Destiny 2: 8 Best Scout Rifles [3000+ Hours Experience]

Take out the top-tier scout rifles, its time to pop heads in season 20 of Destiny 2!

Similar to the best kinetic weapons and best PvE weapons, the Scout rifles serve as an equal and adaptable weapon class, but they provide medium to long-range precision and accuracy for dispatching foes. Equipping the best Destiny 2 scout rifle is essential, whether immersed in fierce PvP clashes or facing demanding PvE missions. From the rapid-fire capabilities of Doom Of Chelchis and the formidable impact of Hung Jury SR4, I’ve curated a list of 16 best Destiny 2 scout rifles. 

Our Picks

The Best Scout Rifles Destiny 2 are versatile and excel at medium to long-range engagements, here are our top picks:

  1. Staccato-46: Adaptable for PvE and PvP, fast firing rate, good handling, but poor range and limited ammo.
  2. Jade Rabbit: High impact, range, precision, ammo regeneration, limited magazine size, requires precision hits.
  3. Hung Jury SR4: High stability and range, ideal for precision shots and crowd control with Firefly.
  4. Doom of Chelchis: Legendary scout rifle excelling in long-range engagements with high impact and range.
  5. Nightwatch: Versatile with high aim assistance and stability, obtainable from various activities and vendors.

All Picks And Comparison Table

Below I’ve outlined a statistical comparison table for the best scout rifles in Destiny 2:

Scout Rifle NameBest For RarityPower/AttackImpact RangeRounds Per MinuteMagazine
Dead Man's TaleThe Best Exotic Scout Rifle.Exotic1763 Power67.060.0120.014.0
Stacatto-46The Scout Rifle Smooth Handling.Legendary1561 Power62.039.0180.016.0
The Jade RabbitThe Best Skilled Scout Rifle.Exotic1564 Power67.080.0150.010.0
Aisha's EmbraceThe Best Aim Assistance Scout Rifle.Legendary1528 Power45.034.0260.018.0
MIDA Multi-ToolThe Best Mid-Range Scout Rifle.Exotic1806 Power60.035.0200.016.0
Night WatchThe Best Primary Scout Rifle.Legendary1260 Power60.037.0200.016.0
Doom Of ChelchisBest Scout Rifle For Solo Players.Legendary1568 Power62.049.0180.016.0
Hung Jury SR4The Best Ammo Efficient Scout Rifle.Legendary1312 Power62.049.0180.016.0

Dead Man’s Tale

The Best Exotic Scout Rifle.
DEAD MAN’S TALE
  • Why I Chose This: Perks like Cranial Spike and Killing Wind enhance its performance in various combat scenarios.
Rarity Exotic
Magazine Size 6
Max Ammo 50
Reload Time 1.6s
Damage Kinetic
Impact 80
Range 70
Stability 50
Handling 35
Aim Assistance 70
Recoil Vertical, Low
RPM 150

To obtain Dead Man’s Tale gun in Destiny 2, you need to follow these steps:

  • Complete the Season of the Chosen introductory questline to unlock the Presage mission.
  • The Presage mission is a secret quest that requires a fireteam of at least one and a maximum of three players.
  • Play the Presage mission on Master difficulty to increase your chances of getting the Dead Man’s Tale drop.

The following are considered some of the best god rolls for Dead Man’s Tale gun in Destiny 2:

  • Barrel: Hammer-forged Rifling, Smallbore, or Fluted Barrel
  • Magazine: Accurized Rounds or Tactical Mag
  • Perk 1: Killing Wind, Surplus, or Outlaw
  • Perk 2: Snapshot Sights, Moving Target, or Vorpal Weapon
  • Ideal for long-range battles with high impact.
  • Cranial Spike rewards precision and aids hip-fire.
  • Efficient in PVE and PVP with precise hits.
  • Easy to handle with low recoil and high stability.
  • Catalyst enhances stability and handling.
  • Compatible with scout rifle mods.
  • Slow reload with a 6-round magazine.
  • Less effective in close combat due to slow rate of fire.
  • Depends on accurate shooting.
  • Obtaining is difficult, which may deter some players.

Staccato-46

The Scout Rifle Smooth Handling.
How to get Staccato-46
  • Why I Chose This: High rate of fire, excellent stability, and smooth handling make it easy to use, allowing for quick and accurate shots even in fast-paced engagements.
Damage 180
RPM 300
Magazine 17
Reload Speed 45
Stability 59
Aim Assistance 60
Recoil Direction 100
Zoom 16
Inventory Size 43
Handling 70

The Staccato-46 is a scout rifle that can be obtained by playing Crucible matches or by turning in Crucible tokens to Shaxx, the Crucible vendor. It is also a potential reward for completing the weekly Crucible challenge. The weapon can be acquired through random drops during Crucible matches or by turning in Crucible bounties. The god roll for the Staccato-46 includes perks such as Rapid Hit, Zen Moment, and Multikill Clip.

  • Excels in PvE and PvP with high rate of fire.
  • Easy critical hits with excellent stability and aim.
  • Smooth handling for quick weapon swaps.
  • Adaptable with numerous attachment options.
  • Rapid Hit perk boosts Stability and Reload Speed after precise hits.
  • Long-distance engagement in PvP feels tough due to poor range.
  • Limited inventory capacity of 43 items.
  • Optimal roll varies based on player preference.

Jade Rabbit

The Best Skilled Scout Rifle.
How to get The Jade Rabbit
  • Why I Chose This: Its balanced handling and stability ensure a smooth shooting experience, contributing to its accessibility and ease of use.
Rarity Exotic
Damage Type Kinetic
Attack 1360
Magazine Size 10
Reserves 80
Rate of Fire 150
Impact 67
Range 68
Stability 46
Reload Speed 57 ms
Handling 42
Aim Assistance 80
Recoil Direction 60

Destiny 2’s exotic best Scout Rifle, The Jade Rabbit, is obtainable as a random drop from the world via Exotic Engrams and also has a chance to be found in Xur’s weekly featured inventory at certain times.

  • High impact and range effective at long distances.
  • Precision hits return ammo for sustained damage.
  • Exotic perk boosts damage after three precision hits.
  • Good aim assist and recoil for all skill levels.
 
  • Low fire and reload speed hinder close combat.
  • Limited magazine size requires frequent reloading.
  • Exotic slot allows only one exotic weapon.
  • Precision hits necessary, not always feasible.

Aisha’s Embrace

The Best Aim Assistance Scout Rifle.
Aisha’s Embrace
  • Why I Chose This: In PvP encounters, perks like Quickdraw, Snapshot Sights, and Opening Shot enhance Aisha’s Embrace’s performance by improving handling speed and aiming.
Rarity Legendary
Magazine Size 16
Reload Speed 45
Handling 54
Aim Assistance 72
Recoil Direction 70
Zoom 20
Range 68
Stability 46
Impact 67
Rate of Fire 150

It is important to note that Aisha’s Embrace was only available in Destiny 2’s Season of the Chosen and may not be available in future seasons or expansions. Players should aim to obtain the God Roll perks, such as Overflow, Explosive Payload, and Frenzy for PvE or Quickdraw, Snapshot Sights, and Opening Shot for PvP.

  • Excellent aim assist and recoil control.
  • Fast firing rate and large magazine.
  • Useful against groups with PvE perks like Overflow.
  • Effective in The Crucible with PvP perks like Quickdraw.
  • Limited Stability.
  • Slower reload compared to other Scout Rifles.
  • Finding optimal perks requires multiple rolls.

MIDA Multi-Tool

The Best Mid-Range Scout Rifle.
MIDA MULTI-TOOL
  • Why I Chose This: Lightweight design and fast reload speed make it ideal for aggressive playstyles, allowing players to quickly move around the map, flank enemies, and push objectives.
Damage 200
RPM 200
Magazine 21
Reload Speed 1.8 seconds
Range 67
Stability 46
Handling 55
Aim Assist 100
Recoil Low

To get the MIDA Multi-tool, you can purchase it from the Exotic archive kiosk in the Tower for 1x Exotic Cipher, 100K Glimmer, 150 Legendary Shards, and 1x Ascendant Shard.

  • High aim assist and low recoil for accuracy.
  • Third Eye perk provides radar while aiming.
  • Lightweight design for faster movement and strafing.
  • Fast reload and high rate of fire for close to mid-range.
  • Versatile and effective in both PvP and PvE.
  • Deals less damage than other exotic weapons.
  • Third Eye perk can lead to overreliance on radar.

Night Watch

The Best Primary Scout Rifle.
Nightwatch
  • Why I Chose This: Due to its availability as a reward for ranking up in Gambit, the it is well-suited for use in Gambit matches.
Rarity Legendary
Magazine Capacity 16
Reload Time 2.1 seconds
Aim Assistance 75
Zoom 20
Recoil Direction 60
Rounds Per Minute 200
Impact 62
Range 62
Stability 51
Handling 53

Many methods exist in Destiny 2 for acquiring the Nightwatch scout rifle, as you can obtain via Gambit mostly or even successful completions of Nightfalls as a random world pool drop. The recommended perks for the Nightwatch include Rapid Hit, Explosive Payload, Outlaw, and Rampage.

  • High aim assist and stability.
  • Explosive Payload causes flinching in PvP.
  • Rapid Hit enhances stability and reload speed.
  • High impact and long range for significant damage.
  • Easily obtained by ranking up in Gambit.
  • Reloading may leave players vulnerable.
  • Maintaining Rampage activation can be challenging.

Doom Of Chelchis

Best Scout Rifle For Solo Players.
Doom of Chelchis
  • Why I Chose This: High impact and damage output make it valuable for solo players seeking a reliable primary weapon
Impact 70
Range 61
Stability 47
Handling 53
Reload Speed 46
Rounds Per Minute 180
Magazine 16
Zoom 15
Recoil Direction 60
Aim Assistance 70
Equip Speed 49

The Doom of Chelchis can be obtained via the Reprised King’s Fall raid and has a chance to be dropped via the first and last encounters. The god roll for Doom of Chelchis includes Zen Moment, Outlaw, and Rampage perks, which increase stability, reload speed, and damage respectively.

  • High impact and range for long-range engagements.
  • Zen Moment boosts stability with each hit.
  • Outlaw speeds reloads after precision kills.
  • Rampage increases damage after kills for multiple takedowns.
  • Slow rate of fire and small magazine.
  • Recoil challenging without Zen Moment.
  • Only obtainable through King’s Fall raid or world drop, which can be difficult.

Hung Jury SR4

The Best Ammo Efficient Scout Rifle.
HUNG JURY
  • Why I Chose This: Triple Tap refunds ammo on precision hits, allowing for prolonged firing without needing to reload frequently.
Type Scout Rifle
Magazine 16 rounds
Reload Speed 50
Stability 70
Handling 54
Range 63
Aim Assist 62
Recoil 56
Zoom 20
Rounds Per Minute 180

To obtain Hung Jury SR4, you must either focus drop it via Zavala using Vanguard engrams or farm it from its specific Grandmaster Nightfall during the season. For the God Roll, a combination of specific perks is considered optimal. These perks are Firefly, Triple Tap, Extended Mag or Appended Mag, and lastly, Tactical Mag or Accurized Rounds.

  • High stability and range for precision at medium to long range.
  • Firefly causes enemies to explode for crowd control.
  • Triple Tap conserves ammo by returning rounds on precision hits.
  • High ammo reserves and extended magazine for sustained damage output.
  • Low rate of fire and slow reload hinder close combat.
  • Low aim assist.
  • Limited viable perk options.
  • Optimal God Roll requires significant time to obtain.

Best Scout Rifles List Criteria

destiny 2 hours
Destiny 1 and 2 hours (Image via Time Wasted on Destiny)

I have been selected to draft the best Scout Rifles guide (Steam ID Name: LIONT4MER). Boasting more than 3000 hours of experience in both Destiny installments, I am well-versed in the latest expansion and up-to-date with the recent season’s changes.

With my impressive Raid Report stats history, you can confidently rely on this guide to streamline your search for all the best scout rifles in Destiny 2, enabling you to effortlessly achieve triumph.

One of the best things that set scout rifles apart from other sorts of weapons in Destiny 2 is their adaptability. In addition, scout rifles’ outstanding stability makes them simpler to operate during extended firefights. Scout rifles are a dependable and efficient weapon that may give you the upper hand whether you’re facing off against waves of foes in PvE or competing with other players in PvP.

This brings us to the end of my Best Scout Rifles in Destiny 2 guide. I believe you have enough weapons listed above to master & dominate in the PvP and PvE segments for season 20 of the game. While at it, consider reading my Destiny 2 Unlock Deterministic ChaosHow To Farm Artifice Armor, and Everything New In Destiny’s Lightfall Update guides before leaving this page.

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Usama Mehmood is a Games Specialist, and writer on eXputer who's either hunting for the richest loot in Destiny 2 or endlessly playing his favorite games such as Yakuza or Final Fantasy. Usama has been gaming for 15+ years during which he has accumulated 4000+ hours on Destiny 1 & 2. His constant adoration for video games has allowed him to pursue eXputer as a platform to showcase his striving talents in writing helpful articles. Get familiar with Usama's extensive gaming library on his Steam, PSN, and Xbox profiles.

Experience: 2+ Years || Mainly Covers Reviews And Guides || Education: Bachelors in Physiotherapy.

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