Sniper Rifle

"Pow! I'm gonna snipe some bitches!"

- Coach

This article is about the Sniper Rifle, if you are looking for the other scoped rifle, see Hunting Rifle.

The Sniper Rifle is a Hunting Rifle variant in Left 4 Dead 2. The Sniper Rifle does more damage against Special Infected while still killing Common Infected in one hit. Unlike the Hunting Rifle, the Sniper Rifle is black instead of the wood brown of its predecessor. It has a capacity of 30 bullets each magazine; increased from the 15 from before. It is a Tier 2 weapon.

Differences
Compared to the Left 4 Dead Hunting Rifle, the Sniper Rifle has a higher capacity (30 bullets) and does more damage to Special Infected, but has more recoil and is slightly less accurate when moving. The Military Sniper Rifle has a 0.25 second-longer reload duration than the Hunting Rifle. It is also a bit bigger than the Hunting Rifle, and can fire bullets faster.

Pros

 * It can easily kill Special Infected that like to attack from far away such as a Smoker or Spitter.
 * It can kill a Common Infected in one shot at any part of the body and can penetrate multiple Common Infected in a straight line, making it useful for tackling hordes.
 * It is good at attacking a Tank as it is closing in to attack the Survivors.
 * It is the most well rounded of any weapon because of its high fire rate with high accuracy and high ammo, and it is good in nearly all combat situations from close to very far as long as you are standing still.
 * It can penetrate through walls which is useful for saving teammates.
 * Unlike the Hunting Rifle, which takes a long time to become good with, it is easier for beginners to pick up and quickly master a Sniper Rifle.
 * If you attach a laser sight, moving while crouching or standing will no longer reduce accuracy.
 * Headshots stun stationary Witches but will not stumble a Wandering Witch.
 * This could possibly be the best "Tier 2" weapon for conserving munitions because of its high power per single shot (killing most foes, common and special infected, with minimal shots needing to be fired). Extremely useful for campaigns such as Swamp Fever, where munition piles are scarce to come by.

Cons

 * Jockeys can be rather hard to hit, because of their small size, and if a Jockey is riding behind a Survivor, it has very little of themselves exposed to shot.
 * At close range, it can be a very weak Tier 2 weapon, along with the Hunting Rifle.
 * It is even slower to reload than the Hunting Rifle, meaning reloading in the thick of a fight can be dangerous.
 * When you are scoped, it is harder to see enemies flanking you and it is easier to get pinned.
 * You move slower when you are using the scope.
 * Accuracy is reduced when running and not scoped.
 * When scoped, the Survivor equiped with the weapon moves much slower than they would with a different Tier 2 weapon (exluding the Hunting Rifle).

Tactics

 * The Sniper Rifle is the most accurate weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. Using the Sniper Rifle's scope while moving is another useful option, and allows the player to quickly (although slowed down from normal speed) cover the team without stopping. Note that activating the scope tightens the cross-hairs faster than standing still.
 * Every hit is a guaranteed kill on Common Infected. So, for the sniper rifle, headshots are wasted on them. Use the rifle's piercing ability by aiming at the chest to guarantee the best chance of striking many Infected in a line. However, the sniper rifle enjoys the infinite penetration, so long it doesn't hit a wall, or a Special Infected it can't penetrate, the bullet will deal full damage and kill Infected in it's wake.
 * It also has the power to knock back Riot Infected unlike any other non-shotgun firearms.
 * The Sniper Rifle is great for taking out Tanks from a distance or running backwards because of the larger clip.
 * Fire slowly. Although the Sniper Rifle has a good rate of fire, firing quickly is only effective on the Tank or Witch, both of which require multiple shots to kill.
 * Reload strategically. Although this is generally true of every weapon, firing thirty quality shots with the sniper rifle during a minor horde event is fairly rare, yet mostly a waste of ammunition, use melee weapons instead. Be aware that the sniper rifle takes significantly longer to reload than the assault rifle, and cannot be canceled like the Auto Shotgun, so keep your magazine full enough to protect team members from Special Infected.
 * The Sniper Rifle can be quite useful when running from a horde due to its relatively small on-the-move cross-hair.
 * The Sniper Rifle will penetrate as many Common Infected as you can line up in a single shot.
 * It is one of the best weapons able to kill a Witch. If you attack it from afar you should be able to kill it without it even getting to you. You can make this easier for yourself by getting your friends to throw a Molotov and shooting it. Do not try this in closed spaces or from up close.

Behind the Scenes
In the first footage released, the Sniper Rifle's magazine was shaped like the the PSG-1's 5-round magazine, while later footage showed that the magazine is now shaped like the G3's 20-round magazine.

Early footage showed that the Sniper Rifle used the Hunting Rifle's animations. However, the Sniper Rifle now uses new animations designed for it.