About the AS50

[Double_Back 36]

Hoping for a little feedback from your experiences in the 'real world' of Dayz.

After a dissappointing quick run through the barracks at the NW Airfield in search of a scoped rifle (desperately looking for a M24 or DMR, I exited out into the adjacent fields and found a downed heli not 300 meters in front of me. While I very much expected to be gunned down like a dog crawling 300 meters accross an open field to a downed heli right next to the NW Airfield, I gave it a shot (no risk, no reward) and found TWO AS50s and an FN there. Heart pounding and surrounded by zeds, I decided not get greedy spending a bunch of time re-arranging my backpack to take two weapons and increase my chances of getting a new hole in my head. So, I grabbed one AS50 and all the mags from both of them and ran like a girl out of there; happy with my good fortune. Got to the opposite treeline and dispatched the two zeds that followed and melted into the forest.

On to my questions...

I'll preface by saying: I play as a 100% loner. I know the AS50 is the Hand of God when it comes to sniping. It is an awesome weapon. I know how and under what circumstances to use it. I know most of you would cling to this weapon like grim death. I do have quite a bit of time in this game and this experience also causes me to have a few concerns. I know, within a team, this weapon is Death.

I know this sounds almost silly, but: How practical is this weapon to a loner with no team, no spotters/backup, and someone that actually wants to survive? By "survive", I mean I'm not server hopping into sniping spots near Cherno to shoot new spawns until I run out of ammo or someone kills me. Don't get me wrong, I was looking for a sniper rifle for a reason...

However, as I mentioned, I play as a loner and I will occasionally be forced to actually visit a town. What concerns me is this weapon is freaking HUGE and I feel like I have a giant "kill me" sign on my back (more than normal). With the weapon's size and no ghillie, I feel like I stand out like a neon sign. Additionally, I don't carry a second rifle and my only CQC weapon would be my .45.

What are some of your (the loners, that is) experiences with this weapon and long-term survival? In practical terms, would I better served by a DMR that will still reach out and touch someone from a distance, but has some close range utility?

Thanks in advance...

[alexanjl12 1]

However, as I mentioned, I play as a loner and I will occasionally be forced to actually visit a town...

Why will you be forced to visit a town? once you get some basic equipment, you should never have to return to a town unless you want to.

food - long as you have a hunting knife/matches you can cook the wildlife. A hatchet is great so you can get the wood yourself, or you can usually find a pile of wood in a barn

water - canteens can be filled in ponds

ammo - downed choppers, barns, treestands

[Benlandia 73]

Why will you be forced to visit a town? once you get some basic equipment, you should never have to return to a town unless you want to.

food - long as you have a hunting knife/matches you can cook the wildlife. A hatchet is great so you can get the wood yourself, or you can usually find a pile of wood in a barn

water - canteens can be filled in ponds

ammo - downed choppers, barns, treestands

Agreed. Once you have canteens and the essentials for hunting/cooking, you do not need to visit towns anymore. As far as that giant beacon of a weapon is concerned on your back, I would recommend picking up another weapon in your backpack with 1-2 mags for self-defence. When you feel like sniping, you can just swap them out.

[Double_Back 36]

I know how the game works. I have all the survival tools. I've got 200+ hours in game and I'm still in single digits on my total number of spawns.

Perhaps I should have been more varied in my description of concerns.

Generally, any movement at all will come with risks. Movement will be required even if it doesn't involve a town. With movement (and no NVGs) comes the potential for encounters with other players.

I'm asking about the experiences from those loners that have actually used the weapon. The ones that have operated with it without server hopping or DC-ing as soon as they see another player within 300 meters.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Double_Back

[CoruptedComedian 8]

so im practicly a looner (when im not fooling around with my friend) but when im a loner i always search the fire stations the airfields and so on for a sniper rifle since its so effective.

first tip to you is to get rid of that .45 and get a m1911 since you can make the .45 ammo into m1911 mags + the .45 is loud as hell :/

secound tip is not to visit cities (i mean big cities mostly chernogors and elektro + the 2 smaller places to the west), keep away from shores.

there is plenty of awsome cities in the north / northeast for example: Stary Sobor, Novy Sobor, Polana, Gorka and MOST IMPORTANT Berezino since it contains so much loot, hospitals and supermakets.

you have everything you need in the northern parts of the map and if you are calm and patient you can sit on a good vantage point outside the town just scouting for platers locating zombies and so on,

if you encounter a group of players you shouldn't have a problem to wipe out 2 if they are more than 2 just clear the area (don't run away, just scout to see where they'r heading) and keep calm.

when you have wiped the player/s out you should wait and see for about 5 min to be sure that noone is there waiting for you to go loot the corpse.

also very important trust noone! i myself have beed lured and fooled several times, now i trust absolutely noone that doesn't use voice communications and seems nice, even then you have to keep them in sight.

the most important is that you find axe, matches, knife, compass, binoculairs so that you can survive anything, (you should eventually get some supplies at the hospital in Berezino)

mostly the morphine. crawling two miles to the hospital just aint fun -.- darn zombies :)

you shouldn't go loot towns for food go hunt, and there will be plenty of ammo for your 1911 in farms and so on. if ur lucky you find ammo for the sniper in deer stands (ALWAYS check deer stands!)

so have luck out there in the badlands!

[CoruptedComedian 8]

Why will you be forced to visit a town? once you get some basic equipment, you should never have to return to a town unless you want to.

food - long as you have a hunting knife/matches you can cook the wildlife. A hatchet is great so you can get the wood yourself, or you can usually find a pile of wood in a barn

water - canteens can be filled in ponds

ammo - downed choppers, barns, treestands

eventually you will have to visit a hospital to grab some morphine and going to towns is FUN! taking risks is fun and gets your heart pumping

and btw ur leg is going to break eventually (several times)

saying this with alot of experience lol ^^ (breaking leg experience, aaaaw yeeeah!)

Edited July 12, 2012 by CoruptedComedian

[alexanjl12 1]

eventually you will have to visit a hospital to grab some morphine

Morphine can also be found in deerstands/crashed choppers

[Food 309]

Morphine can also be found in deerstands/crashed choppers

You can NEVER get enough morphine from those though? I go on regular trips to hospitals with my group to fill our van with it. There's a reason my sig. says "Broken leg simulator 2012" because I break my legs ATLEAST once a day somehow... Usually the first zombie hit breaks them, so I've learned to keep 4-5 morphine in pack at all times xD

[Double_Back 36]

Thanks for the posts, but I don't need "how to play the game" tips. Been there. Done that...a lot. Within a couple of hours of spawning, I pretty much always will have, at the very least: an assault rifle, ALICE pack, 1911 or .45, canteens, matches, binocs, knife, hatchet, etc. and my standard 'med kit' of 3 bandages, 2 pain killers, and 2 morphine. I know what to get, where to get it, and how to use the standard stuff and how to survive with it. My lifes are usually measured in weeks.

I've been to NW Airfield and Stary more times than I can count. Alone. Surving with and using 'standard' military weapons is old hat for me. I'm far from an expert, but I know what I'm doing.

Again, I'm specifically interested in hearing from those players that have actually operated with the AS50 as loner. Those that have will know what I'm asking about.

[methodology 4]

it's not very useful at night, compared to say the dmr for sniping, however in daylight it's pretty much the hand of god as you described it. With your experience, I'm pretty sure the size won't be that much of an issue as you'll know how to properly angle and hide yourself. The one issue you'll have is ammo. as50 specific ammo will be extremely rare and I think is only found at crash sites, luckily you can use m107 ammo which I believe can be found at any military loot spawn. Like someone else has mentioned you'll probably want an assault rifle as a second primary with a couple clips and run with that the majority of the time, only switching out the as50 when you're in a set location.

So to answer your question, I would still run with the as50 instead of the dmr yes because you really can't beat the range, lethality and it's actually strangely quiet. You'll just have to resign yourself to limited bag space.

[thetamsen 57]

it's not very useful at night, compared to say the dmr for sniping, however in daylight it's pretty much the hand of god as you described it. With your experience, I'm pretty sure the size won't be that much of an issue as you'll know how to properly angle and hide yourself. The one issue you'll have is ammo. as50 specific ammo will be extremely rare and I think is only found at crash sites, luckily you can use m107 ammo which I believe can be found at any military loot spawn. Like someone else has mentioned you'll probably want an assault rifle as a second primary with a couple clips and run with that the majority of the time, only switching out the as50 when you're in a set location.

So to answer your question, I would still run with the as50 instead of the dmr yes because you really can't beat the range, lethality and it's actually strangely quiet. You'll just have to resign yourself to limited bag space.

Don't you people get it?

He's already read the friggin forums in every topic that as much as mentions the as50, you can't tell him anything new about handling it.

He's asking - players, obviously - who's running alone, eating alone, killing alone, feasting alone and wanking alone in the forests, if they have ever, used the as50 alone, and found it handy or w/e.

He's not asking what any of you guys would do, I don't think he could give a smaller f* about that, to be honest.

I've used the as50 as a loner, but I've never been good at handling snipers. I like assault rifles.

I died after pulling a shitload of zombies and breaking my leg. Had it for about an hour, before I pulled 10+ zombies after firing it. I'm not good with zeroing, so I tend to move in closer - which is stupid, yeah, but what the f* else can I do, when I suck at zeroing, and really want to get a shot on my victims? :}

I enjoyed killing players with one shot though, and if I get the opportunity, I will pick up the sniper again, and improve my sniping experiences.

Currently loning around looking for downed helis with a m249, which is indeed very handy as a loner against the endless hordes of zombies.

[Sethen 62]

Let me enlighten you my fellow loner..

I've carried both .50 Cals. At the very moment i am weilding the AS50 which is hell of a rifle but also its close brother the M107. I am currently with 289 Zombie kills 21 Murders 12 Bandit kills and roughly manage keep this one character alive over 2 weeks now. Far as the gun itself, AS50, its amazing.. The one shot wonder is priceless. Yes you have to take in concern about loudness of the shot, lack of easy access ammo, and your visiablity holding the TOWER of a GUN. Hands down dependable and a must for a loner.. Making it easy for you to get your distance from other players. Mainly these squads that are so common as Dayz grows larger in population. My main advice is to maybe copy my setup..

AS50 - Primay Weapon

FN FAL (Night Vision) - Secondary left in your backpack for close quarters and mainly night of close. ;)

G17 - Side Arm. Love it due to easy ammo access and holds 17 rounds per clip, Flashlight, and noise is very low.

Also of course the Coyote Backpack is lovely and if you could ever get your hands ahold of camo or ghillie suit.

I mark my grounds northern part of the map making my way west to east in a cycle.. Bless the ones that enter my path.

Hold on to your AS50 its a monster! Remember only down side in it vs the M107 is having use the + and - keys vs right clicking to get the second zoom.

[Monstrous Treachery 7]

You're always relatively safe if you play the game the right way, whether you have a huge 50 caliber sniper on your back or a tiny M9 in your holster.

[Double_Back 36]

Thanks Tam and Seth. Thats what I was looking for.

I've been trying to avoid carrying a second primary, but it might be unavoidable. I've been hesitant not just for the pack space (have an Alice), but also because of my tendancy to lose one of them while switching primaries. But, there's just too much of a utility gap between the AS50 and a sidearm. I'll probably just need to trim some fat out of my gear. Being used to loning it, I tend to be a bit of a pack rat and generally carry way more mags than I really need.

I'm not too concerned about ammo since, obviously, this isn't a spray and pray weapon. Fortunately, I was able to grab four mags at the crash site for it. I've been keeping an eye out for the M107 mags, but in the past, I've found those to be relatively rare and deerstands are about the safest place to grab them. Even then, I've only seen a few singles out of probably hundreds of loot checks in the past. Of course, the DMR mags seem to grow on trees.

I know the AS50 is quieter to other players than the M107, but it's still just as loud (from what I've read) as the M107 to zombies. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I've generally sniped in 400-500 yard range in the past with other weapons and I'll probably just need to push that out a bit more now and be mindfull of zombie spawn points.

[thetamsen 57]

Thanks Tam and Seth. Thats what I was looking for.

I've been trying to avoid carrying a second primary, but it might be unavoidable. I've been hesitant not just for the pack space (have an Alice), but also because of my tendancy to lose one of them while switching primaries. But, there's just too much of a utility gap between the AS50 and a sidearm. I'll probably just need to trim some fat out of my gear. Being used to loning it, I tend to be a bit of a pack rat and generally carry way more mags than I really need.

I'm not too concerned about ammo since, obviously, this isn't a spray and pray weapon. Fortunately, I was able to grab four mags at the crash site for it. I've been keeping an eye out for the M107 mags, but in the past, I've found those to be relatively rare and deerstands are about the safest place to grab them. Even then, I've only seen a few singles out of probably hundreds of loot checks in the past. Of course, the DMR mags seem to grow on trees.

I know the AS50 is quieter to other players than the M107, but it's still just as loud (from what I've read) as the M107 to zombies. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I've generally sniped in 400-500 yard range in the past with other weapons and I'll probably just need to push that out a bit more now and be mindfull of zombie spawn points.

About the loudness level

There's a good chance for that to be true.

It's probably the same as the Winchester 1866 shotgun - to players it sounds almost like a silenced weapon, and to zombies all around of a couple hundred meters its a dinner bell.

[methodology 4]

Don't you people get it?

He's already read the friggin forums in every topic that as much as mentions the as50, you can't tell him anything new about handling it.

He's asking - players, obviously - who's running alone, eating alone, killing alone, feasting alone and wanking alone in the forests, if they have ever, used the as50 alone, and found it handy or w/e.

He's not asking what any of you guys would do, I don't think he could give a smaller f* about that, to be honest.

I've used the as50 as a loner, but I've never been good at handling snipers. I like assault rifles.

I died after pulling a shitload of zombies and breaking my leg. Had it for about an hour, before I pulled 10+ zombies after firing it. I'm not good with zeroing, so I tend to move in closer - which is stupid, yeah, but what the f* else can I do, when I suck at zeroing, and really want to get a shot on my victims? :}

I enjoyed killing players with one shot though, and if I get the opportunity, I will pick up the sniper again, and improve my sniping experiences.

Currently loning around looking for downed helis with a m249, which is indeed very handy as a loner against the endless hordes of zombies.

So everything i talked about, you guys are talking about, yet I don't get it? Wtf?...

anyways the as50 has a 450m audible range. If you're resistant to carrying an assault rifle you probably don't want to be taking shots (approaching towns) closer than 600m anyways.

[Double_Back 36]

Actually, method, I appreciated your input.

[Sethen 62]

No problem Double_Back. Actually was playing earlier after I got off work and came by two extra ghillie suits. Thought about ya bud..

Best of luck to you out there. Hopefully we never meet in cross-fire.

[Double_Back 36]

Ha! Of, course.

On my last life I found a ghillie (in an outhouse) before I found my first weapon, can of beans, or soda. Now I can't find one anywhere.

Had a pair of NVGs, too.

The problem is, now I don't want to risk my rifle to find either. But, I'd take a rangefinder over either at the moment.

[dallas 5195]

[edit]Sorry didn't notice which forum it was posted in.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Dallas

[youSOB 5]

I use as50 as loner. carry out a bizon with 2 rounds for zombie work and a m14 for general movement. Alice pack is full of those 2 weapons. I find them essential, the bizon especially.

Then i have meat, meds and 2 water bottles.

The way I play I rarely see other players and if I do they don't see me. But I often scavenge towns looking for the bigger backpack.

[eGoSparrow 0]

Have had the as50 for awhile now, first thing I would never give this up. The as50 is amazing for scouting and killing with the huge zoom and the 1shot kills against the ever increasing number of d/c'rs is great.

range wise I always snipe from atleast 650 or more metres away so my shots are not audible to nearby zeds, I do play with a crew of 2-3 others every few days but the majority of the time I'm alone, I'll assume you understand how sight in the as50 so no need to cover that. As for playing alone with a 50.cal patience is key, just because you have a shot does not mean you should take it, basic things like checking tree lines and other vantage points surrounding you for other players/ your targets crew if you see someone enter a field, wait till they get approx halfway before taking the shot to ensure no crew is following up behind him/another player is camping the same area.

carrying an alternate main such as one of the ak/m4/16 lines or a sd weapon to switch out helps immensly even at the reduced bag space(an alice or c-backpack is key).

be sparse with your ammo m107 and ofc as50 rounds are not the easyest of mags to find as you know.

Also when solo I try to stay in the north area of the map camping stary from afar or crashed helis I find with the increasing number of crews in dayz now the nw airfield is not safe for a solo anymore.

Peace, stay unfriendly.

[ToliFF 0]

I know the AS50 is quieter to other players than the M107, but it's still just as loud (from what I've read) as the M107 to zombies. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I've generally sniped in 400-500 yard range in the past with other weapons and I'll probably just need to push that out a bit more now and be mindfull of zombie spawn points.

It takes zombies a long time to run 400 m. By the time they get to your position, you'll have already fired a few rounds and melted back into the landscape without aggroing. AS50 is a great loner gun, you've got a longer reach than anybody else and even in close quarters a no-scope with a semi-auto one-shot-kill isn't that unplausible. I've bumped into a few players at close range and managed hit them with a .50, not ideal but it still chews em up.

One thing to note as a loner... the scope is a handicap in the dark, you'll find yourself outgunned with only your .45 at night. Carry another primary/have a camp to re-equip/or plan accordingly.

[Carad 2]

Me and my friends "Almost" got a as50/m107 yesterday. Were making a quock stop at polana supermarket for foodstuffs. I start heading for the residental building that's next to the supermarket and my friends stay in the supermarket when suddenly theres a loud boom and one of my friends die. Turns out someone spawned into the shop, it was dark and he mistook his sniper rifle for my dmr so he thought it was me, and got a bullet in the head for it. too bad the guy got chickenshit scared, shat his pants and dc'd before we could drop him where he ran into hiding :D dc op

[Rudson (DayZ) 61]

I know exactly what you are talking about, having this huge monsterrifle on your back you feel like a damn christmas tree full of "lootme" candles.

I carry this weapon for a while now, about two weeks. It is awesome and the only other sniperrifle i would prefer over the AS50 is the SVD Camo. My problem at the moment is that the Ghillie suit was buggy, and now mine is gone. So everything is more difficult! When i play alone i never visit any places where other players might be. I have 3 waterbottles and i can kill/gut/eat animals. So i don´t have to visit popular places. After one week without meeting any players at all I started wondering.. are there even other survivers! Sounds silly i know but this weapon is like a curse! I got really paranoid and unhappy with it so i decided to team up with others. My job is it now to protect two fellowers and having people around is just what i needed. What do you have from living like a ghost, when you die you die alone, nobody cares and nobody will be there and you will not be rememberd.

All i want to say is, find some friends, some guys you can protect, you will feel better about the situation and every group will be lucky to have some guy sitting in a tree, 600m away, capable of blowing a fucking truck up!

so long Rudson.