This concern is more of PvE than PvP so here we go:

I don't know about the rest of the snipers here, but I tend to have issues with running out of energy in PvE. This occurs when I need to dps a hard mode Flashpoint boss before the enrage timer goes off. I use all my heavy hitting abilities, then use adrenaline probe to get energy, but then I'm left with no energy and my dps just goes down quickly at the end. I tried using said abilities and then rifle shot, in order to prevent a huge chunk of energy wasted in a few short seconds., but feels like my dps isn't enough compared to when I'm bombing away with all my abilities.

Usually the group I'm in kills the boss when the tank dies at 5% and it takes a few more shots to finish the fight. It's frustrating just standing there waiting for the energy to fill back, it's dps that could had been made during that time interval of the fight.

Snipers have good damage dealing abilities, that I don't complain about, but the energy is what's killing me to be honest. Anyone have suggestions or ideas?

Never let your energy dip below 60 without Adrenaline Probe or you are going to kill that target before running out of energy. No exceptions. Utilize the energy efficient abilities such as Series of Shots, Followthrough, or Weakening Blast and of course the only free ability we have Rifle Shots quite often.

60-110 Energy : 5.0 Energy Regen Per Second

40-59 Energy : 3.0 Energy Regen Per Second

20-39 Energy : 2.5 Energy Regen Per Second

0-19 Energy : 2.0 Energy Regen Per Second

The chart above illustrates why it is so damaging to go below 60 energy. A good rule of thumb is to use Rifle shots if your energy is 79 or below if you are having troubles starting out in managing your energy properly.

Use Adrenaline Probe at about 35-45% energy, incidentally. It only gives you back half of your bar. Using it at the bottom will only put you into middling energy regen and if you try to burst there you'll only run out of energy again.

If you're MM with Sniper's Nest, also remember that your energy regen is dependent on staying in cover (i.e. staying in the same place as much as possible).

If you're Biochem I suggest a Rakata Attack Adrenal. Have you been leading with your shatter shot?

It's easier for Sniper to manage energy in shorter fights. In order for fights to be shorter your target needs to be debuffed (so everyone does more damage) and you should probably be using stims/adrenals to get the most out of your abilities.

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On ability order: have you tried just waiting slightly longer than the GCD to regenerate your energy rather than using Rifle Shot? Rifle Shot is essentially a waste of a GCD unless you 'need' to mix it in. A lot of abilities like Series of Shots regenerate the energy they cost during their channel.

... speaking of. What are you building? I should probably have lead with that question.

Followthrough has quite the cooldown, so I use snipe and ambush when available. Series of Shots takes 20 energy away which is a lot to be honest and could bring me down to less than 60%. It's the waiting for energy that really screws me over. I use debuffs such as the armor reduction and use the DoT skill too and even with that it feels like it isn't enough.

Also, if by build you mean my spec then I am completely Marksman, but I put some points in the Engineer tree to get the +10 additional energy for my bar.

Followthrough has quite the cooldown, so I use snipe and ambush when available. Series of Shots takes 20 energy away which is a lot to be honest and could bring me down to less than 60%. It's the waiting for energy that really screws me over. I use debuffs such as the armor reduction and use the DoT skill too and even with that it feels like it isn't enough.

 

Also, if by build you mean my spec then I am completely Marksman, but I put some points in the Engineer tree to get the +10 additional energy for my bar.

Do you have the cooldown/cost reduction skills for Followthrough? You'll get a six-second CD out of that and it'll be basically free to use.

torhead.com - use skill calc - and link build here please. Hard to make suggestions with something I can't see.

This is my build so far: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#400bsrbdMsRgzZbcr.1

Why did you take 6% hp every 2 minutes and an out of cover-in-a-while snipe over 4% alacrity and 6% crit?

That's totally wrong.

Why did you take 6% hp every 2 minutes and an out of cover-in-a-while snipe over 4% alacrity and 6% crit?

 

That's totally wrong.

I see what you mean, only reason was that I thought it would help me somewhat in PvP...but in truth it doesn't feel any advantage or difference.

Maybe something like this?: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#400bsrbdMsRgzZbMZG.1

I'm open for more suggestions to be honest.

Never let your energy dip below 60 without Adrenaline Probe or you are going to kill that target before running out of energy. No exceptions. Utilize the energy efficient abilities such as Series of Shots, Followthrough, or Weakening Blast and of course the only free ability we have Rifle Shots quite often.

 

60-110 Energy : 5.0 Energy Regen Per Second

40-59 Energy : 3.0 Energy Regen Per Second

20-39 Energy : 2.5 Energy Regen Per Second

0-19 Energy : 2.0 Energy Regen Per Second

 

The chart above illustrates why it is so damaging to go below 60 energy. A good rule of thumb is to use Rifle shots if your energy is 79 or below if you are having troubles starting out in managing your energy properly.

You are counting ET there, so he needs to stay above 66 energy not 60.

Followthrough has quite the cooldown, so I use snipe and ambush when available. Series of Shots takes 20 energy away which is a lot to be honest and could bring me down to less than 60%. It's the waiting for energy that really screws me over. I use debuffs such as the armor reduction and use the DoT skill too and even with that it feels like it isn't enough.

 

Also, if by build you mean my spec then I am completely Marksman, but I put some points in the Engineer tree to get the +10 additional energy for my bar.

personally i don't use corrosive dart unless i am specced for it, but for marks that is hard to do. @ 20 energy I think you could do more DPE by using anything but snipe.

How i would spec pve mm:

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#400bsrbdRsRxzZbcbZh.1

Energy is a mechanic that a lot of people just don't grasp initially. You do more damage over the course of a fight if you keep your energy abouve 60% (4 of those little arrows on your energy bar) than if you blow it all at once and then wait for it to come back slowly. This isn't like WoW rogue energy or jedi force which has a constant gain rate. Just use specials when energy permits and interweave the energy free attack (rifle shots) to keep using GCDs.

And if you had 60% energy when the tank dies it would help with burst.