Sharp shooters...help?

[Extreme]

I'm no newby, but since after WB 2.5 my shooting's gone down hill!!  I quit WB partially coz of my shooting.  I'm rather fond of AH but the tracers/ammos are modelled similarly so I've still got the problem...

Deflection/snap shooting in preWB2.5 was a favourite of mine.  But these days it is sooo frustrating to zoom in on a guy, open up within 200yrds and totally miss the shot.

I think my problem is dealing with how much lead I need to give and the projectile path.  How/where do you sharp shooters aim?

Just to beef up some egos and maybe get some response, here's a list of guys I think have excellent marksmanship <not in any order>:

Garner
Pirado
Warlock
KoKo
< these are the guys I fly most often against or with so don't be disappointed if you're not on the list   >

What does it mean for me?  I gotta maneuver for way longer than I should be to get a kill...

Ex
PS: I maneuver for the position, not the shot so this sometimes mean an extended fight, but sometimes I'd like to get the job done quick with a snap/deflection shot!!

[leonid]

Extreme:

I'm not one of those you listed, but since there has been no response so far, here goes  

I too am someone who goes for the position and not the shot per se.  In other words, I E-fight.  Also, deflection shooting is one of my favorite types of shooting.  Here's what I've done to help my gunnery:

1. Offline I set my favorite converge, then while flying level fired off rounds and watched where they placed on my gunsight.  Though there was a good portion of straying rounds the majority did converge within a particular area before dropping away.  When I found that area I positioned my head so that the groupings were converging in the center of my gunsight.  Then I saved it.

2. When pressing the trigger, I try to keep all extraneous stick movements to a minimum.  Sometimes it takes longer to lay in that burst, but wasting rounds is so sloppy IMHO  

3.  My only ride is the La-5FN so it is difficult to make deflection shots for targets below my gunsight (damn air intake ).  However, I do make deflection shots for all other angles.  Basically, it's practice makes perfect.  I try to set it up so that the target and I will intersect, then anticipate when the target will cross my guns so I can lay in a burst right before they get there.  It's a lot of variables, but for me the key is trying to keep the target in view for that short length of time right before it crosses my guns.

[Extreme]

thanks Leonid...much appreciated...something to think about for sure.

Can't say I've had any battles with you so forgive me for not listing you  ...

Ex

[fats]

If you meant 'zoom' as in AH zoom, my word of advice is don't use it. The stick movements become very 'large' due to smaller FOV, which reminds me HT should let people set a scale multiplier to go with the zoom mode.

Fly planes with guns spread out, you'll get more shotgun effect and have better chances of hitting. Next stick to the same plane ( same guns ) for a while. And last get a friend of yours to fly in circles in front of you, start with the most basic horizontal turns and try and kill him. Fire short burtsts increasing the lead until you get a hit and then make a mental note where the enemy was placed, how what speed was it that you were turning and how many Gs. At the moment AH shows the hit sprites through the instrument panel so you will know if you have hit even though you can't see the enemy.

There really is no secret formula, at least I don't know of one, other than practice. If you can always force a similar kind of sittuation in a fight when you are shooting, that means you only have to learn one kind of deflection to kill stuff. Sound silly perhaps, but it helps to be able to repeat something and get good at it than be good at all kind of sittuations.


//fats

[Herc]

I use the text on top of the plane to line up the shot.  It's not realistic but it's there so I use it.  I only get people on the first pass who make a standard turn.  It's very difficult to hit someone who varies his altitude while making his break turn so that his plane is moving in both the vertical and horizontal planes.  If you miss on the first pass then do a climbing turn so that you can maintain an E advantage (stay above your target).  Your target often bleeds all of his E making the break turn.  It's much safer to stay above him and then you can use that extra E to get inside of him and get another shot.  Hopefully he'll not have enough energy to vary his turn.

MG

[Laika]

Hi ya Extreme  

I find its all about reading what the cons flight path is. And as Leonid mentioned you  need to be steady on the stick when firing, I find it easy to sorta "oscillate" around the con when firing if your not lite on the trigger press. I trim a little "nose down" before entering fight or making a snap pass. I pref tight grouping guns guns like the 109 or cannon armed planes (the Ln5 is excellent for snap shooting) for this type of shooting. Those snaps when the con crosses 90deg in front of you the MG's dont seem to do much but I find the cannon works a treat.

I'm using this simple replacement site I made up.

     

In AH I do use the zoom function most of the time (when shooting) but have it adjusted "out" to give max field of view. I find the target definition helps heaps in reading where he is heading and makes for better shot placement. Its hard put in words how to snap shoot ... If you want a H2H (WB's) drone to work out something's, ICQ me anytime. I dont mind being a punching bag    

Good to see your still keeping your hand in Extreme    

laika-  

"Aerial gunnery is 90% instinct and 10% aim"
Captain Frederick C. Libby, RFC

[This message has been edited by Laika (edited 10-18-1999).]

[Extreme]

tks for the input folks...

I'm ok for the flying bit and E management stuff.  I can set myself up for the shot on most occasions.  Just when it comes to finishing the fight is where I'm being really frustrated at the moment.  Like I said, I spend way too long in a fight sometimes.  

RE:Same plane...I like flying a 109 and have been since AH started.

RE:Zoom...I meant flying in for the shot.  I do use ZOOM <key_z> as well when I'm shooting, albeit adjusted out a little.  Reason is as per Laika said in his post.

Ex.

[Jekyll]

Extreme.. look me up next time we're both online.  I'll switch to another country and we'll go off into a quiet corner of the map somewhere and you can set up gun passes on me as much as you like.

------------------
C.O. Phoenix Squadron
www.users.bigpond.com/afinlayson/index.htm
'feel the heat .......'

[Minotaur]

Using "realistic" and the "Zoom key" feature together, is this possible in the real plane?

Just a thought;
Mino

[Granger]

Extreme,
One thing i have found is that you need to position your head in your plane so that when you shoot, you shoot straight.
If you know that when you squeeze the trigger you will shoot dead in the center of your crosshairs its a big help. Of course you need to modify and lead your shots when you are puling into a turn leading your shots. Not professional, but sometimes I have to spray into the target..usually shooting behind the target and walking the spray twords him. Its difficult to judge where the burst will hit while turning at 4 or 5 gs. I have gotten lucky snap shots where they hit the first time, but usually not the case. I rarely use zoom, accept to get the targets vector, once i know what he is doing, zoom doesnt get used again. The zoom makes it way too responsive to leave it on, and very hard to line someone up..it does look nice though...seeing a plane that big.
Good luck with it..see ya in the air.

Granger

[Westy]

"Using "realistic" and the "Zoom key" feature  together, is this possible in the real plane? Just a thought; Mino"

 Realistic? Hell no. But then realisticly I wouldn't be squinting at just a few pixels on a computer screen trying to figure what it is that I'm looking at that's 5k+ away me.
 
 --Westy


[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 10-19-1999).]

[Firefox]

EX, to answer your question.  

I have my guns set at 225,250,275.  At about 300-200 yards put the pipper on the middle of tail if in 6 shot, or if in a turn (which 90% of my shots are these days) I aim for the spinner.


Works a good so far. Capish.



------------------
Rick "Firefox" Scott
VMF-214 / MAG 11
WB ID: firefx
AH ID: FirefxAT
Have Gun Will Travel

[Yeager]

Like most things in life (I said *most*), being able to bring guns to bear on a moving target is a skill that is aquired through many hours of repetative action.  Do it over and over and over again.  Then do it some more.  After that, do it some more, over and over and over again.  After doing this for a while, you should notice some improvement.  If you dont see any improvement, then flying these simualted ww2 guns only sims just might not be something that you ever get *really good at doing*.

Im not that good myself, but I am a hell of a lot better than I used to be.  Thats why I still play, because I have a long way to go before Im good enough to quit!

Yeager

[Pirado]

Hey... sorry buddy.. i missed this post before.. long time no checking this boards.. just flying  

Well, forgive my poor english to explain what im used to do with deflection shots and i think our friends already give some good tips.

All what can i say is shoot close as possible. I know i know.. u already know that.  
But pratice and pratice and more pratice.. is the best thing to do.

Bandits 12 hi! Help! Im out!

------------------
Pirado
"The first rule of all air combat is to see the opponent first."
Adolf Galland


[This message has been edited by Pirado (edited 10-20-1999).]