Vote.

For me I think the most useful is a fully-modded sniper rifle. It's silent, very light and packs a punch even without the sneak crit. I love how the Ratslayer looks, and the cheapness of its ammo and the fact that it's bolt-action and has little recoil. The damage is a little too low for late-game enemies though, especially if you're like me not a good sniper and don't always get sneak headshots. The anti-materiel rifle is lethal, but the recoil is ridiculous, and it's a little too slow. Not to mention the ammo is so expensive. I don't generally use the AMR until the final mission (love seeing Lanius flyyyyy), I prefer the sniper rifle even when hunting deathclaws since it doesn't give away my location. Essentially a good compromise between power and speed/cost.

(Should I include the marksman carbine? It's scoped and a rifle, but I see it as more of a mid-range weapon rather than a 'true' sniper rifle.)

I vastly prefer the modded Sniper Rifle over all the others, even unique guns like Christines COS Rifle. The basic SR hits plenty hard, has good durability and is dead on accurate without the levels of WTF that comes with the AMR or the blatantly "broken" power of the unique guns. It gives very good striking power and numerous combat options without giving too much of either. An overall well balanced weapon.

As for the Marksman Carbine, it's a medium/short range skirmisher weapon. It makes a pretty dammed good sniper, but it's best used on the move and with enemies coming at you.

Poll is racist, I want Gauss Rifle!

I like the AMR as well because my play style is dealing a very strong first strike with a big gun, then changing to a shorter range usually automatic weapon and storming the enemy positions. I am a shock trooper by heart.

Why no Gauss or the YCS/186?

They're snipers too.

Hell even the modded Laser Rifle could be counted as a sniper since you included something as weak as the service rifle.

EDIT: No Trail Carbine?

My favorite sniper rifles are the YCS/186 and Christine's COS Silencer Rifle, neither of which are on the poll.

In particular, YCS/186 with Meltdown, Rapid Reload, Better Criticals, and MC MFC can take on just about anything. My next playthrough will be focused around this weapon, so I should know.

On the other hand, if you specifically only want to include Guns-style sniper rifles, I suggest stating so so us EW users don't get...weirded out.

-Nukeknockout

the hell is this biased crap? if your gonna put sniper rifle, PUT ALL THE RIFLES ON HERE (including ENERGY WEAPONS...hell might as well place Missile Launchers as well, considering their the Demomans 'sniper' rifle, seeing as they don't have any spread (or barely) and hit spot on, especially with Annabelle). And seriously? down to the notepad, it's just the 'feel' that makes a rifle great. if your looking for stats, then say so, if your looking for a good honest opinion on how the feel of the gun, then say so. Just blatantly placing a thread and say "what is best" actually confuses us in "well in WHAT WAY in best?" explain please.

I have to say that I've had a revelation quite recently. My old favourite sniper rifle was Christine's COS silencer rifle(which I'm assuming isn't on this list because this isn't the DLC forum), but the fully modded Hunting Rifle has recently usurped it. The reasons why I like it more then any of the others is because of two things which are scope magnification and spread. It has the lowest spread of any other scoped weapon in the game and the highest magnification of any gun on this list. These plus base damage are what I consider the most important things to a good sniper. The AMR does have much higher base damage then anything else on this list, it has the lowest magnification of any gun on this list, it weighs a ridiculously huge amount and it has one of the rarest ammo types in the game. I admit that for a sneak based character the fully modded Sniper Rifle is the better choice, but the pinpoint accuracy of the Hunting Rifle is just too good for me to pass up. It also has much HP then any other gun on this list.

Anti-Materiel Rifle even with its recoil. You just have to factor in the recoil when you aim it at an enemy.

Out of those displayed? Probably the gobi campaign sniper rifle... Just because of the camo mostly but no gauss or YSC/186 or trial carbine or brush gun??

:vaultboy:

My legacy lives on.

Even though the poll IS racist even if it weren't I'd still pick a fully modded AMR over anything else, one of my favorite weapons in the game and by far and away the best sniper rifle (imho) available.

Hunting Rifle. You can obtain it early, it's easy to maintain and it does the job.

i chose hunting rifle. any normal enemy it works fine, up to and including deathclaws with my perception level.With the dispensing machine code i got i have gradually self-replenishing ammo, and even at my level someone'll have a spare in most groups i target for me to fix it with.

Only use the AMR for legendary death causers.

YCS//168. >:|

Good god, people. I kinda assumed that the commonly accepted definition for a sniper rifle is a long-range rifle with a scope. So, no energy weapons or (sigh) service rifles. Clearly if you don't use sniper rifles the solution is to not vote. Not sure why I have to explain this. You don't see Unarmed users complaining that there isn't a ballistic fist option.

I also don't have the DLCs so I forgot to include those weapons introduced in them. My apologies. I'll include the scoped energy rifles as well, I guess.


I'm sure the possibility that I was continuing Big Iron on His Hip's 'http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1252746-best-revolver-lets-settle-this/http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1252465-best-automatic-gun-lets-settle-this/' series hasn't occured to you.

Yeah I agree with Tran. It's best the poll isn't too diverse with weapons one may feel is a sniper. For example, the Survivalist Rifle is wonderful for long range engagements, but isle is ment for medium range.

The YCS is wonderful for long range, but it's an energy weapon. Not necessarily a "sniper rifle."

I agree.
Don't knock the Service Rifle though, best weapon in the game.

The Service Rifle is a very good early-mid game weapon. It's not outstanding, but it's a good, balanced weapon. By late game, it's a good idea to switch to it's bigger brother, the Marksman Carbine. However, with Match ammo, the Service is still perfectly viable in even late game play. The only things that screw it over are heavy armor enemies like Deathclaws, power armored foes, and centurions.

so opinion? mmk

Annabelle. Splash, tiny as hell spread, Hive Missiles make it pure lulz, sure it's not the greatest in damage, but it packs a helluva punch, and makes the result always laughable.

btw, commonly yes, but this is fallout, land of the 'each skill has its 'sniper' rifle' (in fact, its true...except for Unarmed, but then again, Turbo acts like that. Energy Weapons-Holorifle, YCS. Guns-listed above Melee-Spears, throwing hatchets, etc., Explosives-Annabelle, Missile Launcher) so you can't just go "BEST SNIPER RIFLE AWWW YEAH" otherwise most people who played teh game with different playthroughs and tried every skill would look at you and go "wha?"

Ratslayer, the only one I like using and suits me best.

AMR - great for punching high DT enemies from the start - but low DPS on low / no DT enemies makes it useless for a hunting spree
fully modded AMR - GRA - with the perk that halves the weapons weight puts it at hunting rifle
GOBI - better than the modded SR on low DT but makes one hell of a bang. only for extreme ranges to cripple enemy groups
modded SR - hunting spree for no DT enemies.

i went in HH add-on with GOBI instead of AMR because of no high DT group enemies, and slaughtered everything. no headshot meant 2-3 shots/enemy of their low-med DT. but aquired the AMR from the white-legs :celebration:

Only in the sense that the riot shotgun is a melee weapon. I mean, shotguns are used at extreme short range, as are melee weapons, so quod erat demonstratum, right? :hubbahubba:

Hunting Rifle fully modded & 1st recon beret, best long range shooter with easier to find ammo & cheaper to buy than lot of others listed. Its the best all round sniper rifle imo. Combine that with 100 guns, it'll be yr best friend if u play a solo guns/sneak character.

Anti-material rifle with GRA mods. Throw in some explosive rounds and you are certain to ruin a persons day, or if you are lucky, a group lol

Hunting Rifle+++, no doubt. In fact, I'd rather say Paciencia from GRA.