The Best Sniper in Cold War: Sniper Loadout Guide [2023]

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is getting new weapons every season, and the players have already got two sniper rifles, making the total tally five snipers. In the coming seasons and current season 6, more new sniper rifles may be released. However, until that happens, we will have to stick with what we have. All sniper rifles are not similar in terms of performance and use in the game. This is why we curated this guide and mentioned the best sniper in the Cold War.

Related Guide: Best Quickscope Class Cold War Sniper Rifle Guide

Here is a quick look at the comparison between the Top 5 Snipers in Cold War:

Weapon	Mags	Rounds/Mags	Damage	Reload Time	Fire Rate	Unlock
LW3 – Tundra	4.0	5.0	110.0	3s	47 RPM	Level 25
Swiss K31	4.0	6.0	110.0	2.8s	60 RPM	Tier 31 S3 Battle Pass
ZRG 20mm	5.0	3.0	110.0	2.8s	27 RPM	By earning 2 Longshot medals in 10 different matches
Pelington 703	4.0	5.0	110.0	5.1s	54 RPM	Level 4
M82	4.0	5.0	110.0	3s	180 RPM	Level 55

Best Sniper In Cold War

Our guide entails all the information a newcomer or returning player needs to know regarding sniper rifles in the game. This is why we have mentioned the most, and the least picked sniper rifles in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

Make Sure to get the best Cold War Settings as well: Best Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Settings

LW3 – Tundra

Unlock	Mags	Rounds/Mags	Damage	Reload Time	Fire Rate
Level 25	4	5	110	3s	47 RPM

LW3 Tundra is a bolt-action, extremely high-damaging, high-recoil, and slow-rate of firing sniper rifle in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. This is a base game weapon, and to use it, players need to unlock it by reaching level 25 in the game. When it comes to top-tier, one-shot but slow-rate of fire kind of a sniper rifles, LW3 Tundra sits at the throne of sniper rifles in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

The base magazine size of LW3 Tundra houses five rounds which can be increased up to nine by installing attachments. Depending on the game mode, single-player or multiplayer, the weapon comes with different starting ammunition packs. You get a total of 35 rounds if you pick LW3 Tundra while playing a single player. On the other hand, you get a max of 20 bullets (five in the magazine) while using the weapon in multiplayer.

LW3 Tundra is also my personal favorite for Cold War zombies. There are multiple ways to get hands-on with this weapon. The first one is that it appears as a wall-buy for 4000 essences opposite to the Elemental Pop Perk-a-Cola machine. Another method to get LW3 Tundra is to spend 950 essences and receive it after rolling the Mystery Box. Of course, there are not 100% chances of receiving the weapon on the first attempt, but it saves your essence.

Swiss K31

Unlock	Mags	Rounds/Mags	Damage	Reload Time	Fire Rate
Tier 31 S3 Battle Pass	4	6	110	2.8s	60 RPM

Swiss K31 is currently the second-best sniper in the game in terms of more serious damage, moderate recoil, better accuracy, and decent aiming speed. This sniper is also a bolt-action one that became a part of the game during Season Pass 3. To unlock and equip the Swiss K31 in multiplayer, players need to level up and reach tier 31 in Season Pass 3. Other than that, players must also get at least two kills while using a sniper rifle and complete 15 multiplayer matches.

Swiss K31 can also be used in zombie mode. The sniper rifle was added to the Trails reward pool and Mystery Box during Season Pass 3. So, your best bet to use this weapon is to keep playing zombies mode and spend essence. 

Arguably, Swiss K31 comes with 110 base damage and can one-shot enemies if slotted in with the right attachments. Other than that, this sniper rifle has the highest RPM of 60 than other weapons of the same category in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. Swiss K31 outshines other sniper rifles if you install attachments in it. Otherwise, other low-tier snipers outperform it. So, for the best attachments, see our best sniper loadout section in the guide below.

ZRG 20mm

Unlock	Mags	Rounds/Mags	Damage	Reload Time	Fire Rate
By earning 2 Longshot medals in 10 different matches	5	3	110	2.8s	27 RPM

ZRG 20mm is a slow rate of fire, high-damage, and one-shot bolt-action rifle that is the third best sniper. Like Swiss K31, this sniper also has 110 base damage, which is enhanced by slotting attachments to the weapon. ZRG 20mm comes with three rounds on the stock magazine, so there is an obvious disadvantage from the get-go while equipping this weapon. Moreover, this sniper rifle has 27 RPM (rounds-per-minute), making it the slowest RPM sniper rifle in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

This sniper rifle was not a part of the base game and was added as a DLC in season Pass 2 content. ZRG 20mm can be used in zombies and multiplayer mode, but first, the weapon needs to be unlocked. Earning two Longshot medals while using a sniper rifle for ten unique matches will unlock the sniper rifle in multiplayer mode. However, unlocking ZRG 20mm in zombies mode requires the players to eliminate 50 Manglers only after destroying their arm cannons. Without completing the latter condition, the progress in unlocking the sniper rifle for zombies mode will not count.

You might find this interesting: Best Weapons and Class Setups in Cold War

Pelington 703

Unlock	Mags	Rounds/Mags	Damage	Reload Time	Fire Rate
Level 4	4	5	110	5.1s	54 RPM

Formerly known as R700, from COD MW2, the Pelington 703 returned in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. At the game’s launch, before the release of Season Pass contents, Pelington 703 enjoyed the title of the best sniper in cold war for quickscoping. As one out of three sniper rifles at the launch of COD Black Ops Cold War, Pelington 703 was used mostly for quick scoping and faster eliminations. The main reason behind this was the rifle’s excellent aim down the sight (ADS) speed. Even after the release of more sniper rifles in the game, many players today prefer going with Pelington 703 instead of other top-tier rifles in the game.

Pelington 703 is a base game weapon that appears in multiple missions while playing the story mode of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. Before the DLC sniper rifles that came to the game during various season pass contents, this rifle used to be the best. However, in the current state of the game, LW3 Tundra sits at the throne of the best sniper rifle in the game.

Pelington 703 is still an excellent sniper in the game if you slot in the right attachments and make the overall handling of the weapon consistent. The weapon’s 26.5″ Tiger Team barrel attachment makes this weapon one shot and easy to handle. However, unlocking it requires a lot of grinding in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

Regardless, if you commit and invest time to unlock it, you’d be required to reach level 48 and access this barrel. Despite reducing magazine ammo capacity, there are many advantages players can get by installing the attachment to Pelington 703. For starters, 26.5″ Tiger Team barrel increases the sniper rifle’s overall damage, fire rate, idle sway control, and offers quicker reloading, making this sniper rifle miles better than the stock version.

M82

Unlock	Mags	Rounds/Mags	Damage	Reload Time	Fire Rate
Level 55	4	5	110	3s	180 RPM

Formerly known as Barret .50cal and now titled as M82, it is the least preferred sniper rifle in COD Black Ops Cold War. This weapon is the only semi-auto sniper rifle with 180 RPM, making it the fastest rate of fire sniper in the game. However, M82, even with attachments, is not easy to eliminate targets with one-shot.

The M82 sniper rifle comes with 110 base damage and five rounds magazine size. To access the weapon, players need to reach level 55 to unlock it. The weapon appears in several missions during the single-player campaign. Players can use M82 during the zombies mode as well. From the Create-A-Class screen, this sniper rifle appears as a wall-buy at Uncommon rarity in Firebase Z. The weapon costs 2000 essence and can also be acquired by rolling a Mystery Box after spending 950 essence.

Best Sniper Loadout in Cold War

Now that you know the best and worst sniper of COD Black Ops Cold War of Season 6, you must also know which attachments to slot in a weapon to make the best sniper loadout. We have suggested loadouts for all five weapons that maximize their overall damage, increase stability and control, and make the rifles more consistent.

An interesting read: How To Find Kraus’s Briefcase In Cold War

LW3 Tundra Loadout

Without a doubt, LW3 Tundra is the top-tier sniper rifle in the game. So, players can take this weapon’s efficiency up a notch by slotting the right attachments. Here are the attachments you need to install in LW3 Tundra and make the best sniper loadout in Cold War.

Attachments

• Optic: AN/PVS-4 Thermal
• Muzzle: Stabilizer .308
• Barrel: 28.2″ Tiger Team
• Body: Mounted Flashlight
• Underbarrel: Bipod
• Magazine: 7 RND
• Handle: Airborne Elastic Wrap
• Stock: Raider Pad

Now that you have installed all the right attachments for LW3 Tundra, you must also equip the following perks.

Another Weapon’s Guide: The Best AUG Class Cold War: AUG Loadout Guide [Season 6]

Perks

• Perk one: Flak Jacket
• Perk two: Assassin
• Perk three: Gung-Ho

Swiss K31 Loadout

Swiss K31 is already an excellent sniper rifle in the game, but still, it needs the perfect attachments that can significantly improve the overall weapon’s performance. So, without further ado, here is the list of attachments you need to slot into Swiss K31 and create the best sniper loadout in Cold War while running with this sniper rifle.

Attachments

• Optic: Iron Sights
• Muzzle: Stabilizer .308
• Barrel:9” Tiger Team
• Body: SWAT 5mw Laser Sight
• Magazine: 8 Rnd
• Handle: Airborne Elastic Wrap

After unlocking and equipping the attachments mentioned here, players must also go with the following perks to make this loadout much more effective in the game.

Perks

• Perk 1: Flak Jacket & Tactical Mask
• Perk 2: Scavenger & Assassin
• Perk 3: Gung-Ho & Ghost

Equipment

• Field Upgrade: Trophy System
• Grenade: Molotov

ZRG 20mm Loadout

Since ZRG 20mm comes with a smaller magazine size and slow rate of fire, players need to install the right attachments to counter this sniper rifle’s negatives. Moreover, without these attachments, the weapon feels inconsistent. To create the best sniper loadout in Cold War while using a ZRG 20mm, players must unlock and equip the following attachments to this sniper rifle.

Similar Read: Best M16 Loadout Cold War Class Setup For Season 6

Attachments

• Muzzle: Stabilizer 20
• Barrel: Rapid Fire
• Body: Tiger Team Spotlight
• Magazine: 5 Rnd
• Handle: Airborne Elastic Wrap
• Underbarrel: Bruiser Grip

Besides slotting these attachments, players must all equip perks that synergize well with ZRG 20mm.

Perks

• Perk one: Flak Jacket & Tactical Mask
• Perk two: Assassin & Gearhead
• Perk three: Ghost & Gung-Ho

Equipment

• Lethal: Semtex
• Tactical: Stun Grenade
• Field Upgrade: Field Mic

Equipping all of the attachments perks and equipment mentioned above will give this weapon much better damage, stability, control, rate of fire, and efficiency.

Pelington 703 Loadout

Pelington 703 dominates the close to mid-combat fights in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. Players must equip the following attachments to the weapon to keep the CQC more intense and quickscoping much more manageable. After all, players will need the proper setup to create the best sniper loadout in Cold War while using this sniper rifle.

Attachments

• Muzzle: Sound Moderator
• Barrel: 26.5″ Tiger Team
• Magazine: 7 RND
• Handle: Airborne Elastic Wrap
• Stock: Raider Pad

Perks

Besides using the best attachments for the sniper rifle, these perks should also be equipped.

• Perk 1: Cold Blooded
• Perk 2: Ghost
• Perk 3: Ninja

Equipment

Without the right equipment, the loadout is never perfect. Hence, here are two essential equipment that you should also equip besides slotting in the right attachments and perks.

• Lethal: Semtex
• Tactical: Stun Grenade

Finally, for the Field Upgrade, players should go with the Field Mic.

M82 Loadout

Installing the attachments and equipping the perks and equipment mentioned below will create the best sniper loadout in Cold War for M82 users. However, the sniper rifle is still far from being the perfect weapon in the game. 

Attachments

• Barrel: 19.5” Ultralight
• Underbarrel: Front Grip
• Magazine: 7 RND
• Handle: Serpent Wrap
• Stock: Marathon Stock

Perks

• Perk one: Paranoia
• Perk two: Assassin
• Perk three: Cold Blooded

For the Wildcard, the Law Breaker will be a perfect fit for this M82 loadout.

Equipment

• Lethal: Semtex
• Field Upgrade: Jammer

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know the best sniper rifle in the game and the perfect loadout information, you must have a few questions. We are here to answer a few FAQs that most newcomers and seasonal players ask on the internet.

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That is pretty much everything you need to know about the best sniper rifles and the best sniper loadout in Cold War. Have you used all five snipers in the game? Which one has been your favorite so far? Let us know about it in the comments section below.

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