Destiny 2: Expert’s Take On Best Pulse Rifles

Destiny 2’s best pulse rifles can vary from each other in terms of random rolls to their stats and viability in the current meta. I’ve personally been a fan of Pulse Rifles since Destiny 1 was back on consoles, but fast forward to now, and they’ve had a bumpy ride in both the PVE and PVP meta of Destiny 2. With much-needed buffs and nerfs, they’ve become a viable option for use under specific in-game activities or circumstances.

Best Pulse Rifles Comparison

Following is a summary of the 12 best PVP and PVE Pulse Rifles in Destiny 2, all compared to each other:

1. BXR-55 Battler

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	PR-55 Frame
Impact	23
Range	50
Stability	59
Handling	71
Reload Speed	63
Aim Assistance	85
Zoom	20
Airborne effectiveness	10

As a veteran player, the BXR-55 Battler is easily the best Destiny 2 PVE Pulse Rifle with great stats and perks selection, and you can easily farm it, too. The gun itself is an easter egg of the Halo Franchise’s Battle Rifle, introduced in the Bungie 20th Anniversary. You can obtain the BXR-55 Battler via the Treasure Chest on Xur’s Treasure Hoard, and it can also sometimes be acquired through the Dares of Eternity activity.

2. No Time To Explain

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Exotic Kinetic (340 RPM)
Impact	33
Range	60
Stability	55
Handling	42
Reload Speed	60
Aim Assistance	40
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	24

The No Time To Explain returns in Destiny 2 from the previous game but as an Exotic Pulse Rifle with unique perks and an Exotic Catalyst. Obtaining No Time to Explain is relatively simple as you simply need to finish the Beyond Light DLC’s campaign and then visit the Exo Stranger on Europa.

Following are the special perks and Exotic Catalyst of the No Time To Explain:

• Rewind Again: Precision shots and shots against combatants slowed or frozen by Stasis will return to the magazine.
• Feeding Frenzy: Each rapid kill with this weapon progressively increases reload speed for a short time.
• Time-Slip: At 10 stacks of Rewind Again, a small portal will open, shooting bullets from an alternate timeline version of this weapon. Precision hits extend the portal’s duration.
• Blast from the side (Exotic Catalyst): Projectiles from the Time Portal shoot more frequently.

3. Graviton Lance

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Exotic Void (300 RPM)
Impact	29
Range	50
Stability	100
Handling	54
Reload Speed	57
Aim Assistance	60
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	27

In my experience with Destiny 2 since Year 1, the Graviton Lance is easily one of the most fun weapons I’ve used. It’s a random exotic drop, but you can also have a chance to obtain it via Xur’s weekly inventory of Exotics. Graviton Lance received a rework alongside other Exotic Weapons in Season 21 which made it potent in the meta now.

Following are the special perks and Exotic Catalyst of the Graviton Lance:

• Black Hole: Second shot of a burst rips a hole through space-time, doing high damage and recoil with no falloff.
• Cosmology: Kills with this weapon cause enemy targets to detonate and spawn Void projectiles that track targets.
• Exotic Catalyst: Adds +20 Range stat.

4. Outbreak Perfected

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Exotic Kinetic (450 RPM)
Impact	27
Range	44
Stability	40
Handling	45
Reload Speed	45
Aim Assistance	65
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	29

The Outbreak Perfected is yet another returning Exotic from Destiny 1, which became my favorite weapon towards the end of its life cycle. In Destiny 2, it maintains its viability of mowing down enemies with its unique perks revolving around SIVA Nanites. You can purchase the Outbreak Perfected from the Exotic Archive Kiosk in the Tower.

Following are the special perks and Exotic Catalyst of the Outbreak Perfected:

• The Corruption Spreads: This weapon creates SIVA nanite swarms on rapid hits and precision kills.
• Parasitism: More damage is dealt to enemies based on the number of SIVA nanites attached to them.
• Disease Vector (Exotic Catalyst): Increases damage and generates more Nanites when enemies are killed.

5. Revision Zero

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Exotic Kinetic
Impact	35
Range	61
Stability	60
Handling	25
Reload Speed	38
Aim Assistance	40
Zoom	18
Airborne effectiveness	15

I couldn’t argue but tell anyone that Revision Zero is perhaps the most unique Pulse Rifle right now in Destiny 2, with its Firing Mode Swap mechanic. Plus, now that the “Operation Seraph’s Shield” Exotic Mission rotates weekly with other missions, you can also farm the Revision Zero with random rolls to make it even better than before or obtain it for the first time.

• Hunter’s Trace: This weapon fires special shield-piercing ammunition and precision hits grant targeting data.
• [Alternate Weapon Action] Swap to the alternate scope, loading high-damage rounds based on the amount of targeting data.
• Strong against [Shield-Piercing] Barrier Champions.

6. Oversoul Edict

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Rapid-Fire Frame
Impact	23
Range	27
Stability	47
Handling	22
Reload Speed	34
Aim Assistance	81
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	22

The Oversoul Edict Arc Pulse Rifle is back from Destiny 1 with the reprised Crota’s End raid. The weapon has a chance to be dropped from the second and third encounters of the raid. Oversoul Edict, along with the other raid weapons, can be crafted and slotted with Enhanced Traits once you obtain five Deepsight weapons for them.

• Cursed Thrall (Basic Origin Trait): After defeating a target with a melee attack, final blows with this weapon cause targets to explode for a short duration.

7. The Messenger

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	High-Impact Frame
Impact	33
Range	66
Stability	54
Handling	31
Reload Speed	38
Aim Assistance	37
Zoom	18
Airborne effectiveness	20

The Messenger is a Legendary Kinetic Pulse Rifle that is available from Trials of Osiris, and while I personally don’t delve into that activity anymore, grinding it for the Dead Messenger can be somewhat enticing. I would even say it’s one of the best Destiny 2 PVP Pulse Rifles alongside No Time To Explain.

8. Insidious

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Aggressive Burst
Impact	35
Range	74
Stability	60
Handling	27
Reload Speed	34
Aim Assistance	44
Zoom	18
Airborne effectiveness	24

The Vow of the Disciple raid has my favorite weapons selection in Destiny 2 out of most raids, and the Insidious Pulse Rifle is among them. You can obtain it as a random drop via the raid’s second and final boss encounters and the Adept version on the Master Difficulty. But instead of running the Master version, I’d honestly craft it with enhanced perks by getting five of the Deepsight red border variants.

• Souldrinker (Basic Origin Trait): Gain health based on the number of hits before reloading.

9. Smite Of Merain

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Adaptive Frame
Impact	29
Range	43
Stability	50
Handling	47
Reload Speed	47
Aim Assistance	60
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	21

In my 4 years of Destiny 1, the Smite of Merain has been one of my favorite weapons ever, solely because it featured the Dragonfly perk. The weapon returns in Destiny 2 with the reprised King’s Fall raid and can be obtained via the second and fourth encounters with the Adept or ‘Harrowed’ version. Like other King’s Fall raid weapons, you can also craft the Smite of Merain.

10. Collective Obligation

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Exotic Void
Impact	29
Range	49
Stability	55
Handling	41
Reload Speed	41
Aim Assistance	67
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	26

The Collective Obligation isn’t a weapon I’ve wanted to obtain so badly, so I didn’t need to repeatedly farm Rhulk (Vow of the Disciple Raid’s Final Boss) for it. But despite that, it is still an underrated raid-exclusive exotic weapon that can be greatly utilized with Void Subclass builds in Destiny 2 after the balancing changes done to it.

Following are the special perks of the Collective Obligation:

• Void Leech: Leeches Void debuffs when damaging targets that are suppressed, weakened, or volatile.
• Once charged, [Alternate Weapon Action] to swap firing modes.
• In this mode, damage from this weapon applies the same Void debuffs that were leeched.
• Umbral Sustenance: Magazine is automatically reloaded when you gain Devour, a Void Overshield, or become invisible.

11. Bad Juju

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	Exotic Kinetic
Impact	27
Range	35
Stability	62
Handling	41
Reload Speed	47
Aim Assistance	60
Zoom	17
Airborne effectiveness	28

For me, Bad Juju was one of the strongest exotics back in Destiny 1 due to its superb perk to generate your super energy quickly on successive kills. In Destiny 2, sadly, it has seen little to no use in loadouts, especially from my end, because you can easily gain super energy through various other means with optimal builds.

Following are the special perks of the Bad Juju:

• String of Curses: Kills refill the magazine, increase damage for a short duration, and grant Super energy based on the strength of String of Curses.
• Unending Curse (Exotic Catalyst): Extends the duration of the ‘String of Curses’ perk.

12. New Purpose

WEAPON ARCHETYPE	High-Impact Frame
Impact	33
Range	65
Stability	54
Handling	26
Reload Speed	31
Aim Assistance	32
Zoom	18
Airborne effectiveness	19

The New Purpose is a Stasis Pulse Rifle that’s barely used, even with my personal experience using the weapon. You can acquire it via the Duality dungeon through the final boss (Nightmare of Caiatal) encounter.

Why I Didn’t Go For Others

There are some other Pulse Rifles in Destiny 2 as well which players can try, however, I didn’t add them to my list due to various factors.

• Piece of mind: Rapid-Fire pulse, great at peak shooting, but It’s not a High-Impact Pulse.
• Battle Scar: An exceptionally strong pulse rifle but there is a problem in getting it to drop.
• Phyllotactic Spiral: It is the first pulse rifle to get Voltshot, but there’s an issue in getting it in the first place.
• Vigilance Wing: Considered a good option as it is an exotic pulse rifle with a unique five-round burst.

Destiny 2 Best Pulse Rifle Ranking Criteria

The best PVP and PVE Pulse Rifles Destiny 2 guide was written by me (Steam ID: LIONT4MER), so rest assured that these listed Pulse Rifles are based on my up-to-date knowledge of the Season 22 meta, along with discussing almost each of the weapons’ potential with my PVE-oriented Clanmates/friends. My Raid Report stats indicate my endgame PVE feats in Destiny 2 across 3000+ hours of experience in both of the Destiny titles.

This concludes my guide, but if you want similar guides written by me, please check out my list of the Best Gambit Weapons and the Best Fusion Rifles. For fellow Titan Class mains out there, you might enjoy reading my guide to the Best PVE Titan Builds. If you have any questions or queries, be sure to let me know in the comments below!

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