BFV ADS Speeds, Weapon Sight Pictures (w/ sight variations), and Recommendations

Incarnate · 2019-09-29 21:36:02 UTC

Weapon sights and ADS values are both incredibly important parts of most first person shooters, and BFV is no exception. Being able to accurately aim, and knowing how long it takes to complete the aiming animation, play greatly into a realistic understanding of ‘true’ TTK. As such this post is broken down into three parts:

Part I: Weapon Sights
Part II: ADS Speeds
Part III: Personal recommendations

Part I: Weapon Sights ↥

While tinkering with the nVidia game filter, I found a incredibly helpful green screen feature, and decided to catalog all weapon sights with it. Any variation on the iron sights due to weapon skins are also included. As a bonus I’ve included FPP weapon models as well - perfect for making clickbait video thumbnails.

All images are PNGs with transparent backgrounds, aside for a few of the optics pictures where the crosshair is rendered onto the nearest map object, and therefore cannot be green-screened. I will try to update this as new guns come out.

General Optics

Nydar

Reflex

Lens

Offset-mounted Aperture Sight

Straight-mounted Aperture Sight

Rib

Buckhorn

GBR 3x

GBR 6x

GER 2x

GER 3x

GER 6x

US 6x

Anti-materiel Rifles

Boys

Irons

FPP

Assault Rifles

M1907 SF

Irons

FPP

Ribeyrolles 1918

Irons

FPP

StG 1-5

Irons

FPP

StG 44

Irons

Mint/Gold Irons

FPP

Bolt-Action Carbines

Commando Carbine

Irons

FPP

M28

Irons

Alt-fire "ADS"

FPP

Alt-fire FPP

Bolt-Action Rifles

If using iron sights, barrel wrap cosmetics are not recommended as they will often obstruct a decent amount of the sight picture

Gewehr M95/30

Irons

FPP

Kar 98

Irons

Mint/Captured Irons

FPP

Krag–Jørgensen

Irons

FPP

Lee Enfield No.4

Irons

FPP

Ross Rifle

Irons

FPP

Light Machine Guns

Bren

Irons

Mint/Gold Irons

FPP

FG-42

Irons

FPP

KE7

Irons

FPP

Lewis

Irons

FPP

LS/26

Irons

https://imgur.com/9Tu2Li0.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/fE3asPU.png

Medium Machine Guns

M1922

Irons

https://imgur.com/8Qj0vPD.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/Aoza08R.png

MG34

Irons

https://imgur.com/Hle2rmQ.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/jzt9Fmd.png

MG42

Irons

https://imgur.com/ruT9rly.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/2pDFP0C.png

S2-200

Irons

https://imgur.com/ApWCtgh.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/f4GXUJu.png

VGO

Irons

https://imgur.com/mm6HoME.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/JV3F3Gu.png

Pistols

Liberator

Irons

https://imgur.com/5xCfEsq.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/4uzV5s0.png

M1911

Irons

https://imgur.com/VsRqymu.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/eiJBbcO.png

M1912

Irons

https://imgur.com/2NhNGC0.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/1aO65pW.png

P08

Irons

https://imgur.com/Efd4VXE.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/TjMT5S0.png

P38

Irons

https://imgur.com/D0Y6Yxh.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/yzUxaQU.png

Ruby

Irons

https://imgur.com/7aEGLCT.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/sKLwXmY.png

Webley Mk IV

Irons

https://imgur.com/sSUKoiV.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/DgJsIh9.png

Pistol Carbines

P08 Carbine

Irons

https://imgur.com/o8KiEmi.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/EChx3tY.png

Self-Loading Rifles

Model 8

Irons

https://imgur.com/0jcKOnX.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/Fp8tXtQ.png

RSC

Irons

https://imgur.com/hA3ooQN.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/hRZVwAe.png

Selbstlader 1906

Irons

https://imgur.com/garid5M.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/KMYB1S7.png

ZH-29

Irons

https://imgur.com/ay9wnCw.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/VWL4dHs.png

Semi-Automatic Rifles

AG/M42

Optics recommended

Irons

https://imgur.com/c826Cn4.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/r5nJFPK.png

Gewehr 1-5

Irons

FPP

https://imgur.com/b0zIiuh.png

Gewehr 43

Irons

https://imgur.com/j1uZ7AS.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/RB6XGhe.png

Karabin 1938

Irons

https://imgur.com/0nvcChE.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/pwtT7xY.png

M1A1 Carbine

Note: All sight screenshots feature a Urban Blue handguard. This handguard, along with the Blued handguard, reduces the amount of wood vertically on the handguard, providing a better sight picture.

Handguard Comparison .gif

Irons

https://imgur.com/vmkEdJv.png

Mint/Urban Blue Irons

https://imgur.com/ThPSIYI.png

Gold Irons

https://imgur.com/2uTTgdv.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/f5T5Lvc.png

MAS-44

Optics recommended

Irons

https://imgur.com/6Woo3gC.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/mvT8FZ1.png

Selbstlader M1916

Irons

https://imgur.com/NnEoDAS.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/0G85NTO.png

Turner SMLE

Optics recommended

Irons

https://imgur.com/IrXFt7m.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/Txc0nje.png

Shotguns

12g Auto

Irons

https://imgur.com/fwvTC4a.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/j6tf08b.png

M1897

Irons

https://imgur.com/BhBNm3v.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/pCZgIqY.png

M30 Drilling

Irons

https://imgur.com/tgdiuzL.png

Alternate-fire Irons

https://imgur.com/6yyFDWY.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/9zGpqVE.png

Submachine Guns

EMP

Irons

https://imgur.com/BX7ETAJ.png

OLD Mint/Gold Irons

Removed in a past patch and replaced with a recolor of the default irons
https://imgur.com/4iA0AzZ.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/1DnL2Nj.png

M1928A1

If using Iron sights, purchasing Sandstorm (the cheapest of the three) is highly recommended

Irons

https://imgur.com/rW4EnSJ.png

Sandstorm/Patches/Countryside Irons

https://imgur.com/NTxGzbe.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/2R2NVgO.png

MAB38

Irons

https://imgur.com/Id3Cbbu.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/H54h9Vl.png

MP-28

Irons

https://imgur.com/ZXYTUMu.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/31T1qDh.png

MP-34

Irons

https://imgur.com/7hEQsXk.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/ArTSnBM.png

MP-40

Irons

https://imgur.com/qFEm3iq.png

Gold Irons

https://imgur.com/XXVWVT1.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/8AusDGp.png

STEN

Note: The STEN’s sight changes are done by customizing the barrel, not the sights.

Default/Cinder Barrel

https://imgur.com/1zFX0fw.png

Birch/Denison/Peacekeeper/Patches/Mint/Countryside/Urban/Blue/Chromed Finish/Night Owl/Blued Barrel

https://imgur.com/AjUimoD.png

Gold/Desert Rat Barrel

https://imgur.com/YrjzB2h.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/sQkEOQM.png

Suomi KP/-31

Irons

https://imgur.com/JsiWL7a.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/jfDo9Ww.png

ZK-383

Irons

https://imgur.com/Z6GHljf.png

FPP

https://imgur.com/Hh7rCVE.png

Last updated 13/08/19

Incarnate · 2019-05-31 00:32:34 UTC

Part II: ADS Speeds ↥

This data had to be manually tested, as I was unable to extract it from the game data. Because of this, the data is liable to error, though I have tested and calculated to the best of my ability to ensure as much accuracy as possible. As a side note, I did not test every single weapon, so there is the possibility of weapon-exclusive ADS timings, but given DICE’s record with ADS timings this is unlikely. Quick ADS spec description states an 33% decrease in ADS time.

Testing done with recordings set at 60 fps, an in-game limit of 60 fps, and with 60 fps being held consistently throughout the testing in-game.

Timings determined with the following:

60 \text{ milliseconds/frame} = .06 \text{ seconds/frame}

.06 \text{ seconds/frame} = 16.\overline{666} \text{ frames/second}

16.\overline{666} \text{ frames/second } \cdot \text{ [frames counted]} = \text{ [ADS Time In/Out]}

The findings are as follows:

Anti-Tank Rifles:

Hipfire “ADS”: ~383ms in, ~217ms out

Irons: ~383ms in, ~217ms out

3x Scope, 6x Scope: ~450ms in, ~217ms out

Assault Rifles:

Irons, 1x, 2x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

3x Scope: ~433ms in, ~300ms out

Bolt-Action Rifles:

Irons, 2x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

3x Scope, 6x Scope: ~433ms in, ~300ms out

Bolt-Action Carbines:

Irons, 1.25x, 2x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

3x Scope: ~433ms in, ~300ms out

LMGs:

Irons, 1x, 1.25x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

3x Scope: ~433ms in, ~300ms out

MMGs:

Hipfire “ADS” (not firing): ~300ms in, ~50ms out
Hipfire “ADS” (firing): ~850ms in, ~50ms out

Irons, 1x, 1.25x (bipoded): ~367ms in, ~300ms out

Pistols:

Irons: ~150ms in, ~300ms out

Pistol Carbines:

Irons, 1.25x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

2x: ~367ms in, ~317ms out

3x Scope: ~433ms in, ~317ms out

SARs:

Irons, 1x, 2x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

3x Scope: ~433ms in, ~300ms out

Shotguns:

Irons, 1x, 1.25x, 2x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

SLRs:

Irons, 2x: ~300ms in, ~300ms out

3x Scope, 6x Scope: ~433ms in, ~300ms out

SMGs:

Irons, 1x, 1.25x: ~217ms in, ~300ms out

Quick ADS Times

~217ms → ~145ms
~300ms → ~200ms
~433ms → ~290ms

Helpful info

Zoom levels

1x - Nydar Sight, Reflex Sight, Shotgun Rib
1.25x - Lens Sight, AA Sight
1.5x - Iron Sights
2x - Buckhorn Iron Sight, Aperture Sight, German close range scope
3x - Medium range scope
6x - Long range scope

Common Frame timings

9 frames = ~150ms
13 frames = ~217ms
18 frames = ~300ms
22 frames = ~367ms
26 frames = ~433ms
51 frames = ~850ms

Last updated 30/05/19

Incarnate · 2019-06-03 21:43:53 UTC

Part III: Personal Recommendations ↥

General recommendations:

If a gun has poor sights, use an optic
If a gun is meant for ranged engagements, use a ranged optic

Weapon class specific recommendations:

Anti-Tank Rifles:

Using irons will prevent glare from revealing location, and the magnification isn't needed when hunting large targets like tanks, or engaging infantry within the 1HKO range for body shots. If engaging infantry outside the lethal 1HKO range, magnification may be nice to get headshots, but be wary of vulnerability between rounds and the scope glare.

Assault Rifles:

ARs do not have amazing hipfire, and ADSing is required in sudden or close range engagements. Because of this, 3x sights should be avoided and Quick ADS should be taken if possible.

Bolt-Action Rifles:

Always take Quick ADS if possible, as Bolt-Actions rely on precision shots provided by ADS, especially in heated situations. Otherwise sights are mostly up to personal preference; Irons and 2x sights provide better ADS times, but come at the cost of ranged zoom and therefore precision. 3x and 6x sights have better magnification but longer ADS times, which may occasionally hurt in clutch situations.

Bolt-Action Carbines:

Always take Quick ADS if possible, as Bolt-Actions rely on precision shots provided by ADS, especially in heated situations, to ensure the best TTK. Avoiding 3x sights is recommended as 2x is similar in performance, but comes without a lengthened ADS-in time.

LMGs:

LMGs, like ARs, do not have amazing hipfire, and ADSing is required in sudden or close range engagements. Because of this, Quick ADS should be taken if possible. 3x sights can be used if desired however, as LMGs have much usability at range compared to ARs.

MMGs:

Since there is no difference in ADS times between sights, the inability to see a target down-range is the MMGs most blatant flaw, and the Irons are recommended as they provide the most zoom (1.5x) to mitigate this issue.

Pistols:

No sight choice, at least not yet.

Pistol Carbines:

The difference between Irons/1.25x or 2x really doesn't matter that much. Hipifire is generally good with Pistol Carbines, and the 3x can be taken since ADSing isn't completely required at close range when accurate hip-fire can be done instead.

SARs:

SARs are very versatile and vary greatly between each other and themselves based on spec choices. Use whatever sight feels best for each gun.

Shotguns:

Unless using slug/rifle rounds, don't ADS with shotguns - there is no spread tightening effect. Use whatever sight feels best since there are no ADS time differences.

SLRs:

Small mags and performance best at close-mid range don't lend well to 3x and 6x scopes. Use Irons and 2x sights for better ADS times, potential use of stripper clips, and lack of scope glint. Take Quick ADS if possible to use ADS accuracy as often as possible and achieve the best TTK.

SMGs:

Use whatever sight feels best since there are no ADS time differences. Quick ADS is not required as SMGs already have some of the best ADS times in the game, and can hipfire very effectively in engagements where ADS really matters towards TTK for other weapon types.