Marksman: rifles & ranging

Four ways to range

1SL marker

A squad leader marker on the target shows its distance on the map.

2Range marker

Some scopes have a range scale: line a target’s head up with it and read the distance.

3Stadia

Compare the target’s size with the marks in your scope to estimate the distance.

4Ranging shot

Fire, watch where it lands, and correct.

Reading your scope

Most scopes have lines or dots along the vertical and the horizontal.

• Vertical marks are for distance. Usually each big mark is 100 m and each small mark 50 m.
• Horizontal marks are for leading moving targets, but they’re unreliable and differ from gun to gun.
• Hold X and use the scroll wheel to change your scope’s range setting, if it has one.

Leading moving targets

Catching an enemy running in the open can stop a whole push, so it’s worth practising.

• Every rifle needs a different lead, and it doesn’t match the scope marks exactly.
• Your lead also depends on your reaction speed, your ping, and whether the target moves straight across your view or at an angle towards or away from you.

Bolt-action rule of thumb

At both 200 m and 400 m, lead a sideways-running enemy by the 4th dot. That works when they’re out of stamina. If they’re sprinting at full stamina, add half a dot to a full dot, and adjust for your ping.

Rifles by faction

Faction	Rifle	Calibre	Action	Bipod	Range setting	Zoom
CAF	C14 Timberwolf	.338 LM	Bolt	Yes	up to 1000 m	8/16/25×
USA	M110	7.62×51	Semi	Yes	up to 1000 m	6/10×
USMC	M38 DMR	5.56×45	Semi	Yes	up to 1000 m	6/10×
Australia	HK417	7.62×51	Semi	Yes	none	6×
British Army	L129A1	7.62×51	Semi	Yes	none	6×
WPMC	TW 338 SWS	.338 LM	Bolt	Yes	up to 1000 m	8/16/25×
Turkey	KNT-76	7.62×51	Semi	Yes	up to 800 m	6/12×
PLA	QBU-88	5.8×42	Semi	Yes	none	6/9×
VDV	SV-98M	7.62×54R	Bolt	Yes	up to 1000 m	6/10×
MEA	G3SG/1	7.62×51	Semi	Yes	up to 1000 m	6×
RGF	SVDM	7.62×54R	Semi	Yes	up to 1000 m	6/10×
Irregulars / insurgents	SVD	7.62×54R	Semi	No	up to 1000 m	4×
Irregulars / insurgents	Mosin-Nagant	7.62×54R	Bolt	No	up to 1000 m	4×

Factions with only a 4× scope struggle at long range: play close support or defence with them instead.