In Call of Duty, you'll often see people sporting their favorite sub-machine guns or assault rifles in every multiplayer match. Though those are solid guns, they don't provide the rush of a shotgun or the calculated reward of picking off targets with a sniper rifle. They may be opposites in terms of range and play style, but they both happen to be the classes of guns people turn to to get unique advantages against their opponents.
Let's now rank every shotgun and sniper rifle in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
10 Origin 12
Here's the thing about being the worst shotgun in a video game, it's still a shotgun. The Origin 12 is a semi-automatic shotgun that allows players to fire away at an enemy to their heart's content. Using it effectively, however, means that you'll need to be standing so close to your enemy you can feel their breath.
Limiting one's self to such a specific type of interaction to be successful is a recipe for failure. Try it out, but quickly move on to a more viable shotgun.
9 Dragunov
Here's the thing, the Dragunov is the only non-bolt action sniper rifle in the game which means it will be a pretty divisive gun, to begin with. With the Dragunov, you're trading in any real sign of legitimate damage in favor of a high rate of fire. Now, most people who love sniping will say that the prospect of firing a single shot to get a kill is what makes sniping fun and advantageous.
This doesn't mean that there isn't a group of people out there who love to take multiple shots at the same target.
8 Kar98k
Before we get started with this one, this list will also include 3 marksman rifles. Marksman rifles aren't exactly sniper rifles, but they're used in the same way so it made sense to include them on this list. The Kar98k is only viable over other snipers or marksman rifles if you're good at getting headshots.
The damage output for it drops off heavily as the distance is increased which begins to take away the luster of using it in the first place. That being said, it may be the most fun gun to use in the entire game.
7 R9-0
If you're the type of shotgun user who likes to be up close and personal then the R9-0 might be the weapon of choice for you. This gun offers a very accurate shot and really solid recoil for a shotgun but comes at the sacrifice of any range. It may take you multiple shots to take down an enemy, but the rate of fire won't be an issue provided you're standing right next to them.
The R9-0's biggest flaw is that many of the maps in Modern Warfare don't have the close quarters needed for this gun to thrive.
6 EBR-14
When people talk about how ugly iron sights can be on weapons in games other players often roll their eyes. With the EBR-14, you'll understand their point of view and maybe be converted over. The iron sights on it are rough and will have you begging for any sort of sight or scope attachment.
Unless you can get headshots you'll likely be looking to follow-up with additional hits, which aren't too hard to come by with the EBR-14's decent rate of fire. Just remember to get comfortable with the recoil.
5 MK2 Carbine
Not only is the MK2 Carbine far and away the best marksman rifle in Modern Warfare, but there's also a case to be made that it's the 3rd best sniper rifle. Unlike the other marksman rifles that require headshots to pull off one-shot kills, the MK2 Carbine can do such a feat with solid chest shots.
The range on it also is pretty solid considering it's not specifically a sniper rifle. Most people would say the marksman guns are useless, but if you plan on trying out this class of weapons, this may be the only one worth using.
4 Model 680
The Model 680 shotgun is solid in its own right but takes a hit due to consistency issues and how it fits in with the time-to-kill metric of Modern Warfare. The gun itself packs a mean punch as it hits with some power, but if the first shot doesn't take out the target then you're likely a goner.
The rate of fire on the Model 680 is arguably one of the worst in the game regardless of weapon class. Just know going in that if you don't get a kill with your initial shot that you're better off switching to your secondary to finish the job.
3 HDR
In many ways, the HDR sniper rifle is just a lower-level version of the AX-50. The stat line for both rifles is almost identical except for the damage output. Though it's meant to take out targets with a single shot, it won't be as guaranteed of a result as if you were using the AX-50.
You may be asking why it's in the game if it is so similar to the AX-50 and the answer to that is that it provides a solid sniping experience for players early on who don't want to use the default sniper loadout.
2 AX-50
The AX-50 is, in many ways, as true to a sniper class as a sniper rifle can be. It's a bolt-action gun that trades in its rate of fire for full and powerful shots. The damage output on it is absurdly high which means you'll almost always have single-shot kills that don't rely on follow-up hits.
When a sniper can be confident in their shots and know a single hit will get them the kill in multiplayer it can make a world of difference. Thankfully the AX-50 is usable in the default sniper loadout so you can use it early on in the game.
1 725
When it comes to Call of Duty there always seems to be a gun that's insanely overpowered in the community's eyes around the release of the new annual game. This year that gun in question seems to be the 725 shotgun. The biggest issue with the gun is that it sports incredible range for a shotgun to the point of ridiculousness.
This is the gun you'll see everyone running around with as it removes any competition of skill and puts a crazy amount of power in anyone's hands. Try the 725 shotgun before it gets nerfed.