Markman rifles are the best option in Black Ops 6 if you prefer precision over everything else, and using the best marksman rifle loadouts ensures that you will be a dominant force at both medium and long range.
When you think about how to win long-range gunfights in Call of Duty, using an assault rifle or sniper rifle is the usual first choice most players opt for. However, there’s another weapon category that often gets overlooked but is very strong this year – marksman rifles.
If you use a meta DMR build, very few other guns will ever beat you in a fair fight. They deal high damage and have great range, making them lethal in the right hands. To help you make the most of this underrated class of weapons, here are the best marksman rifle loadouts, as well as their rankings when compared to one another.
Best Marksman Rifle loadouts in BO6
1. Tsarkov 7.62
- Optic: Jason Armory 2X
- Muzzle: Compensator
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
- Laser: Target Laser
The Tsarkov 7.62 is the only marksman rifle that can kill in a single shot. If you land a headshot in its max damage range, it will down enemies in one blow, making it one of the most lethal weapons in the game. Admittably, Black Ops 6’s fast-paced gameplay can make it tricky to use at times, but if you have the skill required, very little outguns this powerful DMR.
To have the best chance of making this gun work, you need to use the Quickdraw Grip to enhance ADS speed. Equally, the Long Barrel boosts its one-shot kill range, which is a must given that its damage output is this gun’s biggest strength. With this build, you will be able to dominate any lobby, as long as you can land shots when under pressure
2. AEK-973
- Optic: K&S Red Dot
- Muzzle: Compensator
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
- Rear Grip: Commando Grip
The AEK-973 may have gone under the community’s radar, but Treyarch caught on to how powerful this was very quickly. As a result, it was nerfed in Season 1, with its handling being reduced and the previously outrageous Rapid Fire attachment no longer even being worth using.
Prior to the nerfs, the AEK was genuinely the best weapon in the game but now sits as a upper medium-tier gun instead. Even so, you can do a lot worse than using this, with its laser accuracy and reliable one-burst kill making it a scary gun to come up against. Just be sure to use both the Compensator and Vertical Foregrip to make each burst as accurate as possible.
3. DM-10
- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Ported Compensator
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Rear Grip: Quickdraw Grip
- Stock: Combat Stock
The DM-10 is the most misunderstood gun in Black Ops 6. By default, this marksman rifle has a scope, leading many players to assume that it’s a long-range, precision weapon. However, the DM-10 actually performs best as a close to medium-range gun, effectively serving as a direct competitor to the Goblin Mk2.
This gun’s role begins to make a lot more sense when built to dominate up close, as it has the fastest time-to-kill in BO6 at just 200 ms. If you can land those two opening shots, nothing else outguns it outside of one-shot kill weapons. To make landing those shots as easy as possible, be sure to use the Ported Compensator, which is by far the most important attachment on this build.
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4. SWAT 5.56
- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Comepensator
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
- Rear Grip: Commando Grip
In many ways, the SWAT 5.56 is similar to the AEK-973. Both are able to kill in just one burst and have impressive range. However, the SWAT is designed to excel at medium range, while the AEK is better suited to long-range engagements, especially after it was nerfed in Season 1.
These nerfs have allowed the SWAT to close the gap on AEK, but it’s still a worse overall gun due to its higher recoil and inferior range. Even so, using the Compensator and Vertical Foregrip turns it into a solid weapon that is accurate enough to be competitive in most lobbies.
All Black Ops 6 Marksman Rifles ranked
There are four marksman rifles for you to choose from: AEK-973, DM-10, SWAT 5.56, and Tsarkov 7.62. All of these fill a different niche and have their own unique strengths and weaknesses,.
Here’s how they rank, as well as each of their maximum damage range stats where they’ll hit the hardest:
| RANK | GUN | MAXIMUM DAMAGE RANGE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsarkov 7.62 | 36m |
| 2 | AEK-973 | 34m |
| 3 | DM-10 | 25m |
| 4 | SWAT 5.56 | 32m |
Meta analysis
Following the nerfs to the AEK-973 in Season 1, the Tsarkov 7.62 is now the best markman rifle in Black Ops 6. Its unique ability to kill in one shot makes it incredibly strong in the right hands, especially on larger maps with longer sightlines.
As for the AEK-973, it is still good but no longer the dominant gun it was pre-patch. The loss of rapid fire means its two-burst TTK is now unspectacular, which was a big reason why players used it in the first place. It still beats out the SWAT 556 though, which has worse range and more recoil.
Interestingly, the DM-10 has become somewhat of a dark horse as players have gotten more familiar with the meta. Initially written off as one of BO6’s worst weapons, it now fills a niche as a powerful close to medium-range rifle thanks to its spectacular TTK. The DM-10 isn’t easy to use by any means, but can be genuinely scary to come up against when used by a skilled player.
Of course, marksman rifles aren’t your only option. We’ve also broken down the best Shotguns and the best SMG loadouts, so feel free to see what works best for you. For a bigger picture of BO6’s meta, check out our complete tier list that ranks all of guns in the game from best to worst.