SKS vs M4

[UltimateGentleman 355]

In game it's a tough choice for me, I think the SKS is a lot better/more efficient, can always hold 10 rounds, accurate and powerful. It's a great find(although easy since it's in those big white houses like 99% of the time) and will last you.

 

However against an M4 user or multiple it's quite difficult to take them on they can just hold down fire and not have to care too much about aiming, then in the off chance neither player dies they no doubt have at least two more clips to use where the SKS clips are rather scarce I find.

 

So I'd say the SKS is a much better option but using the M4 is a slightly better idea, because almost everyone else does and it gives you way more of a chance against groups since clips are in no way hard to come by.

 

I too think the M4 should be a hell of a lot more hard to find, pristine parts should be hard to come by too if you go to the biggest airfield and go through all the hangers on a recently restarted server if you don't get a fully pristine M4 something has went badly wrong with the world, it is too easy to get. The only thing I find semi rare to get is a good suppressor.

Hopefully they make it spawn less and then hopefully people won't think having one makes them "elite" because it's rare...

 

And also SKS clips need to be way more common, you don't totally need them but in a fire fight having to open your inventory is a pain. It's doable but those couple of seconds are all someone needs to run round the corner and rip you apart.

[MarchmelloMan 16]

Are you guys serious? Or talking of pve?

 

At least in pvp there is no legit reason to prefer a SKS rather than a M4. Both need 3 shots to take one down (geared up) but the M4 has the most important thing in game for close combat fights; automatic fire. Just strafe around your enemy and thats it.

The best is actually to run around with a M4 in your hands and a Mosin with LRS on your back. But Mosin and SKS/M4 can't be put in the same category. Mosin with LRS is just op if you don't get surprised in close range by an enemy, and the M4 is op if you get surprised in close range. SKS is something you take if you don't have one of these, it's like a compromise of both weapons but weaker than than Mosin and M4 in their relating category.

[taco86 156]

A short 5.56mm Carbine or rifle is NEVER going to have the effective range or mid to Long range accuracy of an SKS or similar.

 

 

On the other hand you have an SKS, used in real life as a battle rifle and designated marksman rifle.

it will inherently be more accurate than a 5.56mm weapon, and accurate over greater ranges,

 

wut?

 

real life battle rifle?...  Sks is a carbine dude, firing a 7.62x39 with much worse ballistic performance than a 5.56 xm193 or m855 fired from a mil spec m4a1...  As for terminal performance beyond 200m...  SKS certainly has the upper hand though unless m855a1 mk262mod1 ammo is being fired from the m4a1 ...

Edited May 3, 2014 by taco86

[SFRGaming 718]

On the other hand you have an SKS, used in real life as a battle rifle and designated marksman rifle.

it will inherently be more accurate than a 5.56mm weapon, and accurate over greater ranges, an SKS should be effective to 800m and able to harass outside that range, a 5.56mm rifle to 300m or 400m and able to harass outside that.

 

The effective range of a stock M4A1 is 500m

[GunnyITA 107]

Even if the SKS has higher damage and more accuracy than the M4, The second one is domining over all weapon on the game exept the Mosin in very long range situations.

 

Acog sights has longer view than 3.5 zoom of the SKS, allowing you to take better the aim and focusing better over the distance. Plus, you can spray and pray on close range.

 

 

The problem is not about SKS and M4....but fixing the other weapons, making them more populars among players.

Game is all based on: Let's go to a military base and take an OD backpack and an M4.

 

 

I want military nuts being knock down by shotgun with one shot if hit on the body at 5 metres.....I can't see people dieing at the third shoot.

 

There's no comparision about the amout of damage inflicted on real life by a single shoot 5.56 on close range, to a shotgun when hit a  poor without  a kevlar.

Edited May 3, 2014 by GunnyITA

[gibonez 3633]

They need to drop all their balancing, DayZ shouldn't be about artificial damage and accuracy.

It should be about realism and rarity.

If they want the players to be terrible shooters they can add weapon sway, extra recoil, and slower reloading.

 

Only right answer.

 

All this artificial balancing is bullshit.

[Irish. 4886]

All this artificial balancing is bullshit =  Only right answer.

fixed. ;)

 

I agree that realism should be key. 

Edited May 3, 2014 by lrish

[bauertschi 254]

 

...

I want military nuts being knock down by shotgun with one shot if hit on the body at 5 metres.....I can't see people dieing at the third shoot.

...

 

Killed two duds on the roof of a police station with a shotgun, both at about 2m. 2 shots to the chest each, so that works, don't know of one shot would have been enough though, I paniced and - thank god - had a speedloader.

[gibonez 3633]

fixed. ;)

 

I agree that realism should be key. 

 

There should be 0 situations where an sks, or a mosin nagant is picked up in favor of a m4.

 

Absolutely 0.

 

The m4 is the better gun, it is more accurate than both guns, is flatter shooting than either guns, and overall a more lethal package.

[Bororm 1156]

I gotta say I find the accuracy to be shit on both but in my experience the m4 is the best weapon in the game right now, in everything but sniper distances where obviously the mosin wins out.  That isn't to say that other guns can't compete, DayZ pvp is more about many other factors than weapon alone, but the m4 is the most versatile gun currently.

 

If you use a bipod and even just a few mp parts the thing is pretty accurate (for the standalone, it's a piece of shit compared to arma), you can head shot reliably up to 300m on stationary targets on the first shot using a bipod and prone.  The thing is obviously hugely inaccurate if you aren't using a bipod and prone, and without mp parts it's got laughable spread.  The thing is, which I've come to realize, having 60 rounds is not to be overlooked.  Yes you're going to miss a lot of shots, but the sheer volume of rounds you can send towards a target at medium ranges means you're quite likely to hit them.

 

Close range it's pretty much no contest.  There's skill involved and I'm not saying some one with another gun can't overcome an m4 (I killed a guy who had an infinite ammo mag m4 with a 1911 and 7 shots) but the advantage is 60 rounds compared to 10 at the most.  The rate of fire is fast as well, and the amount of shots to kill honestly isn't that bad.

 

All that said, I hardly use the thing.  I prefer shotguns and magnums, and most of the other rifles before an m4.  But when I do end up grabbing one, I definitely feel a world of confidence knowing I have 4-6x the ammo of anyone I'm going up against.

 

TL;DR:  you can kill people with any gun.  both the m4 and sks have shit accuracy, with the stock sks having a bit better.  However the sheer amount of rounds you can pour at a guy with an m4 makes it the superior weapon in close quarters and it actually competes well enough at medium ranges.  the downside is the m4 has absolutely 0 style points and is the go to weapon of pretty much every butthole in the game.  It's all personal preference in the end.

 

 

Also, to those saying the guns have been artificially balanced or whatever, the problem is actually quite the opposite.  Nothing has been balanced yet.  They simply don't give a fuck at this stage of the alpha about balance.  Balance will likely come in beta and beyond.  So I'd say get used to shitty guns, because I really doubt the devs care yet.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Bororm

[GunnyITA 107]

I gotta say I find the accuracy to be shit on both but in my experience the m4 is the best weapon in the game right now, in everything but sniper distances where obviously the mosin wins out.  That isn't to say that other guns can't compete, DayZ pvp is more about many other factors than weapon alone, but the m4 is the most versatile gun currently.

 

If you use a bipod and even just a few mp parts the thing is pretty accurate (for the standalone, it's a piece of shit compared to arma), you can head shot reliably up to 300m on stationary targets on the first shot using a bipod and prone.  The thing is obviously hugely inaccurate if you aren't using a bipod and prone, and without mp parts it's got laughable spread.  The thing is, which I've come to realize, having 60 rounds is not to be overlooked.  Yes you're going to miss a lot of shots, but the sheer volume of rounds you can send towards a target at medium ranges means you're quite likely to hit them.

 

Close range it's pretty much no contest.  There's skill involved and I'm not saying some one with another gun can't overcome an m4 (I killed a guy who had an infinite ammo mag m4 with a 1911 and 7 shots) but the advantage is 60 rounds compared to 10 at the most.  The rate of fire is fast as well, and the amount of shots to kill honestly isn't that bad.

 

All that said, I hardly use the thing.  I prefer shotguns and magnums, and most of the other rifles before an m4.  But when I do end up grabbing one, I definitely feel a world of confidence knowing I have 4-6x the ammo of anyone I'm going up against.

 

TL;DR:  you can kill people with any gun.  both the m4 and sks have shit accuracy, with the stock sks having a bit better.  However the sheer amount of rounds you can pour at a guy with an m4 makes it the superior weapon in close quarters and it actually competes well enough at medium ranges.  the downside is the m4 has absolutely 0 style points and is the go to weapon of pretty much every butthole in the game.  It's all personal preference in the end.

 

 

Also, to those saying the guns have been artificially balanced or whatever, the problem is actually quite the opposite.  Nothing has been balanced yet.  They simply don't give a fuck at this stage of the alpha about balance.  Balance will likely come in beta and beyond.  So I'd say get used to shitty guns, because I really doubt the devs care yet.

 

 

You got the point and you have my beans! M4 actually is the best weapon you can get. No excuse.

And if someone pretend to shoot at 300 metres in a laggy game where people try to zig zag out to avoid bullets it is dumb idea. This weapon has great firepower, moderate damage and can spray out on close encounters, and you can also successfully fight at medium range.

 

Pick it up instead for medium to close range combats, Wait your target approaches! You can make ambushes and even if you fail you do have an automatic weapon that can make suppression fire.

 

You can't  pretend to shoot from the Tower Control to anyone in the airfield over 250 yards. Let this job to the snipers or semi auto weapons designed for long range. I guarranty in real life if do you have a carabine and you don't have a long range scope, hardly no one will do the first shoot if the target is at a certain distance, enough to be sure to hit the target. Who would have that steady aim?

During the training on military service they give you a "Rifle" not carabine and they ask you to shoot from many many yards to "steady targets", And I guarranty in real life you won't shoot again at same distance, with cold blood and with a "Carabine"....exept they are firing you first and you do return fire. Will you shoot someone you are not able to recognise if it is a civilian or an enemy at that distance?

 

About Dayz then, will you shoot someone you are not sure to hit at first or all shoots? Or do you wait him to get closer and get advantage of ambush effect and more firepower?

People must change playstile around the weapons...not the weapons around the players. otherwise everyone is going to camping up to a building and shoot from distance and kill anyone like COD 4 "Stedy Aim" perk. If it is hard to get close with a Shotgun, imagine what would be after that, plus damage increase? Oh God. Ok what would happens in real life but...the word balancing? Ever heard about that?

 

M4 is a CQB designed weapons, a Carabine. The complete word is AR-15 M4A1 or M4, along with the word Carbine! Not Rifle!

If its accuracy is quite similar to older rifle in the history, it is because years have passed and weapons have been modernized and gaining more performance. But it's always a Carabine.

 

another example:

MP7 is in my opinion the best SMG in the world, because has unique bullets that can peform way better than bigger smg rounds and fly way more away. Bullets can pierce a kevlar helmets a moderate distance, things that a regular SMG can't do.

But it's always an SMG, not a Carabine or a Rifle...

 

 

But somebody won't to understand....that's the problem.

 

Remember me at this:

 

Edited May 5, 2014 by GunnyITA

[ispecter 55]

SKS, for several reasons:

It's extremely powerful.

Ammo spawns all over the map.

The PU scope is found often.

[liquidsnake 275]

SKS.

In CQC, its power makes up for the lower rate of fire. Unlike the M4, it can also be used as a marksman rifle up to 300-400 yards. 

Frankly, the M4 should win every single time, realistically, but in DayZ it's the SKS that does it for me.

The SKS seems pretty true to life in DayZ, with its capability to engage up to 300-400 yards, but the M4 should be able to reach 500-600 easily. Also, it should be able to equip the LRS, which'd make it into a proper marksman rifle (but only up to 600 yards, a bit less than an actual marksman rifle due to the barrel etc. not being made for these types of engagements).

Edited May 5, 2014 by The End.

[GunnyITA 107]

SKS, for several reasons:

It's extremely powerful.

Ammo spawns all over the map.

The PU scope is found often.

 

 

Depends...it's all about luck and server. Sometime i taken hours to find it, sometime had found 3-4 boxes.

But this happens to any kind of weapon exept m4 that is a luxury weapon.

 

 

SKS.

In CQC, its power makes up for the lower rate of fire. Unlike the M4, it can also be used as a marksman rifle up to 300-400 yards. 

Frankly, the M4 should win every single time, realistically, but in DayZ it's the SKS that does it for me.

 

But it is as real life. because we compare a 5,56 round to a 7,62 on close range.

Then if you move if an M4 you do have a different spray than the SKS that will shoots anywhere exept where do you aim. The damage justify the accuracy while moving.

Edited May 5, 2014 by GunnyITA

[Thadius (DayZ) 40]

The M4 gets way to bad rep on its accuracy. It can be one of the most accurate weapons in the game with the right parts.

 

An M4 with pristine MP handguard, MP buttstock, ACOG, with a deployed bipod and lying down, can hit target accurately at 700m.

The biggest problem at these ranges is more actually seeing your target, as the magnification of the ACOG just is not enough for three quarters of a kilometer.

 

With the forementioned conditions on the M4, we tested small bursts of fire and found it had a fairly tight grouping at long ranges as well.

 

On the flipside, without MP parts, the M4 becomes utter shite at long ranges.

[taco86 156]

There should be 0 situations where an sks, or a mosin nagant is picked up in favor of a m4.

 

Absolutely 0.

 

The m4 is the better gun, it is more accurate than both guns, is flatter shooting than either guns, and overall a more lethal package.

Ehhh, it's not exactly that simple...  Each bullet has advantages...  7.62x39mm has better terminal ballistics than the 5.56 m855 beyond 200m, and 7.62x54r has better ballistics than a m855 beyond 500m, and again better terminal ballistics beyond 200m...

 

Do I think the m4a1 should be the better gun?  Of course, however the mosin most specifically has significant advantages at long ranges compared to both, even if it's mechanical accuracy at 100m is about 1/2 that of a mil spec m4a1.  5.56x45 m193 and m855 out of an m4a1 tends to just fall out of the sky when they get out to 500m+, an ar-15 with 18+ inch barrel spitting 77gr mk262mod1's is a bit of a different story though.

Edited May 5, 2014 by taco86

[gibonez 3633]

Ehhh, it's not exactly that simple...  Each bullet has advantages...  7.62x39mm has better terminal ballistics than the 5.56 m855 beyond 200m, and 7.62x54r has better ballistics than a m855 beyond 500m, and again better terminal ballistics beyond 200m...

 

Do I think the m4a1 should be the better gun?  Of course, however the mosin most specifically has significant advantages at long ranges compared to both, even if it's mechanical accuracy at 100m is about 1/2 that of a mil spec m4a1.  5.56x45 m193 and m855 out of an m4a1 tends to just fall out of the sky when they get out to 500m+, an ar-15 with 18+ inch barrel spitting 77gr mk262mod1's is a bit of a different story though.

 

A bone stock mosin, firing military surpus ammo does not have any advantages over anyone.

 

good luck hitting something at 500m with a 3 foot spread.

[taco86 156]

A bone stock mosin, firing military surpus ammo does not have any advantages over anyone.

Now you're seriously talking out your ass gib...  Especially considering that the manner in which a 5.56 m855 or m193 causes significant wounds and energy dump is no longer present beyond 200m...

 

A mosin is certainly not the lighting magical super sniper that it is in dayz, but you're seriously underplaying it's capabilities and drastically overplaying the effectivness of an m4a1 beyond 500m...

Edited May 5, 2014 by taco86

[gibonez 3633]

Now you're seriously talking out your ass gib...  Especially considering that the manner in which a 5.56 m855 or m193 causes significant wounds and energy dump is no longer present beyond 200m...

 

A mosin is certainly not the lighting magical super sniper that it is in dayz, but you're seriously underplaying it's capabilities and drastically overplaying the effectivness of an m4a1 beyond 500m...

 

I never said the energy would be anywhere near the same past 500m or if the m4s 2 moa accuracy would ensure consistent shots past 500m.

 

I merely said a bone stock mosin with crappy surplus 147 grain ammo will have considerable spread at 400m+

[taco86 156]

 

I merely said a bone stock mosin with crappy surplus 147 grain ammo will have considerable spread at 400m+

no, you said  "A bone stock mosin, firing military surpus ammo does not have any advantages over anyone." litterally two posts above the one i have quoted here....

Edited May 5, 2014 by taco86

[gibonez 3633]

no, you said  "A bone stock mosin, firing military surpus ammo does not have any advantages over anyone." litterally two posts above the one i have quited here....

 

Yea and military surplus 7.62x54r is crappy.

 

The heavy ball ammo was more accurate but that stuff is all but dried up all that seems to be left is 147 grain light ball crap.

[ColdHeat 59]

As the OP asked for our opinion:

 

I don't regard these guns as rivals. The M4 currently only does a SMG job to clear buildings at great efficiency while the SKS is inbetween the two extremes of the M4 and Mosin. You have a versatile weapon with the SKS with a quite good caliber. Personally I love a green painted SKS as it looks suddenly so modern yet whenever I can, I pick up a Mosin and a M4 and switch between those whenever I'm in a City or in open space. So to me it's just an interim solution but a reliable one.

[nanookrubbedit 1]

I don't think a sense of humor is what you think it is.

 

 

I could say the same thing to you.

[BeefBacon 1185]

Weapons are currently balanced in a way that accommodates for the limited selection of weapons. The M4 is short range, the SKS is medium range and the Mosin is long range. Simple as that. I'm sure that weapons will be balanced to be more like their real-life counterparts in future when there are more weapons to fill in the gaps. I couldn't care less if a Mosin firing some sort of old bullet would be less accurate than an M4 firing some sort of new bullet. It doesn't matter.

 

In regards to the OP, I always go SKS. It's a good intermediate weapon that is fairly effective at most ranges. It's also more difficult, than the M4, to find ammo so there's an added challenge.