Sniper rifles have experienced their fair share of ups and downs in Warzone’s meta, but the strongest snipers are always among the best guns in Call of Duty’s battle royale.
The power of snipers is unmatched for long-range engagements, providing critical support by pressuring and eliminating enemy teams from afar, often without them having the chance to fight back.
To keep snipers balanced, developer Treyarch has implemented various buffs and nerfs throughout Warzone’s history, with Season 1 being no exception. The new season update introduced massive buffs to Sniper Rifles’ general effectiveness, ensuring their place in the meta.
It’s important to stay informed and make sure your sniper loadouts are optimized to avoid being left behind. Even a seemingly minor change can make all the difference, and the last thing anyone wants is to lose a gunfight because they made a weapon that isn’t competitive anymore.
Best Sniper Rifle loadouts
These are the five best sniper rifles to use in Warzone Season 1.
1. LR 7.62
- Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
- Underbarrel: Lightweight Handguard
- Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
- Laser: Target Laser
- Fire Mods: Rapid Fire
Warzone’s meta is ever-changing but right now, the LR 7.62 is the best overall sniper in the battle royale. Effective at extremely long ranges, the weapon’s notably high bullet velocity reduces the amount of prediction necessary to land shots. Both of these qualities combined make it top-tier for Season 1’s Urzikstan map, but it might struggle to compete with more lightweight snipers in Resurgence game modes without some attachment tinkering.
2. LW3A1 Frostline
- Muzzle: Suppressor
- Barrel: CHF Barrel
- Stock Pad: Lightweight Pad
- Fire Mods: 7.62 Nato Overpressured
- Comb: Quickdraw Riser
The LW3A1 Frostline is a new addition to the Warzone meta with Season 1 and a powerhouse that excels in medium to long-range engagements.
With CHF Barrel, it’s able to down opponents in a single bullet from the knees up but must be paired with the Quickdraw Riser Comb to somewhat negate the former barrel’s slower ADS time. This is a sniper tailor-made for anyone who likes to set up shop and pick off prey from a vantage point.
3. SVD
- Muzzle: Ported Compensator
- Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
- Laser: Target Laser
- Underbarrel: Precision Handguard
- Fire Mods: Recoil Springs
Perfect for aggressive play with its high fire rate and lightweight nature, the SVD is an incredible sniper rifle for Resurgence, even inching out the historically top-tier Kar98k for close-quarters engagements. As is to be expected, the trade-off for these pros is lower range and higher recoil than other snipers, but that doesn’t mean the SVD is dead in the water for larger maps like Urzikstan.
You’ll never be outranging the Frostline or 7.62 in big maps, but you can still compete in urban areas by outfitting the SVD with recoil-reducing attachments such as the Ported Compensator and Recoil Springs.
4. Kar98k
- Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor L
- Barrel: Prazisionsgewehr 762 Long Barrel
- Optic: Range Caller v3.4 Optic
- Ammunition: 7.92x57mm High Grain Rounds
- Slings: Recon Sling
The Kar98k remains a top-tier option in Warzone, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. It can down in one shot up to 76 meters, which is extraordinary considering how fast its handling is compared to other snipers. This weapon is especially strong in Resurgence, where it is one of the best weapons in the game.
5. KATT-AMR
- Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor XL
- Barrel: Zang-34 Barrel
- Laser: SL Razorhawk Laser Light
- Ammunition: .50 Cal High Velocity
- Bolt: Ephemeral Quickbolt
In contrast to other meta snipers, the KATT-AMR is slow and heavy. However, it is still an incredible option, as it can down in one shot at any range. Even better, it doesn’t require a special ammo type to do so, leaving you free to use attachments to optimize other key stats. If you want to be a true marksman and get kills from hundreds of meters away, this is the best sniper to use.
All Warzone Sniper Rifles ranked
There are 17 sniper rifles in Season 1, with the latest additions being the LR 7.62, LW3A1 Frostline, and SVD. Additionally, balance changes in this update have affected the meta, switching up the rankings.
Here’s how all of Warzone’s sniper rifles rank from strongest to weakest, assuming you are using the best loadout possible for each weapon:
- LR 7.62
- LW3A1 Frostline
- SVD
- Kar98k
- KATT-AMR
- FJX Imperium
- MORS
- XRK Stalker
- MCPR-300
- Victus XMR
- Longbow
- Signal 50
- KV Inhibitor
- Carrack .300
- SP-X 80
- LA-B 330
- AMR MOD 4
For more meta Warzone weapons, check out the best Assault Rifles, SMGs, and which guns are the most popular right now. Also, you’ll want to make sure you are using the best controller settings and PC settings possible to optimize your experience.