The Hard Target rifle in Starfield is a bolt-action Ballistic weapon that utilizes .50 Caliber bullets, providing a range of 100 and making it ideal for long-range assassinations. Unlike other rifles, Hard Target is hard to find, and players rarely encounter one until they reach a specific level. However, there are two guaranteed methods to obtain this weapon. This guide will detail how Starfield players can acquire the Hard Target rifle early on and optimize its potency through gun modifications.

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How to Get Hard Target in Starfield

In Starfield, players can acquire a Hard Target rifle by purchasing it from weapon vendors or collecting it from random drops. If the gun doesn’t show up in merchants’ inventory, this means that players are below Level 30.

Purchase from a Vendor at Level 30

Hard Target becomes available at merchant spots once players reach Level 30. Once this prerequisite is met, players can head to any of the weapon vendors in the major cities to purchase the Hard Target rifle for about 20,000 Credits.

Farm from High-Level Spacers

Players who are below Level 30 in Starfield can obtain a Hard Target rifle by defeating high-level space pirates. To do so, they will need to save scum by repeatedly defeating Spacer bosses of Level 50 or above until the weapon is dropped as loot.

Best Mods for Hard Target

Since Hard Target is a bolt-action rifle, it can benefit from the following weapon modifications:

• Suppressor
• Tactical Grip
• Recon Laser Sight
• Bull Barrel
• High Powered.

But players should note that Hard Target can actually carry seven mods, allowing the physical damage to go beyond 400.

Is Hard Target Worth It?

Considering its base and max power, Hard Target is the best Ballistic rifle in Starfield. For only 20,000 Credits at Level 30, players can purchase this beast of a long-range weapon and modify it to fit any stealth build.

Hard Target base stats:

However, players looking for sheer rifle damage might prefer Magsniper over Hard Target. That is because an Advanced version of Magsniper can land up to 794 DMG—almost twice as an Advanced Hard Target’s.

Starfield is available now for PC and Xbox Series X/S.