If you tend to snipe at long distances and/or moving targets. Yes. It is what it says, it has less bullet drop than any other bolt action. You decide if that's worth it for you, it is an improvement from the others but you'll only feel it if you constantly snipe at 300m+.
I got it for free with my Alpha Squad. Haven't really "looked back" since. I love how it feels to use at long range - and the fact that it has a magazine of 5? doesn't hurt either. One shot headshots at longe range is neat.
I have gotten used to the bullet drop with the bolt driver over 250 kills... how much less are we talking at say 400m with a 12x scope? For the bolt friver you would need to have it about half way between the 2nd point under the mid and the 3rd (going completely off memory here and my memory sucks most of the time so correct me if i am wrong)
Well IMO, if you go bolt action, you want your hits to be accurate and hit on the first shot. From my experience the LA80 does just that. Even at ~300m there's hardly any bullet drop and the bullets are blazing fast. It is 1HSK so that's good. I got so many head shots from 250-300m which was awesome. I think the only disadvantage is slightly less damage on body shots but I haven't really tested it.
1/2mill. It might be a tiny bit more than that. It does have bullet drop (don't think Vanu), it's just significantly less. The thing is, the bullets are faster. You have less bullet drop because of that, which is fantastic, but the biggest advantage is that the bullets obviously reach their target faster. Meaning you rarely ever have to predict their movements, just aim and shoot. And when you do have to give a lead, it's very small indeed. Attempting movement kills on any other bolt action past 200 meters is incredibly hard due to how easy it is for enemies to juke it. Requires a degree of luck on top of skill. Not that big of a deal with the LA80. If you've already gotten used to the default bolt action, which you have, it does take a while to adapt.
I used the bolt driver throughout beta. I switched to the LA80 to check it out at release, and I have not gone back. It's basically the same gun but with faster bullets.
Yah i was turned off the la80 originally because of the similarity of stats between the bolt driver and la80 i didnt even realise it had higher velocity and less bullet drop... youd think that would affect the accuracy rating of the rifle... might have to get it... btw leading with the bolt driver is easy if you are an fps sniper vet like me... you just have to get used to the bullet speed and speed of the target... i love headshotting people on flash' when they are trying to get out of/into a base i am at
LA80 is slightly better, because it has faster bullet velocity. It isn't really huge difference, but if you have extra 1000 certs and you like to play with infiltrator you should definitely buy it. Stats will also say that NC14 would have faster reload, but I can't honestly notice any difference...
Love it. I have hit runners, and even pad jumpers and LA on jets. Very little lead needed. After using the 6ft drop 6 ft lead of the old bolt driver i feel like a god until an LA kills me at 200m
It is a great rifle. Mostly a matter of getting adjusted to it again. Im still catching myself taking shots with NS14 leading and sighting.
Im quite used to the bullet drop/travel speed of the basic one, and I have an hard time switching since the base rifle makes kills that much more rewarding.
Bullet drop was much larger in beta, it's not too bad now. The projectile speed being much faster is why I use it, having an easier time hitting things on the run or juking/shuffling around. With that said, standard Bolt Driver still very viable.
I really wish this rifle and its equivalents didn't exist. It's just a straight upgrade without downsides. Longer reload? You're a sniper who can go invisible, why the **** do you care? I still recommend not using it, and using a semi-auto sniper or the scout rifles, and instead of sitting in the hills all day long, go and get close up and personal. If you're half decent with your cloak, your low health will not bother you. My preferred choice is the semi-auto scout rifle, which can double as a medium range sniper rifle(no sway, ever.) and a semi-reliable shotgun in close quarters.
