Where to get a sniper rifle in Starfield?

In Starfield, Sniper Rifles are a rare find but are highly effective, making them worth the search. The two top-tier rifles come with level prerequisites, yet with the right insights, they can be found pretty easily.

Luckily, a few can be found even earlier on for those eager to start sniping.

Easiest Sniper Rifles to find in Starfield

Old Earth Hunting Rifle

The Old Earth Hunting Rifle can be bought from Centaurion Arsenal in the Residential District of New Atlantis, or Rowland Arms in Akila. It costs 5000 credits. These vendors sell other Old Earth weapons, too. You can also find one on a desk in UC Surplus at The Well, but it’s not for sale so you’ll have to steal one.

Old Earth Hunting Rifle stats

• Accuracy: 86.8 percent
• Damage: 36 Physical
• Fire Rate: 40
• Magazine Size: 20
• Range: 100

Despondent Assassin

The Despondent Assassin is a Legendary Old Earth Hunting Rifle, and it’s super easy to obtain. All you have to do is finish three linked missions in Akila City, ending with Leader of the Pack. There’s no level requirement, so you can start it as soon as you’d like in a playthrough.

The journey begins in Akila City near Shepherd’s General Store, where players will find NPCs Davis, Keoni, and Bailey arguing, initiating the Defensive Measures mission. This leads to False Positives and finally Leader of the Pack.

Completing these missions, which are centered around Akila City’s Ashta issue and a boss fight, guarantees the Despondent Assassin as a reward from Keoni, regardless of choices made during the missions.

Despondent Assassin stats

• Accuracy: 86.8 percent
• Damage: 62 Physical
• Fire Rate: 40
• Magazine Size: 12
• Range: 78

Hard Target

The Hard Target stands out as one of the most cost-effective sniper rifles available in Starfield. To find it, reach level 30 and visit Rowland Arms in Akila. While it costs between 25,000 to 30,000 credits, it hits a lot harder than the Old Earth Hunting Rifle, making it a worthy investment.

You can also find it in Centaurion Arsenal in the Residential District of New Atlantis, Neon Tactical in Neon, and UC Exchange in Cydonia, but Rowland Arms seems to be the most reliable stockist.

Hard Target stats

• Accuracy: 74.2 percent
• Damage: 139 Physical
• Fire Rate: 25
• Magazine Size: 5
• Range: 100

Where to find the best Sniper Rifle in Starfield

MagSniper

The MagSniper is the best sniper rifle in Starfield. Available at level 30 from weapons stores like Rowland Arms and Neon Tactical, it’s priced over 30,000 credits and is rarer than the Hard Target. To refresh stocklists, you might need to rest nearby frequently to skip time.

MagSniper stats

• Accuracy: 86.1 percent
• Damage: 268 Physical
• Fire Rate: 17
• Magazine Size: 12
• Range: 100

You also might stumble across it after killing certain Starfield enemies in places like the Abandoned Mines, but it’s easier to simply buy it.