There are a lot of different firearms in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the best archetype for distance fighting is the sniper rifle. However, unlike some of the shotguns and revolvers, the sniper rifle won’t be available to players right away.
If you’re looking to obtain a sniper rifle then you’re going to have to wait a few hours as the gun is tied to a story mission. The quest involves you and John trying to rustle up some sheep to make a quick buck. It’s a pretty straightforward mission at first, but we won’t spoil what happens halfway through. Just make sure to have some healing items – just in case.
At the start of the level, John will ask you to buy a sniper rifle at the gunshop. Don’t worry about having cash as the rifle is actually free. The sniper in question is called the Rolling Block Rifle and it comes equipped with a scope already. You will need to buy ammo for the rifle, but bullets are pretty cheap so this shouldn’t be an issue.
Sniper rifles are quite powerful and have immense stopping power. They’re great for picking off foes who are camping on building roofs or water towers, but you shouldn’t completely rely on them. We recommend running a lever action rifle and a revolver if you plan on rocking a sniper. This will give you good short, medium, and long-range combat options. If you want something with good range, but no scope then consider using the bolt action rifle once you’ve unlocked it.