Positioning
In order to be more than just effective with the hunting rifle, you have to know how to use it in high-stress “Horde rush” situations. Find a long, clear path — hallways are ideal — that will funnel large packs of zombies into your line of sight. Aim at the farthest zombie you can see as the closest ones will fall down! The strategy is simple: Try to keep incoming zombies in a line with your vantage point; attacking them from their flanks greatly reduces the rifle’s effectiveness. Once you’ve centered the funneled pack, up to ten zombies can be cleared by firing two rounds: Once on the left of the pack, once on the right. Zombies sometimes take time to die so you’ll have to assume they’ve been dispatched unless they continue to advance.
Keeping your line of fire clear is the second crucial component of positioning. There is nothing worse than shooting a teammate with the hunting rifle on expert difficulty. The rifle will instantly inflict 90 damage. Staying elevated by standing on top of things like cars, dumpsters, rocks, window ledges, picnic tables, and even the occasional tree can help to avoid a misplaced shot. Another situation that can be difficult is the “let’s hide in the closet/small room” trick that seems to be the shotgunners’ preferred spot. I find that politely asking people in front of you to stay down often helps in this situation. If they refuse, remind them that the hunting rifle hurts! If they do stay down, aim just over their heads, calmly shoot once, strafe a zombie’s width, shoot again, and repeat. Trust that the people in front won’t let the zombies through. By following this routine, you’ll maximize your ability to shoot through the rush. The shotgunners won’t understand how you get the most kills at the end of the round.
Conservation
The main problem with the hunting rifle is that it seems difficult to kill zombies when surrounded by them. When I first started playing with the hunting rifle, this was almost enough to make me switch to one of the other guns. Soon, however, I learned that the trick to dealing with this is to not shoot so fast in the first place! You can shoot twice and effectively eliminate infected coming at you from a hallway. You can shoot 8-10 times and clear a 360° area provided you follow a careful pattern: First you shoot, then you aim, then you shoot, and repeat. The trick is that you have to find a zombie each time you shoot. Hopefully there will be additional zombies behind the one you shoot at. Then, if you do run out of ammo, the rifle allows you to melee while you reload. You can melee twice before the reload is complete.
Be sure to remember where your teammates are when clearing large, open spaces. Zombies don’t stop bullets, so you’ll still hit your friends if you start shooting like a madman. Make those bullets count by looking and listening for special zombies. Also try to avoid getting distracted by plinking at the Horde. If your teammates leave you while you’re distracted, Smokers and Hunters may come to keep you company instead.
You won’t even have to think about running out of ammo if you use these techniques. You’ll even have enough left over to put a few clips in tanks and witches. Just remember that you are very vulnerable while reloading. Stick with your teammates!
Teammates and specials
Playing with the hunting rifle can be distracting. It’s easy to focus on sniping zombies only to discover that the rest of the team has since moved on. Keep an eye out for your team at all times! You need to know when they move, when they may be moving into your line of fire, and when they need some help with special zombies. Teammates with shotguns are much better at keeping open areas clear around a team. In cases where you have alerted the Horde, there are usually groups of infected that end up spilling out of a door and running at you in a line. Watch for this, and try to thin the zombies out before they even reach your team. Fighting a ton of zombies up close is stressful for the whole team, and people may start to aim a little erratically. Keeping your calm while thinning the rush might be the difference between moving on and a bullet in the back.
One of the worst things in the game is to have the infected coordinate their attack. You’ve seen it happen. First you walk around the corner and suddenly everyone on the team is boomed. Then, just as the infected start rushing in, a Hunter pounces on the guy on your left. As you stumble away, a smoker grabs Zoey right in front of you. Just as you collect your wits, Francis gets pounced by a second Hunter. You realize you’re the only one left, so what do you do? Headshots. If the hunters are right next to you, melee them away and let the victim kill them while you move on. A single headshot will kill the any remaining Hunters or a Smokers. Taking the extra half second to aim assures that you won’t have to shoot again. A good player with a hunting rifle can be the difference between a successful ambush and a finished round.
Tanks and Witches pose other problems for the whole team. Witches are quick and hard to hit while moving, but the hunting rifle can briefly stun her while you and the rest of the team deal damage. Headshots continue to do more damage than torso shots, so aim carefully, and the Witch shouldn’t be a problem. Hunting rifles do the least amount of damage to the Tank, so you have to position yourself at a distance that will allow for precise and rapid shooting.
Any player using the hunting rifle should also be on the lookout for an errant propane tank. Propane tanks are extremely effective against Tanks as they do considerable damage and disorient the tank for a brief period. The hunting rifle is perfect for sniping the propane as the Tank approaches, which will help to keep everyone out of harm’s way.
Conclusion
Key things to remember using the hunting rifle:
- DO NOT shoot your teammates
- Shoot slowly and carefully
- Watch for unique zombies
- Guard hallways and narrow places
- Take advantage of the zombie piercing (infinite)
- One shot kills: no headshot required (the Horde is deader than they look!)
- Watch for special zombies! (Headshot required).
- Call for help when you are surrounded
- Stay with the group
- DO NOT shoot your teammates, really!
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