Choosing the best PUBG Mobile sniper isn’t easy. Between the game’s bolt-action beauties and its extensive list of semi-auto DMRs, there’s a lot to consider in picking your favorite. Bolt-action rifles tend to deal more damage, but the long pause between shots and the need to take your eye off the target to ready the next can give a hurting opponent time to escape. DMRs, on the other hand, are ready to ping off shots like a long-range assault rifle. The issue there, however, is the need to land two, three, or sometimes even four shots to secure the kill.

Ultimately, the situation at hand, the opponent’s armor, and your rank are what make the best PUBG Mobile sniper for you. But read on to learn the intricacies of each, and how one might prove better than the other.

The Best PUBG Mobile Sniper

Kar98k

• Attachment Slots: Three
• Attachments: Sight, Muzzle, Stock
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: Bolt-Action
• Magazine Size: 5
• Rarity: Common

Though it’s one of the most satisfying snipers to use and extremely beginner-friendly, the Kar98k is quickly reduced to a liability after the first few minutes of the match. It’s strong enough to drop virtually anyone without a single shred of armor on their body, but once a helmet or Kevlar comes into play, the low time-between-shot rate caused by its bolt-action mechanism makes it a tough sell in most situations. If you can find one early, that’s great. Just learn to let go before it gets you killed.

Mosin Nagant

• Attachment Slots: Four
• Attachments: Scope, Canted Sight, Muzzle, Stock
• Scope Included?: Yes
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: Bolt-Action
• Magazine Size: 5
• Rarity: Common

One of the more recent additions to the list of best PUBG Mobile snipers is the Mosin Nagant. Introduced in early 2021, it follows in the footsteps of the PC/console versions of PUBG in that it’s virtually identical to the Kar98k. The only major difference here is an audiovisual one. It looks different, it sounds different, but it’s otherwise the same gun. If anything, it’s just another thing to buy and earn skins for. You’ll find it on Erangel and Miramar (two places the Kar98k does not appear) and serves as little more than a regional nod.

M24

• Attachment Slots: Four
• Attachments: Sight, Muzzle, Magazine, Stock
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: Bolt-Action
• Magazine Size: 5
• Rarity: Common

If you get a kick out of the Kar98k, the next step up is the M24. It’s often considered one of the best PUBG Mobile sniper rifles not for its damage, but for its availability. It’s almost as powerful as the beloved AWM — which is sadly only found in air drops. That makes the readily available M24 a more reliable option to master, even if it’s not necessary stronger in a vacuum. You’ll still be at the mercy of its bolt-action pause between shots, but if you’re a solid shot at long range, you should be able to drop most targets with a single hit to the skull. Only a level three helmet will save them.

AWM

• Attachment Slots: Five
• Attachments: Sight, Canted Sight, Muzzle, Magazine, Stock
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: .300 Magnum
• Sniper Type: Bolt-Action
• Magazine Size: 5
• Rarity: Air Drop

The dreaded AWM is technically the best PUBG Mobile sniper around. Its damage potential is unrivaled. But its scarcity — being available in airdrops only — and its reliance on rare .300 Magnum ammo makes it something only the best and/or luckiest should consider aiming for in a match. Just getting one incurs a massive risk. Then if you don’t have the accuracy to back up the few shots you get with this gun, you’re in trouble. That being said, landing just about any hit will likely one-tap a player. Headshots simply cut through level three helmets like butter. It’s game over if a decent marksman gets ahold of this machine.

Win94

• Attachment Slots: One
• Attachments: Bullet Loop
• Scope Included?: Yes
• Ammo Type: .45ACP
• Sniper Type: Lever-Action
• Rarity: Common

Another good and beginner-friendly option is the Win94. It’s hardly the best PUBG Mobile sniper around, but it can certainly help out in the opening minutes of a match. Coming pre-equipped with a solid 2.7x scope, it’s good to go as soon as you pick it up. It’s not a semi-automatic weapon, but it’s not bolt action, either. Instead, it’s a lever action sniper rifle that sits somewhere between the two other options. 

You still have a bit of a delay between shots, but it’s a noticeably shorter animation than something like the Kar98k. You’ll still want to drop this in favor of something else as the map begins to shrink, though. Armor and helmets will easily make each kill take two or more shots. But its a great way to practice your skill in a real match.

SKS

• Attachment Slots: Six
• Attachments: Sights, Canted Sight, Maga zine, Stock, Foregrip, Muzzle
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 10
• Rarity: Common

The SKS is a very popular pick no matter the map, making it one of the best PUBG Mobile snipers by default. Remember that your skill with a weapon determines its effectiveness — even more-so with sniper rifles — and practice makes perfect.

There’s more to it than its availability, though. It may not be a true weapon system, but it’ll take any scope you throw at it. Keep the 8x handy while the map is large, then switch down to the popular 4x as things start to get a bit more personal. You still need to battle bullet drift at longer range, but in most cases, the SKS is the DMR sniper to beat. Ten rounds doesn’t leave too much room for error, but an extended mag can double it to a much more manageable capacity. It’s a powerful, fairly flexible, and reliable option — one you should absolutely get used to. You’ll find it on any map, and that makes it a trustworthy machine to befriend.

VSS

• Attachment Slots: Two
• Attachments: Sights, Extended Mag
• Scope Included?: Yes
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 10
• Rarity: Common

Like the Win94, the VSS comes equipped and ready to rock. And that’s a dangerously delicious selling point in a hurry. Early on, finding a VSS can certainly give you the confidence you need to outlive those opening moments. With a quickdraw attachment, it’s a great way to quickly pop players in a busy locale. But as the battle wages on, its included attachments can become its downfall. You can’t swap out the scope, for instance… And as the battlefield shifts to force more close-range encounters, its optics will only hold it back given its bullets take quite a while to hit targets far out. It’s a great piece of kit, but like early bolt-action sniper rifles, the key is knowing when to drop it in favor of something more suited (or more customizable) for the current situation.

Mini 14

• Attachment Slots: Four
• Attachments: Sights, Canted Sights, Muzzle, Magazine
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 5.56mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 20
• Rarity: Uncommon

The Mini 14 might not look all that miniature onscreen, but its the massive built-in stock is playing tricks on you. This popular DRM is a great pick and very much one of the best PUBG Mobile sniper rifles (even if it isn’t entirely without flaws). Hit damage is respectable at around 46 and its uncommon rarity means you’ll find one more often than not, making it a reliable weapon to practice with at the firing range. A base magazine size of 20 5.56mm bullets should see you through most fights without much need to reload at inopportune times, too. Not to mention it can take a good amount of the best and most popular attachments around. If you know what you need to make your preferred DMR, the Mini 14 is probably the one for you.

Mk14

• Attachment Slots: Five
• Attachments: Sights, Canted Sight, Muzzle, Magazine, Stock
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 10
• Rarity: Uncommon

Not to be confused with the Mini 14, the Mk14 is visually very different: looking like a cross between an assault rifle and a SWAT team shotgun. Its imposing appearance isn’t without fault, though. Found only in airdrops — which incur a great risk just to attempt to open — the Mk14 is a versatile weapon system that just needs your choice of scope to really shine. It’ll drop most targets in the mid-game with a double-tap — something you can rattle off in sequence with this weapon. Even those fully geared and healed will only be able to withstand four shots.

SLR

• Attachment Slots: Five
• Attachments: Sights, Canted Sight, Muzzle, Magazine, Stock
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 7.62mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 10
• Rarity: Uncommon

The SLR is generally seen as an alternative to the SKS. It shares its stumpy default magazine size, its doubled extended mag attachment… So why would you choose it over the SKS? It all depends on your individual skill. The SLR deals more damage than the SKS, even if it suffers from increased recoil to compensate. If you’re not able to manage its kickback, you’ll struggle to put its damage improvements to use. Worse yet, if you’re consistently missing shots, you’re more likely to fall victim to its lackluster magazine size. For most, the SKS is the best PUBG Mobile sniper of the two, but if you’re particularly proud of your recoil management, the SLR is the better pick.

QBU

• Attachment Slots: Four
• Attachments: Sights, Canted Sights, Muzzle, Magazine
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 5.56mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 10
• Rarity: Uncommon

The QBU is Sanhok’s answer to the Mini 14. If you prefer the Sanhok map, practicing with the QBU is generally better investment of your time. For that, it’s a pretty similar weapon on paper. It’s the same semi-auto firing mode, its base hit damage is only two points higher, and its fire rate matches up perfectly. Where this one differs is in its retractable bipod. Go prone with this DMR and you’ll immediately notice the weapon recoil reduced even further than going prone alone. If you like the idea of laying down in the desert and landing that perfect shot, the QBU could be your new best friend.

MK12

• Attachment Slots: Four
• Attachments: Sights, Canted Sight, Muzzle, Magazine
• Scope Included?: No
• Ammo Type: 5.56mm
• Sniper Type: DMR
• Magazine Size: 10
• Rarity: Uncommon

The MK12 is another weapon that’s exclusive to the smaller Livik map. Just like the P90 and FAMAS, the MK12 is designed with a much smaller zone in mind. In use, it’s not too dissimilar to the QBU. It utilizes the same bipod system when going prone, decreasing recoil when you lay down. Given how quickly matches lean into close-range combat on Livik, the use-case of the MK12 will diminish quickly over time. But if you prefer long-range sharpshooting over getting up close and personal throughout the Livik match, the MK12 is the gun to look for. It packs a lot of power and its recoil is virtually non-existent if you’re willing and skilled enough to be a sitting duck.

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