How to get the Hard Target sniper rifle in Starfield

As someone who also loves to pick off enemies at a distance, I found myself hard-pressed trying to acquire the ideal sniper rifle for my Starfield arsenal. I was stuck with a modified Beowulf for dozens of hours. Thankfully, you eventually start getting options for ballistic sniper rifles in the game. First, we have the Justifier, which you receive as an award during the Freestar Collective questline. The other standout is the Hard Target, a sniper rifle you can only get after meeting a requirement in Starfield.

To get the Hard Target sniper rifle, you must be at the correct level in Starfield. I managed to finally get my hands on one after I reached level 35. Other players online have reported finding the weapon in shops at level 32. Since Starfield seems to dole out new weapons and weapon rarities every five levels, it’s safe to say the Hard Target is most likely available once you’re at level 30 and beyond.

Where to get the Hard Target — Weapon stats

You can purchase the Hard Target from weapon-dealing merchants for around 20,000 credits. So far, I found the gun at Neon Tactical (in Neon Core) and Centaurion Arsenal (in New Atlantis). The latter one came pre-equipped with a suppressor and a large magazine. If you’re having trouble tracking one down, you should try waiting the appropriate 48 UT hours for the vendor’s stock to refresh.

Default weapon stats

Modifications make Hard Target the best mid-level sniper rifle

Hard Target is the first rifle I have found in Starfield that allows me to treat it like a legit sniper rifle. Mostly, this is due to the plethora of modifications you can craft. The most important is arguably the Long Scope, which magnifies your view by 6.5 times. Penetrator Rounds pass through enemies and increase my weapon’s damage by around 25 points. Granted, you need to have the proper mod research unlocked. The Penetrator Rounds require Magazine and Battery Mods 3. It’s worth it.

So far, the Hard Target is working its way into my heart. A hard-hitting sniper rifle is what I needed to round out my weapon collection, and now things are feeling grand. Those Spacers better keep their heads tucked in.