As a bolt-action sniper rifle, the SSG 08 has a low fire rate and long reload. It slows down movement and has bad accuracy when unscoped. To use the SSG 08 effectively, you need to scope, stay motionless, and go for a headshot. Unlike the AWP, bodyshots from the SSG 08 don’t kill armored opponents, and active support from teammates is crucial to stay safe. In general, only the necessity to save funds should motivate snipers to use this rifle instead of the AWP. The SSG 08 is never as great as the AWP, but it requires the same amount of training. The rifle is more forgiving, though, as its downsides are not as extreme.