No matter how much the meta shifts, the power of one-shot headshots means they will always have a role. So the question is: which sniper rifle do you use for that perfect headshot? Below we’ll walk you through our picks for the best Sniper Rifle in Warzone, along with detailed overviews and stats on each weapon in this essential gun class.
Best Sniper Rifle in Warzone Caldera
Currently, the best sniper rifle in Warzone is the Swiss K31. This bolt-action sniper really has it all. The Swiss K31 has great ADS speed, and the highest chest shot damage in the Sniper Rifle category. There are plenty of viable options, but you can’t go wrong with the Swiss K31. Here’s our best Warzone Sniper Rifles tier list:
Swiss K31 Three Line Rifle ZRG LW3 - Tundra M82 Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle HDR Kar98k (VG) Type 99 AX-50 Pelington Rytec AMR Dragunov
Swiss K31 - best Sniper Rifle in Warzone
The Swiss K31 is unparalleled at mid-range sniping. Its closest statistical competitor is really the MW Kar98k, which Warzone classifies as a Marksman rifle. The MW Kar98k has much faster ADS speed, but the Swiss K31 hits harder to the chest, making it a touch more forgiving. Relative to other true Sniper Rifles the K31 has lower bullet velocity, but it’s not something you’ll feel outside of extreme distances. If you enjoy posting up on rooftops and mountains with boundless sightlines there are better choices, but for general use in the unpredictable landscape of Battle Royale, the Swiss K31 is the best Sniper Rifle in Warzone. On Rebirth Island, the Swiss K31 and MW Kar98k should be the only snipers in your loadouts. Even after an increase to flinch when hit, the Swiss K31 is by far the best option at mid range. If you want to take over the game with a bolt-action, check out our guide to the best Swiss K31 loadout.
Three Line Rifle
The Vanguard bolt-action rifles got some much needed love in recent balance patches, pushing the three weapons into slightly more identifiable niches. The Three Line Rifle reaped the greatest reward and now claims one of the fastest bullet velocities in the game. That makes it an excellent choice for the extreme ranges once dominated by the ZRG and LW - 3 Tundra. Right now, your choice between the three weapons is basically a three-way coin toss. All of them will perform similarly, and any peripheral advantages are fairly minor. We’re awarding the Three Line Rifle the top ranking purely because it’s available in every playlist, while its competitors are barred from Vanguard modes. If you still plan to give it a whirl, use our best Three Line Rifle loadout to give it a fair shake.
ZRG 20mm
The ZRG is a hard-hitting bolt-action rifle with the highest bullet velocity in the game. It also has better ADS speed, rate of fire, and chest damage than the original velocity king, the HDR. You still won’t want to get caught up close with a ZRG out, but it’s one of the best sniper rifles at long distances where bullet velocity really matters. It’s going to take much longer to snap to targets than a Swiss K31, but your shots will reach their destination twice as fast. At extreme distances against moving targes, the ZRG is still one of the top dogs. Have a look at our ZRG 20mm loadout and you won’t be disappointed.
LW3 - Tundra
The LW3 Tundra is a good Sniper Rifle that doesn’t quite top the charts. It has bullet velocity on par with the HDR with much snappier ADS speed, but it’s still not enough to overtake the ZRG. It’s close enough though that you’re rarely going to notice the difference. Being very similar to other good weapons isn’t a bad thing; the LW3 won’t hold you back if it’s your Sniper Rifle of choice. Go give our LW3 Tundra Warzone loadout a look if you’re interested!
M82
If you prefer semi-automatic weapons, the M82 is the best choice right now. It’s one of three semi-automatic weapons that can one-shot headshot fully armored players. It doesn’t have great ADS speed and the bullet velocity sits somewhere between the quicker bolt-actions and heftier long-range behemoths like the ZRG and HDR, but semi-auto fire makes this weapon a lot more forgiving within its effective range. When your aim is a bit low and you end up with a body hit, getting that second shot out faster will save the fight. If you want the Warzone equivalent of the classic Barret .50 from the old Modern Warfare games, the M82 is the weapon for you.
Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle
As it stands, the Gorenko Anti-Tank rifle feels a lot like an M82 with attachments that are not yet tuned for Warzone’s unique demands. This is a running theme for the first iteration of Vanguard snipers; more on that in a bit. The Gorenko specifically is the only semi-auto option in the Vanguard pool and does have excellent damage and respectable bullet velocity. It is just a big, unwieldy gun though, and there isn’t much you can do to fix it right now. Still, it’s a great option for Vanguard-restricted modes, where its only competitors are similarly unwieldy bolt-action rifles. Get set up with our Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle loadout guide to take on Caldera.
HDR
Before Cold War, the HDR was the unchallenged king of maximum range sniping. It’s still good in that role, but the ZRG just does the job better. Still, the HDR will do great at long range. The handling is a bit painful, but it’s no trouble at all to pick out long-distance headshots once you’re aimed. Plus this thing just sounds so cool I can’t help but dig it back out every once in a while. Never feel bad about opting for an HDR; it’s within striking distance of its superiors. With our ideal HDR loadout, you too can relive the early days of Warzone.
Kar98k (VG)
The Kar98k’s classifying conventions get more convoluted with the addition of the Vanguard version of this staple bolt-action rifle. The old Modern Warfare edition is functionally a quick-handling Sniper Rifle but classed as a Marksman Rifle. The new Vanguard version is classed as a Sniper but functions as a slower, longer-ranged weapon. It has solid base bullet velocity, but mediocre handling. This is where the current issues with Vanguard Snipers start to really rear their ugly heads. As it stands shortly after the launch of Caldera, Vanguard Snipers just don’t have the attachment pool to compete with the older games. None of them can even sniff the ADS speed of a Swiss K31 or MW Kar98k, and only the Three Line Rifle can reach the bullet velocity of a ZRG or LW - 3 Tundra. These guns aren’t bad, but there are better options in core Battle Royale modes. If you need a class setup, we have builds for both versions of the Kar98k over on our Kar98k Warzone loadout guide.
Type 99
The Type 99 actually has the fastest ADS speed of the three Vanguard bolt actions, but it also has slightly lower stomach damage. That won’t make a huge difference most of the time, but you will occasionally miss out on a kill that a Kar98k might have gotten. With stats that are otherwise similar, including identical base bullet velocity, that small bit of damage gives the Kar98k the edge for now. If you do want something faster-handling for Vanguard modes, the Type 99 is as close as you’ll get to the Swiss K31 or MW Kar98k. Unfortunately, as close as you’ll get still isn’t very close. If you still want to give it a shot, check out our best Type 99 Warzone loadout guide.
AX-50
The AX-50 offers a smoother and faster ride than its marginally bigger sibling, the HDR. It’s a more forgiving rifle, simply because if you miss your shot, you can fire another faster than the HDR. The AX-50’s bullet velocity could never quite keep up with the HDR though, and it’s nowhere close to the ZRG. What niche it used to have has really just been eaten up by competitors at this point. Pick the AX-50 for the aesthetics, but not for competition.
Pelington 703
The Pellington is a quick-handling Sniper Rifle, but it’s just entirely overshadowed by the Swiss K31. It has lower body-shot damage, lower bullet velocity, and virtually identical ADS speed. There just isn’t any way you can build the Pellington to beat the Swiss K31 at any role. If you just like the look and feel of the Pelington and want to give it a go, check out our guide to the best Pelington loadout in Warzone.
Rytec AMR
The Rytec has a fire rate edge over the M82 but otherwise can’t keep up. It has a worse chest damage multiplier, ADS speed, and bullet velocity. The anti-vehicle incendiary rounds are kind of cool, but if you need to deal with trucks it’s usually easier to just use a launcher. But hey, sometimes you just want to use a big gun with exploding bullets. We understand.
Dragunov
The Dragunov has a better rate of fire and bullet velocity than its semi-automatic brethren, but its damage is much, much worse. It’s really more in line with the semi-automatic Marksman Rifles, and those have never been particularly strong. You could use the Dragunov as a mid-range Sniper if you really wanted to, but it leaves us with a familiar question; why not just use something that can one-shot your enemies? For your convenience, we have a handy stat table for every Sniper Rifle in Warzone. Use these numbers to contexualize our rankings and affirm your own Sniper choices. If you’re looking for stats on other weapon classes, visit our full Warzone weapon stats page for more! And there you have it! Hopefully now you’re a master of the Warzone Sniper Rifles arsenal, and you’re ready to put your newfound knowledge to the test. In case you’re still hungering for tips and stats, be sure to check out our other Warzone guides. Grab a secondary weapon from our guide to the best Assault Rifles in Warzone. For a full picture of the meta, visit our best Warzone loadouts guide and our full best guns in Warzone tier list.
