AK-47 Spray Pattern - How to Control It

The AK-47 is the most important weapon to spray well in CS2. It kills with one headshot at any range, but only if your bullets go where you are aiming - and past the first shot, they do not, unless you control the recoil.

This guide explains how the AK spray pattern actually works and how to practice it so control becomes automatic, instead of trying to memorize a shape you can never quite reproduce under pressure.

The AK Is a One-Tap Machine First

Before we talk spraying: the AK's biggest strength is that the first bullet is deadly. A single headshot kills through most armor at any range. So the priority order is:

1. One-tap when you can - highest reward, lowest risk.
2. Burst at mid range when you need two or three shots.
3. Spray up close or when a fight demands it.

Spray control matters, but it is the last option, not the default. If you are spraying every duel, fix your crosshair placement and tapping first.

The Three Phases of the Spray

The AK's recoil is not random - it is the same pattern every time, and it comes in three phases:

• Shots 1-6: straight up. The gun climbs almost vertically. Counter it by pulling your mouse straight down.
• Shots 7-15: left then right. After the vertical climb, the pattern sweeps left, then back to the right. You mirror it: move right as it pulls left, then left as it pulls right.
• Shots 16-30: wide and messy. The last third of the magazine sprays wide and is the least reliable. This is why long sprays waste bullets - accuracy falls off a cliff.

The takeaway: the first 6-7 bullets are the controllable, valuable ones. Beyond that, you are gambling.

How to Actually Practice It

Do not just stare at pattern images. Muscle memory comes from reps:

1. Empty a mag into a wall. On a practice server, spray the full magazine at a wall up close and look at the bullet holes. That is your pattern.
2. Trace it back. Now spray again and move your mouse to cancel that shape - down for the climb, then mirror the horizontal sweep. Your goal is a tight cluster, not a Christmas tree.
3. Break it into bursts. Practice 2-3 shot bursts, resetting between them. Most real kills come from short bursts, not full sprays.
4. Add movement. Use counter-strafing so you are dead still before the first shot. You cannot control a spray you started while moving.

Use aim and workshop maps built for spray control, and fold it into your regular practice routine so it stays sharp.

Spray vs Burst vs Tap

Knowing the pattern is only half of it - knowing when to use it is the other half:

• Long range: tap. One accurate shot beats a spray that opens up after bullet three.
• Mid range: burst. Two to four shots, then a brief reset.
• Close range: spray. This is where full recoil control earns its keep.

This is the same discipline covered in spray, burst or tap and the general recoil patterns guide - the AK is just the most important gun to get it right on.

The Takeaway

The AK spray pattern is fixed, which means it is learnable. But the goal is not to spray more - it is to tap and burst well and keep spray control in your pocket for the close fights that need it. Master the first seven bullets, practice with real reps against a wall, and pair it with clean movement and crosshair placement. That is what turns the AK from a lucky gun into a reliable one.

For how the AK stacks up against its CT counterparts, see AK-47 vs M4.