MW3 best sniper loadouts

Update: We've updated this guide to the best sniper loadouts in MW3 so that it's up to date with any changes made to MW3 and the meta since its launch.

Modern Warfare 3 is packed with weapons, and those who like firing heads from down a scope are in luck. Of all the weapons to play around with, there are ten snipers to experiment with. That said, of all ten, some have already established themselves as MW3’s best snipers.

The best sniper in MW3 will ultimately depend on your playstyle; do you like to play fast and aggressively, or prefer sneaking around and catching enemies off guard from long ranges? Either way, there’s a sniper in MW3 for you. Here are the best MW3 sniper loadouts and all the attachments you’ll need for them.

MW3 best sniper loadouts: best attachments

MW3’s best sniper will really depend on your playstyle and what equipment you want to run with, but of course, there are some snipers that definitely stand out from the rest.

We’ve provided loadouts for the top three snipers in MW3 so you can experiment with them and see which one suits you best.

MW3 MCPR-300 loadout: best early-game sniper

The MCPR-300 is not the best of all the snipers in MW3, as you’ll see below, but it is one of the best snipers to start out with considering it’ll immediately be available to you. And if you don’t care about quick-scoping, it’s a pretty solid pick that’s relatively easy to handle.

We’re listing it as one of our best sniper loadouts because we all have to start somewhere, and we recommend starting with the best MW3 MCPR-300 loadout, while you level up and unlock other, better snipers.

• Laser: FSS OLE-V Laser
• Barrel: 17.5" Orca Barrel
• Rear Grip: Cronen Cheetah Grip
• Stock: FSS Merc Stock
• Magazine: 5 Round Mag

The FSS OLVE-V Laser aids with stability and mobility, but can easily be swapped for an optic if you prefer. As for the barrel, the 17.5" Orca Barrel is the best barrel for the MCPR-300, helping further with mobility and providing us with some positive recoil control stats to play around with.

As for the stock of the MCPR-300, the highly popular FSS Merc Stock is what we're opting for. It increases your ADS speeds even further so that you can scope and rescope very quickly, which is important for this sniper loadout.

You'll also want to consider adding a 5 Round Mag so that you've more ammunition to play with while trying to combat MW3's increased TTK. And last but not least, the Cronen Cheetah Grip as your rear grip will help your mobility even further by increasing your sprint to fire speed.

All in all, these attachments leave us with a sniper we can be highly mobile and quick to fire with. If you want to increase your rechambering speed or damage values, you can also consider swapping one of the above attachments for a Cronen Smooth Bolt or .300 Mag Armor Piercing Ammo.

MW3 Longbow loadout: best mid-game sniper

The Longbow is a fantastic, versatile sniper that can be unlocked at Level 4 in MW3, making it ideal for when you’re ready to move on from the MCPR-300 and onto something more powerful.

With as much speed as possible packed into the Longbow, you can be really mobile with it and rack up killstreaks while quick-scoping with ease. If you want a sniper that lets you move fast and slide into fights, try this best MW3 Longbow loadout.

• Underbarrel: XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop
• Stock: Stockless
• Optic: KR V4 1X Riser or Corios Eagleseye 2.5x
• Bolt: SA-M Quickbolt
• Rear Grip: DEMO 650 Grip or Nought-Z3 Grip

The XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop, KR V4 1X Riser, Stockless stock, and DEMO 650 Grip are all attachments for the Longbow that will help with our speed.

They all, in one way or another, will improve ADS speed, strafe speed, sprint to fire speed, and movement speed. This means we can be quick while wielding the weapon, and especially fast to ADS and secure kills on enemy players.

On top of this, attaching the SA-M Quickbolt will increase our rechambering speed so that we can be super quick with our shots and continue to keep the kill feed ticking.

You can also swap the recommended rear grip for the Nought-Z3 Grip if you want additional sprint to fire speed rather than strafe speed, as both grips will aid with ADS speed. Similarly, the optic you choose is entirely up to you. The KR V4 1X Riser is great, but the Corios Eagleseye 2.5x is worth looking at if you want additional magnification.

MW3 FJX Imperium loadout: best late-game sniper

It’s very quickly become apparent that the FJX Imperium sniper is the best sniper in MW3, which explains why it can only be unlocked once reaching Level 55. It’s got the best stats of all MW3’s snipers, dealing high damage, with good range and solid recoil control.

Ultimately, if you’re planning on sniping your way through a match, you want to be using the best MW3 FJX Imperium loadout.

• Stock: FJX LUX-7 (or VT-7 Spiritfire Suppressor muzzle)
• Laser: VLK LZR 7MW
• Underbarrel: Keystone Handle or Field-Wrapped Handle
• Rear Grip: Skull-40
• Magazine: 7 Round Mag (or .408 Pace High Grain Rounds ammunition)

The FJX Imperium sniper is solid from the get-go, with attachments only enhancing how strong it already is. The VT-7 Spiritfire Suppressor muzzle will prevent us from being marked on the map (which doesn’t actually matter that much given we’re also using a noticeable laser), but it will greatly help our range and bullet velocity. That said, you don't actually need to use a muzzle for this loadout, and we'd recommend usiong the FJX LUX-7 stock instead, which aids with both accuracy and mobility. These are two stats you'll really value when using a sniper.

The Skull-40 rear grip and VLK LZR 7MW laser will improve our ADS speed and sprint to fire speed so you can be quick to kill enemy targets. Pairing this with a 7 Round Mag will mean we've plenty of ammo to play around with without needing to reload constantly. That said, if you don't mind reloading, you could also consider the .408 Pace High Grain Rounds for some extra damage.

Last but not least, adding the Keystone Handle as a carry handle (underbarrel), will help our accuracy and recoil control a little bit. You can also consider the Field-Wrapped Handle if you prefer its stats.

For more on MW3, take a look at what assault rifles are on offer. There’s our MCW loadout, MTZ-556 loadout, and SVA 545 loadout to choose from.