DexertoMarkman Rifles are the best option in Black Ops 6 if you prefer precision over everything else, and using a top loadout ensures you’ll be a dominant force at both medium and long range.
When you think about how to win long-range gunfights in Call of Duty, using an Assault rifle or Sniper Rifle is the usual first choice most players opt for. However, there’s another weapon category that often gets overlooked but is strong this year – Marksman Rifles.
If you use a meta DMR build, very few other guns will ever beat you in a fair fight. They deal high damage and have great range, making them lethal in the right hands. To help you make the most of this underrated weapon type, here are the best Marksman Rifle loadouts in Season 4 Reloaded ranked from best to worst.
Best Marksman Rifle loadouts in BO6
1. Essex Model 07
Activision / Dexerto- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Barrel: CHF Barrel
- Lever: Quickdraw Lever
- Stock: Cut-Off Stock
- Fire Mods: Rapid Fire
The Essex Model 07 is the best Marksman Rifle in Black Ops 6 by a long shot, thanks to its one-shot potential.
This single-shot carbine is a quickscoper’s dream, being faster than Sniper Rifles while still putting up considerable damage. In fact, it’s just as fast as most meta Assault Rifle builds, which gives it a major advantage in face-to-face fights.
If you haven’t used it yet, it’s one of the best guns in the game, so is well worth your time.
2. DM-10
Dexerto- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Ported Compensator
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
- Stock: Combat Stock
Because the DM-10 has a default scope, you might assume that it’s a long-range, precision weapon. However, the DM-10 actually performs best as a close to medium-range gun, effectively serving as a direct competitor to the Goblin Mk2.
This gun’s role begins to make a lot more sense when built to dominate up close, as it is one of BO6’s fastest-killing guns. To make landing those shots as easy as possible, be sure to use the Ported Compensator, which is by far the most important attachment on this build.
3. AEK-973
Dexerto- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Compensator
- Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
- Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
- Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
The AEK-973 is an extremely dominant burst-fire weapon capable of killing enemies in one burst.
Although it’s not as strong as it was at launch, it’s still extremely dominant, with its high accuracy and reliable one-burst kill making it a scary gun to come up against. The only thing holding it back is the delay between bursts, so you could be in trouble if you miss.
Just be sure to use both the Compensator and Vertical Foregrip to make each burst as accurate as possible.
4. SWAT 5.56
Dexerto- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Compensator
- Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
- Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
- Fire Mods: Recoil Springs
In many ways, the SWAT 5.56 is similar to the AEK-973. Both are able to kill in just one burst and have impressive range. However, the SWAT is designed to excel at medium range, while the AEK is better suited to long-range engagements.
Still, the SWAT is slightly inferior due to its higher recoil and shorter range. Even so, with a Compensator, Vertical Foregrip, and Recoil Springs equipped, it turns into a viable weapon that is accurate enough to be at least competitive. Admittedly, using three attachments for just recoil isn’t ideal, so you might want to consider running Gunfighter with this weapon.
Using the Grau Conversion kit makes it one of the best weapons in the game, but since it turns it into an AR, it’s not a fair comparison against the other Marksman Rifles.
5. TR2
Dexerto- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Compensator
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
- Fire Mods: Recoil Springs
Added in Season 2, the TR2 is based on the iconic FAL. This hard-hitting precision weapon can down enemies in just two shots, making it comparable to the DM-10. Where it differs is that it has a better fire rate but also requires at least one headshot to get the job done.
Unfortunately, this holds it back, as headshots aren’t easy to come by with Omnimovement, and the TR2’s three-shot TTK isn’t competitive at all. You can mitigate this by using Rapid Fire, but at that point, you’ve just made a worse version of the Goblin Mk2. Instead, we recommend running Recoil Springs and a Compensator to make a maximum recoil control build.
All Black Ops 6 Marksman Rifles ranked
RANK | WEAPON |
|---|---|
1 | |
2 | |
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4 | |
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Meta analysis
ActivisionThe Essex Model 07 is currently the best Marksman Rifle in Black Ops 6 because of its speed and one-shot-kill potential.
If you’re looking for a more traditional semi-automatic choice, the DM-10 is a great option for its fast TTK. However, you shouldn’t sleep on the burst-fire AEK-973 either, as its one-burst potential often leads to extremely quick kills.
The SWAT 5.56 in its Marksman Rifle form can be powerful, but you’re better off using the weapons above. Finally, the TR2 and Tsarkov 762 are usable, but you’ll feel outclassed by most other weapons.
Of course, Marksman Rifles aren’t your only option. We’ve also broken down the best Shotguns and the best SMG loadouts, so feel free to see what works best for you. For a bigger picture of BO6’s meta, check out our complete tier list that ranks all of the guns in the game from best to worst.
