How to Trickshot in Call of Duty

Last Updated: August 18, 2024

Trickshotting is making a killcam look stylish by adding things into it before the shot. Some of the biggest gaming teams on YouTube are trickshotting teams, such as FaZe, eRa, and Obey. The first recognized game to support trickshotting was Modern Warfare 2, as it introduced the Final Killcam. This will show you how to trickshot in Call of Duty! Note that this article only talks about MW2 and later, because they are the only games you can truly "trickshot" in.

Part 1

Part 1 of 8:

Controls and Controllers

Preferably, put your sensitivity as high as it will go. This will allow you to do the most spins in your shot, therefore making them better. However, if you cannot seem to keep control of where your shots end up, lowering it a few notches is better than not coming close to hitting.
Holding your controller "Claw" style is the most efficient for trickshotting, as it allows your index finger to control more than one button. To do this, curl your right index finger on the "B", "Y", and "X" buttons on the controller. Put your left index finger on the LB button. Your middle fingers should be on the controllers, and the rest of your fingers resting behind the controller, with the exception of your thumbs to move the joysticks.

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This one is a toss-up for you to decide. Tactical and normal are both good setups to use, with tactical allowing you to knife a bit faster, but costing you your crouch button to get out of a sticky situation. Whatever one you feel most comfortable with, go for it.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 8:

Trick Shots Possible on All CoD Games

Shortened from cancel swaps, this is where you delay the pulling out mechanism of the game until you want to use it. To do this, find a gun lying on the floor. Start to hold "X" to pick up the gun, and right as you are about to pick it up, knife and press "Y" if done correctly, you should never see the gun you pick up, only your sniper. You can then switch to the weapon as you trickshot, and it will look like you just picked it up. Note all weapons do not have an animation like this.
After you shoot, use any type of equipment. You will know you did this correctly if your equipment recoils up like your sniper would. This makes the shot in the killcam make no sound. It is possible to do this while reloading, however, it is a frame-perfect shot.
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Nac swaps and Moni Nac swaps. These are both essentially the same thing, where you can switch from a shotgun to your sniper rifle faster than normal. However, they are different with separate cods:
- Modern Warfare games. Chose a pump shotgun, such as the SPAS-12. Shoot, reload, then wait a quarter of a second. Now you can either press "Y" or hit "Y" three times. Pressing it three times will give you the over the shoulder effect.
- Black ops/WAW. Aim down sights with your shotgun. Shoot, and press "Y" and "X" at the same time. If done right you will see your sights for a fraction of a second.
This can be done in any COD with an RPG as a weapon. With the RPG in hand, hold down fire, and right before you fire, switch weapons.
Perhaps the easiest to hit, simply run while falling in mid-air, and stop running to be able to shoot again.
Before going for your shot, shoot the sniper you will be trickshotting with. When you switch back to shoot, reload enough so you can shoot again, either press "Y" twice or do a running man, and shoot.
With your sniper out, hold down "X". Then press "Y" repeatedly while also holding down your firing button. This will make it look and sound like you are firing your gun without actually doing so. To fire, simply release "X". Note this is very hard to fluently do while playing "claw" style.
Do a 180 in one direction, then do a 180 in the other direction. Is also possible with 360's but it takes quite a bit of time.
Also know as an "Around the world", when jumping off, look straight up in the air, then look back down before firing on your target.
After going for your shot, scope in with your sniper rifle.
Run towards a window. While continuing to hold run, hold down the crouch button and jump. This will make you jump right out of the window instead of being stuck on the ledge.
This one is up to luck. If a host migration happens when you are in the air, it will keep you suspended until the migration is over. You can use this to your advantage if you are in the air by shooting as soon as the migration is over.

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Part 3

Part 3 of 8:

Modern Warfare 2

You are going to want a class with very high damage, as it is possible to hit someone and not kill them. It is recommended that you either use Intervention or the Barrett 50 cal. with FMJ as an attachment to increase damage, Stopping Power as perk 2 to increase damage, and Commando Pro for perk 3 so you don't take damage from falling.
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Go into Search and Destroy. Find a lobby and start playing. Kill people until you get to the final person. Then, get to a high point in the map, some maps are better for trickshotting than others. Some popular trickshotting maps include:
- Favela
- Terminal
- Rust
Use either stun or flash grenades to make it hard for your target to move and give you time to set up for the shot, it is easier to hit a stationary target than it is one moving.
Now start doing things in the air. Some things to do are:
Fire off a bullet from your left pistol in akimbo pistols. Run and reload at the same time. If done correctly, your right gun will do the running animation, while your left will reload.
Have your secondary out. Sprint, and press Y, and when your gun appears, stop running and hit "Y" again. This should give your sniper the same appearance as swapping, but you are able to shoot much faster
Use a pistol with a tactical knife. Have a sniper out, then run and press "Y" at the same time. Stop running and immediately press "Y" twice. If done correctly, your knife will do a flip.
When in the air, blackscope with your sniper, and quickly press "Y" twice.
Throw your care package near the edge of where you want to jump off. If it lands in a place accessible from the air, press "X" and access it, then cancel it with "Y" to continue trickshotting.
Have a blast shield as your lethal. As you go for your shot, put it on, and optionally take it off. This will make your killcam have a black border around it, and possibly then removed.
Have a SPAS-12, M1014, or striker as your secondary. Sprint and press "Y" or triangle. When your shotgun is no longer visible on the screen, stop sprinting and press "Y" twice quickly. Your gun will appear to twist in your hands.
Start with a class that has One Man Army. Switch to your trickshotting class, and when you are about three fourths the way done switching, jump off and shoot when your gun pulls out.
Have a pistol with a tactical knife as your attachment. Tap sprint and quickly press "Y" twice.
Shoot your right gun at least once. Sprint and press reload at the same time. Now walk backwards. This effect is similar to the wrist twist, but you do not need to keep running for it to stay.
Have a Righty Tighty, then lay down. Hold the shoot button, the reload button, and wiggle the left stick at the same time. This will make your right pistol appear to be fully automatic.
Sprint and spin the right. As you finish sprinting, black scope and then reload. This looks the best if done with a heartbeat sensor.
Lightly stun yourself, and preferably your target for best results. You won't notice a difference when you go for a shot, but when the killcam shows, your gun will twist in impossible ways.
This is extremely hard to do, even if your crosshairs are right on the person, there is no guarantee you will hit them.

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Part 4

Part 4 of 8:

Black Ops

There is a lot of room for customization here. The only thing that you really need is the L96A1 or the PSG1 as a sniper. The rest is up to you.
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Follow the same steps, go into a Search and Destroy map and kill people to you are down to the last person, then get to a high spot. Some of the better maps for this are
- WMD
- Nuketown
- Launch
- Firing range
- Array
- summit
Have the China Lake as your secondary. This gun is unique as it does an animation for every time you pull it out. Pull this out before you do your trickshot and then switch back to do the animation.
Have a pistol, preferably the Python or ASP. Simply pull it out, shoot it, and then switch back.
Have a stakeout then press shoot, switch weapon, reload.
Press triangle/y just before the clip goes into gun.(different timings)
Pull out your tactical insertion, start to use it and then cancel, switching to your primary.
Silent shot with your weapon, then switch weapons 3 times in rapid succession. Immediately afterword dolphin dive while holding the shoot button, and your gun should be stuck in the diving animation

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Part 5

Part 5 of 8:

Modern Warfare 3

Either use the L8A1 or the MSR with impact and either heartbeat or extended magazines on them. You want Dead Silence Pro so you don't take damage when falling and Sleight of Hand Pro to switch weapons faster.
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Follow step 2 from Modern Warfare 2. Some of the better maps are
- Terminal
- Dome
- Mission
If you want to go for something a bit harder, this Call of Duty opens up a whole new trick, ladder stalls. Simply jump off somewhere with a ladder, grab on to the ladder and jump off again.
This is the same as in MW2, simply get any akimbo pistol, and shoot a few bullets from the left gun. Then, reload and run at the same time. This will cause your character to appear to run with your right pistol and reload with your left one.
You must have claymore as your lethal. Before jumping, press your lethal button then quickly press "Y". If done correctly, this will make the claymore jump up on the screen, and then immediately go for your shot.
Throw down your ballistic vests where you want to jump off of. Press "X" to access it and cancel with "Y".

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Part 6

Part 6 of 8:

Black Ops 2

Lightweight and Fast Hands are a must for trickshotting, and Dexterity is definitely a plus, although not entirely needed. Your secondary weapon will be included with the individual shots.
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Some of the recommended maps are maps that a lot of people find it easy to trickshot on. These maps include:
- Nuketown 2025
- Carrier
- Standoff
- Vertigo
- Studio
This is where you quickly swap to a weapon by cancelling a tactical, often used in conjunction with other shots. Press "Y" and then use a tactical. Cancel this by quickly pressing "Y" and your next gun will be out. You can do this twice in a row to go back to your sniper too.
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Do a select fire cancel. Put a submachine gun or assault rifle with select fire as your secondary with overkill for this one. Have your submachine gun or assault rifle on automatic with the select fire attachment. As you are jumping, chance the fire rate to burst fire, and press the "Y" button quickly. This does not work if you start it on burst fire, as it will not show in the killcam.
- Constrict's Variant. Do a canc swap with your gun that has a select fire on it. As soon as you pull out the gun, press select fire and switch. Immediately after this, insta-swap back to your other gun. This should cause the weapon to appear to be pulled out for the first time.
Have either the KSG or the Remington shotguns. Shoot them and then switch to your sniper. When you are ready to go for the shot, switch to your shotgun and it will pump back, then switch back to your sniper.
Take an assault rifle with a grenade launcher on it. Press over on the D-pad to pull it out. Shoot out the grenade and when your guy is putting the grenade back in, switch to your gun and then your sniper.
Have a Ballista as your secondary. Fire off one bullet and switch to your primary. When you switch to your Ballista, the animation will play as if you were pulling back the mag. Zoom in with the Ballista and switch for maximum effect.
Fire off a bullet in your sniper. Knife the air, and when your gun comes back up, reload and zoom in at the same time. This should make your sniper look like it is both reloading, and zooming in at the same time. Note that this does not appear in a killcam, only in your perspective.
Plant your assault shield and don't switch to your secondary. When you go for your shot, your knife will flip in the air.
Have a killstreak of either the Hunter Killer Drone or the care package. While in air, press the fire button to start activating your killstreak, but press "Y" when you are about to release it.
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Shock nac and hybrid nac. Have a shock charge and any secondary. Shoot your secondary, pull out a shock charge and hold it, then double press Y to switch your sniper. Have an assault rifle with a hybrid sight on it. Zoom in with either of the zooms, then press "Y" and swap the sights directly after. This shoot switch directly to your sniper rifle.
- This is best done with the Dual Band sight on your sniper, as it makes the nac more noticeable.
Have the M1216 as your secondary. Shot off four rounds, and as you are twisting the barrel, quickly switch to your next gun. When going for the shot, switch to that, and it will show you twisting it.
When switching back to your sniper, press "y" and then pull out a killstreak. The sniper should appear to "bounce" in your hands. This will not appear on your screen but will show in killcam. This only works with certain animations, such as a weapon swap, c4, or select fire. This will not work with things like shock charges.

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Part 7

Part 7 of 8:

Ghosts

The L115 has the highest damage in the game, so using it will probably benefit you the most, however the USR and the Lynx are both close runners-up, so either of those are viable options as well. You may want to consider using armor piercing and chrome lined attachments as they increase damage. You are going to most likely want akimbo M9A1 pistols, as this shot is the most commonly gone for, however more shots will be explained later in the steps. You need Reflex, Steady Aim, and Resilience as your perks, as they greatly help.
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Look for good maps. Commonly rooty-tooty point-n-shooty maps include
- Stormfront
- Octane
- Warhawk
Have akimbo M9A1 with this and unload all the ammo. When you reload you press "Y" and quickly pull out your throwing knife and cancel it. You should switch to your sniper.
Have a gun with a hybrid sight on it. When you are about to go for the shot, pull out your gun and zoom in with the sight. Press right stick to change the sight, and then go for the shot.
Most commonly done with a Bulldog or MTS, reload your shotgun, then switch to your sniper.
Have your tactical set to a trophy system, then pull it out and as it is coming over your shoulder cancel it by pressing "Y".
Get an ammo crate or a ballistic vest and put it on the edge of wherever you are trickshotting on. When you go for the shot, hold "X" and access the item. Right before you take the item, press "Y".

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Part 8

Part 8 of 8:

Advanced Warfare

Have a MORS, preferably with a prefix such as the Pummeler, Silver bullet, or Doctor. Use the Exo Shield, Fast Hands, and spike drones. If you do not have spike drones unlocked, explosive drones also work. Use Fast Hands, and the other perks are up to you.
With the release of AW, maps are not longer a problem with trickshotting. Since you can double jump, every map can now be trickshotted on. Simply get to a decently high place, and you can double jump!
Most commonly done with the Tac-19, shoot off a bullet with your secondary, press "Y" and quickly use your exo shield. Then cancel that and your sniper should be out.
Executed exactly like the shield swap, pull it out after shooting and quickly cancel it.
Swap out your exo shield for the hover ability. Using this, as you are going for your shot, use that to hover in the middle of your shot, essential extending the period of time that you can do other things during your shot.
Run overkill in your class with the Tac-19. When going for your shot, shoot with the Tac-19 and the pump it, returning to your sniper.
Shoot of one shot of your crossbow shots, and when you are putting the next bolt in, cancel it with a weapon swap.
Exo Punch mid-air and boost forward. If done correctly, it will cancel the animation and have a strange zoom effect around you.

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Community Q&A

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Question

How do I improve my aim in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare?

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Practice is the only way.

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What is a Barrel Stuff?

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A Barrel Stuff is a trickshot on someone very close to you. Literally, you stuff your barrel into their face.

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Is it best to practice on local, or to just try online?

Grahamster

Community Answer

Go local. From experience, if you go brand new and try to trickshot, you will just get frustrated as to why none of your shots are hitting. Learn a few shots and how to spin correctly, then try to hit some shots.

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Tips

Know what shots are better than other. For example, the window shot on Standoff is a very envied shot to hit.

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Performing one of these alone is not accepted as a true "trickshot", so combining a few will increase your level of skill.

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To be accepted as a trickshot, most people agree a shot must be at least a 1080, or 3 spins.

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