How to Improve Your Shots in CS2
If you have been playing CS2 for some time then you must know that there is nothing more annoying then emptying an entire magazine of bullets while near an opponent, but doing little to no damage. Even worse though your crosshair was pointed directly at their heads which should have resulted in an instant kill with a weapon such as an AK-47. This is due to 2 factors; Bullet spread and Recoil. This article will teach you the difference between the two and give you an enhanced understanding of the functioning of various rifles.
Recoil
This is the simpler topic of the two. When you hold down your left mouse button and continue to spray, your gun will be forced upwards and your crosshair will shift slightly. This is caused due to the push back force from each bullet fired. In real life this phenomenon occurs due to Newton’s Third law of Motion “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. CS2 being the highly realistic game it is, follows this rule.
Depending on the type and power of the armament, the recoil will vary drastically. For example, Shotguns have a massive knock back, and take time to return to their original position, Snipers have an upwards knock back that prevents you from taking multiple shots consecutively, and in the same way, Assault Rifles too have small upwards jerks that mess with your aim.
A simple way to avoid missing your shots due to recoil is to aim slightly lower near the neck region of the opponent so that your second and third shot could also be a headshot. Ending the fight with you being victorious.
Each weapon has it’s very own recoil pattern which can be learned and used to your advantage. To see the recoil pattern, stand still and shoot directly into a wall. The bullet holes will show you the pattern. You can try and move your mouse the oppose way the recoil goes; this leads your bullets to stay in a common area.
| Recoil Difficulty | Weapon Names |
|---|---|
| Simple | AWP SSG 08 USP-S Zeus x27 |
| Easy | Shotguns Negev M4A1-S Sub Machine Guns (Close Range) |
| Medium | AK-47 AUG FAMAS Galil AR M4A4 |
| Hard | All Pistols (Excluding USP-S) G3SG1 M249 SCAR-20 Sub Machine Guns (Long Range) |
Bullet Spread
Here’s where it gets aiming can get tricky. Bullet spread is the distance between consecutive shots when spraying while keeping your crosshair stationary. Controlling your bullet spread improves your bullet accuracy and is needed to damage the enemy. This distance varies and depends on your movement including:
- Crouching
- Jumping
- Running
- Walking
If you are running or walking while shooting (also known as spraying and praying), you will have a hard time hitting your enemy unless they are right in front of you.
While standing still the spread is greatly reduced to zero, leaving you only to worry about the recoil pattern unique to every weapon. This gives the player an advantage as if the Spray Patterns are memorized and then inverted, and the player tracks his or her crosshair in the other direction. These spray patterns can be mastered and practiced using workshop maps.
Thus the key to better spraying techniques are controlling your bullet spread and being careful about your recoil. These are simple yet effective tips to help improve your CS2 game and let you outplay your opponents. I hope this article left you with a better understanding of how the weapon game mechanics really function.
Now that you have your weapon recoil and bullet spread down pact, why not check out how to counter an AWPer. Otherwise see the Top Skins Released with Shattered Web and maybe you will be able to get your hands on one.
