PUBG Weapons: The Basics
PUBG features dozens of different weapons, which can make early loot decisions confusing. Understanding the broad categories and ammo types alone makes those decisions much faster.
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Weapons split roughly into close-range and long-range
Shotguns and SMGs excel at close range, assault rifles (ARs) offer balanced performance at mid range, and sniper rifles and DMRs shine at long distances. Thinking about the range you expect to fight at is the basic starting point for choosing weapons.
Matching ammo types lets you share reserves
Different weapons use different ammo types, and weapons sharing the same type can pull from the same ammo pool. Carrying weapons with mismatched ammo types means managing separate reserves, so sticking to a matching combo early on is much easier to manage.
An assault rifle is a solid default pick
Assault rifles work reasonably well across close to mid range, making them a flexible default. A common approach for new players is to carry one AR as a baseline and fill the second slot with a situational weapon like a shotgun, SMG, or sniper rifle.
Prioritize attachments too
Attachments like scopes, stocks, and grips meaningfully improve accuracy and recoil control. Rather than trying to fill every slot at once, equipping a scope on your primary weapon first and filling in the rest as you find them is a more efficient approach.
FAQ
Aren't shotguns hard for beginners?
They take some time to get a feel for range with since they're built for close combat, but they hit hard in close-quarters fights, so they're worth practicing with.
Do I need to carry a sniper rifle?
Not strictly. It's useful if you prefer open-terrain fights at long range, but a rifle-and-shotgun combo is plenty if you mostly stay in close-to-mid range engagements.