Trying to find the best sniper in Warzone? There are plenty of options to pick from in Warzone Caldera, but there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a sniper rifle. There are a lot of factors to consider, including which attachments you choose to equip your chosen Warzone sniper with, how confident you are at judging travel time, and what your peeking skills are like.
Oh, and in case you’re actually looking for the best Warzone 2 sniper, we’ve got a totally different guide for that. Once you’ve picked your favourite sniper in one of the best free PC games, you can find out individual setups below, or you can discover the best Warzone loadouts to use our tried and tested loadout drops. We’ve analysed each rifle to give you the definitive answer on which weapon is the best sniper rifle in Warzone.
The best sniper rifles in Call of Duty Warzone
Here are the best sniper rifles in Call of Duty Warzone:
- Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle
- 3-Line Rifle
- ZRG 20mm
- Kar98k (Modern Warfare)
- HDR
- Pelington 703
- Dragunov
- Swiss K31
- LW3 Tundra
- AX-50
- M82
- SP-R 208
- SKS
- RYTEC AMR
Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle
Another sniper rifle from Vanguard, the Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle used to be the worst weapon in this category prior to the Season 4 Reloaded update. The Gorenko has received a massive buff to both its aim down sights transition speed. This makes it considerably easier to take down enemies from great distances, though you do need to watch out for flankers.
3-Line Rifle
The 3-Line Rifle is one of the default sniper rifles brought over from Call of Duty Vanguard. For over half a year, the 3-Line Rifle was ignored as it couldn’t compete with the best sniper rifles in the game, but that has drastically changed over the past two seasons. The 3-Line Rifle has one of the best kill-death ratios out of any sniper on this list, making it a must-pick for tactical players. If you’re looking for a different sniping experience on Caldera, the best 3-Line Rifle loadout might be your best option.
ZRG 20MM
This sniper rifle was released to little fanfare when it was introduced in Warzone Season 2 (2021), but there have been a number of tweaks to the meta sniper rifles to make this weapon more appealing. Featuring the highest bullet velocity in the game, in addition to very little bullet drop, the ZRG 20mm presents itself as the obvious choice for players who want to pick enemies off from a very safe distance. Read our guide to the best ZRG loadout to see how you should put together this lethal sniper rifle.
Kar98K (Modern Warfare)
The Kar98k is the best option for aggressive players who want to use an agile sniper rifle, giving you the freedom to move around the battlefield. The Kar98k is especially effective in frantic, mid-range team fights, where a single round from a sniper is the difference between an enemy staying on their feet or getting downed.
HDR
Another Warzone sniper that’s capable of downing with a single headshot at any distance, the HDR is great for extremely long-range sniping shenanigans as – with the right attachments – you can mod this sniper to have almost no travel time or bullet drop. In most situations, that range advantage won’t really help you out, but it can make the HDR a little more user-friendly. If you’re looking for a new aggressive sniper rifle, check out our HDR Warzone setup.
Pelington 703
Similarly to the Kar98k, this sniper rifle is great for fast-scoping, allowing players with steady hands to rack up quick headshots as soon as they see a fellow sniper. The Pelington 701 is a much stronger pick following the big one-shot headshot nerf, as its bullet velocity and one-shot headshot range are the best of all the aggressive snipers in the game. Check out our best Pelington 703 Warzone loadout to see which attachments you should use.
Dragonuv
More lethal than the EBR-14, but trickier to use in close quarters. The Dragunov is a little underrated in mid-range battles, but overall it’s just a bit weaker than its bolt-action counterparts.
Swiss K31
Looking for a different type of bolt-action sniper rifle? The Swiss K31 is a great option for Kar98k players who want to be able to fight at greater distances. The default version of this weapon isn’t anything to write home about – read our best Swiss loadout guide to see which attachments you’ll need.
LW3 Tundra
The LW3 Tundra has one of the fastest bullet velocities of any sniper rifle on this list, earning it a high ranking. In addition to this, the damage range was increased from 61 meters all the way to 69, and the aim down sight speed has been sped up slightly. This should be enough to bring the Tundra back into the Warzone meta after spending a long time on the sidelines. Give our best Warzone LW3 Tundra loadout a look to see which attachments you’ll need to upgrade this weapon.
AX-50
The best AX50 class setup is built as a hitscan sniper rifle, making it a deadly option from a long distance on Caldera. Compared to the other options on this list, the AX-50 is one of the heavier rifles, so you need to switch to your secondary weapon when running around the map.
M82
Another Cold War sniper rifle that benefitted from the Warzone Season 3 changes – the M82 can now be used aggressively, though you do have to land two shots in order to take armoured players down. With the right set of attachments, the best Warzone M82 loadout is a great aggressive option, giving you plenty of bullets to tear through enemies from range.
SP-R 208
The SPR sniper rifle has been ignored by the Warzone community after it was quickly nerfed back in October 2020. Since then, the strength of the Cold War weapons has kept this gun out of loadouts until a relatively recent balance patch. The SPR is a bolt-action rifle – these weapons tend to fare better in close-range battles, but this sniper excels when used in mid-range encounters as its bullet velocity and handling will give you an edge. Just make sure you’re opponent is in max damage range if you’re going for headshots. Try out our best SP-R 208 loadout to see how powerful this weapon can be.
SKS
The SKS is easily the best of the semi-auto marksman rifles thanks to its manageable recoil and greater attachment versatility. Read our guide on how to level up your Modern Warfare battle pass fast in order to unlock the SKS and Renetti.
Rytec AMR
It might take even longer for this Warzone sniper rifle to bed into the meta, especially as it now has no one-shot potential. The main reason for this low placement is that the Rytec can no longer down an enemy with a single headshot. It does fire very quickly, so if your aim is on point then you can put out an awful lot of damage in no time at all. Check out our complete Rytec AMR Warzone guide here for more build options.
And there you have it, our tier list of the best sniper in Warzone. You’ll want to pair your sniper rifle with a powerful secondary weapon, such as the PPSh-41, the Cooper Carbine, or the best STG 44 loadout. If you like to stay in the same spot, it’s worth packing some claymores or C4 to ensure no one can easily flank you.
