Apex Legends Shooting Guide — Aim, Recoil Control, and Combat

Aim Fundamentals

Mouse Sensitivity

Start lower than you think. High sens = less precision at range.

• Recommended: 800 DPI, 1.0–1.5 in-game sensitivity
• ADS sensitivity: 0.8× relative (reduces ADS speed for precision)

Crosshair Placement

Keep your crosshair at enemy head height as you move. Less distance to move = faster shots.

Recoil Patterns

Each gun in Apex has a fixed recoil pattern. Learn the pattern, then counter it:

R-301 Recoil

Starts going up, then curves slightly right. Counter: pull mouse down and slightly left.

Flatline Recoil

Strong upward kick with heavy rightward drift. Harder to control than R-301.

Wingman Recoil

Single shot, almost no recoil. Just aim and shoot.

CAR SMG Recoil

Mild upward. Easy to control.

Damage Numbers

Armor Tier	Total HP (Body + Shield)
No armor	100
White (Level 1)	150
Blue (Level 2)	175
Purple (Level 3)	200
Gold (Evo) Level 4	225

Headshot multiplier: 1.5–2× depending on weapon and helm.

When to ADS vs Hipfire

Range	Recommendation
0–10m	Hipfire with shotgun/SMG
10–30m	ADS with SMG/AR
30m+	Always ADS

Hipfire is faster to start and moving while hipfiring at close range is very effective.

Armor Swapping

When you break an enemy's armor:

1. Kill them quickly
2. Pick up their broken armor immediately
3. Swap to your fresh armor — the broken one now has more HP than your depleted one
4. You've effectively "healed" without using any items

Burst vs Full Auto

Most ARs in Apex have full auto and burst/semi-auto modes:

• Switch with B (default)
• Burst: More accurate at range, lower DPS up close
• Full auto: Better in close fights

Related Guides

• Weapon Tier List
• Movement Guide
• Ranked Guide