The battle rifle is the most versatile gun in the game and you need to master it if you ever want to get any good. It is a mid-long range weapon. It fires in controlled bursts of 3 and is capable of taking out an enemy in 4 shots at mid range. It can be used in just about any situation, and will beat assault rifle every time except in very close range.
You should avoid trying to melee with the battle rifle because it is not as effective as with most other guns, including the assault rifle. It is incredibly effective vs. snipers- 1 headshot will unscope them and then you can continue pumping them full of shots until they are forced to take cover.
You must lead your shots to be a good shooter with the battle rifle. If you shoot like a centimeter from where there head is now in the direction they are moving and you will sink many more shots then shooting straight for their head.
It is very important to note that until the opponents shields have been taken down, A BODY SHOT WILL DO JUST AS MUCH DAMAGE AS A HEAD SHOT. 3 body shots and 1 head shot is just as effective as 4 head shots, although much easier to land. An excellent strategy is to aim for their chest, because your reticule will naturally move up ever so slightly as you are shooting and by the 4th - 5th shot you will be at their head level.
Strafing is absolutely essential in all usage of the BR, especially in BR vs BR. Please refer to my other article on strafing. A point of strafing I would like to bring attention to again is the crouch. It is extremely effective in BR vs. BR battles at mid range because the vast majority of your opponents will aim straight for your head and by crouching you can make them miss a shot entirely. By jumping when you are just about to die you can force them to get 4 body shots which will not kill you rather than 3 body shots and 1 head shot. It does not matter the order either because until your shields are down it does the same damage - so if he hit you with 3 perfect head shots, you jump and he gets a body shot, he still WILL NOT kill you.
To scope or not with the battle rifle? In mid range battles it is absolutely unnecessary and with practice you should be able to shoot better unscoped than scoped. In long range battles, it is your own personal preference. I personally like to scope in for the accuracy bonus, but it comes with the cost of wasting time getting unscoped and then rescoping, ect.
When facing an opponent using a weapon like assault rifle, smg, spiker ect. always move backwards while you are shooting to keep a mid range scenario. If you let them get close enough to you they will have the advantage. I guarantee you if you keep a mid-range while pumping shots into them you will win every time with the battle rifle.
The battle rifle is also extremely effective for detonating explosive material - I can't tell you how many kills I've scored by shooting the fusion coils on The Pit from your opponent coming out of the green hallway where the active camo spawns. Or when they are coming down the hallway from where rockets spawns. This strategy also works great on construct too.
The battle rifle is available on almost every map and if you do not start with one you should make it one of your main concerns to obtain one as quickly as possible. Practice with it constantly and stop using guns like the assault rifle primarily. This is the first and most important move to stepping up your game.
A well tossed frag grenade to take down the shields and 1 clean headshot is a combination that has done me wonders - check out my article on grenade tips for further reference.
A youtube video for you to watch on battle rifles can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtZbPg36L2w
Battle Rifle Tips
Sniper Tips
The sniper rifle is by far the hardest weapon to aim and master in halo 3. However, it is a very powerful gun and is especially useful at long ranges so taking the time to master it is worth while. If you've got your adrenaline pumping and your freaking out trying to no scope somebody your not going to hit anything.
The most common mistake people will make in team sniper games is being a stationary sniper. You should use a strafe just like if you were shooting the battle rifle (Do not jump or crouch however). Why? You will be an easy target for stick grenades, and for enemy snipers. In non team sniper games, switch your location up regularly. People are going to realize where you sniped them from and come in looking for an easy assassination.
Another huge mistake people often make is staying scoped in, even when you do not have an enemy in your sights. Scoping in to an area you are certain an enemy is about to pop out is a smart idea, however just staying scoped and looking for a target while scoped is a stupid move because you can not use your radar and you will be assassinated and most likely teabagged.
Find a good vantage point, this will vary from map to map. In general, you want to find a point that has a lot of the map visible to you, without making it blatantly obvious your there. There are some dirty sniper spots on guardian, check out some youtube videos. For all intents and purposes however these are not viable because you will most likely be killed before you can double frag ricochet loop-de-loop jump. The spot just above where the laser spawns is EXCELLENT on high ground, or the rocks where the overshield spawns near the river. In valhalla, go to the side and stay back around the cliffs on either side of the map, or in the crashed pelican. DO NOT under any circumstances get on the ledges in narrows right above the centre of the map. You are completly stationary up there making a strafe impossible and as soon as someone discovers your spot you will be done for.
Do not be afraid to make 2 body shots. Too often I see people hesitating to try and line up the perfect head shot and then missing a kill because the enemy ducked around the corner. The sniper can be fired again in less than a second after a shot so a 2 body shot combo is almost as effective as a single head shot.
Like the battle rife, try to lead your shots a little. For non stationary targets place the reticule a little to the left/right of their shoulder, where you predict their head to be in the next second or two and then fire for the headshot rather than trying to line the headshot right up which is less effective and can take more time.
When engaging in a sniper vs. sniper battle, use a strafe just like you would with the battle rifle, however NEVER EVER jump. A falling target is incredibly easy to hit and you cannot get out of the line of fire. I like to go for 2 body shots, because the first will un-scope them leaving you at a huge advantage to finish them off quickly.
Keep a battle rifle as your secondary weapon to avoid wasting unnecessary ammo. It is easy to pop in a body shot and then switch to the battle rifle for a headshot kill when the enemy has no where to run for cover.
For no-scoping, relax and take a deep breath. Practice no scoping in customs and if it is something you are particularly weak at start with just aiming for body no scopes. Instead of trying to aim for a target, make your goal just to make the reticule turn red and then fire twice or fire/beatdown. It is almost as effective except in close combat scenarios against a shotgun. Once you have mastered body no-scopes, move on to practicing no scoping for the head. With time and precision, you can become just as comfortable using the sniper reticule as the BR reticule. Just remember: Relax when you are about to make the shot. If you think it is a big thing to no scope people and impossible to do, your'e not going to be sucessful.
Like all things in Halo 3, mastering the sniper rifle takes time and effort. Practice in customs against those who are better than you and you will notice your skill rising rapidly.
For a great video with sniper tips which are hard to explain in text, please check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWocCisvKE&feature=related
