The ranged skill tree in Days Gone, like the melee and survival trees, consists of 15 unlockable skills in total for the player to equip.
These skills focus on enhancing Deacon St. John's accuracy and effectiveness with each pistol, rifle, and every other ranged weapon found in the open-world survival game. While each skill will make the player even deadlier with any ranged weapon, these are the skills players should unlock first before wandering into a cave of sleeping Swarmers.
10 Focused Shot
This level 1 skill will allow the player to use one of Deacon's core abilities, focus, that slows down time while aiming any ranged weapon. This should be one of the first skills unlocked and is easy as it only costs one skill point, so it can be picked up relatively early into the game.
Without it, Deacon won't be able to use the focus bar which is by far one of the most useful abilities in Days Gone.
9 Flight And Fight
The Flight and Flight skill can also be unlocked early on since shares the same level as the Focused Shot skill. The ability ensures more accurate movement and aiming with a ranged weapon. Movement in Days Gone has a big impact on player survival, so this is another important skill to focus on early.
8 Crowd Control
Crowd Control also focuses on boosting Deacon's focus ability. It will reduce the cooldown of the focus bar which will be drained fairly often upon unlocking it making this a highly useful skill.
The level 2 skill could also be paired with the several NERO injectors found throughout the surrounding Oregon area that enhances the biker's focus, health, and stamina.
7 On The Move
The On The Move skill enhances the player's movement while using a ranged weapon. The level 3 skill will allow Deacon to reload weapons when sprinting instead of having to stop anytime he hears the familiar sounds of an empty clip.
The Drifter might occasionally find himself in a mismatched situation where the only answer is to frantically run away while shooting in every possible direction. Being able to reload during this time will certainly come in handy.
6 Nocked Up
The crossbow is one of the top weapons Deacon can equip and the Nocked Up slightly adds a boost to the silent weapon. The level 3 skill will significantly increase the damage dealt with the crossbow's bolts which will make stealthily taking out Freakers and Rippers even easier.
5 Quick Reload
This one is self-explanatory, and also quite impactful on player movement. Quick Reload will have to be worked towards as it is a higher-level skill and will shorten the ranged weapons reload time. Weapons like light machine guns, crossbows, and shotguns take a painfully long time to reload, and shaving valuable time off of this will make hunting a hoard much easier.
4 Deadshot
Once unlocked, the Deadshot ability will increase the effectiveness and precision of every ranged weapon in Days Gone. The level 4 skill will give Deacon the ability to take down enemies even quicker while conserving his short supply of ammo.
3 Up To The Ante
Though it will take some time to unlock this next ability as it's a level 5 skill, Up To The Ante is one of the most useful skills in the game. It will increase the ammo capacity of each ranged weapon.
Ammo is a resource that is hard to come by in this Swarmer-infested world, so being stocked up on firepower while taking on a hoard of Swarmers will assist Deacon to come out unharmed without the worry of being left with just a broken bat and some rocks to defend himself.
2 Head Rush
Another high-level skill, Head Rush will reward Deacon with some health each time he lands a headshot on an enemy. Players who prefer to use pistols and rifles should unlock this skill as soon as they can as headshots are relatively easier with these weapons. Plus, using focus while aiming makes a headshot pretty much guaranteed and consistently boosting the player's health.
1 Two Birds, One Bullet
The final skill on this list, like the two above, is a level 5 skill. It focuses on increasing the penetration of ranged weapon bullets and other projectiles. This is one of the most powerful abilities when it comes to taking on hordes since Deacon will require less ammo to kill the flesh-hungry enemies, and his bullets are likely to pierce through an enemy and hitting the hundreds behind it.