In retrospect I can see what happened though at the time it didn't occur to me. I kept upgrading the laser musket to 3 and 4 turns (which of course used more ammo per shot). I went through the Weston Water Treatment plant and got flattened twice by getting too close to the Super Mutants (first time I met them in the game). First time was a suicider (that's new -- why do they do that?).

So I wound up the musket and killed them at LONG range. It really saved me but I expended all my cells. It's a good thing -- they went to a good cause and I'm going to Diamond City next so I can use those caps I've been building up for some new cells but it was sure a surprise. Somehow my brain equated single shot weapon with low ammunition use.

I will say that when it's modded up, the laser musket can deliver a LOT of damage to a target at very long range very accurately. It's a great sniper rifle if you have a lot of cells. I just built a new .308 hunting rifle and before that I was using a Pipe rifle built into a sniper rifle (pretty good one). I also built a .38 sniper pipe rifle just to conserve ammo for light targets. I don't think of myself as a sniper character, but in the beginning when I'm particularly weak, it's nice to be able to think the herd before getting closer.

The thing to understand about the Laser Musket is that it delivers high damage per shot, but with increased ammo consumption. In the early game, that's not something you can really afford, but the extra power is pretty nice. If you're going to use it early on, bring a backup weapon and use the Laser Musket against tough target.

The Institute's forces turn out to be a great ammunition source for fusion cells though. And they seem to have merged Energy Cells and Microfusion cells to one ammo type. Not sure if that is good or bad.

The laser musket is an extreme ammo hog, since a fully charged shot eats 6 rounds instead of just one for a laser/institute rifle.

Yeah, they split energy weapon ammo up more than they consolidated. Laser and institute use fusion cells, plasma has plasma charges, gamma guns use gamma rounds, fusion cores for gattling lasers... so that is at least double the traditional ammo types. havent seen anything about electron charge packs but i wouldnt be surprised to find another ammo type out there. Oh, the alien blaster almost always uses its own ammo too, thats probably out there.

using fusion cells for a multicrank laser musket sniper weapon might be the best you can do with them. i wanted to do an energy build but the combat rifle has outpaced the laser and plasma weapons in both damage and ammo availability.

One last bit. i cant recommend using plasma for a sniper build. It looks like massive damage per charge but at long range a moving target will be out of the line of effect before the plasma shot lands. so yeah, you enjoy that musket. the game snuck in a great weapon early on.