Fortnite Sniper Tips Guide (Season 9 Update) – Damage, Stats, Aiming, Bullet Drop

Snipers in Fortnite are likely the most difficult class of weapons to get good with. They have a high learning curve, but once you get it down you will start seeing your winrate increase big time! Our sniper tips guide goes through the basics of the gun with the damage and stats, how-to aim the sniper rifle, discussing bullet drop, and then finally go through tips and tricks which should help you increase your skill!

Sniper Damage Stats

Most people probably know this, but the hunting rifle and crossbow are classified as snipers. Snipers have a 2.5x multiplier for headshots, so a bolt-action, heavy, & hunting rifle will finish off a target at any hp if you dome someone!

Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle

• Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle (Rare) - 105 to the body, 262.5 head shot damage.
• Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle (Epic) - 110 to the body, 275 head shot damage.
• Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle (Legendary) - 116 to the body, 290 head shot damage.

Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle

• Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle (Uncommon) - 75 to the body, 187.5 head shot damage.
• Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle (Rare) - 78 to the body, 195 head shot damage.

Storm Scout Sniper Rifle

• Storm Scout Sniper Rifle (Epic) - 81 to the body, 202 head shot damage.
• Storm Scout Sniper Rifle (Legendary) - 85 to the body, 212 head shot damage.

Heavy Sniper Rifle

• Heavy Sniper Rifle (Epic) - 150 to the body, 375 head shot damage.
• Heavy Sniper Rifle (Legendary) - 157 to the body, 392 head shot damage.

Vaulted

These Sniper classed weapons have been added to the Vault and are not currently in the standard Battle Royale mode (they can show up in LTMs, Creative, and Playground). Weapons are rotated in and out of the Vault to keep the game fresh.

Crossbow

• Crossbow (Rare) - 75 to the body, 187.5 head shot damage.
• Crossbow (Epic) - 79 to the body, 197.5 head shot damage.

Hunting Rifle

• Hunting Rifle (Uncommon) - 86 to the body, 215 head shot damage.
• Hunting Rifle (Rare) - 90 to the body, 225 head shot damage.

Suppressed Sniper Rifle

• Suppressed Sniper Rifle (Epic) - 100 to the body, 250 head shot damage.
• Suppressed Sniper Rifle (Legendary) - 105 to the body, 262.5 head shot damage.

Sniper Aiming and Bullet Drop

The hardest part about getting good with snipers in Fortnite is learning how to manage bullet drop. What is bullet drop? When you fire just about every other gun in the game, the bullet instantly arrives at the target, this is called hit scan. With bullet drop, the bullet takes time to travel to the target, but also DROPS towards the ground as it travels. This means not only will you have to time your shot based on your enemies movement, you will have to aim higher depending on how far your target is.

Snipers got a change to their bullet drop distance in the 7.20 Patch:

The following projectile-based weapons now have the same projectile trajectory as the Heavy Sniper Rifle:

• Bolt Action Sniper Rifle
• Suppressed Sniper Rifle
• Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle
• Hunting Rifle

You'll have to adjust a bit now because basically all snipers act the same as the heavy. This has less drop than the other weapons had for the most part, so you won't need to aim as high to hit your shots anymore.

Fortnite Sniper Tips & Tricks

Sniper Rifle Tips

• Those notches below the middle of your crosshair aren't there just for show. You can use these to line up longer distance shots. If your enemy is mid-range (125m) you'll want to use the notch directly below the middle crosshair. If they are long distance (125m to 250m), you will want to use either the middle between the first and second notch of directly at the second notch. Targets that are further than this are generally too far to even be seen, so you shouldn't need to use the rest of the marks.
• Avoid using the semi-auto sniper rifle. While it's nice to be able to fire a bunch of shots, it leads to bad habits and can do more harm than good. It's only really decent if you are hitting a headshot, and even then it isn't always going to be a finish. Stick with the bolt-action or hunting rifle when you have the option.
• If you are quick scoping (scoping then immediately firing), visualize the center of your screen so you have an idea of where the shot is going to go. Shooting without at least scoping quickly is very unpredictable. It's generally always better to scope first and then fire.

Hunting Rifle Tips

• The hunting rifle is much faster to fire and can switch quickly to your next gun. If you land a shot, you can quickly switch to your assault rifle to attempt a finish.
• This Hunting Rifle has bloom if you are moving, which means it's MUCH better when you are standing still. If you stand still long enough it actually has first shot accuracy, but if you shoot before that happens and aren't moving it is still nearly 100% accurate.

General Tips

• Don't overthink your shots. You don't want to take forever to fire and question your ranges. Lineup the shot and take it, sometimes you'll miss, but you will slowly hone your skill and start making shots more often.
• If you've got a sniper then make sure you are leading into the battle with it. Don't alert your enemy that you are there by firing another gun or knocking down a tree. Try to be stealthy when you are sniping, it's much easier to hit a shot if your opponent is unaware of your presence.
• Shoot the easier target! This might seem obvious, but if you are aiming and see multiple people, shoot the person that isn't moving (if there is one). A moving target is more attractive to your eye, but just take the easier target and get a quick knock that will help lead your team to victory.
• If someone is running and jumping, try to watch them for a bit and get a sense of their rhythm. Most people don't vary up their movement, so if they jump they will generally land the same distance every time. Try to take this into account and lead your shot accordingly.
• Try to just hit your targets and not always aim for the head when you are just starting to dial in your shots. It's better to hit the shot than miss over the head, and with the bolt action you can still get a finish to the body. Once you've started to land shots consistently, then you will really want to start hitting the head for those easy finishes.
• If you are missing your shots, try to figure out if you are going too high or low. If your opponent is behind a wall, look to see if you did damage to the structure and if you have that means your shot is too low. You can also stay scoped briefly to watch the shot, but this obviously leaves you open to return sniper fire. Only do this if they haven't seen you or don't have a sniper.