Can’t get Headshots

[PVPNOOB]

Sorry to ask again, I haven’t been on Red Dead in a while, I just need to ask the pros here something which is again bugging me. 
 

I cannot for the life of me get headshots on players, NPCs I have no problem, I use Paint It Black, I am hitting the players head 100% but they do not die, what is it I am doing wrong guys? The only thing I seem to have noticed is my reticle seems to sway and move off their head when locked on and I do have my Dead Eye core at 100% aswell as a 100% clean weapon, but even with Paint It Black the players I shoot do not die.

 

Has there been a change to mechanics or something? I honestly feel stupid and I honestly don’t know what I am doing wrong to be honest because I am definitely hitting them in the head, but I am clearly doing something wrong.

Again I will be extremely appreciative for any advice, tips, comments, anything.

[James Hickok_1837]

Hey partner !

First off i would like to ask You what platform are You playing ? Console or PC ?

The auto aim mechanic differs when shooting NPC's and players - it has been changed due to player feedback some time ago. In short : When you lock on an NPC and target his head the aim will be locked on no matter the NPC's movement so it's way easier to Head shot them bcoz you wil not loose aim no matter how the NPC moves. With players when you auto aim and move aim a bit up to target the head you need to shoot fast bcoz the aim will not stay on the players head if he moves. The only thing you can do to keep aim is use PiB and lock on targets head. 

To be better at aiming the first thing you need to do is change the size of the reticule to minimum. Its too big in default and aiming at targets in distance is not accurate. It will seem to you that you are aiming at the players head but in fact you can aim at its neck.   So first thing to do is change that reticule size if you havent done that already. 

Also the players that you wanted to head shot may use an ability card layout that prevents you to kill them even if you shoot them in the eye - Never Without One. It takes minimum 2 headshots to kill a players using this card and it can be enforced by other cards that will make a player even tougher to kill (tank build). Also some of the players use the tank build + Never without One + Special Tonic which will make your Health bar go above 100% and makes you very hard to kill - sometimes it takes multiple shots just to start making dmg to target. 

I really cant advice you more until i see how you play. Maybe consider making a movie and posting here. I would love to help more. 

[PVPNOOB]

22 minutes ago, James Hickok_1837 said:

Hey partner !

First off i would like to ask You what platform are You playing ? Console or PC ?

The auto aim mechanic differs when shooting NPC's and players - it has been changed due to player feedback some time ago. In short : When you lock on an NPC and target his head the aim will be locked on no matter the NPC's movement so it's way easier to Head shot them bcoz you wil not loose aim no matter how the NPC moves. With players when you auto aim and move aim a bit up to target the head you need to shoot fast bcoz the aim will not stay on the players head if he moves. The only thing you can do to keep aim is use PiB and lock on targets head. 

To be better at aiming the first thing you need to do is change the size of the reticule to minimum. Its too big in default and aiming at targets in distance is not accurate. It will seem to you that you are aiming at the players head but in fact you can aim at its neck.   So first thing to do is change that reticule size if you havent done that already. 

Also the players that you wanted to head shot may use an ability card layout that prevents you to kill them even if you shoot them in the eye - Never Without One. It takes minimum 2 headshots to kill a players using this card and it can be enforced by other cards that will make a player even tougher to kill (tank build). Also some of the players use the tank build + Never without One + Special Tonic which will make your Health bar go above 100% and makes you very hard to kill - sometimes it takes multiple shots just to start making dmg to target. 

I really cant advice you more until i see how you play. Maybe consider making a movie and posting here. I would love to help more. 

Thanks so much for your advice here James, right I will definitely change my reticle size, it does make sense now you mention how the auto aim moves off their head, am I correct now that I therefore must actually paint their head and not just be able to get headshots from only going into dead eye? I just wonder because some people say Paint It Black cancels out all bloom but it doesn’t work that way for me, so do I actually have to paint their head first?

I am on PlayStation 4

I will probably sound so stupid here but I’ll be honest, I made a new account so the only gun I have at the moment is the carbine repeater, could this be my problem? I know it is a starter weapon but that also confuses me too as in the weapon stats menu the carbine has the same as the popular Lancaster which is supposed to be superior? But the damage stats are the same  

 

You have definitely given me hope, I will try out your advice and I appreciate it so much, I understand Cronus Mods have made their way on to consoles now so you can never be sure if you are up against a cheater, but for how much I love this masterpiece game I would like to be somewhat decent at PVP in the future etc.

[Vendetta]

10 hours ago, PVPNOOB said:

Thanks so much for your advice here James, right I will definitely change my reticle size, it does make sense now you mention how the auto aim moves off their head, am I correct now that I therefore must actually paint their head and not just be able to get headshots from only going into dead eye? I just wonder because some people say Paint It Black cancels out all bloom but it doesn’t work that way for me, so do I actually have to paint their head first?

I am on PlayStation 4

I will probably sound so stupid here but I’ll be honest, I made a new account so the only gun I have at the moment is the carbine repeater, could this be my problem? I know it is a starter weapon but that also confuses me too as in the weapon stats menu the carbine has the same as the popular Lancaster which is supposed to be superior? But the damage stats are the same  

 

You have definitely given me hope, I will try out your advice and I appreciate it so much, I understand Cronus Mods have made their way on to consoles now so you can never be sure if you are up against a cheater, but for how much I love this masterpiece game I would like to be somewhat decent at PVP in the future etc.

Congratulations on the new account. I Just started a new account and character on the PS4. Prior to that, my time has been spent on the Xbox One. Can’t help you much with headshots as I generally don’t put much effort into them when it is PVP. 
 

When it comes to PVP, I approach most situations as you would be taught in real life gunfights. Torso center mass. It works and give you the highest probability of coming out of the fight alive in game. It has been tried and is true!. 

Edited June 29, 2020 by Vendetta

[James Hickok_1837]

On 6/29/2020 at 11:57 AM, PVPNOOB said:

Thanks so much for your advice here James, right I will definitely change my reticle size, it does make sense now you mention how the auto aim moves off their head, am I correct now that I therefore must actually paint their head and not just be able to get headshots from only going into dead eye? I just wonder because some people say Paint It Black cancels out all bloom but it doesn’t work that way for me, so do I actually have to paint their head first?

I am on PlayStation 4

I will probably sound so stupid here but I’ll be honest, I made a new account so the only gun I have at the moment is the carbine repeater, could this be my problem? I know it is a starter weapon but that also confuses me too as in the weapon stats menu the carbine has the same as the popular Lancaster which is supposed to be superior? But the damage stats are the same  

 

You have definitely given me hope, I will try out your advice and I appreciate it so much, I understand Cronus Mods have made their way on to consoles now so you can never be sure if you are up against a cheater, but for how much I love this masterpiece game I would like to be somewhat decent at PVP in the future etc.

To answer Your question -=> YES PiB cancells bloom and gives 100% accuracy the moment you switch it on. What it means? It means you can shoot ur target instantly after you turn PiB on with 100% accuracy and dont have to wait a bit for the reticule to "catch" accuracy (it starts big and goes smaller the more you aim untill its accurate). Most of the situations i dont paint. Just aim to the head instantly press PiB , shoot and instantly switch off PiB. I only paint if the enemy is far far away or moving erratic to evade shots (zig zag). 

Its a thing you need to practice and you need better controller to do this properly bcoz the default push right stick for dead eye messes with ur movement, aim and takes more time.   I personally use the X box Elite controller and have dead eye set up for upper right paddle so i can press it rly fast and it doeasnt mess my movement while i do it. 

I will post some videos where you can see how its done. 

About the weapon. Lancaster is best out of all repeaters hands down. I prefer carabines tho - Bolt action and Springfield. But do not switch to springfield in pvp untill You master ur aiming - it doesnt forgive a miss. Close quarters - Dual Mausers HANDS DOWN !!!!  I use the shotgun ONLY if the target is very very close to me (for ex. on the other side of the wall or box that i am hiding - so next to me. 

[PVPNOOB]

On 7/1/2020 at 11:33 AM, James Hickok_1837 said:

To answer Your question -=> YES PiB cancells bloom and gives 100% accuracy the moment you switch it on. What it means? It means you can shoot ur target instantly after you turn PiB on with 100% accuracy and dont have to wait a bit for the reticule to "catch" accuracy (it starts big and goes smaller the more you aim untill its accurate). Most of the situations i dont paint. Just aim to the head instantly press PiB , shoot and instantly switch off PiB. I only paint if the enemy is far far away or moving erratic to evade shots (zig zag). 

Its a thing you need to practice and you need better controller to do this properly bcoz the default push right stick for dead eye messes with ur movement, aim and takes more time.   I personally use the X box Elite controller and have dead eye set up for upper right paddle so i can press it rly fast and it doeasnt mess my movement while i do it. 

I will post some videos where you can see how its done. 

About the weapon. Lancaster is best out of all repeaters hands down. I prefer carabines tho - Bolt action and Springfield. But do not switch to springfield in pvp untill You master ur aiming - it doesnt forgive a miss. Close quarters - Dual Mausers HANDS DOWN !!!!  I use the shotgun ONLY if the target is very very close to me (for ex. on the other side of the wall or box that i am hiding - so next to me. 

Thank You once again for your advice, I honestly give up I just can’t get headshots honestly. Unless players do not die from one shot no more? They are 100% not using Slow & Steady or Never Without One, I check their cards. I use paint it black and if I don’t use paint it black I very precisely wait for my bloom to go and make sure I shoot straight into their head, but they just do not die. Going back to how the reticle movement is different on players compared to NPCs, could I be doing something wrong here? I don’t think I am tho but I obviously am, just not doing something right but I clearly see myself shooting them in the head.

 

I appreciate all your help trust me, I just don’t know what else to try now, I feel stupid and it is just weird why my headshots are not killing players, and I do honestly check to see if they’re using cards. 

[James Hickok_1837]

14 hours ago, PVPNOOB said:

Thank You once again for your advice, I honestly give up I just can’t get headshots honestly. Unless players do not die from one shot no more? They are 100% not using Slow & Steady or Never Without One, I check their cards. I use paint it black and if I don’t use paint it black I very precisely wait for my bloom to go and make sure I shoot straight into their head, but they just do not die. Going back to how the reticle movement is different on players compared to NPCs, could I be doing something wrong here? I don’t think I am tho but I obviously am, just not doing something right but I clearly see myself shooting them in the head.

 

I appreciate all your help trust me, I just don’t know what else to try now, I feel stupid and it is just weird why my headshots are not killing players, and I do honestly check to see if they’re using cards. 

As i promised. Im posting some videos of PiB without painting and how it affects accuracy and range.

 

At first : the mechanic of using PiB instantly without painting. You need to do it fast every time switching PiB on and off. 

Notice how i started without PiB andgot one duck and aimed at 2nd duck and miss bcoz of low accuracy. After that i use PiB and shoot all birds very fast. 

 

Now notice how it increases your accuracy and range of close quarters weapons such as Pistols on NPC's. Again you aim instantly use PiB (no painting), shoot and turn off PiB, repeat on next target.

 

As i said PiB instantly maxes out ur accuracy and range so it is possible to kill opponents fast with short distance weapons such as shotguns and pistols/revolvers. You wouldnt be able to land those shots with double barrel that fast and from that distance without PiB.

 

 

Next videos will show you how PiB affects dual pistols making them lethal. You dont have to aim at the head and the stagger they create on opponent cancells his shots. Its easy to kill multiple oponnents with one magazine. Without pib discharging those pistols that fast would miss and make minimum dmg.

 

And lastly. PiB using painting- better on larger distance but can work also in close quarters. You just have to practice a bit. 

 

I cant really help you more at this point without watching you play. Maybe consider making a movie of gameplay and i could help more. I need to see the problem.  Maybe you have large ping and you think ur shooting the head and actually shooting the air. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by James Hickok_1837

[PVPNOOB]

4 hours ago, James Hickok_1837 said:

As i promised. Im posting some videos of PiB without painting and how it affects accuracy and range.

 

At first : the mechanic of using PiB instantly without painting. You need to do it fast every time switching PiB on and off. 

Notice how i started without PiB andgot one duck and aimed at 2nd duck and miss bcoz of low accuracy. After that i use PiB and shoot all birds very fast. 

 

Now notice how it increases your accuracy and range of close quarters weapons such as Pistols on NPC's. Again you aim instantly use PiB (no painting), shoot and turn off PiB, repeat on next target.

 

As i said PiB instantly maxes out ur accuracy and range so it is possible to kill opponents fast with short distance weapons such as shotguns and pistols/revolvers. You wouldnt be able to land those shots with double barrel that fast and from that distance without PiB.

 

 

Next videos will show you how PiB affects dual pistols making them lethal. You dont have to aim at the head and the stagger they create on opponent cancells his shots. Its easy to kill multiple oponnents with one magazine. Without pib discharging those pistols that fast would miss and make minimum dmg.

 

And lastly. PiB using painting- better on larger distance but can work also in close quarters. You just have to practice a bit. 

 

I cant really help you more at this point without watching you play. Maybe consider making a movie of gameplay and i could help more. I need to see the problem.  Maybe you have large ping and you think ur shooting the head and actually shooting the air. 

James honestly Thank You so much, all that effort to help me, I seriously appreciate all of that! Cheers man.

I will try to upload some clips I had against my friend today, I hope they upload and the quality is good enough for you to watch, they show my exact problem with not being able to get headshots, you should be able to see I shoot my friend like 3 times in the head at one point before they die, my friend only uses Never Without One which would explain being able to survive one headshot and definitely not using Tonics, I understand I was not using PIB here but do you see what I mean with players taking multiple headshots?

Thank You tho James honestly, hopefully you can see my issue with these clips.

 

Edit: Sorry I cant upload clips, I have them on my Iphone but can’t upload? 
 

I’ll see if I can make a quick YouTube and link it here haha

[PVPNOOB]

I uploaded them to YouTube, time to watch the noob haha 

 

 

[James Hickok_1837]

On 7/4/2020 at 4:35 PM, PVPNOOB said:

I uploaded them to YouTube, time to watch the noob haha 

 

 

THe clips are very short but this is what i see:

Movie nr 1 - You slightly missed first 3 shots. Shot number 4 and 5 landed. So every thing seems fine. Your ping seems fine as well. 

Your aiming is slightly above the head. I reccomend choosing the lower part of the head while aiming bcoz if you miss a bit the shot will still land on players chin making him die anyway.     I reccomend starting from upper part of the head while aiming only when painting.

Movie nr 2. hard to see but i think You shot the players neck - in the back side of it. 

 

One is certain - you dont have any issues with the game, hardware or internet connection. You just need to practise a bit. Best place to do it is pvp games. Dont get frustrated when killed - just get up and fight  eventually you will have no problem landing multiple headshots on ppl without taking a hit. 

I play since beta and trust me i had to learn as well. If you need any more advice let me know - I will gladly help how i can.