Precision Rifles

Precision rifles are semi-automatic rifles that sit between the assault rifle and the sniper rifle. They reach further than an assault rifle, but not as far as a sniper rifle. They are also not quite as deadly as a sniper rifle. They work best in a Cool build that wants headshot damage at middle and long range. They avoid the slow fire and slow reload of a sniper rifle.

Combat

Pros

Headshots deal big damage. Standard rifles such as SOR-22 and M-179e Achilles carry +150% headshot damage, and Hypercritical reaches +200%.
The Tech rifles pierce armor. M-179e Achilles and Widow Maker both carry 50% armor penetration. Their charged shot goes through cover.
Semi-automatic fire allows a quick second shot when the first one misses.
Cool perks that improve headshots, range and weapon swaps all work with precision rifles.

Cons

A sniper rifle still reaches further and hits harder at the longest ranges.
Precision rifles are built for middle to long range. A shotgun or an SMG is better in close fights.
SOR-22, the standard Power rifle, carries only 25% armor penetration. The Tech rifles have twice as much.

Weapon Categories

Best Precision Rifles

Name	Image	Why
Hypercritical		+200% headshot damage, explosive rounds and a final crit
Widow Maker		Tech rifle firing two projectiles per shot
M-179e Achilles		Tech rifle with +150% headshot damage and 50% armor penetration
SOR-22		Power rifle with +150% headshot damage
Achilles x-MOD2		Iconic Tech rifle with two guaranteed mod slots

Hypercritical has the highest headshot damage in the class. Its armor penetration is as high as that of the Tech rifles.

Character Builds

Cool perks improve precision rifles, along with pistols, revolvers and sniper rifles. Most Cool perks are about headshots.

Deadeye adds +10% headshot and weak spot damage. While it is active, Nerves Of Tungsten-Steel makes every headshot a guaranteed crit. It also adds damage as the distance grows.
Long Shot keeps full damage at any distance while Deadeye is active.
Focus starts when aiming at full Stamina and removes the Stamina cost of shooting. Head To Head resets Focus with every ranged kill made during it.
Rinse And Reload speeds up the next reload after a kill while aiming.
Quick Draw speeds up the swap to a precision rifle by 30%.

The Technical Ability perk Bolt also helps Tech rifles. It speeds up charging and adds damage to charged shots. Shock Value makes those Bolt shots ignore enemy Armor.

For cyberware, Visual Cortex Support adds crit chance the farther away the target is. Kiroshi Stalker Optics connect to an equipped Tech weapon and show enemies behind cover. A Tech rifle can then fire through the wall at them. Feedback Circuit restores Health on every fully charged Tech hit. A long scope such as Jue adds range and cuts aiming time.

Notes

Hypercritical's bullets explode and knock enemies down. The last round in the magazine always deals crit damage.
Tiny Mike gives Hypercritical as a reward during Concrete Cage Trap.
Widow Maker deals Chemical damage. Nash drops it during Ghost Town, or later in Queen of the Highway if he was spared.
Herold Lowe at the EBM Petrochem Stadium sells Widow Maker if it was missed.
Achilles x-MOD2 belongs to the x-MOD2 series, which has two guaranteed mod slots and improved handling.
Tech precision rifles fire like ordinary rifles until the trigger is held for a full charge. Only the charged shot pierces cover.
SOR-22 is the common Power choice. Weapon vendors across Night City sell it, and so does Robert Wilson in Little China.
M-179e Achilles is the standard Tech rifle. It has the same +150% headshot damage as SOR-22.
Power rifles take a silencer, which helps a quiet Cool build. Tech rifles do not.
A Ballistic Coprocessor raises the ricochet chance of Power rounds. SOR-22 and Hypercritical can then bounce shots into enemies behind cover.