Often described as lightweight snipers, the marksman rifle in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is perfect for players that want the best of both worlds when it comes to the raw power of a sniper along with the speed and mobility of a semi-automatic.
A lot of these guns even boast semi-automatic fire and excel not only in long-ranged combat but in medium-ranged combat as well.
That being said, not all of the marksman rifles in Modern Warfare 2 were created equal. If you want to know which marksman would float your boat, continue reading our list below.
Best marksman rifles in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
6) Lockwood MK2
The Lockwood MK2—a name that sounds familiar to you, perhaps? That’s because this marksman rifle has already made its appearance in other Call of Duty installments before Modern Warfare 2. It wasn’t a terrific gun back then, and unfortunately, it isn’t one now either.
The main drawback of the Lockwood MK2 is that you are forced to rechamber a round after every single shot. With a reloading system as inefficient as that, you’ll need your MK2 to guarantee finishing off your opponents in a single hit, failing which your opponents will have all the time to turn on the offensive and finish you off before you are done reloading.
Sadly, the Lockwood MK2 cannot promise you that kind of impressive damage output, which will leave you completely vulnerable as you struggle to reload. To make matters worse, this gun suffers from serious damage falloff, and after a certain distance, its shots are going to provide even worse damage than before.
5) EBR-14
This marksman rifle is the very first gun of its kind that you will get to use in Modern Warfare 2, and while that does not mean it is especially weak by any means, the other marksman rifles higher on this list simply outshine this gun in most of the categories.
The gun functions very similarly to the LM-S, and furthermore shows very little practical difference between the LM-S and the EBR-14.
The EBR-14’s one serious issue is its fire rate, which is slower than the LM-S. The two rifles possess a lot of similarities, so there is no reason to go for the one that has the lower fire rate, a slow ADS speed, as well as slower reload time, making you waste your attachments to make up for the downsides when you can excel by choosing the other option.
4) TAQ-M
The TAQ-M is a heavy hitter and is evidently much closer to a semi-automatic AR than a sniper. It trades its potential damage output for a higher rate of fire and large magazine capacity. The low mobility and bad handling are not worth the default 10-round mags that this assault rifle sports, however.
The TAQ-M also proves to be pretty inflexible since it lacks the bolt or lever attachment option that the other marksman rifles boast, which increases their accuracy and rechambering speed. The gun is very quick, but will always require follow-up shots to secure the kill.
3) LM-S
This marksman rifle proves to be the best option if you want to opt for a faster-firing semi-automatic option that can deliver follow-up shots much quicker than the two marksman rifles that take the top two spots on this list.
This gun manages to keep its impressively high accuracy even over long distances, and when combined with its amazing fire rate, it can even replace the role of a couple of high-profile sniper rifles with a much lighter body at that.
The LM-S also has excellent penetration and damage output, letting you make quick work of unsuspecting enemies at long ranges, and with the ability to pump out multiple shots in a very brief period of time, you are ensured the kill.
The reason the LM-S is third on our list is that its one-shot potential is not as high as the other two marksman rifles that rank higher than it, seeing as how the current meta of Modern Warfare 2 favors raw damage over anything else.
2) SA-B 50
One of the best bolt-action rifles in the game, the SA-B 50 is a true powerhouse. This gun is quite similar to the marksman rifle that takes the No.1 spot on our list and can be a great alternative for it. As a matter of fact, the SA-B 50 has even better mobility and handling, while sacrificing its very essential recoil control.
This rifle is extremely lightweight and fast-acting, possessing super quick ADS while maintaining its ability to one-shot enemies with the correct attachments. With its exceptional ADS, you can easily lock onto opponents and finish them off before they get to discover your position and retaliate.
The gun further provides the player with minimal flinch when aiming down the sight, giving you a serious edge when it comes to winning medium to long-ranged gunfights.
Even though it has all these merits going for it, it does slightly fall short in terms of raw damage output, needing the correct attachments to bring it to its full potential.
1) SP-R 208
Similar to the SA-B 50, the SP-R 208 is just like the Kar98k, but one league above. This acts as a lightning-fast sniper that can easily get off one-shots when aimed for the upper chest. This marksman rifle was also present in Modern Warfare 2019 but was nowhere near as good as they buffed it to be right now.
What makes this better than the SA-B is that it is far more consistent in getting one-shots, and can be comfortably used with just the ironsights.
Furthermore, the rifle has fantastic mobility, letting you quickly get around the map and reposition yourself once you have finished off an enemy. The handling is phenomenal as well, letting you swiftly zoom in on players, combined with an efficient reloading system.
And that precision and recoil control? Phew. There’s a reason this marksman rifle snags the No. 1 spot on our list.
