As the most unusual sniper rifle in Apex Legends and perhaps in all of shooterdom, it’s possible the G7 Scout disappointed you the first time you picked it up. Bringing your sniper experience into Apex from any other game, you might find the Scout to be strangely under-powered. It may especially feel that way when compared to the other long-range rifles.
For the initiated, the G7 Scout is one of the best weapons in the game. This guide will show you why, and teach you the main principles of using it effectively.
Taking care of your G7 Scout
Before you start, you can check out our primer on sniper rifles to get an idea of the Scout’s basic strengths and weaknesses. As you will soon find out, however, this rifle differs from the other three in its class in multiple important ways.
Your first priority should be getting it a comfortable optic. This is a matter of taste, although the Scout really shines with a 2x HCOG Bruiser scope. The second attachment on your shopping list is an extended light ammo magazine. You don’t realistically need one, but it helps get even better damage output in close-range shootouts. It also helps maintain enemies suppressed without pausing to reload.
A barrel stabilizer could be helpful for close-range fights, although it is not crucial and your second weapon would probably need it more. The Scout works off a single stack of light ammo, but depending on your accuracy two stacks can’t hurt. A second stack is especially recommended if you favor fighting over longer distances.
Flexible and deadly
If you have pinged a G7 Scout as Bangalore, you know she compares it to an assault rifle. This is true, as it both handles and reloads faster than a regular sniper. It also fires extremely quickly, although it isn’t fully automatic. It still moves like a sniper when aiming down sights, however, which is another way of saying it slows you to a crawl.
For that reason, in close range the Scout is best fired from the hip. Incidentally it has the best hipfire accuracy and the highest DPS in the class besides the legendary Kraber. Do not hesitate to duel with it against basically any other weapon. The fast rate of fire and massive magazine are your main advantages. However, you should still aim for headshots to capitalize on the x2 headshot damage multiplier.
Its hipfire scatters considerably over long distances, so don’t rely on it beyond the 45-meter mark. In the mid and long range, the Scout’s superior projectile speed and accuracy can work miracles. Aim down sights and watch the bodies drop.
Things start getting tricky when you get into actual sniper range. At distances beyond 80 meters the G7 Scout strangely stops being a sniper and becomes a suppression weapon. You will still be dishing out damage, but with a reduced ability to actually secure kills.
Its lack of burst damage is where the Scout falls short of the other sniper rifles. Against a fully outfitted Legend the G7 takes five headshots to secure a kill. That’s compared to the two it would take a Longbow, Triple Take, or a Kraber. And while you can technically land those five shots very quickly, you might not get to. The first couple of shots would have alerted your target and prompted them to seek cover. The Longbow is slow, but it is also unforgiving.
To be fair, a skilled sharpshooter can use the Scout as a sniper successfully. While it’s not as loud and flashy as the other Apex Legends sniper rifles, it is much more reliable and flexible. Whether you are firing across canyons or defending a smoke-filled hallway, the Scout will do the job.
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