5 Best Snipers in Call of Duty History

Throughout Call of Duty's lifespan, snipers have had a rich and controversial history. From the origination of quick scoping to the adaptation of bullet drop, we've seen snipers evolve with each iteration of the game. Here's a deep dive through time where we look at the best-of-the-best and determine the five best snipers in Call of Duty history.

5 Best Snipers in Call of Duty History

1. M40A3 (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)

The start of an era, it would be blasphemous to keep this rifle off of the list. If you ever played the original Modern Warfare game you knew exactly how powerful this rifle was. In the right hands, nothing could stop a player with the M40A3. You could quickscope faster than submachine gun players could kill up-close and from a distance, not even the M16 could outshine this rifle.

2. Barrett .50cal (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)

This gun is one of the many reasons players look at Modern Warfare 2 as the greatest game out of the franchise. Barrett players terrorized multiplayer lobbies in a time where hitmarkers were almost nonexistent. If you even got touched by this semi-automatic, 50 caliber monster of a gun you were dropping and there was little to nothing that you could do about it.

3. Intervention (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)

A case can be made for the Intervention to be the GOAT amongst bolt action rifles. If you've ever seen a quickscope montage in Modern Warfare 2, odds are the player was shooting with one of these bad boys. The montage community helped propel teams like Optic and FaZe to the forefront so it's possible that the Intervention played a major role in helping build the foundation of Call of Duty as an esport.

4. Ballista (Call of Duty: Black Ops 2)

Black Ops 2 had two dominant snipers and the Ballista was the more regularly chosen of the two. This gun was a one-shot kill from the chest up but with its incredibly quick ADS and large magazine, it wasn't too long before you got off that first shot that the second one would follow right behind. If you were a fan of quick scoping, the Ballista was a trip to heaven.

5. DSR 50 (Call of Duty: Black Ops 2)

There was nothing more satisfying than hearing the ping of a DSR 50 as you ripped through enemies in Black Ops 2. This power-packed gun was a refreshing change of pace for Treyarch after their attempt to "get rid of quickscoping" in the original Black Ops. As long as you didn't hit players in the legs, this gun was a one-hit kill, striking fear into many enemies. This gun rightfully deserves its spot on the top five.