Call of Duty: Black Ops has an iconic range of weaponry to use, especially for snipers. The game, which takes place in the Cold War era, has weapons like the AK-47 and M1911. And with the game making a debut for the PS4 & PS5, there is going to be plenty of players diving back in. Back in those days of Call of Duty, it wasn’t about the movement that gave you the advantage over the other team. But rather, the types of weapons you are using when the foe lines up in your sights. Snipers are some of the best guns you can use in Black Ops, no matter the mode you are playing. Therefore, if you are looking to play BO1 and are curious which snipers are best to use, we have a tier list to help you.
Black Ops Snipers Tier List
The original Black Ops title only had four different snipers that you could use in the multiplayer. These are the Dragunov, WA2000, L96A1, and PSG1. As you progress through the ranks, you will slowly unlock each of them. However, our tier list below aims to help you pick the right one to keep using.
- S-Tier: L96A1
- A-Tier: PSG1
- B-Tier: N/A
- C-Tier: Dragunov
- D-Tier: WA2000
S-Tier
| Weapon | Description | Unlock Level | Cost |
| L96A1 | When it comes to the best sniper rifle in Black Ops, the L96 answers the call. It’s a bolt-action rifle, and it packs a punch. When it comes to regular matches, it’s a one-hit shot to the torso and above. Whereas anywhere else on the body, it requires two. Furthermore, the recoil on the gun is not too strong, and as long as you hit your shot, you are guaranteed to take down your foe. | 27 | 2000 |
A-Tier
| Weapon | Description | Unlock Level | Cost |
| PSG1 | The PSG1 is a semi-automatic sniper rifle and provides good damage with each shot. While it’s not as powerful as an L96, it can still be really useful. The big advantage of it is that it doesn’t need to be reloaded after each shot. Furthermore, it has a lower recoil and moderate reload speed, allowing you to put more shots into your foes. If you prefer to have more bullets to take out targets, this is a great option for a sniper rifle. | 27 (All other Sniper Rifles must be purchased) | 2000 |
C-Tier
| Weapon | Description | Unlock Level | Cost |
| Dragunov | Another semi-automatic sniper, the Dragunov, is the first one that players unlock in the game. It has moderate damage and can be fired relatively fast. However, it suffers from some bad recoil, and its reload time is much slower than the PSG1. If you prefer to use semi-automatic snipers, it’s best to wait until you can unlock the PSG1 and use that instead, but use this in the meantime. | 3 | 0 |
D-Tier
| Weapon | Description | Unlock Level | Cost |
| WA2000 | When it comes to snipers in Black Ops, the WA2000 is by far the weakest choice. It’s a semi-automatic rifle, but its stats are its weakness. The weapon has some of the worst damage, not just out of all snipers but even the semi-automatic options. Plus, it only comes with six bullets in the magazine without Extended Mags. Combine this with its sluggish reload speed, and if you don’t take down foes before emptying the magazine, you leave yourself open to being taken down. It’s something that should only be used as a last resort. | 10 | 2000 |
As you can see, players have some different options to pick from for snipers in the game. However, if you can obtain the L96, it’s going to be the most useful pick in the game. Unlike other Call of Duty titles, players actually started earning in-game currency in Black Ops to unlock tools for their arsenal. Therefore, it’s best to save up to get the bolt-action rifle when you load into the game, rather than get stuck with a weaker sniper.
