Steady Aim

Steady Aim is a tier three perk in Call of Duty 4, Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and a tier two perk in Call of Duty: Black Ops. This perk increases the accuracy of a weapon when fired from the hip by reducing the size of the cross-hairs by 35%. In Modern Warfare 2, its Pro version replaces Iron Lungs. Other than that, this perk has no effect on a weapon's accuracy when the player is aiming down the sights, except for in third person gametypes in Modern Warfare 2. Steady Aim increases the accuracy of shotguns by reducing their spread, making the shotgun less effective for spraying an area but increases the damage done to a single target, which can increase the one shot kill range of a shotgun.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
"Increased hip-fire accuracy."

- Perk description

Steady Aim is a useful perk for players who find that they fire from the hip often. One of its biggest advantages is that it allows for more accurate fire without sacrificing mobility, although pistols and submachine guns already have full mobility while aiming down the sights. While it is not as common, some players also use this perk with sniper rifles, which allows more accurate hipfire at close range when a switch to a secondary weapon is not an option. An example of this tactic, known as "no-scoping," would be use with the M40A3, an ACOG Scope, and Stopping Power. This is effective because the M40A3 with an ACOG and Stopping Power is always a one hit kill unless the target is hit through cover or is using Juggernaut.

Call of Duty: World at War
This perk remains completely unchanged from Call of Duty 4.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Steady Aim is completely unchanged from the other games except for the addition of the Pro Perk. The Pro version allows the player to hold their breath twice as long while using a Sniper Scope or Thermal Scope, replacing Iron Lungs. It is especially recommended for weapons using the Akimbo attachment, which prevents aiming down the sight, making it both useful and easier to get the Pro version. Using Steady Aim with a shotgun will make it more accurate by reducing its spread, but only when not using ADS. This isn't always beneficial, as more care needs to be taken when aiming.

When playing in third person gametypes, this perk will also make the cross-hair smaller while ADS. Steady Aim is one of the few perks for which the standard and Pro abilities seem diametrically opposed; holding one's breath only applies to sniper scopes and Thermal Scopes and is used for long range accuracy, while firing from the hip is a close quarters tactic and is very inaccurate with sniper rifles, even when using Steady Aim. It seems to have been designed with sniper secondaries in mind, as Akimbo Handguns or Machine Pistols with Steady Aim are extremely effective at close range, especially with Stopping Power and/or Sleight of Hand.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Steady Aim returns as a Tier 2 perk in Black Ops, and its effects are unchanged from other games, increasing hipfire accuracy by 35%. It does have a new Pro effect, however. With Steady Aim Pro, the player raises his or her weapon faster after sprinting or knifing. Upgrading to the Pro version costs, and is very useful for knifing classes or when using Dual Wield weapons.

Pro Challenges

 * Quick Melee – Melee two enemies consecutively within 5 seconds.
 * Sprint Kills – Get 100 kills after sprinting.
 * Hip Fire Kills – Get 150 hip fire kills using Steady Aim

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Steady Aim was seen as an unlockable perk in Survival Mode and multiplayer. The pro version allows the player to have their weapon ready faster after they sprint or knife, like in Call of Duty: Black Ops. It maintains the same perk icon from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in Survival Mode, but has a new one in multiplayer. The Pro version can be earned after 120 hipfire kills

Trivia

 * In Modern Warfare 2, it is possible to upgrade Steady Aim with a mounted minigun without zooming in.
 * The Black Ops pro version of Steady Aim is near equivalent to the Modern Warfare 2 pro perk Lightweight, but this time it returns with knife lunge recovery as well as the sprint recovery.
 * In Black Ops, getting kills by firing the Ballistic Knife count as hipfire kills, which can count toward steady aim pro.This is probably because the Ballistic Knife does not have sights.
 * Along with Sleight of Hand, it is one of the only two perks with their same name in every Call of Duty game with Perks.
 * Black Ops is the only game in which it is a Tier 2 perk.

Video
Video:Modern Warfare 2 - Spray And Pray (Hip-Fire) Montage Part 2