Glossary
Burst
In one line: Firing a few bullets at a time (two, three, four) instead of holding the trigger.
What it means
A burst is a short string of shots: you fire two or three bullets, pause for a split second so your accuracy resets, then repeat. It is the most common way to fire rifles at mid range: more accurate than a spray and faster than single taps.
The reason is recoil: the first bullets of a gun go where you aim, then they climb and spread. Stopping after a few shots brings your accuracy back to where it started.
An example
An enemy shows up at mid range in mid. With the Phantom you fire three bullets, pause for a moment, fire three more. The first two hit the body, the second burst finds the head. Had you held the trigger, half your bullets would have gone over them.