Newb infiltrator here to ask a discussion on a seldom seen weapon. Looking over the stats and attachments, the SAS-R is a midrange bolt action, which is a strange combo considering how midrange sniping usually is easier with sem-autos. I was wondering how effective the SAS-R would be with the suppressor attachment, which many snipers usually recommend against. Considering how it's already geared more for midrange, with only a sightly slower bullet velocity than the stock Bolt Driver, I was wondering how easy it would be to use it as a true silenced marksman's rifle.
Ah yes the SAS-R (Super Awesome Sniper-Rifle) Occasionally I use mine (Vanu Eq: Ghost) with a silencer for hide sniping. I have gone on decent steaks with it - trying to make use of a good blind spot, and rapid target acquisition. (Ex: Hiding a tree, inside the base itself at night time) Some of these climbs don't permit me to dance around very much or I will likely just fall out of my tree. In those cases yes I do recommend silencer. Same can be said for an XM98 (Cheapest bolt action for TR side) when your sniping in a tree on the exterior of the base. Maybe you were a bit brave and chose a spot which has traffic nearby. When you do decide to use a silencer you have to have good aim and timing because the silencer is difficult to learn. If I am mobile I do not use a silencer on my ghost, the reason being that you want your projectile to hit without any fuss. Simply put a miss is usually your death.
Well as a first, I wouldn't suggest getting into infiltrator with the SAS-R, it's a hard weapon to use. Secondly no, don't put a silencer. In the end it will only cripple you badly. You might want to use a silencer if you're hiding in a tree like cute-beaver, but then you might as well use another weapon. If you want to see how you should be using the SAS-R, go see elusive1 videos, that sums it up pretty well
SAS-R in a role of a designated marksmans' silenced rifle? Well I'd say it is viable, under certain circumstances. It can be very good if you manage to get yourself a nice sniper nest, within very specific range. Silencer can allow you to basically.. Well feast on obliviousness of enemies, there is significant drawback however - bullet drop. So far this rifle is my all time favourite along with other factions' equivalents. So somewhere along the lines of trying to improve it further more I tried silenced option. Without silencer it is a very versatile firearm, it is absolutely possible to use it at ranges 0-300m.[ Up to infantry render distance ] Assuming you learn the drop on ranges after roughly past 175m if I recall correctly, however I use it more as "go anywhere kill anything" weapon, and hence design of most of bases I rarely get to use compensation for drop. With silencer however, I had an impression of bullet drop being doubled. Meaning that for instance for a target being at 150m distance I would have to estimate drop roughly as I would for unsilenced shot at target 300m away. Overall I'd estimate effective range with silencer would be along 100m at best. It is technically speaking possible to make shots roughly up to at least 275m with silencer, but let's put it in this way. Past 100m bullet drop is so ridiculous that it is actually easier to hit somebody ducking behind cover, than a person standing still at same distance. Overall as you said you're fairly new I definitely wouldn't recommend starting your fun with SAS-R from fitting it with silencer [ however irresistible it might seem to put a silencer on that seemingly bent down barrel..]. It would be plain frustrating for a while. I'd advise to get to know rhythm of firing SAS-R, hip fire pattern, and obviously bullet drop mechanic before you venture into silencing stuff, unless you'll silence enemies with bullets first not silencers. Yet since tenacity or stubbornness is partially responsible for getting better at anything, you might still want to try. So I'll tell ya few things from my experience with silencer and SAS-R which could help you if you decide to use it after all. Generally most reliable scope for CQC BASR [1x-4x zoom, this includes SAS-R] would be 4x with simple crosshair. In case of silencer though you have to take bullet drop much more frequently, than with regular loud version, to make your life partially easier you could use 4x scope with triple chevrons, which are more or less aligned properly with bullet drop arc. Here is a funny thing however, I'm not certain whether it'll be adressed in upcoming Quality of life update, however for time being 4x triple chevron scope on NC has mildly annoying tendency to fade out crosshair depending on what direction you are aiming. You can estimate bullet drop on various ranges in 2 ways overall. Scaling of models, and obviously using VR training for acquiring target on a specific distance. You'd get best effects by memorising results of combining those two methods in VR and then using scaling on battlefield. Scaling seems rather self explanatory, however just in case I'll explain it. When you aim through specific scope at your enemy, his character model is of specific size in your scoped in view. By using pattern of scope, be it chevrons or simple crosshair, or even plain red dot scope, you can estimate distance from your target by comparing target's size to pattern of your scope. VR training, you go there, you see firing range and stuff...You go looking for stuff outside firing range, plenty of shooting dummies there. You pick one, spot it then enlarge your minimap press alt and make a personal waypoint on a spotted enemy. Waypoint will show you exact distance between you and your target. Now shoot from various ranges to evaluate how bullet drop behaves. Triple chevron scope at time tends to have it's quirks, like at certain ranges with silencer equipped projectile will land on a spot which is between chevrons. But exact learning of those tiny details for every scope you'd have to check for yourself since it is dependant on user's screen resolution partially. Silencer will also further lower muzzle velocity by certain degree, not sure about exact numbers but it is enough to feel a difference. Generally silencer is completely another way of sniping, since you get magnified bullet drop, and slower velocity. It can be fun stuff to learn to shoot running targets while having to compensate for bullet drop, slower velocity and target's movement vector. However to be completely honest, it takes time. And pace at which fights are in the game overall...well, let's just say it could do you more harm than good. Generally as others mentioned earlier, you either find a nice covert sniping nest with decent view on hostile movements within effective range, or just drop the silencer and go fully aggressive mode without silencer like mentioned by Jawarisin elusive1. Also semi automatic sniper rifles, well if you have straight pull bolt on your bolt action, then basically you got upper hand since you need only one shot to their head, they need two, while recoil on semi autos can be dealt with just manually, it still seems to be exaggerated. Well, I guess that's it.
