Following my recent trend of snatching up Buzz Bee's new and rather good blasters, I decided to get another one. The Range Master was a decent blaster but it's slow rate of fire was it's biggest letdown by far. So how do you fix that? This is the Snipe, it looks roughly the same as the Range Master but it trades air power for a magazine fed plunger system and to say the least it's does a pretty good job overall but it's not without issues.
Size compared to a Longstrike.
The Snipe is obviously the sniper rifle in the Ultra Tek series and currently it's only Nerf counterparts are the Centurion and the newly resurrected Longshot. It's about three feet long and it's large grip is relatively comfortable. The stock of the blaster shoulders well, but it's set so low that when you rest your cheek on it to aim, the top of the blaster blocks your line of sight completely. It does come with a scope but it's the same one from the Range Master that forcefully makes you angle your shots when aiming with it. Not that scopes are of any use anyways. Another complaint goes mainly for left handed users in that the bolt is only on the right side of the blaster. I might be biased here though because I prefer to prime bolt actions with my right hand while still shouldered but some lefties like loading with their free hand. In other words it may feel right for some, but not for all.
As expected.
Like the rest of the Ultra Tek blasters, the Snipe takes Nerf magazines without issue with the exception of drums. Unlike the other magazine fed Ultra Teks, the Snipe has a jam door of sorts. It's more of an open slot but it serves the purpose. It's intention was probably to allow you to single load the blaster instead of using the magazine. Stupid, I know, but the blaster jams so little as is that it may as well be.
Internals, complete with a good sized plunger tube.
So how does it shoot? Well it gets a pretty solid 40 to 60 feet with the barrel on, and it's rather accurate too. With it off, it would probably help consistency but the bore is wide enough that it might not even affect anything. This blaster was a bitch to get open. The back cap had to be pried off and then there were hidden screws under the panel on the grip, which in turn was glued in place. But the front ring was by far the worst. I had no choice but the saw through it along the seams; it worked but I hate having to do damage to get things open. Inside you will find a rather nice plunger system with a beefy spring and a tube somewhere between a Nite-Finder and a Longshot in size. The seal could be better but that's fixable. Good signs for modding but you may not want to.
Well shit.
Reason being is because the first Snipe I bought actually broke after about five shots. The bolt handle basically snapped off when I tried priming it back. I took it back to the store and exchanged it for this one but prior to that I asked Reddit if it has happened to them and sure enough, it did. The bolt setup is inadequate for the spring strength and the only way to avoid it breaking is by priming it while holding it close to the base of handle or by finding a way to reinforce the handle which I'm looking into. I would avoid trying to spring upgrade the blaster just because it wont be able to take the stress without modification to the bolt. Overall big marks down on reliability.
The Snipe is good blaster overall, it gets good ranges with nice accuracy and the cross compatibility with Nerf clips is the icing on the cake. However it's weirdness in parts of it's form factor and the unreliability of the bolt system itself makes it a bit of a pain in the ass to use and work on. If anything, it's best left stock and there's no guarantee it will last without gentle use. It's only good for a 7 out of 10, it would be more if it didn't prove to be unreliable but what can you do. Buy at your own risk.
The Verdict
Class- Bolt Action Sniper Rifle
Range- Good, around 40-60 feet with great accuracy.
Size- A few inches shorter than the Longstrike.
Reliability- May jam but this has not been an issue. What is an issue is the bolt is at risk of breakage.
Ammo- 8 Ultra Tek Darts(Elite Darts)
Modding- Great potential. Actually no, the bolt problem will severely limit modability unless you can reinforce it.
Value- At $18, it's a solid performer but it comes with a risk.
Is It Better Than?
Range Master- Depends, the Snipe performs a bit better with a higher rate of fire but the Range Master is a bit more reliable due to it's relatively simple air powered system although it isn't immune to leaks like all air powered blasters go.
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