 9mm for instance will require you to aim almost the height of an entire person high to hit your target. I've provided a chart of this below for your viewing pleasure. Nerd.


The best way to counter this fact is to pick bullets with better velocity and bullet design to counter the natural fact of gravity as invented by Issac Newton. As an example here is what this looks like with a 5.7x28 hipster bullet (I will fully admit this chart is biased, as they are using a 10.5 inch P90 yet only a 8 inch barrel for 9mm. The point is the same: Pick better bullet get better result).


So we have now gone over a crash course in the field of pistol shooting, now there is more I could talk about such as recoil management (not that big a factor in this game), but instead I will leave you with a cute puppy. Something something return to monkey we all go back to the topic of the guide billions must look at cute puppy. Maybe I'll be back in 2028 to talk to you about laser rifles and whatever AI generated meme takes the AI generated social media algorithm in a AI storm. See you on the flip side for now.

[konari]

+rep

[worm_master]

It's cool i'm also hitting targets at 80M with my Deagle, sideways, cant hit a paper target, I think I need to see the target to hit it, but can hit those cut out hot dogs. I've come a fair way in a year. Thanks to u

There is something u forgot to ,mention, DONT jerk/mash the trigger, pull slowly and fully.

[G O R B A C H A V]

@worm_master I finally got around to doing that update I said I would back when you first commented about learning how to shoot pistols, sorry I was like a year late.

[worm_master]

Ya welcome, personally I'm not a scope user, i find it awkward, you did a pretty good job with scopes already, i suspect most of your info is correct, reworked scopes or not.

How they work, wouldn't have changed, or how to 0 a scope etc. GL though

[G O R B A C H A V]

@worm_master

Hello,

I am glad that this guide is still helpful to people, that means a lot to me and lets me know that this wasn't a waste of time. I have yet to try the game out in a while due to my rift s breaking and me having now learned just how much lower quality my quest 2 is. I'll get back into the game soon to put some updates in. From what I've seen anton has reworked the scopes so some of the info for the SFP vs FFP discussion may need to be redone since when I wrote this the LPVO optics were somewhat busted at max zoom.

I'm still thinking about what to put in.

[worm_master]

@Gorbachav, u might be pleased to know. i'm sniping at 200M + with a Desert Eagle, no scope, and at 40M I can hit a apple on a can, firing my Deagle sideways.

All thanks to your guide

[TheHunter1231]

thank you for the tips on breathing controls helped a lot

[G O R B A C H A V]

@Averis While stabilization wasn't a thing way back when, many of the tips here are still somewhat important. Posture, tips on how optics work, MOA concepts, etc are still very much present.

[Averis]

Bruh This guide mattered, back in the older versions of this game. Now? It's SO EASY!

[G O R B A C H A V]

@Caelumrobocop Deep breaths and relaxed posture do wonders for that, don't tense up, accuracy is more about control of muscles not their rigidity.

Also oftentimes your hands aren't nearly as shaky as you think and its just your controllers. If you've ever been shooting at any distance in real life you'll notice that really quickly.