Hunting Rifle

The Hunting Rifle is a weapon in the **Sniper Rifle** class. It is designed to be used for combat in medium to medium-long ranges. It is modeled after the M14 rifle. It is fitted with mostly beige green plastic—with the barrel, magazine, and rails colored black. It is considered one of the most difficult weapons to effectively use in the game.

In regular play it is fitted with the **6x Scope**.

## Performance

As a weapon designed for medium to medium-long ranges, this weapon sits in between the Assault Rifle class weapons and the longer distanced options like the Sniper Rifle and Auto Sniper. While the recoil is very high, the Hunting Rifle boasts a fire rate of four rounds per second—double that of the Auto Sniper! While a user may fire the weapon in semi-auto to increase time between shots for better accuracy, this puts it behind other weapons for similar purposes. For the Hunting Rifle to be of full value, a player will wish to use it at full-auto and maintain solid control of the recoil.

Unlike other rifles in the **Sniper Rifle** class, the Hunting Rifle does not have any bullet drop. This makes it very easy to aim with as the reticle can be used to directly aim at the player. To compensate for this the Hunting Rifle has a higher degree of spread that makes it less effective at hitting targets in long ranges. It also suffers from a 50% damage reduction over distance as opposed to the 20% of its **Sniper Rifle** brethren.

While the Hunting Rifle may be used in ranges of 100m and less, the Assault Rifles will be a big threat as the weapon with advantage. Players should instead consider using the Hunting Rifle as they surpass 100m and especially by 150m as the DPS of the Hunting Rifle outperforms Assault Rifles—including the longer ranged AR Rifle. As a player reaches 400m and beyond, the 50% damage reduction will have dragged the Hunting Rifle down in DPS against the versatility of the Auto Sniper and speed of the Sniper Rifle/.50 Cal Sniper. For common combat between 100m to 300m the Hunting Rifle is the most-efficient.

The weapon may synergize well with a RPG for anti-vehicle and a fairly broad range of anti-personnel. It may also synergize well with the SMG/VEK SMG for a specialist loadout that focuses on map control. Depending on the map, this specialist loadout may allow players to effectively counter the standard "balance loadout" in the meta that consists of AR+Sniper or AK+Sniper: the SMG will give CQC control beyond what an Assault Rifle (even the AK) can achieve while granting great range from the Hunting Rifle. For a map like Southwest with an open field that's also full of cover via rocky outcrops, this loadout can lure in players for CQC advantage or pick them off in the distance to always maintain the upper hand against perhaps the most common loadout in the meta. Unless a player were to deliberately venture to the extreme outskirts of the map (providing next to no benefit), a player can reach all ranges they would want to on Southwest—having little to offer for anti-vehicle combat however. A more open/longer map will limit the use of the Hunting Rifle and open the player up to the danger of longer ranged **Sniper Rifles**.

## Customization

In Battle Royale Mode, the Hunting rifle spawns with no scope and a 10 round magazine. However, the Hunting Rifle supports the 2x, 4x, and 6x Scopes, but not the 8x/Sniper Scope. Fast Mags are the only magazine upgrades that can be used. Flash Reducers (reduces muzzle flash of the rifle) and Silencers (reduces muzzle flash and sound of the rifle) can be used, as well as the Grip or Stock (reduces recoil of the rifle).

## Trivia

* The Hunting Rifle is one of the few weapons that does not have noticeable damage drop-off; only 50% drop as opposed to the standard 80% or 90% drops

The old Hunting Rifle model.The Hunting Rifle's iron sights (old model)The updated Hunting Rifle model.The Hunting Rifle's forend.The old Hunting Rifle on a pool table. Note the missing magazine on the model.