Best sniper rifles in Sniper Elite 5
Not all sniper rifles are made equal.
Looking for the best sniper rifle in Sniper Elite 5? The choice of the best sniper rifle
is completely subjective as they are all solid options. Some of you will love to get those oh-so-satisfying headshots from hundreds of feet away, while others prefer to stick up close and personal. There's no one-size-fits-all answer here, so hopefully, this list helps you make the best choice to suit your playstyle.
Best Sniper Rifles in Sniper Elite 5
One thing to note when choosing the best rifle for the job in Sniper Elite 5 is that you can customize each weapon with multiple attachments. These can increase a rifle's performance, magazine size, zoom, effective range, damage output and other stats, so you can get creative with your preferred weapon. However, attachments do need to be unlocked by finding the workbenches scattered throughout the campaign. With that in mind, I'll be basing our rankings for the rifles primarily based on their default stats.
It's fantastic to have a rifle that can take down Nazi soldiers from across the level in one shot, but you're rarely going to encounter a situation where that's useful. As a result, most of the shots you take in Sniper Elite 5 are going to be in the 50-200 meter range while facing multiple targets.
Most powerful sniper rifle: Karabiner 98
The Karabiner 98—aka K98—has the most powerful base stats of all the sniper rifles in Sniper Elite 5. It deals an average of 145 HP of damage per round, which means it's a one-shot kill the majority of the time. However, this power is offset by an incredibly slow rate of fire and a middling reload time.
The K98 is best used as a long-range powerhouse. It's excellent for countersniper work since you just have to wing a foe to take them out. It's an excellent rifle for either side in Axis Invasion mode, but it's a bit too slow to excel in Survival or multiplayer.
Best overall sniper rifle: Gewehr 43
The best overall rifle in the game is the Gewehr 43, or G43. It's a semi-automatic firearm with a 10-round magazine by default. It doesn't pack quite the oomph of the bolt-action guns, but it has a much higher rate of fire and a quick reload. Adding a few attachments that decrease the time to aim and increase the damage makes this rifle really shine.
Best stealth sniper rifle: M1A Carbine
Your sniper rifle is your most potent weapon in Sniper Elite 5, but it's also the one that's most likely to get you caught. However, there's one that's significantly quieter than the others. The stock M1A Carbine can be heard at a distance of 105 meters, which is great compared to the 130 meters of the G43 and 140 meters of the K98.
The M1A Carbine is almost as quiet as a silenced submachine gun or pistol with the right attachments. It's also semi-automatic and has the largest base magazine in the game at 15 rounds. However, it's also the weakest sniper rifle and has a lower effective range than all but the RSC 1918.
Sniper rifle with the longest range: M1903
Sometimes you need to reach out and touch someone at an extreme distance. The M1903 has the longest base effective range at 600 meters, letting you make practically every shot possible in the game. However, should you find a situation where even that isn't enough, equipping Match Special Ammo increases the rifle's range to a whopping 840 meters. Pair this with the A2 Optical scope that has a 16x zoom, and your foes won't have a chance of knowing what hit them.
Despite its impressive range, the M1903 does have its drawbacks. It's a bolt-action rifle, which handicaps it in the close-range fight. It also has a mediocre 5-round magazine, and its other stats are middle-of-the-road as well.
Worst sniper rifle: RSC 1918
Ironically, the worst sniper rifle in the game is the last one you unlock. The RSC 1918 has a paltry 240-meter effective range by default and an audible range of 150 meters. This means you only have a 90-meter sweet spot to get a shot off unheard with the standard model.
Attachments can make up for some of the shortcomings of the base RSC 1918, but by the time you unlock it, you'll likely have found your favourite and obtained plenty of mods for it.
Honourable mention: Machine Pist.44
This honourable mention is a gun from the secondary weapons list. The Machine Pist.44—aka StG 44—stands out amongst its peers by having a longer effective range and more damage. The base model's iron sights don't lend themselves to long-range shots, but upgrading it with a scope makes it a good backup for your long rifle.
Unfortunately, there's no way to change the Machine Pist.44's fire mode between single-shot and automatic, so when lining up for a distance shot, make sure to be very easy on the trigger.