Sniper Rifle

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

"I'm gonna try this sniper rifle."

- Zoey

"I'll be a sniper like in the movies."

- Ellis

The Sniper Rifle is a sniping class variant in Left 4 Dead 2. As a Tier 2 weapon, the Sniper Rifle deals high damage against Special Infected while still killing Common Infected in one hit. This weapon is extremely accurate at long ranges on account of the quality of its scope sight. It has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds, double that of the Hunting Rifle witch only has 15.

Official Description
A modified assault rifle, the Sniper Rifle is a dependable weapon when mobile and absolutely deadly when stationary. Use the scope for pinpoint accuracy, even from great distances.

Tactics

 * The Sniper Rifle, along with the Hunting Rifle, is the most accurate weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. Using the Sniper Rifle's scope while moving allows the player (although slowed down from normal speed) to cover the team without stopping. Activating the scope tightens the crosshairs faster than standing still.
 * When entering an area, try to clear out the area of Infected. Your weapon is highly effective at doing so and fewer Infected means less trouble for the team.
 * Except when in Realism mode, every hit is a guaranteed kill on Common Infected, so 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. The Sniper Rifle enjoys "infinite penetration"―so long as it doesn't hit a wall or a Special Infected it can't penetrate, the bullet will deal full damage and kill Infected in its wake. This means that a good tactic is to either allow multiple Infected to move themselves into overlapping postions or to adjust one's shooting postion to create target overlaps, and thereby drop multiple enemies with one shot.
 * In Realism mode, it takes two shots on Easy and Normal difficulties and three shots on Advanced and Expert to kill a Common Infected. One headshot will suffice on all difficulties.
 * It also has the power to knock back Riot Infected, unlike any other non-shotgun firearm.
 * Fire slowly. Although the Sniper Rifle has a good rate of fire, firing quickly is only effective on the Tank, Witch and Charger, which are the strongest of the Special Infected.
 * Reload strategically. Be aware that the Sniper Rifle takes significantly longer to reload than an Assault Rifle. As this weapon relies on a magazine, you cannot stop the reloading apart from switching weapons (although this restarts the timer, which is not helpful). Keep ammo and reloads high when a horde comes in to attack.
 * The Sniper Rifle is one of, if not the best firearm to combine with a melee weapon, as it gives you something to rely on when surrounded by Common Infected, and Sniper Rifle can pick off Special Infected before they get too close.
 * The Sniper Rifle will penetrate as many Common Infected as you can line up in a single shot. This capability is especially valuable when under horde attack and enemies are lined up in a choke point such as a doorway or corridor. One shot from the Sniper Rifle will drop multiple targets with ease.
 * The Sniper Rifle is slightly less accurate than the Hunting Rifle; however, it compensates for this with having a 30-round magazine instead of a 15-round magazine, and holds much more rounds overall (210 compared to 165).

Pros

 * It can easily kill types Special Infected that prefer to attack from a distance, such as the Smoker and Spitter.
 * It can kill a Common Infected in one shot at any part of the body on any difficulty (except in Realism Mode or in the Mutation Headshot!), and can penetrate infinite Common Infected in a straight line, making it highly useful for tackling Hordes.
 * It is more useful for attacking a Tank as it is closing in on the Survivors than any other weapon. It has higher accuracy and can inflict more damage than the assault rifles or shotguns whilst it possesses a larger magazine capacity than any other sniping weapon.
 * It has the highest bullet penetration of any weapon in the game.
 * If you attach a Laser sight, moving while crouching will no longer reduce accuracy.
 * Like the Hunting Rifle, the Sniper Rifle suffers no decrease in accuracy when used while standing and shooting without using the scope.
 * It has a magazine capacity of 30 bullets, larger than that of the other sniping weapons, the Hunting Rifle, the Steyr Scout and the Accuracy International AWSM.
 * It is still a very effective weapon at close range due to high accuracy, penetration, and fire and damage rates.
 * Headshots stun the Witch temporarily on all difficulties as long as she is idle (sitting down and crying).

Cons

 * Jockeys and Hunters may be harder to hit because both are quite small and agile, making hits sometimes miss instead of hitting. Crouching and firing does improve the accuracy when dealing with these two.
 * It is even slower to reload (albeit marginally) than the Hunting Rifle, meaning reloading in the thick of a fight can be dangerous.
 * When scoped in, you move slower and it is harder to see enemies flanking you.
 * Like the Hunting Rifle, it may not be effective when Common Infected are surrounding you.
 * Though highly effective against groups, the weapon is not well suited when surrounded by Common Infected. Use its range to keep the Common Infected from getting too close, and rely on your teammates to help you should you get surrounded.
 * Lower accuracy than the Hunting Rifle while moving.

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.