[Eldin]

[Colossal Post]
Consider it will cost you +$1k before you get something reliable and consistent.

As thenooblord said, your criteria is ridiculous.

Powerful and consistent are two terms that only mix well if you have ALOT of money on your hands, and why would want a gun shooting close to 500fps? Many fields don't allow 500fps guns, the ones that do usually have a MED to about 150ft+ for these types of guns.

Consistency is the most important factor when sniping.
Consistency and accuracy are the same term here.

Range is nothing; effective range is everything, it's the range where your accuracy is effective (you can hit things, have decent groupings etc.)
Because what's the point of having a huge range, but not being able to hit worth shit?

Your effective range will not increase as your fps increases, as, to put it bluntly, your consistency decreases as your fps increases.

Again, you don't have to put alot of money into a rifle if you want alot of range and fps, but you need a deep pocket if you want consistency, and in the world of airsoft sniping, you need consistency, more than range, more than fps.

In other words...
Higher fps: Pros: ... More range
Cons: Poorer consistency, accuracy and effective range

Lower fps: Pros: More consistency, accuracy and effective range
Cons: Less overall range

I'm trying to keep it relatively simple, and not go into details that much, to keep this on one page.

As for upgrades, you will need a lot of them...
Let's say you were working up from a stock VSR... for example
New trigger ($150-$250)
New piston ($25-$50)
New spring ($25-$50)
Tightbore + outer barrel assembly (+-$400)
New bucking ($10)
New spring guide ($20-$40)

This is a very rough MINIMUM of a start to getting your platform reliable and consistent... Other things you could throw in after...
Much longer aeg tightbore (+600mm) ($125-$200)
Aero Hopup chamber ($40-$80)
Bore-up kit ($200)

Without even adding in the money for mags, a decent scope, accessories etc...

Just to give you a rough idea of what it takes to get a rifle up and running consistently enough for you to actually "snipe" with it.

I'm not even going to go into playing the actual sniper role, as you can find enough info about that on these forums...
-Or maybe I should...

For one, it's alot more physically stressful than most would think...
And being a sniper has a hell of alot more to do with stealth, concealment and discipline than long range shooting.

Plus, don't get a sniper if this is your first gun, for reasons stated... above.

Also... keep in mind that if you show up at a field with a sniper rifle, and no certification or experience, they're most likely not going to allow you to use it.
Partially because of the MED (minimum engagement distance) needed for a sniper rifle, you need a certain amount of experience in order to operate a sniper rifle, and play the role of the sniper safely.
The sniper clinics are great for further education and expansion on this... Find more info on the forums about them. If you are a certified sniper, then fields will most likely trust you a bit more with sniper safety... but when it comes down to it, experience is the dominant factor, that's why you shouldn't be starting up sniping if you're inexperienced.

[/Colossal Post]