Apex Legends guns [Season 8]: weapon stats and best guns tier list
Ranking the best guns in Apex Legends with full Season 8 weapon stats
So many fights in Apex Legends are decided by each player's choice of weapon. There are a total of 25 guns to choose from in Apex Legends, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and attachment options.
Our Apex Legends best guns & weapon stats guide will walk you through each weapon in turn, offering detailed and up-to-date weapon stats as of Season 8, and a tier list of the best guns in the game.
On this page:
- Apex Legends best guns tier list [Season 8]
- Apex Legends weapon stats
- Assault Rifles | SMGs | LMGs | Snipers | Shotguns | Pistols
- Apex Legends weapons - frequently asked questions
Apex Legends best guns tier list
Here is our tier list of the best guns in Apex Legends as of Season 8. I've tried to take into account the effectiveness of each weapon both unupgraded and fully upgraded.
- S-Tier: Hemlok, Kraber, Peacekeeper, Prowler, R-301 Carbine, Volt, Wingman
- A-Tier: Charge Rifle, Flatline, Havoc, Mastiff, R-99, Sentinel, Spitfire, Triple Take
- B-Tier: 30-30 Repeater, Devotion, G7 Scout, Longbow, Mozambique, RE-45
- C-Tier: Alternator, EVA-8, L-Star, P2020
I can almost hear you disagreeing with me already. In the sections below, I'll explain my reasoning behind my choice of which is the best weapon in each category.
There's a lot to understand about the different guns in Apex Legends. Sometimes a gun might be very mediocre until it receives a certain attachment, after which it becomes one of the best guns in the game. So take this tier list with a pinch of salt, but if you're a newer player then let these rankings guide your decisions until you know enough to make more nuanced choices.
Apex Legends weapon stats
Below you'll find tables of up-to-date weapon stats for all the different types of Apex Legends guns.
Click on each gun's name in the tables to read our individual and in-depth gun guide on that particular weapon.
Note: Damage is given in the form of Body DMG/Head DMG/Leg DMG in the below tables, and in the Reload column you'll see speeds for both non-empty and empty reloads.
Assault Rifles - Apex Legends weapon stats
Assault Rifles are the kings of mid-range encounters. They lack the sheer damage potential of other weapons but they're reliable and powerful at pretty much any range.
| Name | Ammo | Damage | DPS | RPM | Mag Size | Reload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-30 Repeater | Heavy | 42-57/74-100/32-43 | 98 | 140 | 6/8/10/12 | 0.6s per bullet |
| G7 Scout | Light | 34/60/26 | 136 | 240 | 10/15/18/20 | 2.4s/3.0s |
| Havoc | Energy | 18/36/14 | 198 | 672 | 24/28/32/36 | 3.2s/3.2s |
| Hemlok | Heavy | 20/35/15 | 214 | 643 | 18/24/27/30 | 2.4s/2.85s |
| R-301 Carbine | Light | 14/28/11 | 190 | 816 | 18/20/25/28 | 2.4s/3.2s |
| VK-47 Flatline | Heavy | 19/38/14 | 190 | 600 | 20/25/28/30 | 2.4s/3.1s |
The best Assault Rifle in Apex Legends is the Hemlok, by far. I am convinced the Hemlok is the best weapon in the game, full stop. The three-shot burst is incredibly easy to land with a good Barrel and Optic, and you can down most players before they've even had a chance to react.
SMGs - Apex Legends weapon stats
SMGs are fast-firing close-quarters monsters in Apex Legends. Their damage drop-off and high recoil limits their power at range, but there's nothing better for frenetic close-quarters engagements.
| Name | Ammo | Damage | DPS | RPM | Mag Size | Reload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternator | Light | 16/24/13 | 160 | 600 | 19/22/25/27 | 1.9s/2.23s |
| Prowler | Unique | 15/23/12 | 200 | 800 | 35 | 2.0s/2.6s |
| R-99 | Light | 11/17/9 | 198 | 1,080 | 20/22/24/27 | 1.8s/2.45s |
| Volt | Energy | 15/23/12 | 180 | 720 | 19/21/23/26 | 1.6s/2.25s |
The best SMG in the game right now is the Prowler. High damage, high ammo capacity, surprisingly accurate... It's no wonder the Prowler is a supply-drop-only gun nowadays.
But in all honesty, every SMG apart from the Alternator is incredibly powerful in the current meta. An R-99 or Volt can happily see you to the end of a match.
LMGs - Apex Legends weapon stats
LMGs have the highest sustained damage potential of any weapon class. These guns deal high damage at a fast rate, but their accuracy prevents them from dominating the current gun meta.
| Name | Ammo | Damage | DPS | RPM | Mag Size | Reload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devotion | Energy | 16/32/14 | 240 | 900 | 36/40/44/48 | 2.8s/3.63s |
| L-Star | Energy | 18/36/14 | 180 | 600 | ~23 | 1.15s/2.45s |
| Spitfire | Heavy | 19/38/14 | 171 | 540 | 35/40/45/55 | 3.2s/3.8s |
I'm not terribly fond of LMGs, but in my opinion the best LMG in Apex Legends is the Spitfire. High damage right out of the gate, and its main drawback (recoil) can be mostly fixed with a good Barrel Stabilizer.
Snipers - Apex Legends weapon stats
Particularly on Olympus, with its long sightlines and open spaces, Sniper Rifles are extremely powerful. These are the only guns that can end a fight with a single well-timed headshot.
| Name | Ammo | Damage | DPS | RPM | Mag Size | Reload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charge Rifle | Sniper | 45/56/45 (+45) | 23 (+23) | 30 | 8 | 3.6s/3.6s |
| Kraber | Unique | 145/435/116 | 87 | 36 | 4 | 3.2s/4.3s |
| Longbow | Sniper | 55/110/44 | 64 | 86 | 6/8/10/12 | 2.66s/3.66s |
| Sentinel | Sniper | 70/140/63 | 40 | 37.5 | 4/5/6/7 | 2.5s/3.6s |
| Triple Take | Sniper | 69/138/63 | 83 | 72 | 6/7/8/9 | 2.6s/3.4s |
Obviously, the best Sniper Rifle in Apex Legends is the Kraber. This supply-drop-exclusive beast is the only gun that can one-shot any player with a headshot, no matter their health or gear. A veritable fight-ender.
Shotguns - Apex Legends weapon stats
Shotguns are designed to bring the punch of a Sniper Rifle into close-quarters engagements. A single blast from a Shotgun can cripple an enemy, but it's best combined with a longer-range automatic weapon.
| Name | Ammo | Damage | DPS | RPM | Mag Size | Reload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVA-8 | Shotgun | 63/99/63 | 132 | 126 | 8 | 2.75s/3.0s |
| Peacekeeper | Unique | 110/143/88 | 110 | 58 | 5 | 2.45s/3.35s |
| Mastiff | Shotgun | 88/112/88 | 96.8 | 66 | 6 | 1.03s/1.7s |
| Mozambique | Shotgun | 45/69/42 | 135 | 180 | 4 | 2.1s/2.6s |
The best Shotgun in Apex Legends is definitely the Peacekeeper. This shotgun is unbelievably accurate with its steadily tightening spread mechanic, and can deal over 100 damage in a single blast.
I do want to point out, though, that I actually prefer the Mozambique to the Mastiff or the EVA-8. With Hammerpoint Rounds, this once-ridiculed gun can be an incredibly potent and reliable sidearm.
Pistols - Apex Legends weapon stats
Many consider Pistols to only be suited for the early-game before you get better weapons, but the Wingman and RE-45 are both seriously powerful guns that can drop enemies in milliseconds. Don't underestimate them.
| Name | Ammo | Damage | DPS | RPM | Mag Size | Reload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P2020 | Light | 15/23/14 | 108 | 430 | 12/14/16/18 | 1.25s/1.25s |
| RE-45 | Light | 12/18/11 | 150 | 750 | 16/19/22/25 | 1.5s/1.95s |
| Wingman | Heavy | 45/90/41 | 117 | 156 | 6/7/8/9 | 2.1s/2.1s |
The best Pistol in Apex Legends is the Wingman, as it always has been. This punchy hand cannon deals very high damage per shot. It's extremely ammo-efficient. And it doesn't require attachments to be great. It's honestly one of the best guns in the game.
Apex Legends weapons - frequently asked questions
Weapons and bullets in Apex Legends work a little differently from other battle royale games such as PUBG and Fortnite. I know lots of new players are going to be asking the below questions, so I'll just go through them quickly now:
- Are any of the guns hitscan? - Just the Havoc and Charge Rifle beams. All other projectiles have travel time.
- Is there bullet drop? - Yes. The amount of drop is based on the bullet speed of each weapon.
- Is there damage drop-off? - Just the Havoc and Charge Rifle beams. However, there is a different max headshot range for each weapon, beyond which a headshot will no longer deal bonus headshot damage.
- Does each gun have a predictable spray pattern? - Yes. Spend time learning the spray patterns of each gun in the Firing Range, it'll seriously help you in fights.
- Is there aim drift? - Yes. There's a brief moment of stillness when first ADSing, after which you'll start to drift. Equipping Stock attachments minimizes aim drift. For more info, check out our Apex Legends attachments guide.
- Do different guns affect movement speed? - Yes, but only while ADSing. Without ADSing your gun has no bearing on your run speed. But when ADSing, your movement will be reduced based on the class of gun you're holding.
- Does taking damage slow you down? - Yes. Taking damage from any weapon (not just a Heavy Rounds weapon, which many players seem to believe is the case) will cause a brief slowdown. But Legends with the "Fortified" Passive (Gibraltar and Caustic) are immune to this slowdown.
That wraps up our guide to the best weapons in Apex Legends as of Season 8. Now why not round off this knowledge by perusing our guide to the different Apex Legends characters on offer?
