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The sniper rifle is a weapon in Fallout 3.

Background[]

This section is transcluded from Sniper rifle. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

A scoped, high-powered rifle that has found use on both the East and West Coasts of post-War America. Chambered for .308 rounds, the weapon is semi-automatic with a 5-round magazine designed for long-range combat.

Characteristics[]

Sniper rifle blown up

Sniper rifle expanded

The sniper rifle is the top-tier long-range weapon. It deals high damage and is equipped with a scope. It is a fragile gun with a scarce ammo type.

The sniper rifle has a very noticeable sway to it when manually aimed. The sway can be reduced with either a higher skill level in Small Guns or by entering sneak mode. At 100 points in Small Guns, the scope has no sway at all. A crippled arm will result in severe sway while using the scope, regardless of the Small Guns skill level.

Sniper rifles can cause the same result as the Bloody Mess perk even if the player character has not chosen that perk. They are utilized best from high vantage point locations.

The manual aim is usually more accurate (especially at greater distances), but V.A.T.S. should not be overlooked. A headshot in V.A.T.S. that would normally take about a quarter of a high-level enemy's health may, if unnoticed, instantly kill them. For low-level enemies, they will usually be very easily killed in just one headshot, provided the gun is in good condition and the player character has a maxed-out Small Guns skill.

Durability[]

The sniper rifle can fire a total of about 83 rounds, the equivalent of 17 reloads, from full condition before breaking. Heavy use of this weapon will require merchant repairs due to the relative scarcity of these rifles.

Related perks[]

Variants[]

  • Victory rifle - While identical in strength to the sniper rifle, the Victory rifle has an additional 200 item HP, and knocks down targets with critical hits. However, it pays for this ability with a reduced critical chance of 3.
  • Reservist's rifle - Also identical to the sniper rifle in strength, the Reservist's rifle uses less AP to fire, but only holds 3 rounds in a magazine. It also fires slightly faster and has slightly less recoil when using the scope.
  • Operation: Anchorage (add-on) Sim version - Unobtainable through normal gameplay.

Comparison[]

Legend 
Weapon name (current weapon is highlighted)- Weapon name (melee or unarmed)Attacks in V.A.T.S.- Attacks in V.A.T.S.
Weapon name (current weapon is highlighted)- Weapon name (gun, energy or explosive)Action point cost- Action point cost
Damage per attack (damage per projectile)- Damage per attack (damage per projectile)Damage per action point- Damage per action point
Damage per second- Damage per secondWeapon spread- Weapon spread
Area of effect damage- Area of effect damageMagazine capacity (shots per reload)- Magazine capacity (shots per reload)
Effect damage & duration- Effect damage & durationDurability (number of attacks before breaking)- Durability (number of attacks before breaking)
Bonus effects- Bonus effectsWeight- Weight
Attacks per second- Attacks per secondValue in caps- Value in caps
Critical chance % multiplier- Critical chance % multiplierValue to weight ratio- Value to weight ratio
Critical damage- Critical damageSkill required- Skill required
Critical effect damage & duration- Critical effect damage & durationStrength required- Strength required
With all mods attached- With all mods attached
Weapon name (current weapon is highlighted)Damage per attack (damage per projectile)Damage per secondAttacks per secondCritical Chance % multiplierCritical damageCritical effect damage and durationAction Point costDamage per action pointWeapon spreadMagazine capacity (shots per reload)Durability (number of attacks before breaking)WeightValue in capsValue to weight ratio
Sniper rifle 40
42.91.07x540381.10.05831030030
Reservist's rifle 40
64.31.61x540321.30.031251050050
Victory rifle 40
42.91.07x340Knockdown/2s381.10.052501045045

Locations[]

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Outside V.A.T.S., with 100 Small Guns, the weapon can shoot as far as the game will draw non-player characters (playing at high resolutions will greatly improve non-player character visibility). However, the point of impact is higher than where the center of the scope is aimed. After the fire button is pressed, the scope aim will very rapidly jump up and shift slightly to the right almost at the same time the shot is actually fired. See the images below to determine how to compensate for this. [verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes after fast traveling, only the lower sections of the rifle and the first lens of the scope will be visible. The top half and the rest of the scope will be invisible. [verified]
    • To fix this, un-equip then re-equip the weapon.

Sounds[]

SingleShotVB ReloadVB
JamVB

Gallery[]

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