Best Sniper Rifles in GTA Online (2024)

Image: Rockstar North, Rockstar Games via HGG

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

GTA Online has grown quite a lot in the years since its first release. It’s seen a variety of DLCs, both large and small. Many of these DLCs have completely overhauled the meta and changed the way we play the game, including which cars we buy, which jobs we pick up, and which guns we use. Sniper rifles in GTA Online specifically have seen several new options added throughout the years that shook up the PVP meta quite a bit.

Today, we’ve put together this ranking of the best sniper rifles in GTA Online to see which is the meta in 2022! Get your notes ready — there’s a lot to cover.

Best Sniper Rifles in GTA Online: All 6 Snipers, Ranked

Here’s every sniper rifle in GTA Online, ranked from trash to best overall. Let’s jump right into the main guide!

6/6

6) Precision Rifle

Best Sniper Rifles in GTA Online (2022) -Precision Rifle — *Image: Rockstar North, Rockstar Games via HGG / Koby Gibson Ross*

Damage: 88.00 | Fire Rate: 27.00 | Accuracy: 70.00 | Range: 95.00 | Clip Size: 10.00

First up on our list is a gun that makes me feel depressed just talking about. The Precision Rifle is the latest sniper to be released, added to the game apart of the Criminal Enterprises DLC in the summer of 2022. It can be bought at a gun shop for $450,000. Upon its release, many fans were disappointed by its stats, as well as the fact it was missing some crucial features found in other guns.

Let’s talk about the stats first. The damage on this thing is not that good. It will take you 3–4 shots to kill a player on average. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if the rate of fire was better, but it’s a bolt-action rifle — every time you pull the trigger, you need to pull back the lever to reload another bullet into the chamber. This results in a fairly punishing gun if you miss any of your shots.

The clip size is just okay, holding ten bullets in total. It would be fine if you could upgrade it with a bigger mag, but you can’t. You can’t put any attachments on this firearm at all! No suppressors, no muzzle breaks, not even any scopes! Can you imagine a sniper rifle without a scope? It’s really just a poorly made DMR, and it’s not really worth the massive price tag that this gun sports.

5/6

5) Marksman Rifle

Damage: 70.00 | Fire Rate: 40.00 | Accuracy: 80.00 | Range: 90.00 | Clip Size: 10.00

Up next on our list for every sniper rifle in GTA Online ranked, we have the Marksman rifle! This firearm made its debut all the way back in October of 2014 when it was released alongside the Last Team Standing update. The gun can be picked up at any Ammu-Nation gun store for a small price of $15,750. This is a fairly uncommon gun to spot in PVP, but is still worth picking up for PVE, in my opinion.

This sniper rifle trades damage for a higher rate of fire, making it stand out among your traditional long-range weapons. The combined DPS on this weapon is actually really good, despite the popular misconception that this is a weak gun. It’s a great gun for beginners if you’re someone who misses a lot of your long-range shots. Missing a target is easy forgiven due to its great rate of fire.

And, as previously mentioned, it is very good for PVE. You can land headshot after headshot on unsuspecting NPCs from long range. Add a suppressor and a scope, and you’ll be unstoppable! The default clip size for the Marksman Rifle is eight, but this can be doubled to sixteen with the extended clip. Even if this gun isn’t the definitive meta, it’s still worth a purchase in 2022 if you want to play with a new toy.

4/6

4) Marksman Rifle Mk II

Damage: 70.00 | Fire Rate: 40.00 | Accuracy: 80.00 | Range: 90.00 | Clip Size: 10.00

Almost halfway down our guide, we have the Marksman Rifle Mk II! This is an upgraded variant of the Marksman Rifle Mk I. It was added to the game back in December of 2017 as a part of the Doomsday Heist update. In order to get this weapon, you first need to buy a regular Marksman Rifle. Then you can go to a weapon workbench (found in a MOC, Kosatka, Avenger, etc.) to upgrade the gun.

As previously mentioned, the Marksman Rifle costs $15,750, while upgrading this gun will cost $149,000 in total. This is a pretty steep investment, but it’s well worth the cost once you see the benefits that upgrading this gun brings. Upgrading to the Mk II variant allows you to equip a variety of advanced mods to your gun, such as muzzle breaks for better recoil and a holographic sight for some CQB.

But the best part about upgrading to the Mk II variant means you’ll have access to special ammo types! Special ammo types allow you to mod out your gun with a variety of new ammo, which in turn allows you to specialize your gun in a particular area. You can unlock full metal jacket rounds, for example, which deal extra damage to vehicles! This gives the gun a lot more versatility.

3/6

3) Sniper Rifle

Damage: 96.00 | Fire Rate: 25.00 | Accuracy: 70.00 | Range: 95.00 | Clip Size: 10.00

For spot number three on our ranking of the best sniper rifles in GTA Online, it’s the regular old Sniper Rifle! This classic weapon has been in GTA V since before the launch of the online multiplayer. It featured a prominent role in the game’s story mode and was beloved by the community. The gun was of course brought over to the online sandbox of GTA Online. While it has been outclassed by other guns in the game, it’s still a really great weapon to use.

This firearm sports a decently high damage output of 96. This allows it to deal high amounts of damage to enemy players, despite its low fire rate. The Sniper Rifle is a very versatile weapon that is good for almost all circumstances and has a very balanced set of stats. You can use it to headshot enemies from almost any distance, giving it plenty of use, especially for its relatively cheap price of $20,000 in-game.

The gun can be equipped with an advanced scope, which gives it an increased zoom. This allows you to hit targets from farther away, making it even more useful out on the field. Like most sniper rifles, it can also be equipped with a suppressor, giving you the option to kill enemies silently from a distance. The gun has my recommendation for low-level players, as it’s a cheap gun with lots and lots of utility.

2/6

2) Heavy Sniper

Damage: 98.00 | Fire Rate: 20.00 | Accuracy: 90.00 | Range: 100.00 | Clip Size: 6.00

Taking home the silver medal on our list for the best sniper rifles in GTA Online ranked, we have the Heavy Sniper. This heavy-duty weapon is an upgrade over the regular Sniper Rifle. It can be acquired by going into an Ammu-Nation and purchasing the weapon for a total price of $38,150. This is really pretty cheap for such an effective weapon. Just keep in mind you need to be Level 90 in order to unlock this rifle.

The Heavy Sniper features a very high damage, with a low (but still decent) fire rate. This rifle is very effective in PVP due to its high damage for each and every hit. It can be fairly punishing if you miss a shot, so just be sure to practice your aim with this gun in the firing range before bringing it into any PVP encounters. The clip size for this gun is six, but can be increased to eight with the use of an extended mag.

That being said, that magazine upgrade is reserved for its Mk II variant. The modifications for the Mk I are actually pretty limited when compared to the other guns in the game. It can be upgraded with an advanced scope for an increased zoom level, but that’s really its only significant attachment. This anti-material rifle is practically begging players to upgrade it at the weapons workbench….

1/6

1) Heavy Sniper Mk II

Heavy Sniper Mk II - Best Sniper Rifles in GTA Online (2022) — *Image: Rockstar North, Rockstar Games via HGG / Koby Gibson Ross*

Damage: 98.00 | Fire Rate: 20.00 | Accuracy: 90.00 | Range: 100.00 | Clip Size: 6.00

And now for the absolute best sniper rifle in GTA Online. Veteran players saw this one coming — it’s the Heavy Sniper Mk II! This expensive piece of machinery will cost you $38,150 for the base gun, plus an additional $165,375 to upgrade it! I can tell you, though, it is well worth the money. There’s a reason why this gun is used so often in PVP scenarios, and why it’s remained the meta for such a long time.

This gun features pretty similar stats to the Mk I variant…if you don’t have any attachments. There are several mods you can slap onto this gun to increase its combat effectiveness. You can get a thermal scope for easily spotting targets behind walls, a heavy barrel for more damage to targets at longer ranges, etc. But the most important upgrade you’ll want to get is the explosive rounds ammo type!

Explosive rounds need to be unlocked through the research mechanic in your bunker. They may take a while to get, but oh boy, are they worth it once you’ve got ’em! Explosive rounds cause enemy players to bounce around, meaning all you need to do is shoot at another player’s foot to knock them over for an easy kill. And explosive rounds are very effective at taking down enemy aircraft from a safe distance!

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