Looking for some more information on the best sniper rifle? Look no further! We gathered some of the most accurate and lethal sniper rifles used worldwide.
Sniper rifles can be somewhat of a mystery to the average gun user. Many people do not know much about them.
Sniper rifles are long range weapons designed for law enforcement and military use.
As you can imagine, accuracy and reliability are to be expected in a weapon of this nature.
Generally speaking, most of these rifles are bolt action sniper rifles that shoot .308/7.62 or larger calibers.
As you will see, some sniper rifles are just modified versions of popular civilian hunting rifles. Others are available on the civilian market.
While exact military or law enforcement versions may not be commercially available, variants of the same weapon are commonly available.
These precision rifles make excellent target shooting and long distance hunting rifles.
However, due to the high cost associated with a military-grade sniper rifle, these rifles should be limited to competitive shooting and hunting where accuracy is paramount.
If you are interested in weapons that are great for medium and close range, check out our review on the top 308 battle rifles.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, where I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Best Sniper Rifles - Top 5
1. Remington Model 700
Yep. You read that correctly. Known in the military and police realms as the M24, the Remington Model 700 is an excellent sniper rifle. In the Marine Corps, they use a variant of the Remington Model 700 and call it the M40.
This weapon is widely used by the military and police. It is the most common sniper rifle in the United States military and police force. It is also a popular civilian hunting rifle. Overall, it is a reliable, accurate bolt action rifle.
The civilian version is available in quite a few different calibers. For long-range shooting, the Model 700 VTR comes with an adjustable bipod and is available in .308. The Model 700 Long Range has a longer barrel and is available in .30-06 and .300 Win Mag.
Either way, this weapon is accurate. For the military and law enforcement, it has proven to be quite deadly. Overall, this is the best budget sniper rifle. At long distances, competitors outperform this weapon.
Compared to the other rifles on this list, the Model 700 is inexpensive. It would not take much to turn a standard Model 700 into a high-quality precision rifle, making it the best civilian sniper rifle.
2. Accuracy International L115A3
The Accuracy International L115A3 is a widely used sniper rifle. The militaries of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy are just a few of the entities who use this popular rifle.
However, it is worth mentioning that many countries use multiple sniper rifles. There are several variants. Each country uses something slightly different; however, the base weapon is the same.
This sniper rifle has a phenomenal track record. The second longest range confirmed sniper kill was with an Accuracy International L115A3 at 2475 meters.
The civilian equivalent is known as the AXMC and is available in .300 Win Mag, .308, and .338 Lap Mag. This weapon performs slightly better at longer distances than the Model 700.
This rifle features a 27-inch barrel and weighs 15 pounds. The weapon is high quality but is also quite expensive. It has all of the features you would expect from the best long range rifle.
3. McMillan TAC-50
A Canadian sniper used a McMillan TAC-50 to break the long held longest distance sniper kill record. He confirmed a kill at an astonishing 3540 meters. I am not a mathematician but that is over 2 miles!
This sniper rifle accounts for 3 out of the top 5 longest range recorded sniper kills, making it the best sniper rifle in the world.
As the name might imply, this weapon fires a .50 caliber bullet. It is manufactured in the United States and is used by US Navy SEALs, French commandos, and the Canadian Army.
In terms of long-range military snipers, there is not much that outperforms the TAC-50. Many .50 caliber snipers, such as the TAC-50, are used against military equipment. However, at extremely long distances, it can also be used against personnel.
The barrel is 29 inches long and free floated. The buttstock is completely designed for accuracy. The trigger is adjustable.
Overall, this is a high-quality bolt action rifle for extremely long range shooting. However, it weighs 26 pounds and is very expensive.
For a smaller caliber, check out the TAC-338.
4. Dragunov SVD
The Dragunov SVD has been around for over five decades. It has been widely used and is still used by multiple militaries. It shoots 7.62 and has one of the top 15 longest range confirmed sniper kills.
The barrel of this weapon is over 24 inches long. Unlike most of the weapons on this list, the Draunov SVD is semiautomatic.
However, it is an accurate weapon that has been widely produced. It is much lighter than some of the others and is less expensive. For hunting, this would be an excellent option because of its lighter weight.
The different variants are utilized by a number of militaries, including Russia, China, and Poland. Just like many Soviet-era weapons, many former-Soviet countries and their allies have their own versions of the Dragunov. Each version differs slightly.
As we have already talked about, .308/7.62 does not perform as well as .338 or .50 caliber at longer distances. This is a relatively inexpensive rifle that is widely available and very accurate.
5. Barret M82A1
For those keeping track at home, 4 out of the 5 longest range sniper kills have been accounted for already on this list. The one remaining spot in the top 5 belongs to a Barret M82.
A United States sniper has a confirmed kill with this weapon at 2300 meters. It is also used by a few other countries: Germany, Canada, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
Similar to the McMillan TAC-50, the Barret M82A1 is a .50 caliber sniper rifle used against both equipment and personnel. It is a semiautomatic rifle and has a 29-inch barrel.
However, this weapon weighs a whopping 32.72 pounds. It breaks down into one Pelican case but is still a large, heavy weapon.
One nice feature is the dual barrel springs. These springs reduce the amount of recoil felt by the user. As far as cons, other than the weight, it is limited to the price.
As you can imagine, for the most powerful sniper rifle, this weapon is very expensive. While not as expensive as the McMillan TAC-50, it is still considered expensive.
Product Images Sourced From: Link