The Best Paintball Sniper Rifles of 2023
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Out-stealth your competition with the best paintball sniper rifle. These are our picks for the 5 best long-range paintball guns in every price range.
Ask anyone who’s done it.
There’s no better feeling than eliminating an unsuspecting opponent from 200 feet away.
Sniping requires skill and patience (a lot of patience) but it also requires good gear.
Take your long-range game to the next level with the best paintball sniper gun.
The Top 5 Paintball Sniper Rifles
Product Reviews
#1: Tippmann A5 Sniper Rifle
Best Paintball Sniper Rifle
- Mechanical paintball gun
- Works with CO2 or HPA
- 200-round stock hopper
- Long 16″ barrel
- 250-foot range
- 500-shot capacity on a single gas tank
- Durable body made with aluminum die-cast receiver
- Cyclone feed system increases loading speed
- Vertical front grip for a stable shooting experience
- Maximum feed rate of 17 bps
- Shock-absorbing end cap
- Can be assembled and disassembled easily
One of the most popular and recognizable paintball guns ever, the Tippmann A5 Sniper Rifle has a 16″ barrel, fires with a 250-foot range, and works with either CO2 or HPA. Its lightweight and streamlined for easy maneuverability and offers a ton of aftermarket parts for an upgraded shooting experience.
If you want durability and performance in an affordable base model with a ton of potential upgrades, stop scrolling and get the Tippmann A5.
#2: Empire Pump Paintball Sniper Rifle
Best Pump Paintball Sniper Rifle
- Pump-powered firing action (no gas)
- Hopper-fed
- Aluminum 2-piece, 14″ barrel
- Low-pressure operation
- 300 PSI gauge with dual position on either side
- Auto-trigger for rapid firing
- 3 barrel inserts (.675, .680, .685)
- Auto-cocker barrel threading
- Removable vertical pump assist plate
- Delrin pump handle and sled
- T-mounted on/off ASA with bleed
- Dual stainless steel pump rods for stability
Ditch the air tank and fire with impunity. The Empire Pump Paintball Sniper Rifle is a tournament-level marker with a 14″ barrel and solid-yet-lightweight pumping action for consistently strong downfield firing among comparable pump-powered markers.
The Empire Sniper’s 14″ barrel isn’t as long as the Tippmann A5’s 14″ barrel (though its much longer than the Tippmann 98 Custom Pro’s 11″ barrel below) but that doesn’t affect its accuracy.
In fact, the Empire Sniper’s silent, smooth, pump-only action makes it supremely reliable and accurate to the edge of its firing range, though admittedly that isn’t super far at just 50-75 feet.
#3: Tippmann 98 Custom Pro Sniper Rifle
Most Reliable Long-Range Paintball Gun
- Mechanical paintball gun with semi-automatic firing
- Hopper-fed
- Compatible with CO2 and HPA
- 11″ barrel on Custom Pro (8.5″ on Custom model)
- Vertical removable foregrip
- Built-in adjustable iron sight
- Bottomline air feed
- 3/8″ Dovetail accessory rail and 7/8″ Weaver-style rail
- Removable feed elbow
- Moderate weight at 2.9 lbs
You could put just about any Tippmann marker in the “most reliable paintball gun” category, but the Tippmann 98 Custom Pro gets the nod because it’s the gold standard for durability and versatility.
In fact, its biggest plus is right in its name: its customizability.
The base Pro model, shown in the image above, looks like a plain old marker. When fully loaded with whatever upgrades you like, it looks like something from Call of Duty.
By pure sniper standards, the base Custom Pro isn’t quite as effective as the Tippmann A5 or Empire Pump Sniper, mostly due to its 11″ barrel (only on Custom Pro models, the standard Custom model has an 8.5″ barrel). But like the A5, which is our pick for the best paintball sniper gun, the Custom Pro can be upgraded as needed for a true-to-you paintball experience.
#4: First Strike FS T15 Sniper Rifle
Best Paintball Sniper Rifle For Experienced Players
- FS T15 semi-automatic firing and full-auto compatibility
- FS remote buffer tube adapter
- 12″ floating keymod handguard
- 14.5″ FS Lapco Raging Donkey smooth bore barrel
- 7″ hand guard
- Collapsible stock
- FS mock silencer barrel tip
- Adjustable riser
- Realistic MilSim design with matte black finish
A dual-use marker capable of firing both accurately downfield and rapidly in close-quarter combat, the First Strike FS T15 is a beast of a sniper rifle. Its lightweight, aluminum body is easy to maneuver with a realistic MilSim design, and it has the durability to match.
However, that amazing build-quality and enviable accuracy come with cost: the highest price point of any paintball sniper rifle on this list.
That makes the First Strike FS T15 the best paintball sniper rifle for experienced players. It comes with everything you need out of the box, but it takes some use and refinement to dial it in to your liking.
#5: Tippmann Cronus Tactical Marker
Most Realistic Paintball Sniper Rifle
- Mechanical paintball gun
- Hopper-fed
- Reliable firing mechanism accurate up to 150 feet
- Up to 8 bps firing speed semi-automatic
- 9″ ported barrel for quieter shooting
- Open bolt blowback
- Tactical MilSim design
- High-impact composite build
- Molded rubber grips are comfortable and slip-proof in wet conditions
- 4 x 20 mm Picatinny rails to add attachments like red sights and scopes
- CO2 and HPA (high pressure air) compatible
- Heavier at 3.7 lbs
A realistic-looking paintball sniper marker with a 150-foot firing range and semi-automatic firing capability up to 8 bps, the Tippmann Cronus Tactical Marker is a hybrid long-range and close-quarters paintball marker.
In addition to semi-auto firing, it also has Tippmann’s best-in-class inline bolt system for reliable, jam-free performance. And with its authentic design and open bolt blowback system, the Cronus Tactical looks and plays the part of a realistic sniper rifle, making it a great pick for anyone who wants a realistic paintball sniper rifle.
3 Paintball Sniper Rifle Features
There are a lot of different types of paintball guns, which makes it challenging to pick the single best paintball sniper rifle. While you’re looking for the best long-range paintball gun, keep these three features in mind:
- Pump vs gas-powered sniper rifles
- CO2 vs HPA sniper rifles
- Mag-fed vs hopper-fed sniper rifles
1. Pump vs Gas-Powered Sniper Rifles
This is all about propulsion. Pump-powered sniper rifles use hand-pumping power to load the paintball into the chamber and cock the firing spring, which is released when you pull the trigger.
Gas-powered sniper rifles use a gas tank to propel your paint downfield with the blowback process chambering your next round.
- Pump-powered sniper rifles are quieter and never need gas tank refills.
- Gas-powered sniper rifles can fire at higher rates and usually have better velocity and downrange accuracy.
2. CO2 vs HPA Sniper Rifles
Among gas-powered sniper rifles, you have two choices: CO2 vs HPA.
- CO2 is more affordable and can be refilled almost anywhere.
- HPA fires more consistently at a wider range of temperatures and is required in electronic markers.
3. Hopper-Fed Sniper Rifles
Some paintball sniper rifles feed paint from a top-loader or hopper, which sits on top of the barrel (like the Tippmann A5). Others have a traditional bottom-feeding magazine (like the First Strike FS T15).
Which is better? That’s up to you.
- Hopper-fed sniper rifles usually have larger capacities and different weight distribution, since they sit on top of the barrel.
- Mag-fed sniper rifles offer more realistic gameplay, both in design and in strategy (you can’t spray and pray with lower paint capacity and live to tell about it).