CSS3 animations perform great compared to jQuery's moldy animation code, and they are suitable for many simple animation tasks.
But 76 steps of sprites!
It may be better to do it algorithmically than to use the brute-force approach of a bitmap picture for each frame. If nothing else, it can work better on different sized screens if you use vector graphics instead of bitmaps.
When your animation needs become SERIOUS, it's time to move on to a high-performance Javascript animation library. They can be even faster and smoother than CSS3.
slow - jQuery's old-school animation code
good but limited - CSS3
fast and flexible - Modern, purpose-built Javascript animation libraries
Greensock is probably the Gold Standard. But there are others.