Fallout 76, similar to other games in the Fallout franchise, is a great game for creating different types of combat builds, and the sniper build is one of the most powerful ways to create your character. Although sniper rifles are somewhat rare in Fallout 76, they are one of the strongest weapon types in the game.
Some rifles function best while they have scopes attached, while others can equip scopes, but it isn't the best way to build the gun. Before starting a sniper build in Fallout 76, you should know about all of the different types of snipers that you can collect and use during combat.
Updated November 13, 2021 by Michael Caruso: The collection of weapons in Fallout 76 is vast, so it's no surprise that so many different types of builds exist that you can use to fight the enemies of the Wasteland. However, not every build is equal, and some builds are better for specific situations. Sniper builds are one of the most important character types if you prefer stealth gameplay, so you should not only learn about the best sniper rifles in Fallout 76, but also about the best attachments and legendary effects you can use with sniper rifles.
The Best Legendary Effect For A Sniper Rifle
Many legendary effects are useful for sniper rifles. However, one of the best options is the Two Shot effect, which is a legendary effect that allows you to deal much more damage per shot.
The Two Shot effect shoots two projectiles from your gun instead of one. If you are fighting an enemy with a lot of health, then the Two Shot effect is incredibly useful, and it makes combat much easier by dealing extra damage per shot. If you enjoy sitting back and shooting at your enemy from a distance, then you need the Two Shot effect to have one of the strongest snipers possible. There is 25 percent more recoil per shot with the Two Shot effect though, so keep that in mind while using it. Legendary effects that focus on VATS are also potentially useful for sniper rifles if you regularly use VATS during combat.
The Best Attachments For A Sniper Rifle
Attachments are one of the best ways to increase your gun's power while also customizing it to fit your play style. Many attachments work well with sniper rifles, especially since scopes are one of the most important parts of a sniper rifle.
There are multiple attachments that pair nicely with a sniper rifle, and the attachments you have access to will vary depending on the rifle you're using. However, there are a few attachments that always work well with rifles. Long Scopes work the best since you will usually use your sniper rifle from a distance, and Night Vision Scopes are also important if you plan to use your gun at night or in dark areas. Adding a larger magazine to your sniper rifle is a good idea so you won't have to reload often during combat. You can also equip a Long Barrel onto your rifle if you plan to use it far away from enemies.
The Best Sniper Rifles For Beginners
There are a few weapons that are a good fit for new characters. The Pipe Rifle is one of the most notable beginner weapons since they're relatively common throughout the Wasteland and are customizable to fit your unique combat style.
However, if you don't like the Pipe Rifle, then Laser Rifles are a great option since they aren't as rare as Plasma Weapons, and they deal a lot of energy damage. It's a good idea to have multiple sniper rifles that can deal both types of damage, especially early in Fallout 76 when you may encounter many different enemies that have unique resistances.
10 Pipe Bolt-Action Rifle
The pipe bolt-action rifle isn't particularly powerful, and it has a design that would make you think that a scavenger created it out of spare parts that they found in an old garage.
However, this weapon is viable for the early game in Fallout 76 since it still deals a lot of damage because it is a sniper rifle. However, don't try to use this weapon against a powerful Mothman or other strong creature. The pipe bolt-action weapon must have a stock for it to turn into a sniper, and once it has this attachment, it will become a lot more powerful than its base form.
9 Combat Rifle
The combat rifle has a nice design, and it's a gun worth considering if you aren't using this weapon during PvP or while fighing the harder enemies in Fallout 76. Combat rifles don't usually have scopes equipped; however, you can turn this weapon into a sniper by crafting a scope onto it.
The combat rifle shoots fast compared to other weapons that you can use with a scope attachment, which is why this rifle is perfect if you prefer versatility. You can use a combat rifle while sniping and take the scope off later so that you can use it in close combat.
8 Scoped Laser Rifle
Although laser rifles aren't the strongest weapons in Fallout 76, laser weapons are still powerful during the early stages of the game. On top of this, energy cells are common throughout the Wasteland, which means that you won't run out of ammo quickly while using a laser rifle.
Laser rifles shoot at an average speed, and although they don't deal as much damage as plasma rifles, they still deal enough damage per shot to kill enemies quickly. However, you should switch to a scoped plasma rifle if you want to use a stronger energy weapon.
7 Assault Rifle
The assault rifle is somewhat similar to a combat rifle, except it deals more damage and has very little recoil. Any Wastelander can pick up and use an assault rifle immediately, which is one of the reasons why it's such a good gun.
Adding a scope of any size to an assault rifle makes it even more deadly because its low recoil allows you to aim at the same target for multiple shots without having to move your scope around a lot.
6 Hunting Rifle
Hunting rifles are powerful, and they have one of the most unique appearances in the game out of all the sniper rifle weapons. This rifle isn't the best sniper in Fallout 76; however, it will get you through the first few dozen levels of the game without any issues.
You can equip hunting rifles with most scope sizes, so you can use them as a sniper regardless of whether you enjoy short scopes, medium scopes, or long scopes. This weapon shoots slowly; however, it deals a lot of damage per shot, which makes up for its low fire rate.
5 Railway Rifle
Although the railway rifle isn't a traditional type of sniper, many different types of scopes can be attached to this weapon so that you can use it from a distance. However, the most effective way to use a scoped railway rifle is with a short scope from a short or medium distance away from the enemy.
Railway rifles are heavy-hitting weapons, dealing 95 base damage at the highest level possible. Railway spikes are the main type of ammo that this gun uses, which means that you have to scavenge a lot if you use this weapon regularly since railway spikes are uncommon in Fallout 76, and you are required to craft them if you want more ammunition.
4 Lever-Action Rifle
The lever-action rifle is a popular weapon among the Fallout fan base because of its beautiful design and high damage dealt per hit. This rifle deals 75 base damage at the max level; however, it does have the disadvantage of having a small ammo magazine. The lever-action rifle only has a magazine size of five.
Luckily, the 75 base damage makes up for the small clip, and this weapon is considered one of the best snipers and best weapons in general in Fallout 76.
3 Scoped Radium Rifle
The radium rifle is a gun with a unique effect. This weapon deals extra damage in the form of radiation, which is especially harmful towards human enemies, including other players. Radiation is a powerful tool to use against your enemies in the Fallout franchise, and the radium rifle is one of the only guns in Fallout 76 that allows you to harness its power.
Adding a scope to a radium rifle turns it into a sniper, which is very powerful considering that ballistic damage and radiation damage combined can easily defeat other players during combat.
2 Scoped Plasma Rifle
Plasma weapons are incredibly powerful, which is why you may prefer to use these types of guns over any other ballistic or energy weapons found in Fallout 76. However, the main disadvantage of plasma weapons is that plasma cartridges are rare, so keeping enough ammo in your inventory to use these weapons regularly is challenging.
Even so, you should always have a scoped plasma rifle in your inventory if you're using a sniper build because the damage per hit is very high for plasma rifles.
1 Gauss Rifle
Gauss rifles are another type of energy weapon in Fallout 76, and they are even more powerful than plasma rifles. This type of rifle is perfect for sniping, and there are many different attachments that you can add to it to make sniping easier, including different variants of scopes.
At the highest level, gauss rifles deal 140 base damage, which is higher than most of the other weapons in Fallout 76. If you enjoy weapons that deal a ton of damage from a distance, then the gauss rifle is the best option.