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 normal 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.

Sniper rifles are very good against most enemies, although a few may present some problems. Skags can be difficult because they are armored and fast enough to avoid shots by sniper rifles, yet a marksman can still score a critical hit on one if the target stops to roar. Anything getting into melee range can also be troublesome and are generally eliminated more easily with closer ranged weapons.

When looking for a good sniper rifle, several things should be taken into consideration:
 * Accuracy: A vital attribute for scoring critical hits, accuracy determines the firing cone of a sniper's bullet. High accuracy numbers are valued for their ability to assist with precision targeting.
 * Damage: The higher the damage output of a weapon, the faster the health of a target falls.
 * Magazine Size: Sniper rifles generally don't have a high magazine capacity, although this is usually a minor issue if the target can be eliminated quickly. Large magazines are useful in protracted engagements if targets are proving to be difficult to hit or tough enough to withstand multiple hits.
 * Weapon Zoom: Sniper rifles may have low number values for their scope magnification, however their base magnification that the multiplier is applied to is the highest of all of the weapon types. High zoom scopes will reduce any accuracy problems and allow for long distance sniping.

Another 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 affect stability so avoid them even if the magazine is ample, the accuracy rate is high, and the firepower/elemental ability is superior.

Elemental sniper rifles can add a mixed bag of tricks to a sniper's arsenal, however the different classes and different styles of play have a significant impact on optimal choices. The Trespass skill in particular gives a Hunter a strong reason to avoid elemental damage altogether seeing as the elemental damage will have to deplete the shield, whereas a regular bullet will apply all of its damage to the target without the shield's impediment.
 * Corrosive sniper rifles make a passable weapon, with the downside that many targets would otherwise die to a single well-placed head shot, rendering the sustained corrosive damage effect somewhat pointless. This type of weapon does become useful against high numbers of Crimson Lance in open areas however.
 * Explosive sniper rifles are very effective all-round weapons. The visual blast effect is far less obtrusive than the other elemental damage forms, allowing for easier targeting, and the immediate blast works well in conjunction with the one-shot philosophy of sniping.
 * Incendiary sniper rifles do extremely high damage to non-shielded targets with the drawback that the fire effect can obscure critical hit locations, making precision targeting difficult. Powerful incendiary sniper rifles can be very effective for a Siren thanks to the her skills and Class Mods, even for non-critical body shots.
 * Shock is helpful to whittle down enemy shields at long ranges, however in the hands of a Hunter, the Trespass skill decisively trumps a Shock sniper rifle's advantages, leaving Shock as a poor damage choice for this class.

Repeating and Semi-Automatic

 * Sniper - Balanced.
 * Lance - Increased accuracy, lower recoil.
 * Thunder - Extra damage, slightly higher recoil.

Repeating

 * Gamble - Lowered accuracy, 200%-250% Critical Hit Damage.
 * Hawkeye - Higher accuracy.
 * Whitting's Elephant Gun - Unique weapon quest reward for Big Game Hunter.

Legendary: Pearlescent:
 * Atlas Cyclops "I have you in my eye, sir." - Extreme zoom at 5.2x (mislabeled as 3.2) 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 cause an explosion.
 * Jakobs Skullmasher "Makes their brain hurt" - Reduced Damage but fires 6 projectiles, and has a knockback effect.
 * Jakobs Bessie "That's my girl..." - +500% Critical Hit Damage, 2.8x Weapon Zoom, 100% accuracy when zoomed.

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 basement in New Haven.
 * Kyros' Power - Unique weapon drop from Kyros in DLC3.

Legendary:
 * S&S Orion "A hunter lives among the stars..." - Misses ricochet and split in three, sometimes four.
 * 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 when zoomed.