Hunt: Showdown provides a truly unique PVP experience. Players have plenty of choices when selecting their loadouts. Weapons like the Crown And King have insane one-shot potential, but are incredibly difficult to use. On the other hand, guns like the Winfield are easy to use, but may not have the damage to challenge the top-level guns in the game.
This list will cover at least one weapon in each class and focus on the powerful yet reliable choices for PVP. A few weapons may kill faster, but the following options provide the consistency most hunters are looking for in-game.
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6 Romero 77
Among shotguns, the Romero 77 has the longest range, highest damage, and the best pellet spread. This combination makes the weapon scary good up close. One well placed shell will take a hunter down. Pellet spread can be inconsistent in Hunt, but the Romero has the best spread in the class. The primary drawback of the shotgun is that it can only fire one shell before needing a reload. Thankfully, the reload speed is fast enough to be manageable. The key with this gun is hitting that first shot, because getting caught out while reloading is a strong possibility.
5 Dolch 96
The only close-range weapon that can out-duel a Dolch is the Romero. However, the Dolch is much more forgiving, with a large clip and semi-automatic fire. The Dolch can also compete with the Winfield at medium range, making it a very versatile secondary weapon. Bullet grubber will really help gamers conserve ammo, as it can become an issue later in matches. All in all, the Dolch is the most powerful sidearm available in Hunt. It may not be the most cost-efficient, but you pay for what you get.
4 Sparks LRR/ LRR Sniper
The LRR is a long-range juggernaut. With the sniper scope, hunters can down enemy players from more than 200 meters. At that range, there are few other weapons that have a comparable effective damage range. This means that even if an enemy fires back and hits a headshot, unless they are using the LRR, they will no be able to get a one-shot kill.
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At medium and close range, the LLR is a bit of a liability. With just one shot before a rechamber is needed, hitting follow-up shots can be difficult. The sniper should be used exclusively at long range for a one-shot kill.
3 Crossbow
Using the Crossbow is the best way to be a silent killer in Hunt. It will one-hit enemies to the chest at up to 25 meters. Beyond that range, it will kill hunters with one shot to the head at 45 meters. Unlike shotguns, the Crossbow is more reliable up close because it does not have spread. If used correctly, the Crossbow is one of the most lethal weapons in the game. It can effectively kill enemies with one shot from 0 - ~45m. Rifles are two-shot kills to the chest or a one-shot kill to the head, making the Crossbow a better close-range choice.
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All of these stats come with a few disadvantages. The iron sights take some getting used to, and the gun has considerable bullet drop with a velocity of just 150m/s. Likewise, the weapon's reload speed is atrocious at 6 seconds. Using the Bolt Thrower trait will cut the time in half, but 3 seconds is still a long time. There is a skill requirement to realize the full potential of the weapon, and those that can wield it appropriately will have a lot of success.
2 Mosin Nagant M1891
With a one-shot headshot potential up to 250 meters and a high bullet velocity, the Mosin is a top-tier PVP weapon. The weapon is best used as a hybrid between a long-range LRR and a quick firing Winfield. It has a quick reload for a rifle and great iron sights compared to many of the other weapons in the game. Almost unnoticeable sway values don't hurt either. The only glaring problem with the gun is its low ammo capacity of 15 shots. Players will need to stay aware of how much ammo they have when burning through ammunition.
From a practicality standpoint, the Mosin is better than the Lebel 1886. With bulletgrubber and stripper clip, the Mosin will reload much faster. However, the Lebel has a higher bullet velocity and is a very viable option as well. Ultimately, which rifle will be better has a lot to do with preference, as the Lebel and Mosin are very similar stat wise.
1 Mosin Nagant Avtomat
The Avtomat does everything the base Mosin does, but even better. It can be fired as a fully auto weapon or tapped for a two-round burst. If both bullets in a burst hit the chest of an enemy, the gun will deal enough damage to down them. What results is an incredible chest time to kill from intermediate ranges. The main issues with the weapon will be the added weapon sway and increased recoil. In fully auto, the Avtomat will run out of bullets in just a couple of seconds, so ammo conservation becomes a challenge as well.