Best ballistic sniper rifle

[moon]

HI everyone, just want a quick short answer on where I need to go to get the best sniper rifle. Location and merchant. Thanks!

Really hate the automatic guns in this game. Want a one-shot sniper rifle or as close as possible. One location and merchant per response please!

[psionyx]

Depending on if you are focusing on silenced weapons or not, the top 2 ballistic sniper rifles are the Hard Target (silencer capable), and then the Magsniper (NOT silencer capable). The max amount of damage on the Magsniper is considerable over the max for the Hard Target (I think like at least 100+ if not more after mods), but if you are trying to be a silent sniper, keep in mind you can put a silencer on it.

So far, I've been using a tricked out Hard Target into level 70+ and it works just fine for pretty much everything I'm running into. If I get a sneak attack, they pretty much drop in one shot. Only a handful of enemies can survive it.

These rifles are locked behind being a minimum character level. Similar to how in Fallout 4, the Gauss Rifle just wouldn't show up in stores or drops until you were like, level 30+, same thing for these 2. Hard Target starts showing up roughly around 30+ from my experience, and Magsniper is a little bit later maybe? It might unlock at the same time, but if not, it's not that much later on. As to where you can buy them, the basic versions can appear in any weapon shop as random inventory.

Pre-level 30, I ran around with a Beowulf, which worked really well until the Hard Target was available.

[Raven]

Depends what level you are. If Level 30 and up I would go for The MagSniper. Others here have mentioned the Hard Target . Both can be obtained at Rowland Arms, in Akila. IIRC, early on you should come across an Old Earth Hunting Rifle at no cost.

[Kai]

The whole silenced weapon thing is merely for damage and detection avoidance close to enemies, when you are like 100-150m away they would start randomly spraying in your direction, but never see you.

So at super long ranges, the magsniper still kills and won't alert much enemies since they don't react to dead bodies, but the impact of the shot.

[jonnin]

I think the progression from low level to high level is:
- converted advanced AA to single shot/scope/silent (available around level 10 or whenever you have your weapon engineering high enough to trick one out).
- lacking weapon engineering, you can luck-find the occasional single shot grendel etc at lower levels.
-----------
after the early beginner levels, progression moves to
- tiered up lawgiver (not sure when this passes the AA if using that, refined? calibrated?)
- tiered up beowulf
- hard target
- mag sniper

the old earth hunter is interesting... its not great, but it comes with a scope every time, so if you score a decent one early, it will certainly do the job out of the box.
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for free, other than the advanced AA that needs reworked, the rangers will give you a lawgiver I think, and laredo arms sells a fair one as their unique weapon, so that may be your best 'quick start'.

...
if you didn't know the uc listening post has a key (upper level bathrooms) to a small room (near entry) with 2 advanced AA rifles, an advanced pistol (solistice), and 4 mid tier melee weapons. These drops are ensured, not level-randomized.

stores are mostly random, but stores are not your best bet anyway. Your best bet is to take an advanced ensured drop and go kill some higher level (50+) guys on a hard planet, looking for a useful drop that will tide you over until you get to 50 or so.


don't throw the baby out with the bath. Automatic does not automatically mean the gun will suck. One of the best guns you can set up in the game, in terms of pure "die, NOW" terms, is the magshot pistol with a blue/purple/gold perk for double mag capacity (12 rounds) and full auto. It can easily do over 4000 damage in about 1/2 a second, which will put an end to a rampaging t-rex or something horrible wildlife or a pirate demigod boss etc with a single burst, and you don't waste too much ammo since it doesn't HOLD too much ammo between reloads, and it does NOT suffer the damage decrease for going full auto. There are other auto gems as well (breach comes to mind..). Sometimes something gets too close for the sniper rifles to be ideal, esp wildlife.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3057339191

[Skumboni]

When looking for a sniper rifle, compare range and accuracy stats. I can kill them from farther away than their ammo can travel.


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3090247329

[moon]

I'm level 32 and trying to find Hard Target. Where is the best place to track it down?

[AuddieD]

Originally posted by moon:

I'm level 32 and trying to find Hard Target. Where is the best place to track it down?

I'm not sure you will at level 32. I'm fairly certain they won't show up until about 45. You will probably find a magsniper before you find a Hard Target.

[HeyYou]

Isn't a magsniper laying on the counter in the bar at vultures roost, regardless of level? (if you are mean enough to take it.....)

I am level 165, and still using the maxxed out hard target.... I like the silenced weapon, and at range, with a sneak attack, I can still do well over 5K damage. Per Shot. :D That's enough to take down just about anything.

[stvlepore]

The old earth hunting rifle is effective early game.

[AJRimmer Bsc Ssc]

OPEN CONSOLE
player.additem 00546CC 1 Hard Target
player.additem 0002EB45 1 MagSniper
DROP RIFLE,CLICK IT FOR ID
ID FIRST THEN MOD ID
******.amod ******
Long Barrel 14AFD8
Long Scope 12A783
suppressor 245FB7
high power 133A72
Armor-Piercing Rounds 2BDD72
Tactical Grip 133A80

[psionyx]

Originally posted by AuddieD:

Originally posted by moon:

I'm level 32 and trying to find Hard Target. Where is the best place to track it down?

I'm not sure you will at level 32. I'm fairly certain they won't show up until about 45. You will probably find a magsniper before you find a Hard Target.

I'm pretty sure the 30s they can start showing up, but it's not terribly common. they're not going to show up as drops on bosses and in reward chests with stats though. at best you're going to find a basic version in a shop for purchase.