What is a Sniper?

What is a Sniper?
Any idiot can pick up a sniper rifle and use it, but this does not
make them a Sniper. Snipers are killing machines, men who can take
someone down from any distance without being detected. This is
key: Snipers are ghosts, invisible killers. If you are attacking
from a point where you will be detected after your shot, you are not
a sniper, you are someone using a sniper's weapon. A true sniper
lives for the kill, the thrill of taking aim, putting your
crosshairs on someone's head, and knowing that in an instant, they
will cease to be anything but a memory, and you will live to kill
again.

This cannot be stressed enough...if you pick up a sniper rifle and
then use it as an assault weapon, you cannot call yourself a Sniper.
A true sniper is unseen when he aims, unseen when he fires, and most
probably unseen after the kill

This however poses the question: If a dead man sees a sniper, is
the sniper revealed? This is much like the proverbial tree in the
woods, but this one has a definite answer, and it is no. If you
kill the enemy who spotted you, you are still hidden. Thus, hiding
can take many forms, even to the point of standing in what would
otherwise be plain sight. As long as you kill anyone who spots you,
your cover will never be blown.

Most importantly, the Sniper lives by the creed, "One shot, one
kill". If you intend to become a Sniper, better brush up on those
headshots, especially if you're using the Scout. And it's highly
likely you will be.

The Scout
Probably the best sniper weapon available. I know that there's
dozens of people screaming "AWP!" right about now, but I do not
consider the AWP the most viable sniper's weapon. I'll explain that in
a bit. For right now, let's concentrate on the Scout. It's quiet,
it has a scope, and it is capable of a one-shot kill. It's light and
maneuverable, forgiving on movement while aiming, and holds plenty of
bullets to kill the entire team several times over. It is an
excellent choice in weapon. It's not the sort of weapon you'll want to be
holding if you get ambushed, although it can be put to use as a sort of
slow-firing shotgun (although you will have to practice to know where
to aim, as you don't have crosshairs. Still, if you look at it, that's what
sidearms are for. Don't be afraid of the Scout. Use it, learn
it, become efficient with it, and you'll strike terror into the
entire enemy team when their members begin falling one by one, and
they note the name of the sniper who killed them.

The Arctic Warfare Magnum/Police (AWP)
I'll say it right out...this is usually a lousy choice in a sniper rifle.
Why? Because it makes more noise than an elephant charging down main
street in NYC during rush hour. You will almost certainly kill
whatever it is you were aiming for, whether it be man, cow, or
dinosaur, but you will also almost certainly be spotted by players
who hear the shot...and everyone will hear the shot. Add that it's
heavy, hard to maneuver with, very picky about movement during the
shot, expensive, and near useless in close combat, and the cons far
outweigh the killing power. In general, pass up the AWP, unless the
situation calls for the oomph the gun provides.