The Vault - Fallout Wiki

We've Moved! Just as Gamepedia has joined forces with Fandom, this wiki had joined forces with our Fandom equivalent. The wiki has been archived and we ask that readers and editors move to the now combined wiki on Fandom. Click to go to the new wiki.

READ MORE

The Vault - Fallout Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Icon disambig
For an overview of sniper rifle models in various Fallout series games, see Sniper rifle.
Sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
Sniper rifle icon
Requirements
SkillSmall Guns
Attack statistics
Dmg/Attack
40 (47)
DPS
42.9 (50.4)
DPS (reload)
26.1 (30.7)
Crit Dmg
40
Crit % Mult
x5
Attacks/Sec
1.1AP38
Projectiles1Spread0
Ammo & reloading
Ammo Type.308 caliber round
Ammo/Shot
1
Shots/Reload
5
Ammo Cap.5
Reload Time
3
Other
Weight10Value300
Item HP100
Repair
Sniper rifles
Editor ID?
Base ID00004353
xx003f48(sim version)
Perk Effects
Perks (dam.)
 
Gametitle-FO3
Gametitle-FO3

The sniper rifle is a weapon in Fallout 3.

Background[]

The following section is transcluded from Sniper rifle. To modify, please edit the source page.

This sniper rifle is an older model of the famed DKS-501, chambered for .308 ammunition. Apart from a frame tailored for sniping, it boasts a muzzle flash dampener, a monopod that doubles as a forward grip as well as a rubberized eyepiece and stock for extra comfort.[1] It's an extremely fragile precision rifle and requires regular repair and maintenance to keep it in working condition.

Characteristics[]

The sniper rifle is the top-tier long-range weapon. It has a high-magnification scope and deals much more damage than the hunting rifle, but has a very rare ammunition type and is a very fragile weapon.

The sniper rifle has 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 Small Guns, the scope has no sway at all. However, a crippled arm will result in severe sway while using the scope regardless of small guns skill points.

Even without Bloody Mess, sniper rifles can result in some fantastically gory kills, usually with the enemy's skull exploding. Weaker enemies frequently have several limbs blown off or are even reduced to mulch by a single shot.

Manual aim is usually more accurate (especially at greater distances) but V.A.T.S. should not be overlooked. A head shot in V.A.T.S. that would normally take about a quarter of a high level enemy's health will, if unnoticed, instantly kill them, and for low level enemies, they will usually be very easily killed in just one head shot in any state. Be aware that your small guns skill should be max, and your rifle should be in good condition.

A fully-repaired sniper rifle can fire 83 .308 rounds, or about 17 magazines, before breaking.

Variants[]

  • Victory rifle, while identical in strength to the sniper rifle, the Victory rifle is more durable, and knocks down targets with critical hits. However, it pays for this ability with a reduced critical chance of only x3, compared to the normal x5.
  • 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.
  • Sim version (Operation: Anchorage add-on), a sniper rifle with ridiculously high durability, can be obtained through a glitch with the Operation: Anchorage add-on. See Operation: Anchorage glitches for details.

Comparison[]

Name Type Dmg/shot DPS Att/sec Crit mult Crit dmg Spread AP cost Ammo Ammo cap Weight Item HP Value Notes
Sniper rifle Sniper rifle 40 42.9 1.1 x5.0 40 0.0 38 .308 caliber round 5 10 100 300 -
Victory rifle Sniper rifle 40 42.9 1.1 x3.0 40 0.0 38 .308 caliber round 5 10 300 450 Critical knockdown
Reservist's rifle Sniper rifle 40 64.3 1.6 x5.0 40 0.0 32 .308 caliber round 3 10 150 500 -

Locations[]

Bugs[]

  • PCIcon pc PlayStation 3Icon ps3 Xbox 360Icon xbox360 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.
  • Xbox 360Icon xbox360 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. To fix this, un-equip then re-equip the weapon.

Gallery[]

The first two images above, taken from the southwest guard platform at Fort Bannister, will be a 1-shot kill. The color of the first shot has been inverted to improve clarity. The third picture shows how much aim compensation is needed for a head shot at very long ranges. It can be noted that the point of impact is always at the same length up along the vertical crosshair line above the center of the scope and slightly to the right.

Sounds[]

SingleShotVB ReloadVB
JamVB
Advertisement