Way of the Hunter: Weapon Guide | Best Weapons to Use

Way of the Hunter is naturally all about the firearms, as a hunting game involving a breadth of long-range rifles and shotguns. New players to the game may wonder what all the different rifles and shotguns are – along with which option is best for which target.

Another chief concern among new players may be: how exactly do I load up on ammunition? In this weapon guide, we’ll explore the best weapons to use, depending on what you’re hunting. We’ll also take a closer look at the importance of ammunition, and where to get more once you run out.

Everything To Know About Weapons in ‘Way of the Hunter’

Naturally, which weapon you’ll want to opt to use will depend on the type of target animal you’re hunting and how you approach hunting them. Rifles are functional for long-range and more covert shots, while shotguns are good for shorter-range prey (or birds hovering above).

 There are 10 rifles total, but only 3 shotguns at the moment. This may change in a future update.

A great all-around rifle is the “Steyr Scout” or the “Steyr Monobloc,” both of which offer the ability to be used in all ranges; either up-close or from a more advantageous distance. The ‘Scout’ offers a larger magazine capacity of 5 bullets, and the ‘Monobloc’ offers higher accuracy for long-range targets with more customization options in terms of scopes and attachments.

‘Gear’ is also an integral part of adjusting your weapon to your prey to optimize your ability to make the shot. In addition to binoculars and callers (to call prey out into the open), the game also offers customizable rifle and shotgun sights and collimators.

For long-range shots, especially those that are difficult to make, you’ll want to use the “Overgaard Long Range 3-15X50” and the “Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14X40” for closer range positions.

As for ammo, those who have run out and are looking to get ammo in the wild are going to be in for a rude awakening. To get ammo, you need to access the ‘Storage Safe.’

Storage Safes can be located in cabins scattered across the maps – these include locations you can fast travel to. Once you’ve accessed the safe and then exited the menu of the safe, you will automatically refill your gun’s ammo.

Hunting in Way of the Hunter is focused more on precision and accuracy than traditional shooting games, and this is something to keep in mind when selecting or using a weapon.

Smaller game animals, like birds, are much more suited to short-range weapons like the shotgun. You will have a harder time making a profit off of these animals and as such, less thought needs to go into which weapon to use to kill them.

For shotguns, a personal preference is for the “Morning Silence” or “Hol-Den the Jack 1502” – these are both extremely responsive, lightweight, and great for all small, close-range prey. The benefit of Morning Silence is that it is semi-automatic and offers a larger magazine capacity of 4 bullets.

Larger animals, such as deer, require more precision and a long-range rifle. Even after killing the animal, the way in which they were killed is factored in the game, meaning those that took multiple shots are valued significantly less than those with a one-shot kill.

With every shot you take, the intention is to ensure you aim to kill.

You’ll have to aim down the sights for every shot you take – this is much more difficult for shots that are greater than 150 meters. At the same time, while taking a shot, you will need to ‘hold your breath to steady your aim. You’ll want to pay attention to the travel of the wind as well as waiting for your target to stop moving and be still.

Not being zeroed in on your rifle with precision may mean you don’t make a kill shot. If this happens, you’ll have to follow the blood trail of the animal to get the final kill. You need to factor in that zeroing in at a further distance will cause the bullet to have a higher path of travel than those at a closer calibration.

We always recommend shooting for the heart.

While it may seem like it makes more sense to aim for the head, the heart will almost always penetrate the lungs as an accessory to the shot, aiding in the chance of killing the animal in one hit. It is also a much easier and more simplistic shot to make. Even if it is able to flee, it will be much slower and easier to track down than an animal where you miss the shot completely.