Highlights
- Plasma Rifle offers effective mixed damage against armored enemies, though ammo can be hard to find.
- .44 Pistol boasts high damage per shot with excellent ammo efficiency, making it a solid early game choice.
- Hunting Rifle excels in mid-long-range marksmanship, especially for stealth builds, hitting hard from stealth.
There's a plethora of weapons in Fallout 76, but as with every MMO, the best ones are usually reserved for the endgame. This doesn't mean that new players get to be stuck with basic peashooters, though, as there are plenty of guns that suit low-leveled characters more, whether it be due to circumstances or logistics when it comes to ammo consumption and production.
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The following is a short list of efficient early game weapons that are great for those who are just starting out. All of them (except for one) are very efficient when it comes to ammo usage, and they're not too shabby either in combat, even when unmodded. The base versions of these guns are decent in their own right, though some do have versions that can be obtained as quest rewards in Fallout 76.
1 Plasma Rifle
Split Damage For Maximum Efficiency
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The Plasma Rifle is very strong early on, regardless of whether a player is an energy weapon enthusiast or not. It deals mixed physical and energy damage, dealing more DPS in total against armored enemies. Ammo can be a little tough to find, but it shouldn't be an issue with Scrounger perk or if players have access to enough crafting materials.
These are often carried by Blood Eagle bandits. Those who are looking for one should try fighting the ambush group in Summersville. There are also Enclave variants of the Plasma Rifle, and the best versions of those are often considered to be some of the most valuable legendary weapons in Fallout 76.
2 .44 Pistol
The Cowboy Classic
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These are harder-hitting pistols that, when kitted out correctly, can kill most unarmored enemies in one or two shots to the chest. Ammunition for .44 revolvers are surprisingly common, and given their good ammo economy, players will rarely find themselves wanting for more bullets, even if they do end up missing a lot of their shots.
A Unique variant called The Fact Finder that players can find relatively early on, at around the Level 25-30 mark. It fires two explosive projectiles per trigger pull, and it costs less AP to shoot when using VATS. Players can get it by completing the Mother of Invention quest given by Scribe Valdez at Fort Atlas. There's also the Medical Malpractice variant, though players will likely be unable to get it until Level 50.
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3 Hunting Rifle
One Shot, One Kill
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The trusty Hunting Rifle is the wasteland survivor's best friend when it comes to mid-long-range marksmanship. This weapon hits extremely hard, especially from stealth, where it can hit targets for double damage. When supported with the right mods and the Fallout 76's Chinese Stealth Armor, even an ordinary hunting rifle can become an effective primary weapon for stealth builds.
Hunting rifles are fairly common around the wasteland. The Scorched often wield short variants of this weapon. Collect and scrap them to unlock more crafting options.
4 Combat Shotgun
Close Range Meat Grinder
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When it comes to close-range encounters, a Combat Shotgun can absolutely shred everything outside the biggest or most heavily-armored enemies in the game. The DPS on this weapon is extreme, and once players start crafting legendary weapons in Fallout 76, any normal Combat Shotgun can become a CQB powerhouse.
These guns can be found in many locations throughout Appalachia. Mole Miners and Scorched sometimes drop Combat Shotguns. To get one without spending Caps, visit any POI that has high volumes of these enemies, like the Tyler Country Fairground or Kerwood Mine.
5 Handmade
Versatile All-Rounder
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The Handmade is an assault rifle that can usually be seen in the hands of Blood Eagle Raiders and Moth Cultists. It's great for players who want to use semi or fully-automatic rifle builds, though ammo can be an issue early on. As long as players can set up near one of the many Lead farming spots in Fallout 76, they should have no trouble making their own ammo.
Handmade rifles can be obtained by raiding Blood Eagle or Moth Cultist POIs. Lucky Hole Mine near Big Bend Tunnel East has a lot of cultists in and out of its instanced cave system.
