Sniper Rifle

Sniper Rifles are accurate, often scoped, heavy weapons with an extreme damage-per-bullet rate balanced by a low fire rate and small magazine. They tend to have high accuracy when sighted, but only when sighted. When fired "from the hip" displayed Accuracy values do not apply and they have a default spray-zone that makes run-and-gun tactics counterproductive. All Sniper Rifles have a high critical damage threshold, doing 3.5 to 4 times their baseline damage when a critical hit is scored. Reload times vary from 1.75 seconds to as much as 3 seconds.

General Strategy
Sniper rifles are always useful but often times finicky weapons. With extremely high damage rates, a player can snipe at a group of enemies at a safe distance, methodically picking one enemy off after the other. However, due to possible variations in the weapon and its capabilities (most notably accuracy), successfully hitting targets could be difficult if not impossible to do at a safe distance, especially against Bandits.

Sniper Rifles are very good against practically any variety of enemy with the exception of Skags, Bandit Bruisers, and Psychos. Skags are difficult because they are armored and fast enough to avoid shots by Sniper Rifles when they notice the player. Although, if a player can switch weapons quickly enough, a critical hit on a skag's roaring mouth will instantly kill many of the breed. Bruisers and Psychos are not recommended because they are taken down far more quickly with other weapons.

When looking for a good Sniper Rifle three things should be taken into consideration, scope, accuracy and magazine size in that order. Firepower is important, but just like in real life Sniper Rifles are best when used as weapons of finesse. Being able to hit a target beyond the range that target is able to perceive you is more important than how hard you can hit that target. Also, even the best players miss from time-to-time, and being able to quickly re-establish a lead on the one that got away instead of having to stop and reload is more than useful.

Another extremely important thing to take into account when choosing what Sniper Rifle is going to serve the best is an invisible quality known as stability. Stability only becomes a factor when sighting a Sniper Rifle, and it is measured in how fast the weapon stops swaying when first sighted and between shots. Unfortunately, this quality isn't displayed on the item card and must actually be experienced before it is determined, so be careful when purchasing a Sniper Rifle from a vending machine and be prepared to sell it back. Negative Recoil Reduction values affects stability so avoid them even if the magazine is ample, the accuracy rate is high, and the firepower/elemental ability is superior.

When presented with an elemental Sniper Rifle look for Incendiary or Explosive effects. Incendiary weapons, especially x3-4 Maliwan models have a very good chance to ignite enemies, and when the baseline damage done by the attack itself is considered, a single-shot-kill is more than likely. Explosive weapons are similarly useful, and a triggered explosive effect can take out a Bandit Thug or even a shielded Raider with a single shot. Avoid Corrosive weapons, the low fire rate on Sniper Rifles does not allow to take full advantage of the tech effect when triggered. Shock Sniper Rifles are a happy middle ground, but they aren't as practically useful as Incendiary or Explosive variants. Keep in mind that most elemental weapons have a reduced baseline damage to balance out the elemental effect trigger. Also keep in mind that longer periods of time between shots increases the chances of a successful elemental trigger.

Repeating and Semi-Automatic

 * Sniper - Balanced
 * Lance - Increased accuracy, high stability
 * Thunder - Lots of damage, smaller magazine, moderately low stability

Repeating

 * Sighted - Much higher accuracy, lower damage
 * Gamble - Lowered accuracy, 200% Critical Hit Damage (as opposed to 150%)
 * Hawkeye - Higher accuracy
 * Whitting's Elephant Gun - Unique weapon quest reward for Big Game Hunter

Legendary:
 * Atlas Cyclops "I have you in my eye, sir." - Extreme zoom (5.2x) and double bullet velocity
 * Vladof Surkov "For the Motherland." - Fast reload speed
 * Maliwan Volcano "Pele demands a sacrifice!" - 100% chance to ignite enemy. Chance to deal splash fire damage.
 * Jakobs Skullmasher "Makes their brain hurt" - Reduced Damage but fires 6 projectiles.

Semi-Automatic

 * Wrath - Always elemental and mostly x3
 * Nailer - Unique weapon quest reward from House Hunting
 * Reaver's Edge - Unique weapon that drops when you kill Reaver
 * Rider - Unique weapon found in the hidden room in New Haven

Legendary:
 * S&S Orion "A hunter lives among the stars..." - Misses ricochet and split in three
 * Dahl Penetrator "Sniper killer, qu'est que c'est?" - Fully Automatic
 * Torgue Cobra "I LIKE IT!" - 100% Chance of explosion, splash damage
 * Hyperion Invader "BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM" - 5 round burst.