Weapons and Loadouts
Update 2.8 replaced the old large and small weapon slots with a 5 point loadout budget, and every weapon costs 1 to 5 points depending on size and power. The Quartermaster trait raises that budget to 6 points, and 6 is enough to pair two Size 3 weapons. Tools and consumables now share 8 universal equipment slots, and Special Long Ammo rifles like the Mosin-Nagant cannot resupply from standard long ammo crates.
Hunt: Showdown has one of the deepest weapon systems in any extraction shooter. Every gun feels different, handles differently, and fills a different niche. There are no hit-scan lasers here. Bullets have travel time and parabolic bullet drop at range. The old "Effective Range" stat has been replaced by "Drop Range," meaning projectiles retain damage over much longer distances but require you to calculate elevation adjustments for shots past 100 meters.
Weapon Categories
The arsenal is split into categories based on function and effective range:
Rifles
Your primary long and mid-range options. Rifles are bolt-action, lever-action, or single-shot, which means every shot counts.
| Weapon | Ammo Type | Drop Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosin-Nagant | Special Long | 300m+ | High damage, fast muzzle velocity. Expensive. The standard for long-range duels. Cannot resupply from standard long ammo crates. |
| Berthier | Special Long | 280m+ | Fast reload via stripper clips. Slightly less damage than the Mosin but more forgiving. Update 2.8.1 cut its damage from 132 to 128 and its Spitzer damage from 113 to 109, after the move to Size 3 made it a standout pick. Uses Special Long Ammo. |
| Lebel | Special Long | 300m+ | 10-round tube magazine. Slow to reload but high capacity for a bolt-action. Uses Special Long Ammo. |
| Krag | Special Long | 280m+ | Smooth bolt-action with fast cycling. Strong all-rounder. Uses Special Long Ammo. |
| 1890 Cavalry Rifle | Long | 250m+ | Size 3 single-shot with a 1/18 ammo reserve. 139 damage, 380m/s velocity. Supports custom FMJ and High Velocity ammo and works with the Fast Fingers trait. Good mid-range option that fits into more loadout combinations. |
| Vetterli 71 | Medium | 200m+ | Budget workhorse. Good damage per dollar. Fast follow-up shots with lever action. Medium ammo retains max damage up to 30 meters. |
| Centennial | Medium | 200m+ | Lever-action with a high fire rate. Flexible across ranges. |
| Winfield | Compact | 150m+ | Cheap, fast fire rate. Becomes powerful with the Levering trait, turning it into a close-range bullet hose. |
| Springfield 1866 | Medium | 250m+ | Single-shot, and the cheapest ranged rifle you can buy. Available from Rank 1 with plenty of extra ammo. Update 2.8.1 raised its damage from 132 to 139. Uses Medium ammo, so it never feeds the Uppercut. |
| Martini-Henry | Long | 250m+ | Single-shot with high damage. The Riposte variant adds a bayonet for melee emergencies. Uses standard Long Ammo. |
Shotguns
Close-range dominators. Shotguns kill in one hit at close range and become useless beyond 15 to 20 meters.
Update 2.8.1 pulled the two shotgun families apart on reserve ammo. Full-size shotguns gained reserve across the board, with the Romero 77 Alamo going from 5 basic shells to 12 and the Slate from 6 to 12, while the sawn-off variants lost it: the Specter 1882 Shorty dropped from 8 to 4 and the Rival 78 Shorty from 6 to 4. The same patch cut the Terminus from 238 Hunt Dollars to 168 and raised the Rival 78 from 150 to 170.
| Weapon | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Romero | Single-shot | Cheapest shotgun. Longest one-hit-kill range of any shotgun due to its tight spread. The Hatchet variant adds a melee option. |
| Specter | Pump-action | Good fire rate for follow-up shots. Reliable in compound fights. |
| Crown & King | Semi-auto | Fastest fire rate. Devastating in close quarters but expensive and loud. |
| Terminus | Lever-action | Requires the Levering trait to reach its full potential. Without Levering, the fire rate is mediocre. |
| Caldwell Rival | Double-barrel | Two fast shots, then a slow reload. Good for ambushes where two hits is enough. |
Pistols
Sidearms and backup weapons. Some pistols are strong enough to serve as a primary in the right hands.
| Weapon | Ammo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caldwell Pax | Medium | Solid damage and accuracy. A reliable sidearm at medium range. |
| Uppercut | Long | Shares ammo with long-ammo rifles, giving you extra reserve ammo. Update 2.8.0.3 raised its base damage to 126 with basic, FMJ, and Incendiary ammo, and 2.8 lifted its extra ammo from 6/9 to 6/12, or 6/18 on Precision variants. One of the most popular sidearms in the game. |
| Officer | Medium | Fast fire rate. Good for close-range follow-up when your rifle shot misses. |
| Dolch | Medium | Semi-automatic. Very fast fire rate and decent damage, but extremely expensive. |
| Nagant | Compact | Budget option. Low damage but cheap and available from the start. The Silencer variant is useful for stealth. |
| Scottfield | Medium | Fast reload via a break-open mechanism. Good handling. |
The Uppercut's biggest advantage is not its damage. It shares the standard Long ammo pool with the Martini-Henry and the Sparks, so pairing it with one of those gives you a combined reserve that keeps you shooting through extended fights. At Size 2 it is also cheaper than most players assume. This does NOT work with Special Long Ammo rifles (Mosin, Berthier, Lebel, Krag), which run their own restricted network, and it does not work with the Springfield 1866 either, since that rifle uses Medium ammo.
Melee and Throwables
Melee is a core part of the PvE economy and not just a last resort. Using melee on AI saves ammo and avoids the noise of a gunshot.
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Combat Axe | High damage. One-hit-kills most AI. Slow swing. |
| Knife / Heavy Knife | Fast, quiet. The go-to for clearing Grunts without alerting nearby hunters. |
| Dusters | Low damage but fast. Effective against Immolators (who explode if you use bladed or piercing weapons on them). |
| Throwing Axes / Knives | Silent ranged kills. Limited supply. Good for picking off AI at short range without firing a gun. |
The Slot and Point System
Update 2.8 overhauled how loadouts are built. You no longer just pick a "large" and "small" weapon. Instead, weapons have a point cost, and your loadout has a point budget.
How it works:
- Every weapon has a Size from 1 to 5. The game calls your budget Weapon Capacity, and it defaults to 5.
- You have two weapon slots, and the combined Size of both cannot exceed your Weapon Capacity. Nothing forces you to fill both slots.
- The Quartermaster trait raises Weapon Capacity to 6, which opens two Size 3 weapons, a 4 and a 2, or a 5 and a 1. Note that Update 2.8 also raised Quartermaster's own price from 6 to 8 Upgrade Points.
| Size | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nagant M1895, Caldwell Pax, Officer |
| 2 | Uppercut |
| 3 | Carbines, including the 1865 Carbine and the 1890 Cavalry Rifle |
| 4 | Full-size rifles (Mosin-Nagant, Lebel), full-size shotguns, the Crossbow |
| 5 | Heavy platforms (Avtomat, Nitro Express). No secondary at all without Quartermaster. |
Note that the Derringer is a Tool, not a weapon-slot item, so it does not draw from your Weapon Capacity.
This system means you are always making tradeoffs. A Size 4 Mosin leaves you 1 point, enough for a Nagant, a Pax or an Officer. A Size 3 carbine plus a Size 2 Uppercut fits exactly inside the default 5 and covers both ranges. With Quartermaster you can run two Size 3 weapons.
Ammo Types
Most weapons can load special ammunition that changes their behavior:
| Ammo Type | Effect | Best For | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Default damage profile. No special effects. | General use | Always available |
| Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) | Increased penetration through walls and cover. Slightly reduced damage. | Wallbanging enemies in compounds | Always available |
| High Velocity | Faster bullet travel and less drop. Slightly reduced damage. | Long-range engagements where leading targets is difficult | Always available |
| Dum-Dum (Bleed) | Applies bleed effect on hit. Reduced penetration. | Forcing enemies to stop and bandage, denying peeks | Scarce (find in-world only) |
| Poison | Applies poison effect. Reduced direct damage. | Boss fights (Spider, Assassin), area denial | Always available |
| Incendiary | Sets targets on fire. Reduced direct damage. | Burning downed hunters to prevent revives | Always available |
| Explosive | Small explosion on impact. Very limited ammo. | Destroying concertina wire, flushing enemies from cover | Scarce (find in-world only) |
| Spitzer | Faster velocity, reduced damage and penetration. | Longer range with medium ammo weapons | Scarce (find in-world only) |
| Slugs (Shotguns) | Replaces pellets with a single slug. Tighter accuracy, longer range, but requires precise aim. | Extending shotgun range at the cost of forgiveness | Always available |
Update 2.8 reclassified Dum-Dum, Explosive, and Spitzer ammo as "Scarce." You cannot buy or equip them from your loadout menu. They must be found in sealed boxes during matches. If your loadout screen seems to be missing ammo options, this is intentional, not a bug.
Special Long Ammo
The Mosin-Nagant, Krag, Lebel 1886, and Berthier 1892 no longer use standard Long ammunition. They run on a restricted category called Special Long Ammo.
What this means:
- These four share ammo with each other but no longer with standard Long Ammo weapons.
- You restock them from Special Ammo Crates, Ammo Boxes, or Full Restock boxes.
- The Uppercut pistol does NOT share ammo with Special Long rifles. It still uses standard Long Ammo, which it shares with the Martini-Henry and the Sparks. Note that the Springfield 1866 uses Medium ammo, so it is not part of that pool despite being a rifle.
This is an intentional logistical bottleneck. If you bring a Mosin or Lebel, plan for ammo conservation. Every shot matters more than it did before Update 2.8.
Meta Loadout Archetypes
These are the most common and effective loadout structures in the current meta. Adapt them to your Bloodline level and budget.
The All-Rounder
Goal: Cover all engagement ranges with two weapons.
| Slot | Weapon | Ammo | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Berthier or Mosin-Nagant | Standard or FMJ | $$$$ |
| Secondary | Uppercut | Standard | $$$ |
Why it works: The rifle handles mid to long range. The Uppercut handles close to mid range and feeds the same ammo pool. You never run out of ammo, and you have an answer for every distance.
The Budget Fighter
Goal: Win fights without risking expensive gear.
| Slot | Weapon | Ammo | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Vetterli 71 | Standard or Dum-Dum | $$ |
| Secondary | Caldwell Pax | Standard | $ |
Why it works: The Vetterli punches well above its price. It handles mid-range cleanly and the lever action gives you fast follow-ups. Losing this loadout costs almost nothing.
The Compound Brawler
Goal: Win every fight inside a building.
| Slot | Weapon | Ammo | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Romero Hatchet or Specter | Standard or Slugs | $$ |
| Secondary | Officer or Pax | Dum-Dum | $$ |
Why it works: The shotgun one-hits at close range. The pistol covers the 20 to 50 meter gap where the shotgun drops off. You lose to rifles in open ground, but inside compounds you are lethal.
The Stealth Runner
Goal: Move through the map without broadcasting your position.
| Slot | Weapon | Ammo | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Sparks Silencer or Centennial Shorty Silenced | Poison | $$$ |
| Secondary | Nagant Silencer | Standard or Poison | $ |
Why it works: Suppressed weapons have a much smaller audible range. You can clear AI, take shots at hunters, and fight bosses without alerting half the map. The tradeoff is lower raw damage per hit.
Equipment Slots
Update 2.8 merged tools and consumables into a single pool. You now have 8 Universal Equipment Slots instead of the old 4 Tool + 4 Consumable split.
You can fill these slots with any combination of tools and consumables. Run 5 tools and 3 consumables for a trap-heavy defense build, or 3 tools and 5 consumables for an aggressive siege loadout. The only restriction is a maximum of 4 identical consumables (you cannot carry 5 Frag Bombs).
Tools
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Medkit | Heals health chunks. Bring one always. |
| Melee weapon (Knife, Dusters, Combat Axe) | Silent PvE clearing. Always bring one. |
| Fusees / Flare Gun | Lights dark areas. Burns concertina wire. Prevents revives on downed hunters. |
| Choke Bombs | Extinguishes burning teammates and burning bodies to allow revives. Extremely important in squads. |
| Decoys | Thrown objects that create noise, triggering AI and simulating player sounds. Cheap distraction. |
| Spyglass | Lets you zoom in to scout compounds at distance. Free and weightless. |
| Trip Mines | Place at doorways and chokepoints. Alert or damage enemies who cross them. |
Consumables
| Consumable | Use |
|---|---|
| Vitality Shot | Instant full heal. Expensive but can save a fight. |
| Stamina Shot | Instant full stamina recovery. Required for melee boss fights. |
| Antidote Shot | Grants poison immunity for the match. Required for Spider and Assassin fights. |
| Dynamite Bundle | High explosive damage in a large area. Kills clustered enemies and destroys cover. |
| Frag Bomb | Smaller explosive with shorter fuse. Good for flushing enemies from corners. |
| Fire Bomb | Creates a burning area on impact. Prevents revives and flushes players from cover. |
| Concertina Bomb | Deploys barbed wire on impact. Blocks doorways and pathways. |
| Poison Bomb | Creates a poison cloud. Area denial and boss damage. |
| Flash Bomb | Blinds and deafens players in a radius. Useful for breaching rooms. |
Toolboxes found in the environment only restock depleted tools. They do not replenish consumables. Ammo boxes have had their resupply reduced from 2.5x to 2.0x. Resource management matters more in Update 2.8 than it did before.
World Weapons
Some weapons exist only as world spawns and cannot be brought into a match:
| Weapon | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maxim M1895 | Stronghold only, one per Event Compound | 50 incendiary rounds with no way to resupply them. Imposes a 25% movement speed penalty and needs manual clearing when it overheats under sustained fire. Firing from the hip gives it a large spread, and aiming tightens that only slightly, so it stays inaccurate either way. Cannot be extracted, so it is the one genuinely match-only weapon here. |
Scarce weapons are a different category. The Homestead 78 and the Wildland are Scarce and not world-only. You find one in a mission, and doing so permanently unlocks it into your own arsenal to buy with Pledge Marks afterwards. They are ownable and extractable, unlike the Maxim.
Choke Bombs are free and one of the most important items in squad play. If a teammate goes down and the enemy throws fire on the body to prevent a revive, a Choke Bomb extinguishes the fire and lets you pick them up. Always carry one if you are playing duos or trios.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the loadout point system work in Hunt: Showdown?
You get a 5 point budget and every weapon costs 1 to 5 points based on size and power. You have two weapon slots and nothing forces you to fill both, and the Quartermaster trait pushes the budget to 6 points so heavier pairings become possible.
What is Special Long Ammo in Hunt: Showdown?
A restricted ammo category used by the Mosin-Nagant, Krag, Lebel 1886, and Berthier 1892. You cannot resupply these rifles from standard red long ammo crates or from dead hunters carrying standard long weapons. You need purple Special Ammo crates or specialized sealed boxes.
Does the Uppercut share ammo with the Mosin-Nagant?
No. The Uppercut uses standard Long Ammo, so it shares a reserve pool with rifles like the Martini-Henry and the Sparks. Special Long rifles run on their own restricted ammo network, and the Springfield 1866 uses Medium ammo.
Why can you not buy Dum-Dum ammo anymore?
Update 2.8 reclassified Dum-Dum, Explosive, and Spitzer as Scarce ammo. You cannot equip them from the loadout menu at all, and you have to find them in sealed boxes during matches. Missing options on your loadout screen are intentional, not a bug.
What is the best budget loadout in Hunt: Showdown?
The Vetterli 71 paired with a Caldwell Pax. The Vetterli handles mid-range cleanly and its lever action gives fast follow-up shots, and losing the whole kit costs you almost nothing.
What to Read Next
- PvP and Strategy. Applying each archetype in real fights.
- Hunter Traits and Progression. Traits that unlock ammo types.
- Maps and Bosses. Ranges each map actually rewards.
- Tips and Tricks. The point budget, scarce ammo, and what a toolbox will not restock.