My 2026 Guide to the Best Sniper Rifles in Battlefield 5: From Aggressive Scouts to Patient Marksmen

Let me tell you, as someone who's spent countless hours scanning horizons and listening for the faintest rustle of grass, being a Recon in Battlefield 5 is a lifestyle. It's a delicate dance of positioning, patience, and pure grit. Whether you're a beginner just getting your feet wet or a seasoned veteran who can feel the wind drift, the right sniper rifle is your soulmate on the battlefield. The game's arsenal, even now in 2026 after all its updates, is a beautiful and complex beast. No single rifle does it all—some are built for aggressive, close-quarters chaos, while others are patient artists of extreme distance. Let me walk you through my personal take on the best tools for the job.

The Agile Brawler: Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1

This old warhorse is your starting companion, and honestly, it's a blast. Don't let its availability fool you. Where this rifle truly sings isn't from a hilltop a mile away, but in the messy, mid-range skirmishes where things get... personal.

• Damage: 65-60

• Rate of Fire: 71 RPM

Its secret weapon? That fire rate. It's snappy for a bolt-action. Slap on the Machined Bolt specialization, and you're looking at 84 RPM—perfect for quick follow-up shots. Couple that with a generous 10-round magazine, and you've got a rifle that encourages movement and aggressive play. The downside? Trying to nail a distant target feels like throwing pebbles. The bullet velocity is on the slower side (600 m/s), and scopes add some penalties. This is your rifle if you believe the best defense is a good, fast offense.

The Well-Rounded Upgrade: Ross Mk III

Think of the Ross as the Lee-Enfield's more sophisticated cousin. It operates in the same aggressive playstyle but just does... everything a bit better. It's that reliable friend who's always got your back.

• Damage: 65-60

• Rate of Fire: 75 RPM

The stats look similar, but the devil's in the details. That bullet velocity is a solid 25% faster, meaning your shots find their mark quicker with less dramatic drop. You spend less time calculating and more time shooting. The reload, while only for 5 rounds at a time, is snappier. It's the ideal next step when you want to keep playing aggressively but need a bit more reach and consistency. It just feels smoother.

The One-Shot Wonder: Panzerbüchse 39

Alright, let's talk about the elephant—or should I say, the anti-tank rifle—in the room. This thing is an absolute monster. We've all been there, lining up the perfect body shot only to see the enemy scurry away. The Panzerbüchse 39 says, "No more."

• Damage: 112-80

• Rate of Fire: 18 RPM

This beast will delete an enemy with a single body shot within 100 meters. The trade-off? Oh boy, the trade-offs. You move like you're carrying a small car. Its deployable bipod means you must be prone or mounted to aim down sights. And after every thunderous shot, you have to manually chamber a new round, which feels like an eternity in a firefight. But that moment of pure, unadulterated power when you center-mass someone and they just... vanish? Chef's kiss. It's a niche pick, but for holding a long lane or denying a chokepoint, nothing else delivers this kind of visceral satisfaction.

The Versatile Workhorse: Type 99 Arisaka

Unlocked from the start, the Arisaka is a jack-of-all-trades that truly masters the balance. It's the rifle I often recommend to friends who ask, "What should I use?"

• Damage: 80-66

• Rate of Fire: 58 RPM

It hits hard up close, reloads nice and fast with 5-round stripper clips, and has a very forgiving cycle time between shots. The recoil is minimal, letting you stay on target. Where it really pulls ahead of the early-game pack is its bullet velocity (750 m/s). This makes it surprisingly effective at longer ranges. It won't outperform the dedicated long-range kings, but it gives you a fighting chance. It's a confident, well-rounded choice that rarely lets you down.

The Aggressive Specialist: Gewehr M95/30

Meet the Arisaka's statistical twin with a slightly more aggressive soul. Unlocked at Recon Rank 6, the Gewehr M95/30 is built for players who are always on the move.

• Damage: 80-66

• Rate of Fire: 58 RPM

Its numbers are nearly identical to the Arisaka, but it has a tiny edge in damage output and the distance before that damage starts to drop. Its real magic lies in its specialization tree. You can kit it out for almost any engagement:

• Iron Sights for rushing objectives.

• Custom Stock for accurate fire on the move (mid-range heaven).

• Variable Zeroing for when you need to reach out and touch someone.

This versatility is unmatched. It feels like a true soldier's rifle, adaptable to the chaos of the battle.

The Long-Range Duelists: Kar98k & Krag-Jørgensen

Now we enter the realm of the purists. These are the rifles for when you want to paint a masterpiece from a kilometer away. The debate between these two is the stuff of legend in the Recon community.

The Kar98k is the classic. Unlocked at level 20, it's a symbol of precision.

• Damage: 75-66

• Rate of Fire: 48 RPM

It hits like a truck (max 75 damage) and fires its laser beam of a bullet at 900 m/s. It demands perfection. Its slow rate of fire and significant recoil mean your first shot must count. There's little room for error. It's unforgiving, but in the hands of an expert, it's the most satisfying tool for a pristine headshot collection.

The Krag-Jørgensen, however, is my personal pick for the crown. Unlocked at level 13, it trades a bit of the Kar's raw punch for flawless consistency.

• Damage: 60

• Rate of Fire: 54 RPM

Its secret? No damage drop-off. That 60 damage is the same at 10 meters or 300 meters. This makes your calculations so much cleaner. Paired with the same blistering 900 m/s bullet velocity, a slightly faster fire rate, and a 6-round magazine, the Krag is just... relentlessly reliable. It doesn't punish you as harshly as the Kar98k, allowing for a more fluid sniping rhythm. For me, consistency is king, and the Krag wears the crown.

The Rapid-Fire Alternative: Selbstlader 1906

Sometimes, you just don't want to leave your scope. The bolt-action cycle can feel clunky when tracking a moving target. Enter the semi-automatic world, led by the Selbstlader 1906.

• Damage: 54-52

• Rate of Fire: 138 RPM

This thing is a trigger-happy scout's dream. You can put all 5 rounds downrange without ever leaving your aiming sight. Yes, it takes two body shots to kill, but at that fire rate, that's often just a quick tap-tap. For players who like to maintain visual pressure and suppress lanes, it's a game-changer. It sacrifices one-shot potential for incredible flow and target tracking. It's a different kind of sniping, and oh man, is it effective.

So there you have it. From the run-and-gun brawler to the patient artist of the hills, Battlefield 5's Recon class in 2026 still offers a rich tapestry of choice. My advice? Start with the Lee-Enfield or Arisaka to learn the rhythms. Graduate to the Ross or Gewehr as you get more aggressive. Then, when you're ready, settle into the long-range duel with the Krag or Kar98k. And never be afraid to try the Panzerbüchse for giggles or the Selbstlader for a change of pace. Each rifle has its own story to tell on the battlefield. You just have to find the one that speaks to you. Happy hunting!