Steady Aim

Steady Aim is a Call of Duty 4, Call of Duty: World at War, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Tier Three perk. This perk significantly increases the accuracy of a weapon when fired from the hip. 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. Steady Aim increases the accuracy of shotguns by reducing the spread of buckshot but not their range, making the shotgun less effective for spraying an area. However, the tight spread means more damage on a single target. Thus, Steady Aim on a shotgun is good for individual targets, while it is bad for multiple targets at close range.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
A great perk for shotgun users or anyone using a fully automatic weapon in close quarters. This gives the player better control when hip firing, which is faster to do and is often the only choice in fast-paced close-quarters action. This is a critical component to the jump & shoot, run & gun and/or corner combat strategies. Players using submachine guns, especially with Double Tap, can frequently be found using this perk. While it is not as common, some people also use this perk with sniper rifles, which allows more accurate unscoped use at close range when a switch to a secondary weapon is not an option.

It is often also in used small, confined maps, with an M40A3 sporting an ACOG scope and Stopping Power. This is for the sake of "no-scoping" or firing from the hip with a sniper rifle. This is effective because of the "one shot, one kill" properties of the M40A3 with an ACOG scope and Stopping Power.

Call of Duty: World at War
A highly-used tactic in Call of Duty: World at War is to use this perk with an MP40 with Dual Magazines. With the perk Double Tap, Steady Aim can greatly increase one's accuracy when firing the MP40 from the hip, making this weapon extremely effective. This tactic, as good as it is, is looked down upon by nearly all other players who find they stand no chance against this weapon in close quarters. However, this does not stop it happening, as this combination is still incredibly common online. This method is commonly known online as 'spray and pray'. This perk can be used with shotguns effectively as well, and is used by snipers as an alternative to Deep Impact - mainly by those who will regularly try to "no-scope" other players.



Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Steady Aim is mostly unchanged from the other games. The Pro version allows the player to hold his breath longer while using a Sniper Scope or Thermal Scope, replacing Iron Lungs. Steady Aim is recommended for Snipers and those using Akimbo, which prevents aiming down the sight, making it both useful and easier to get the Pro version. Steady Aim, along with Commando, can be one of the most useful 3rd Tier perks for 3rd Person matches, as you may need to out knife the enemy near you, and you cannot aim down the sights in 3rd person.