Okay, let’s talk about getting the hang of hitscan weapons in Fortnite. It took me a while, honestly.
Figuring Out What “Hitscan” Even Meant
When I first jumped into Fortnite, people threw around terms like “hitscan” and “projectile.” I kinda nodded along, but didn’t really get it. I just picked up whatever gun looked cool and started shooting. Sometimes bullets hit, sometimes they seemed to vanish. It was confusing.
Then I started noticing something, especially with Assault Rifles and SMGs. When my crosshair was right on someone and I pulled the trigger, the damage number popped up instantly. Like, zero travel time. That was my lightbulb moment. That’s hitscan. Where you aim is where the bullet instantly hits (mostly, we’ll get to bloom). It was different from, say, a Sniper Rifle, where you actually have to lead your target if they’re moving far away because the bullet takes time to travel.
Getting Down to Practice
Realizing this changed how I approached fights. I knew I didn’t need to lead targets at most ranges with these guns. So, my focus shifted. I started deliberately practicing my aim.
- I spent time just tracking players moving around, trying to keep my crosshair glued to them.
- I’d land in busier spots sometimes, not necessarily for wins, but just to get into more close and mid-range fights quickly to practice aiming under pressure.
- Creative mode maps helped too, the ones designed for aim training. Just repeating drills over and over.
The biggest hurdle wasn’t just pointing the crosshair, though. It was bloom. That random spread when you hold down the trigger. Man, that was frustrating. I’d have my aim dead on, but the bullets would just spray around the target. I learned I had to control my fire rate. Tap-firing or bursting became essential for anything beyond super close range. Spraying and praying only really worked point-blank with an SMG.
Finding My Go-To Hitscan Weapons
Over time, I developed preferences.
Assault Rifles became my staple for mid-range. I found that learning the rhythm for tap-firing each specific AR made a huge difference. Some felt better to burst fire, others needed slower, more deliberate taps to stay accurate.
SMGs were purely for close-quarters chaos. Get right up in someone’s face and hold down the trigger. Bloom still matters, but at that range, you’re more likely to land enough shots. Trying to use an SMG at AR range was usually just a waste of ammo for me.
Pistols were hit or miss, literally. Some seasons they felt great, really accurate with quick taps. Other times, they felt weak or the bloom was just too much unless I got lucky headshots.
Putting It All Together (or Trying To)
It wasn’t a smooth ride. There were plenty of times I’d get lasered by someone else using a hitscan weapon better than me. Or times I’d whiff an entire AR clip because I panicked and sprayed instead of controlling my bursts. Learning recoil patterns (even though they change sometimes) and understanding the effective range of each weapon was key.
I remember one fight specifically. I was caught out in the open, mid-range. Instead of just holding down fire with my AR like I used to, I consciously tap-fired. Paused slightly between shots. It felt slow, but way more of my bullets hit, and I actually won the fight. It felt like progress.
So, What’s the Secret?
Honestly? There’s no real “secret” beyond just playing the game and paying attention. Understand that hitscan means instant hit where you aim (minus bloom). Then, practice controlling your aim and, just as importantly, controlling your fire rate to manage that annoying bloom. Find the weapons that feel right for you and learn their specific quirks. It just takes time behind the keyboard or controller.
