Warzone best sniper rifles - secure one-hit eliminations from afar

The best warzone sniper rifles will keep you fighting through Warzone Pacific Season 1 and Caldera is a good place to test new sniper rifles builds. As you fight through Call of Duty Warzone, a sniper rifle can help you claim power over distances, pick off foes, cover your allies or even grab quick headshots in dangerous situations.

Many of the best snipers in Warzone have their uses, but with Cold War, Modern Warfare and now Vanguard's arsenal to keep in mind, it can be a lot to look through when deciding which long-range weapons are ideal. This can make it tough to select the best sniper in the game, but fortunately we’re here to help. In this guide, we’ll go through the best snipers Warzone Pacific Season 1 has to offer, while highlighting many rifles that work across various playstyles.

1. Kar98k marksman rifle

The Vanguard version of the Kar98k has become a powerhouse choice - the Kar98k marksman rifle was good for a while, and now it's one of the best choices out there. It's quick, it's deadly, and can work in a gunfight even more effectively than it can at long-distance.

You want to play into the Kar's power as a quick-scoper, allowing you to simply point and kill with no hesitation between the two. The VDD RED2K barrel, Short Stock, and Fabric Rear Grip will help go towards this, creating a gun that can pull headshots out of nowhere. Once you're out in the field, pair it with a good SMG and have total mastery over both short and long-range.

2. Swiss K31 sniper rifle

Warzone best sniper rifle — (Image credit: Activision)

The Swiss is a quick-scoper rifle almost as good as the Kar itself - it's quick, it's sharp, it controls well and can be used in the frenzy of battle just as well as any assault rifle (assuming you've got a handle on it). Build it for speed, because it's what it's best at - the GRU Suppressor, the Recon barrel, everything you can to up the ADS speed and down the recoil.

Once that's done, you've got a really punchy mid-to-long range rifle that can be used in the frenetic danger of a firefight, or to pick off unaware enemies from a distance. It's not hugely powerful, but by using the quick control to get headshots and keep up a faster fire rate, you can bring down foes easily enough.

3. HDR sniper rifle

Next up is a weapon that feels almost like the antithesis of the SP-R. That’s right, the HDR is a much slower weapon that is best used when you’re holding down a position, taking shots from super long distances. Because it’s slower, you should absolutely pair it with a secondary weapon that works well at medium to close range.

But aside from that, the HDR is a tremendous rifle that works particularly well during longer ranged engagements. Obviously, that’s where snipers excel, but the HDR is the king of range and bullet velocity. You’ll have a much easier time taking out your opponents at hundreds of meters out when compared to some of the other snipers. If you’re looking to pull off shots from across the map, the HDR should be your go-to, as it has one of the highest bullet velocities out of any sniper in the game.

4. SP-R 208 marksman rifle

Formerly the best option and still pretty powerful, the SP-R 208 is a marksman rifle with a ton of power and mobility. Because of this, you’ll find it ideal for more aggressive play styles as opposed to setting up shop in one spot. In fact, you can completely deck this weapon out to serve as a tactical rifle more so than a sniper.

However, the SP-R deals high amounts of damage, making it ideal for dishing out one-hit kills in Warzone. The weapon’s only downside is that it’s a bit slower than some of the other marksman rifles, putting it somewhere between a semi-auto rifle and a slower sniper rifle in terms of speed. But depending on your play style, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.

5. ZRG 20mm sniper rifle

best warzone guns — (Image credit: Activision)

The ZRG is a proper cannon, something that will leave holes in anybody and will usually get a kill if you can hit them above the waist. If they're not wearing armour, it's practically a death sentence, but it's also a great big weighty behemoth that's hard to control - like the HDR, but more so in every respect.

Consequently, you should use attachments to ensure that the first shot is always a kill. Accuracy, range, and recoil control, especially with the Agency Moderator to take the sound out of the shot and keep you hidden. Take your time to line up a headshot and drill a hole through the opponent from halfway across the map, and pair it with a good short range secondary to help you clear the way to those vantage points.

6. 3-Line sniper rifle

Call of Duty Vanguard best weapons guns — (Image credit: Activision)

None of the Vanguard's snipers have really dominated the meta, but between the available ones, we'd say the 3-Line Rifle peaks out just above the Arisaka and the Gorenko. It's got a certain amount of power and control combined, and works as a good all-rounder rifle - more deadly than the Kar, faster than the HDR, and generally pretty good overall.

Here you should build it for power, same as the HDR or ZRG, as that's slightly more what it leans towards. But from there you can make the most of its increased ADS and control - it's a good choice when sniping multiple targets at once.

7. LW3 Tundra sniper rifle

The LW3 Tundra used to be terrible, but following recent updates, it now rivals the HDR in more ways than one. Of course, the HDR is a top tier weapon when used at extremely long range, but the Tundra is similar, with a few added benefits. For starters, it has a slightly faster fire rate, along with being a bit easier to control.

When looking at bullet velocity, the HDR is still slightly better, but again, whether this matters will depend on playstyle. Most players don’t go for eliminations at 500+ meters, so the difference in bullet velocity might not make much of a difference to you.

In short, the Tundra is one of the best snipers in terms of raw power and easily stacks up against the HDR. The other thing we should mention is that certain Cold War weapon attachments negate having sniper glint, giving them an edge over Modern Warfare firearms. Use the Tundra if you’re looking for a slightly more mobile and faster version of the HDR.

8. Rytec AMR sniper rifle

The Rytec AMR is a great choice for those who plan on partaking in more aggressive long range firefights. Whereas the HDR is much better for slower deliberate encounters, the Rytec is best when taking out multiple enemies in fast succession. It has a tremendously fast rate of fire that mirrors something like the Dragonov, without sacrificing power.

Sure, it’s nowhere near as great as the HDR at long distances, but if you can pull off a headshot, you can secure the elimination regardless of your distance from the target. What’s neat about the Rytec is that you can equip explosive rounds to it that deal splash damage if they land close enough to your target. Overall, this should be your weapon of choice if you aren’t as confident with your shots.

9. AX-50 sniper rifle

Some players might find the HDR a bit difficult to use. That’s because it’s slow and is a little bit harder to control than you might expect. If that’s the case, you should try the AX-50. This rifle works similarly to the HDR, but has a slightly faster fire rate, better mobility, and arguably more manageable recoil (this is personal preference, of course).

Since it doesn’t have the bullet velocity of the HDR, you’ll find that it doesn’t work as well in long range engagements at hundreds of meters away. But it’s perfectly viable from afar, especially if you land those upper chest or headshots. In short, this is a much more user friendly version of the HDR with slight downsides to balance it out.

10. Pelington 703 sniper rifle

Now that some of the game’s attachments have been buffed (like the Wrapped Suppressor), the Pelington 703 is finally usable in Warzone. In fact, if you deck it out properly, it rivals even the best snipers the game has to offer. Sadly, the Pelington is often overlooked due to having a rough start after the Cold War integration.

The best way to describe this weapon is like a mix between a Tundra and a Kar98k, offering fast ADS speeds, high damage, and relatively decent bullet velocity. Though unlike the Kar98k, the Pelington can secure eliminations much better from longer ranges, making it slightly more versatile, despite being a tad slower. In short, this is the weapon to use if you want more speed than the HDR, while having better range than something like the Kar98k or SP-R.

As you can see, there are a variety of choices for snipers in Warzone that adhere to many playstyles. Want something for aggressive run and gunning? The Kar98k should be your first choice. Want to set up shop and take shots from hundreds of meters across the map? Go with the HDR. Or if you’re looking for something in between, the Tundra or Pelington are fantastic choices. The point is that you should now have enough information to choose a sniper that matches how you play.