Last Updated on by Samuel Franklin
Mastering how to level up the sniper skill (bolt-action rifles) in Tarkov is critical to several key tasks in your PMC quest progression. With these strategies below players can optimise the levelling of this skill which was originally known as ‘Sniper Rifles’ and changed to ‘Bolt-Action Rifles’ in April 2024 to provide clarity on the weapons required to gain experience in this skill.
Table of Contents:
– How to Level up Sniper Skill
– What Is Sniper Skill Needed For? (Quests)
– Benefits Of Sniper Skill Levels
How to Level up Sniper Skill
Earning skill points requires players use bolt-action rifles and:
- Hit enemies
- Reload or unload the chamber
- Completing specific quests (A Shooter Born in Heaven: +5 levels, Mentor: +3 levels, The Tarkov Shooter – Part 8: +3 levels and Psycho Sniper: +3 levels)
There are a number of sniper skill levelling guides that suggest taking a Mosin and finding a quiet corner of Shoreline or Woods to reload the weapon constantly with the cheapest available ammunition (usually T-46M). This works because every time you reload the Mosin it releases a bullet from the chamber allowing you to reload endlessly with as much ammo as you can carry. While this does work it can be a boring gameplay process to use and does nothing for your broader PMC account progression.
For the best way to level sniper skills in Tarkov I recommend players bring their preferred bolt-action rifle into a loot focused raid where you limit PMC PvP (such as a night time raid). By visiting the Scav hot spots and shooting them in the arms or legs several times players can maximise experience as each hit is providing weapon experience points. If you like to use a Mosin and can afford to bring lots of ammunition you can also reload the it rapidly as you sprint across the map and leave a trail of bullets behind you. This method also provides significant PMC experience and loot for Roubles to progress your account.
Players can also acquire a large number of sniper levels from specific quests and given each subsequent level of the sniper rifle skill requires more experience points these quests should be handed into traders later. The most effective time to hand in these quests is when the levels provided will allow you to reach your target sniper level threshold that is required for a quest. For example waiting to complete Mentor until you are level 4 sniper skill to reach level 7 sniper skill for Wet Job Part 6.
What Is Sniper Skill Needed For? (Quests)
Sniper skills in Tarkov are used for the following:
- Level 7 for Wet Job Part 6 (Peacekeeper)
- Level 10 for the quest Psycho Sniper (Mechanic)
- Level 10 for the quest Make An Impression (Lightkeeper)
This makes sniper level acquisition critical for those seeking to complete all quests for The Collector quest with these tasks predominately at the end of the Tarkov quest tree.
Benefits Of Sniper Skill Levels
The sniper skill provides benefits that are similar to other weapon combat skills and only apply when using that weapon type:
- Reduces weapon recoil
- Increases reload speed
- Increases weapon switching speed
- Doubles weapon mastering gain (Elite)
- Steady aim for first 3 seconds with any stamina value (Elite)
In EFT sniper weapons are classed as any of the bolt-action rifle weapons available. This list includes popular weapons like the DVL-10, M700 and Mosin variants and is based on the weapon not the ammo used.
As a result the majority of buffs from this skill are useless with the purpose of progressing this skill solely for quest requirements. Reducing weapon recoil for example is not noticeable on bolt-action rifles as the time between shots means there is no effective recoil and reload speed with these weapons is rarely a contributing factor to your survival. Weapon switching speed is slightly more useful allowing you to swap to a secondary weapon like a pistol in close combat.
If you want to learn more about levelling skills in Tarkov visit our other guides on endurance, strength, vitality, search, attention, health, metabolism and stress resistance.
