So over the past few days the "black loading screen freeze" has just gone away, so I can actually play more than a couple maps at one time; but there's something that I just can't wrap my head around.

Basically, what is up with the hit detection, or even damage? I've played Counter Strike: Source quite a bit and know about laggy hitboxes and such; but it's getting to point of frustration. So many times I've put bullets into someone from close, medium, and far range and it always takes upwards of 10 shots to kill someone; while it takes maybe 3 or 4 to put me down. I've even had times where I've run around a corner, ran into an enemy, emptied a clip at point blank range and do less than 50% damage; while they put maybe 4 or 5 rounds in my chest and I get killed...

There was also a time when I shot someone just a few feet away, got 3 or 4 "hit detection" markers and even saw blood; yet the guy kills me with maybe two shots. When viewing thru the kill cam he still had 100% health, wtf?? Last night I even put two rounds into some snipers head from only 30-40 meters, and he whips around, shoots me in the chest and kills me instantly...he still had over 30% health from TWO headshots

I know I'm not the best player; but I usually use burst/single shot and always get multiple hits but hardly any kills. Then it seems some people can run around and shoot maybe 3 or 4 rounds and kill me with no problem. Anyone else have similar issues, or is it just me?

i felt the same way,

then i started to unlocked kit/weapon modifiers. In sniper battles, snipers usually camp next to a health pack, you hit them once or twice and they just regen while they shoot back.

some servers also put health at 50/75/100/150% to make it easier or harder to get kills/take objectives.
there's also a server setting that allows regenerative health.

with most assault rifles, if your standing and moving, your bullets will have more sporadic travel, you may be hitting the target, but hit points have different values, along with kit modifiers, hitting someone in the arms/legs with a 5.56 bullet coming from a suppressed rifle will do next to nothing in damage. Your scope moves around unless you hold your breath or use a bi-pod.

i unlocked the G3A3 from doing COOP and haven't looked back, even with the Iron sights you are forced to use at first, i was comfortable with the gun, used it in other games so i knew how to use it in BF3.

on single shot, 2 or 3 shots center mass kills, 1 head shot usually kills.

in the chatbox, snipers/players claim im cheating because i can out snipe them with an assault rifle,
I use the 6x scope w/ the rifle on single shot with the heavy barrel, which makes this rifle deadly at med. to med. long range,
the size makes it hard to swing around up close, but if i get the upper hand, 3 rounds center mass will kill before they turn and fire.

I tend to hide with my brother (who usually comes as a sniper or support) and we usually spot targets all round, i'll take what i can, but if i have a guy thats out of my range do to bullet drop or whatever, i mark for my brother. and yes, my longer single shot kills I have to compensate for bullet drop.

like i said before though,

using the M-16/AK, the iron sights suck, and the kits are crap as both guns are crap for recoil or low stopping power.

I was going 15/30 average per round sometimes way worse,
Once i switched to the G3A3, I've been going 25-5 or better while still capturing flags and stuff.
Even my brother likes the G3A3.

Haven't played as much as I did when first released....and came back a few times only to start getting waxed...and I was pretty good when it first came out. Not sure what changes from patches were made. I do however only play on the "hardcore" servers. I think I just got rusty and do not have the weaponry some of the players now have. What game mode are you guys playing on? Normal or Hardcore?

Lots of factors in that, but Skate's post is a good one. With them (Dice) nerfing weapons left and right because people are bi*ching about getting killed, almost every gun that was available with the release does less damage.

If you play in CQB maps, you'll notice a lot more people using the M26 Dart. An underslung attachment. Want to know why? Because its crazy overpowered. How Dice missed that, I don't know, but its killing people 20+ feet out.

Getting back to your post: Some of it is just plain lag, latency, whatever you want to call it. Even with a ping of 38 to a server, I've done the exact same thing as you described. Since the hit detection is client side, your hits have to register on your target's machine and then be returned to the server before you're credited. Not the best choice in a FPS. Especially if you're going up against a guy with a ping of 100+ (I've seen pings as high as 300 playing in servers.). They'll kill you "faster" than you kill them, every time.

How long does it take to unlock the G3A3?

How long for you? I'm guessing a long time

run all the coop missions on hard, easy.

After playing a little more I started thinking maybe it's just a combination of things. Does anyone actually know if the "x" hit indicator shows when you actually do damage; or does it flash if you're suppressing?

I did play on a hardcore server for the first time in a while and definitely didn't have a problem getting kills; but I also noticed that it still took about the same 3-4 rounds to kill me as in non-hardcore servers. Maybe I'm just relying on the wrong "signs" to justify my suckyness? It's kind of hard to explain, maybe I should just take a video to confirm that I'm horrible at this game

Thanks for the tips!

I believe the X means you are actually hitting them, not just supressing them

@Zinger: try not being a prick in every reply, ok?