Best Guns & Bows in 7 Days to Die — Ranked by DPS
The strongest weapon you can keep firing is the M60 Machine Gun: 733 damage per second at quality 6 with AP 7.62mm Ammo, 60 rounds to a magazine. The Rocket Launcher tops the raw list (1,597/s) but holds 1 round.
- Best sustained fire733M60 Machine Gun
- Biggest single hit231Auto Shotgun
- Most per magazine6,000M60 Machine Gun
- Best bow154Compound Crossbow
The weapons database shows each family on its own scale. This guide puts all 23 ranged weapons on one, then lets you cut to the ones that keep firing.
On this page
All 23 ranged weapons, ranked
Sorted by damage per second at quality 6, before reload. Tick "Sustained fire only" to drop one-round and blast weapons, or sort on damage per magazine to see what you get between reloads. Each name opens the weapon's page.
23 weapons
| # | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rocket Launcher | T3 | 1278 blastRocket Frag | 75 | 1597 | 1 | 1,278 | 100 m | Explosives 50 |
| 2 |  M60 Machine Gun | T3 | 100AP 7.62mm Ammo | 440 | 733 | 60 | 6,000 | 90 m | Machine Guns 61 |
| 3 |  SMG-5 | T3 | 70AP 9mm Ammo | 480 | 560 | 30 | 2,100 | 65 m | Handguns 46 |
| 4 |  Tactical Assault Rifle | T2 | 79AP 7.62mm Ammo | 405 | 532 | 30 | 2,363 | 90 m | Machine Guns 26 |
| 5 |  Pipe Shotgun | T0 | 216Shotgun AP Slug | 120 | 433 | 1 | 216 | — | Shotguns 1 |
| 6 |  KV-47 Machine Gun | T1 | 63AP 7.62mm Ammo | 360 | 375 | 30 | 1,875 | 90 m | Machine Guns 11 |
| 7 |  Sniper Rifle | T3 | 138AP 7.62mm Ammo | 140 | 321 | 12 | 1,650 | 150 m | Rifles 61 |
| 8 |  Auto Shotgun | T3 | 251Shotgun Shell, 10 pellets | 70 | 293 | 16 | 4,020 | — | Shotguns 61 |
| 9 |  .44 Desert Vulture | T3 | 130AP .44 Magnum Ammo | 130 | 282 | — | — | 50 m | Handguns 71 |
| 10 |  Pipe Machine Gun | T0 | 50AP 7.62mm Ammo | 335 | 279 | 15 | 750 | 90 m | Machine Guns 1 |
| 11 |  Pump Shotgun | T2 | 225Shotgun AP Slug | 60 | 225 | 8 | 1,800 | — | Shotguns 26 |
| 12 |  Hunting Rifle | T1 | 85AP 7.62mm Ammo | 120 | 170 | 1 | 85 | 150 m | Rifles 11 |
| 13 |  .44 Magnum | T2 | 99AP .44 Magnum Ammo | 100 | 165 | 6 | 593 | 70 m | Handguns 26 |
| 14 |  Pistol | T1 | 54AP 9mm Ammo | 180 | 161 | 15 | 806 | 50 m | Handguns 11 |
| 15 |  Compound Crossbow | T3 | 123Steel Crossbow Bolt | 75 | 154 | 1 | 123 | 100 m | Bows 56 |
| 16 |  Lever Action Rifle | T2 | 108AP 7.62mm Ammo | 82 | 147 | 5 | 538 | 150 m | Rifles 26 |
| 17 |  Pipe Rifle | T0 | 68AP 7.62mm Ammo | 120 | 135 | 1 | 68 | 150 m | Rifles 1 |
| 18 |  Compound Bow | T3 | 96Steel Arrow | 75 | 120 | 1 | 96 | 100 m | Bows 36 |
| 19 |  Iron Crossbow | T1 | 88Steel Crossbow Bolt | 75 | 110 | 1 | 88 | 100 m | Bows 21 |
| 20 |  Pipe Pistol | T0 | 43AP 9mm Ammo | 126 | 89 | 6 | 255 | 40 m | Handguns 1 |
| 21 |  Wooden Bow | T1 | 69Steel Arrow | 75 | 86 | 1 | 69 | 100 m | Bows 11 |
| 22 |  Primitive Bow | T0 | 50Steel Arrow | 75 | 62 | 1 | 50 | 100 m | Bows 1 |
| 23 |  Double Barrel Shotgun | T1 | 220Shotgun AP Slug | — | — | 2 | 440 | — | Shotguns 11 |
The best weapon of each family
One winner per family on damage per second at quality 6. The perk that governs a family is named on each weapon's page.
| Family | Best weapon | Damage / s | Damage / shot | Ammo | Magazine | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handguns | SMG-5 | 560 | 70 | AP 9mm Ammo | 30 | 65 m |
| Shotguns | Pipe Shotgun | 433 | 216 | Shotgun AP Slug | 1 | — |
| Rifles | Sniper Rifle | 321 | 138 | AP 7.62mm Ammo | 12 | 150 m |
| Machine Guns | M60 Machine Gun | 733 | 100 | AP 7.62mm Ammo | 60 | 90 m |
| Explosives | Rocket Launcher | 1,597 (blast) | 1278 | Rocket Frag | 1 | 100 m |
| Bows | Compound Crossbow | 154 | 123 | Steel Crossbow Bolt | 1 | 100 m |
Ammo each family fires
The damage of one round before the weapon's own offset is added. The ranking uses the best round of each weapon.
| Family | Ammo and its damage |
|---|---|
| Handguns | 9mm Ammo 32; HiPower 9mm Ammo 35; AP 9mm Ammo 38 |
| Shotguns | Shotgun Shell 10.1 × 10; Shotgun AP Slug 175; Shotgun Breaching Slug 96 |
| Rifles | 7.62mm Ammo 47; HiPower 7.62mm Ammo 52; AP 7.62mm Ammo 57 |
| Machine Guns | 7.62mm Ammo 47; HiPower 7.62mm Ammo 52; AP 7.62mm Ammo 57 |
| Explosives | Rocket HE 420 blast; Rocket Frag 730 blast |
| Bows | Stone Arrow 35; Iron Arrow 38; Steel Arrow 42; Flaming Arrow 25; Exploding Arrow 180 |
What the ranking leaves out
Every figure comes from the weapon's and its ammo's entries in the V3.3 item files.
Reload time is not in the files
A one-round weapon fires at its listed rate only on paper, so the list can be cut to 10+ round magazines, and damage per magazine is a column. Double Barrel Shotgun has no rate of fire in the files and sorts last.
FAQ
What is the best gun in 7 Days to Die?
For sustained fire, the M60 Machine Gun: 733 damage per second at quality 6 with AP 7.62mm Ammo. For the hardest single hit, the Auto Shotgun: 231 with Shotgun AP Slug at quality 6.
What is the best bow or crossbow?
By damage per second at quality 6, the Compound Crossbow (154). Bows and crossbows fire 75 shots a minute in the files and hold one arrow.
Which weapon holds the most damage per magazine?
The M60 Machine Gun: 6,000 across a 60-round magazine at quality 6.
Does ammo type change the answer?
Yes: the table uses the best round of each weapon. The ammo section lists every round a family fires and its damage.
Pages to keep open
Related pages
Sources
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