
Fortnite Best Weapons List - All Fortnite Weapon Damage Stats
Here's your guide to the best Fortnite weapons, including the best shotguns, assault rifles, snipers, and more, as well as a full list of Fortnite weapon damage stats.
Fortnite weapons include snipers, shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles, rocket and grenade launchers, and many more. There are a ton of different weapons to get to grips with in Fortnite Battle Royale, and every single type of weapons can come in multiple rarity versions. In this Fortnite best weapons guide, we'll be providing you with a complete list of the best weapons in Fortnite, so you always know which guns deal the most damage to the head and body areas of an opponent.
Best Fortnite Battle Royale Weapons
Firstly, we'll put together our list of the best Fortnite weapons. This list draws from all the best weapons that are current in the game, based on how many situations they can be effective in, as well as damage power and range.
- 10: Pump Shotgun - At the legendary rarity, the Pump Shotgun is nothing to mess around with, boasting a damage rating 110, more than capable of taking out an unshielded player with a single hit.
- 9: Heavy Assault Rifle - This weapon makes our top 10 list of best Fortnite weapons, mainly because it’s not lacking in any area. With 44 base damage at the lowest rarity, and a pretty high fire rate, the Heavy Assault Rifle is one of the most powerful, versatile weapons that's been added to Fortnite post-launch.
- 8: Grenade Launcher - If you're lucky enough to find an Epic or Legendary variety of the Grenade Launcher, then you've got yourself a gamechanging weapon, especially if you can manage to stick around until the very end of a match. The Grenade Launcher can decimate structures, and can kill an enemy in a single hit, if you've managed to acquire an Epic or Legendary Grenade Launcher.
- 7: Heavy Shotgun - Shotguns definitely aren’t for everyone in Fortnite, especially if you having got amazing reflex times (me). If you’re a dab hand at aiming very quickly, then the Heavy Shotgun is perfect for you, able to take out an opponent in a single point blank shot.
- 6: Rocket Launcher - Need we say more? The rocket launcher can wreak havoc on any player, especially if they’re hiding behind a structure at the end of the game. This weapon can make for a hell of a one-two punch, if you follow it up with a burst from an automatic weapon.
- 5: Assault Rifle (SCAR) - We’re talking about the Epic and Legendary versions of the Fortnite Assault Rifle here, which transform the weapon entirely in appearance. With a 35 damage rating at minimum, the SCAR version of the Assault Rifle can deal some heavy damage from range.
- 4: Heavy Sniper - This sniper rifle is devastating in Fortnite, with a 150 damage rating at minimum whenever you score a hit. A headshot equals a guaranteed kill with this weapon no matter what, meaning if you’re accurate, you’re going to wrack up kills quickly.
- 3: Suppressed Submachine Gun - Oddly enough, the Suppressed version of the Submachine Guns actually boast more damage than their non-Suppressed counterparts in Fortnite. This means that this type of weapon can kill in merely a second at close range, especially if you’ve got the Uncommon or Rare version of the weapon.
- 2: Suppressed Assault Rifle - This weapon has the element of surprise, while not sacrificing range or firepower, unlike the suppressed submachine gun. The Suppressed Assault Rifle wasn’t added to Fortnite Battle Royale too long ago, but it’s definitely become one of the best weapons in the game in that short period of time.
- 1: Compact SMG - With the fastest firing rate in the entire game, you can’t beat the Compact SMG when you’re in close quarters. It’s great for tearing through opposing structures if you’ve got enough ammo stashed up, and it’ll take less than a second of constant fire to kill another player, even with their shields at full strength.



But where can you find the best weapons in Fortnite Battle Royale? If you want a complete walkthrough of the best locations spread out across the entire map, you can check out our complete Fortnite best places to land guide.
Fortnite Weapons Damage Stats
There's a huge amount of weapons in Fortnite, each dealing different amounts of damage depending where on the body you hit an enemy. Below, we'll be breaking down in detail all the Fortnite weapon damage stats, so you know which weapons are the strongest in their category.
Weapon | Rarity | Body Damage | Headshot Damage | Reload Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
M4 Assault Rifle | Common | 30 damage | 60 damage | 2.3 seconds |
M4 Assault Rifle | Uncommon | 31 damage | 62 damage | 2.2 seconds |
M4 Assault Rifle | Rare | 33 damage | 66 damage | 2.2 seconds |
SCAR Assault Rifle | Epic | 35 damage | 70 damage | 2.1 seconds |
SCAR Assault Rifle | Legendary | 36 damage | 72 damage | 2.1 seconds |
Burst Assault Rifle | Common | 27 damage | 54 damage | 2.9 seconds |
Burst Assault Rifle | Uncommon | 29 damage | 58 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Burst Assault Rifle | Rare | 30 damage | 60 damage | 2.6 seconds |
M4 Assault Rifle | Common | 30 damage | 60 damage | 2.3 seconds |
FAMAS Assault Rifle | Epic | 32 damage | 64 damage | 2.5 seconds |
FAMAS Assault Rifle | Legendary | 33 damage | 66 damage | 2.3 seconds |
Scoped Assault Rifle | Rare | 23 damage | 46 damage | 2.3 seconds |
Scoped Assault Rifle | Epic | 24 damage | 48 damage | 2.2 seconds |
Thermal Assault Rifle | Epic | 36 damage | 72 damage | 2.3 seconds |
Thermal Assault Rifle | Legendary | 37 damage | 74 damage | 2.1 seconds |
Heavy Assault Rifle | Rare | 44 damage | 88 damage | 2.8 seconds |
Heavy Assault Rifle | Epic | 46 damage | 92 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Heavy Assault Rifle | Legendary | 48 damage | 96 damage | 2.5 seconds |
Suppressed Assault Rifle | Epic | 32 damage | 64 damage | 2.2 seconds |
Suppressed Assault Rifle | Legendary | 33 damage | 66 damage | 2.1 seconds |
Pump Shotgun | Common | 95 damage | 190 damage | 4.8 seconds |
Pump Shotgun | Uncommon | 100 damage | 200 damage | 4.6 seconds |
Pump Shotgun | Rare | 105 damage | 210 damage | 4.4 seconds |
Pump Shotgun | Epic | 110 damage | 220 damage | 4.2 seconds |
Pump Shotgun | Legendary | 116 damage | 60232 damage | 4.0 seconds |
Tactical Shotgun | Uncommon | 67 damage | 134 damage | 6.3 seconds |
Tactical Shotgun | Rare | 70 damage | 140 damage | 6.0 seconds |
Tactical Shotgun | Epic | 74 damage | 148 damage | 5.7 seconds |
Heavy Shotgun | Epic | 74 damage | 185 damage | 5.9 seconds |
Heavy Shotgun | Legendary | 77 damage | 192 damage | 5.6 seconds |
SMG | Common | 17 damage | 34 damage | 2.4 seconds |
SMG | Uncommon | 18 damage | 36 damage | 2.3 seconds |
SMG | Rare | 19 damage | 38 damage | 2.2 seconds |
Compact SMG | Common | 17 damage | 34 damage | 3.6 seconds |
Compact SMG | Uncommon | 18 damage | 36 damage | 3.5 seconds |
Compact SMG | Rare | 19 damage | 38 damage | 3.3 seconds |
Compact SMG | Epic | 21 damage | 40 damage | 3.1 seconds |
Compact SMG | Legendary | 22 damage | 42 damage | 3.0 seconds |
Crossbow | Epic | 40 damage | 60 damage | 2.5 seconds |
Quad Launcher | Epic | 80 damage | 80 damage | 4.8 seconds |
Quad Launcher | Legendary | 84 damage | 84 damage | 4.5 seconds |
Grenade Launcher | Rare | 100 damage | 100 damage | 3.0 seconds |
Grenade Launcher | Epic | 105 damage | 105 damage | 2.8 seconds |
Grenade Launcher | Legendary | 110 damage | 110 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Rocket Launcher | Rare | 110 damage | 110 damage | 2.8 seconds |
Rocket Launcher | Epic | 116 damage | 116 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Rocket Launcher | Legendary | 121 damage | 121 damage | 2.5 seconds |
Hunting Rifle | Uncommon | 86 damage | 215 damage | 1.9 seconds |
Hunting Rifle | Rare | 90 damage | 225 damage | 1.8 seconds |
Bolt Action Sniper | Rare | 105 damage | 262 damage | 3.0 seconds |
Bolt Action Sniper | Epic | 110 damage | 275 damage | 2.8 seconds |
Bolt Action Sniper | Legendary | 116 damage | 290 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Heavy Sniper | Epic | 150 damage | 375 damage | 4.3 seconds |
Heavy Sniper | Legendary | 157 damage | 392 damage | 4.1 seconds |
Suppressed Sniper | Epic | 100 damage | 250 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Suppressed Sniper | Legendary | 105 damage | 262 damage | 2.7 seconds |
Best Shotguns in Fortnite Battle Royale
With shotguns, you obviously want to pack a heavy punch. While shotguns are obviously one of the more powerful weapon types in the entire game in terms of raw damage ratings (up there with sniper rifles and rocket launchers), the obvious drawback is that they can useless from a certain range.
When picking an entry for the best shotgun in Fortnite Battle Royale, it’s hard to pick between the Heavy Shotgun, or the Pump Shotgun. In terms of damage per shot, the legendary version of the Pump Shotgun reigns supreme, with 110 base damage.

But if you want a faster firing shotgun, then the Heavy Shotgun is the best in the game. It’s got a higher fire rate than the Pump Shotgun, with a better rating of 1.0 to 0.7, and it also boasts a better damage rating to structures. Basically, you can’t really go wrong with the legendary versions of either the Pump Shotgun or the Heavy Shotgun, as either can take out an opponent with a single decent hit to the head.
Best Assault Rifles in Fortnite Battle Royale
With assault rifles in Fortnite Battle Royale, there’s a lot to choose from. For starters, you’ve got your basic M16-type assault rifle, or you’ve got plenty of burst assault rifles to choose from. Then you’ve got the elite SCAR-type assault rifles in the epic and legendary rarities, before moving onto the Suppressed Assault Rifles, and the Heavy Assault Rifles, two of the best types of weapons in all of Fortnite Battle Royale.

When it comes to the best assault rifles available in Fortnite, we’d recommend the Suppressed Assault Rifle. With a damage rating of 33 at the legendary rarity level, it doesn’t sacrifice damage for stealth, and you can never go wrong with a suppressed weapon in Battle Royale, since you don’t want to draw the attention of many players on your way to a victory royale.
But, you also can’t go wrong with either the legendary SCAR-type assault rifle, or the Heavy Assault Rifle. The Heavy Assault Rifle has the higher damage rating of 48, while the legendary assault rifle has a higher firing rate of 5.5. They’re also extremely accurate weapons from range, and you can actually use them to battle snipers from a distance.
Best SMGs in Fortnite Battle Royale
The submachine guns in Fortnite Battle Royale are the fastest firing type of weapons in the entire game (perhaps with the exception of the light machine gun). While the SMGs in Fortnite aren’t the hardest hitting weapons in the game, they’re essential for players who aren’t the most accurate with aiming.

There’s an easy choice here for the best SMG in Fortnite Battle Royale, and it’s the legendary Compact SMG. A firing rate of 10 and a damage rating of 21 combine to make a damage per second rating of an almighty 210 points, making it one of the best weapons in the game for taking down down players who have a full shield incredibly quickly.
Best Snipers in Fortnite Battle Royale
Although hunting rifles can come under consideration as sniper rifles, they don’t even come close to the power of the actual sniper rifles in Fortnite. The two main choices for this category are between the Heavy Sniper Rifles, and the Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles, both of which are capable of taking out a player with a single hit.
But if we had to pick out of the two main choices for the best sniper in Fortnite, we’d go with the Heavy Sniper Rifle. Although you have to reload the weapon after every shot, the legendary Heavy Sniper Rifle has a base damage of 157, so even if the enemy player has a their shield meter half full, you can still take them out in a single hit.

However if you prefer stealth and striking from the shadows, then you might want to go with the new Suppressed Assault Rifle, which Epic only just added in on January 8. With a slightly lesser damage rating of 105, you don’t have to sacrifice damage power for stealth, and you can take out a player without a shield in one hit.
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