DPS is a crucial stat when choosing a weapon in Destiny 2. It's short for Damage Per Second, and this statistic considers the weapon's rate of fire and reload speed and the damage it does per bullet. We must consider all of these when calculating the amount of damage a gun can dish out to your opponents.
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What weapons have the best DPS in Destiny 2?
We have assembled the three main weapon charts organized by the best DPS in Destiny 2. They are separated into the following primary categories:
- Primary Weapons
- Special Weapons
- Heavy Weapons
There are no Damage perks included in any stats on the charts. This only leaves the base DPS values for weapons. We have also included the best weapons per class in the last column. Keep in mind that weapon statistics change during the game seasons. We will keep an eye out for any changes and update these lists as soon as the new season comes out with new weapons and stats.
Primary weapons
| Weapon type | Archetype | Average DPS | Burst DPS | Total Damage | Specs | The best weapon in Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMG | Exotic | 12,250 | 15,615 | 468,450 | With "Ravenous Beast" | Tarrabah |
| Sidearm | Exotic | 9,902 | 12,863 | 216,095 | With "Rat Pack x5" | Rat King |
| Hand Cannon | Exotic | 8,979 | 10,980 | 564,704 | Landing all crits | Hawkmoon |
| Hand Cannon | Exotic | 7,766 | 9,230 | 323,033 | Vs. Taken | Malfeasance |
| Auto Rifle | Exotic | 7,097 | 8,481 | 744,915 | With "perfect" RNG | Cerberus+1 |
| Pulse Rifle | Exotic | 6,145 | 7,340 | 422,810 | With averaged 'nanites" | Outbreak Perfected |
| SMG | Exotic | 6,114 | 8,450 | 331,240 | - | Osteo Striga |
| Auto Rifle | Exotic | 6,086 | 7,144 | 507,738 | - | Vex Mythoclast |
| Auto Rifle | Exotic | 5,430 | 6,280 | 413,550 | At Max rate of fire | Sweet Business |
| Sidearm | Aggressive Burst | 5,331 | 6,193 | 320,151 | High aim assist, low stability & handling | Brass Attacks |
| Sidearm | Lightweight | 5,284 | 6,645 | 149,510 | High handling, very low range | Redback-5si |
| Grenade Launcher | Exotic | 5,256 | 9,713 | 161,883 | With Catalyst | Fighting Lion |
| Sidearm | Adaptive | 5,137 | 6,431 | 192,937 | High aim assist, decent elsewhere | High Albedo |
| Sidearm | Adaptive (3-burst) | 5,348 | 6,673 | 366,925 | High aim assist, decent elsewhere | Drang |
| Sidearm | Omolon Adaptive | 5,020 | 6,355 | 356,452 | High stability, decent elsewhere | The Vision |
| Sidearm | SUROS Rapid-Fire | 4,881 | 6,380 | 140,353 | Good recoil, very low range & aim assist | Punching Out |
| SMG | Exotic | 4,813 | 8,198 | 245,925 | With "Ride the Bull x2" | The Huckleberry |
| Sidearm | Precision | 4,742 | 6,193 | 205,794 | Excellent aim assist, low stability & handling | A Swift Verdict |
| Sidearm | Exotic | 4,683 | 6,125 | 202,125 | - | Devil's Ruin |
| SMG | Lightweight | 4,663 | 6,833 | 180,378 | High-aim assist and handling, low range | Funnelweb |
| SMG | Aggressive | 4,591 | 6,558 | 206,031 | High range, low aim assist | Unforgiven |
| Scout Rifle | Exotic | 4,476 | 5,866 | 568,588 | With Catalyst | Dead Man's Tale |
| Auto Rifle | Exotic | 4,391 | 5,513 | 259,200 | At Max rate of fire | SUROS Regime |
| SMG | Adaptive | 4,300 | 6,075 | 187,110 | High stability & range, poor recoil | The Hero's Burden |
| Hand Cannon | Exotic | 4,087 | 5,347 | 268,106 | - | Thorn |
| Hand Cannon | Exotic | 3,965 | 5,438 | 162,400 | With Fan Fire x4 | The Last Word |
| Auto Rifle | Rapid-Fire | 3,906 | 4,542 | 280,847 | High-aim assist, low range | Chroma Rush |
| SMG | Precision | 3,875 | 5,645 | 220,155 | Excellent range & aim assist, low handling | Shayura's Wrath |
| Scout Rifle | Exotic | 3,785 | 4,470 | 353,984 | With "Perfect Fifth" | Polaris Lance |
| Pulse Rifle | Exotic | 3,687 | 4,381 | 371,126 | With Catalyst | No Time to Explain |
| Pulse Rifle | Exotic | 3,602 | 4,222 | 215,100 | - | Vigilance Wing |
| Auto Rifle | Adaptive | 3,555 | 4,300 | 295,840 | High handling | Gnawing Hunger |
| Auto Rifle | Precision | 3,369 | 4,073 | 225,888 | High range, low aim assist | Shadow Price |
| Auto Rifle | High-Impact | 3,361 | 3,993 | 298,144 | Excellent range, low stability | Age-Old Bond |
| Scout Rifle | Rapid-Fire | 3,352 | 4,104 | 170,460 | High stability, very low range | Aisha's Embrace |
| Scout Rifle | Lightweight | 3,318 | 3,807 | 219,264 | Excellent aim assist & handling, low range | Night Watch |
| Hand Cannon | Exotic | 3,250 | 4,398 | 358,800 | - | Crimson |
| Scout Rifle | Exotic | 3,206 | 3,598 | 259,020 | When aiming down sights | Skyburner's Oath |
| Scout Rifle | High-Impact | 3,347 | 3,931 | 374,255 | Excellent range, low aim assist | The Scholar |
| Scout Rifle | Precision | 3,359 | 3,888 | 228,096 | High stability, decent elsewhere | Vision of Confluence |
| Hand Cannon | Aggressive | 2,965 | 3,843 | 224,816 | High range, low stability, and handling | Igneous Hammer |
| Hand Cannon | Precision | 3,025 | 3,842 | 138,294 | High stability, poor handling | Posterity |
| Pulse Rifle | Adaptive | 2,825 | 3,246 | 194,778 | High handling, decent range | The Third Axiom |
| Pulse Rifle | Rapid-Fire | 2,771 | 3,285 | 137,970 | High-aim assist, low range | Piece of Mind |
| Pulse Rifle | Aggressive Burst | 2,744 | 3,232 | 241,312 | Excellent range, low aim assist | Insidious |
| Hand Cannon | Adaptive | 2,724 | 3,464 | 163,295 | Good stability, decent range | Eyasluna |
| Pulse Rifle | High-Impact | 2,720 | 3,281 | 250,128 | High range & recoil, low aim assist | The Messenger |
| Pulse Rifle | Exotic | 2,707 | 2,984 | 271,733 | - | Graviton Lance |
| Pulse Rifle | Lightweight | 2,573 | 3,046 | 160,805 | Excellent handling, low range | Ogma PR6 |
| Combat Bow | Lightweight | --> | 3,265 | 229,704 | 640 ms Draw time | Arsenic Bite-4b |
| Combat Bow | Precision | --> | 3,215 | 252,221 | 680 ms Draw time | Under Your Skin |
| Combat Bow | Exotic | --> | 3,969 | 357,225 | - | Le Monarque |
| Combat Bow | Exotic | --> | 4,137 | 391,952 | vs. non-Taken | Wish-Ender |
Special Weapons
| Weapon type | Archetype | Average DPS | Burst DPS | Total Damage | Specs | The best weapon in Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 14,699 | 16,216 | 206,880 | - | Merciless |
| Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 12,171 | 13,918 | 255,528 | - | Bastion |
| Fusion Rifle | Rapid-Fire | 11,224 | 12,355 | 161,406 | - | Cartesian Coordinate |
| Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 9,771 | 11,033 | 225,075 | - | Jötunn |
| Fusion Rifle | Aggressive | 9,677 | 10,774 | 250,236 | - | Coriolis Force |
| Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 9,675 | 10,532 | 312,963 | With Catalyst | Telesto |
| Fusion Rifle | Adaptive | 9,109 | 9,881 | 153,552 | - | Trinary System |
| Fusion Rifle | Precision | 8,112 | 9,148 | 188,685 | - | Deliverance |
| Fusion Rifle | High-Impact | 8,917 | 9,917 | 233,025 | - | Glacioclasm |
| Grenade Launcher | Lightweight | 6,779 | 15,617 | 197,809 | With Spike Grenades | Ignition Code |
| Grenade Launcher | Lightweight | 6,241 | 14,376 | 182,096 | - | Ignition Code |
| Grenade Launcher | Wave | 6,241 | 14,376 | 182,096 | - | Forbearance |
| Grenade Launcher | Exotic | 3,601 | - | 740,985 | - | Witherhoard |
| Hand Cannon | Exotic | 11,603 | 12,456 | 224,208 | With "First Glance" | Eriana's Vow |
| Linear Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 11,325 | 13,412 | 287,500 | - | Arbalest |
| Linear Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 11,325 | 13,412 | 287,500 | - | Lorentz Driver |
| Shotgun | Exotic | 30,469 | 83,704 | 209,261 | With Catalyst | The Fourth Horseman |
| Shotgun | Exotic | 22,382 | 29,320 | 175,920 | With "Roadborne" active | The Chaperone |
| Shotgun | Exotic | 17,805 | 23,200 | 231,360 | With "Release the Wolves" | Lord of Wolves |
| Shotgun | Exotic | 15,955 | 15,025 | 249,642 | When aiming down sights | Duality |
| Shotgun | Precision Slug | 11,894 | 12,983 | 143,808 | - | Heritage |
| Shotgun | Lightweight | 13,168 | 15,158 | 136,418 | - | Wastelander M5 |
| Shotgun | Rapid-Fire | 12,282 | 18,104 | 162,938 | - | Dead Weight |
| Shotgun | Aggressive | 11,527 | 12,651 | 207,011 | - | Found Verdict |
| Shotgun | Precision | 10,891 | 12,826 | 213,101 | - | Matador 64 |
| Sidearm | Exotic | 10,416 | 12,890 | 278,424 | - | Forerunner |
| Sniper Rifle | Exotic | 15,926 | 19,784 | 178,059 | - | Cloudstrike |
| Sniper Rifle | Exotic | 15,056 | - | 181,880 | With Catalyst | Izanagi's Burden |
| Sniper Rifle | Rapid-Fire | 10,040 | 13,445 | 86,430 | - | IKELOS_SR_v1.0.2 |
| Sniper Rifle | Adaptive | 8,725 | 11,398 | 121,576 | - | Uzume RR4 |
| Sniper Rifle | Aggressive | 8,611 | 11,191 | 139,883 | - | Succession |
| Trace Rifle | Exotic | 19,551 | 20,295 | 524,964 | With Catalyst Proc'd | Ager's Scepter |
| Trace Rifle | Exotic | 11,394 | 12,795 | 430,765 | At Max charge | Coldheart |
| Trace Rifle | Exotic | 10,755 | 12,000 | 320,000 | With Orb pick up | Wavesplitter |
| Trace Rifle | Exotic | 8,612 | 8,940 | 231,248 | With debuff | Divinity |
| Trace Rifle | Exotic | 7,581 | 8,565 | 342,600 | - | Prometheus Lens |
Heavy Weapons
| Weapon type | Archetype | Average DPS | Burst DPS | Total Damage | Specs | The best weapon in Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Bow | Exotic | --> | 18,152 | 466,763 | With Catalyst | Leviathan's Breath |
| Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 16,556 | 17,991 | 273,456 | - | One Thousand Voices |
| Grenade Launcher | Exotic | --> | 6,418 | 385,080 | - | Anarchy |
| Grenade Launcher | Exotic | 15,593 | 18,965 | 113,792 | - | The Colony |
| Grenade Launcher | Rapid-Fire | 16,876 | 24,570 | 147,420 | With Spike Grenades | Berenger's Memory |
| Grenade Launcher | Precision | 17,075 | 21,043 | 227,268 | With Spike Grenades | |
| Grenade Launcher | Adaptive | 20,191 | 24,078 | 144,468 | With Spike Grenades | Memory Interdict |
| Grenade Launcher | Exotic | 22,720 | - | 293,776 | At x20 Averaged | Parasite |
| Grenade Launcher | Exotic | 23,333 | 29,059 | 169,072 | - | The Prospector |
| Linear Fusion Rifle | Precision | 14,979 | 17,844 | 356,880 | - | Reed's Regret |
| Linear Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 15,182 | 17,844 | 389,320 | With Marksman Sights | The Queenbreaker |
| Linear Fusion Rifle | Aggressive | 15,559 | 17,367 | 381,218 | - | Stormchaser |
| Linear Fusion Rifle | Exotic | 21,799 | 25,351 | 396,792 | With Catalyst | Sleeper Simulant |
| Machine Gun | Exotic | 11,163 | 15,379 | 290,904 | - | Thunderlord |
| Machine Gun | Exotic | 14,602 | 16,485 | 439,600 | - | Heir Apparent |
| Machine Gun | Exotic | 17,615 | 21,100 | 274,300 | - | Xenophage |
| Machine Gun | High-Impact | 7,125 | 9,522 | 380,880 | - | THE SWARM |
| Machine Gun | Adaptive | 7,759 | 10,313 | 319,000 | - | Commemoration |
| Machine Gun | Rapid-Fire | 8,818 | 11,820 | 241,128 | - | Recurrent Impact |
| Machine Gun | Exotic | 9,575 | 10,997 | 395,880 | - | Grand Overture |
| Rocket Launcher | Precision | 13,091 | - | 180,656 | - | Royal Entry |
| Rocket Launcher | High-Impact | 14,368 | - | 198,282 | - | Code Duello |
| Rocket Launcher | Exotic | 14,440 | - | 226,704 | - | The Wardcliff Coil |
| Rocket Launcher | Exotic | 15,401 | - | 340,368 | - | Eyes of Tomorrow |
| Rocket Launcher | Adaptive | 15,805 | - | 218,113 | - | The Hothead |
| Rocket Launcher | Aggressive | 15,981 | - | 220,535 | With Impact Casing | Hezen Vengeance |
| Rocket Launcher | Exotic | 16,500 | - | 306,072 | - | Two-Tailed Fox |
| Rocket Launcher | Exotic | 17,322 | - | 132,222 | - | Truth |
| Rocket Launcher | Exotic | 23,312 | - | 200,484 | With Catalyst | Gjallarhorn |
| Rocket Launcher | Exotic | 31,129 | - | 429,583 | - | Deathbringer |
| Shotgun | Exotic | 15,862 | 16,451 | 172,732 | After debuff | Tractor Cannon |
| Shotgun | Exotic | 25,232 | 25,232 | 247,730 | - | Legend of Acrius |
| Sniper Rifle | Exotic | 18,383 | 22,836 | 205,527 | With "Personal Assistant" | D.A.R.C.I. |
| Sniper Rifle | Exotic | 19,892 | 19,892 | 397,848 | With Catalyst | Whisper of the Worm |
| Sword | Caster | 15,078 | - | 298,546 | With Jagged Edge | Sola's Scar |
| Sword | Lightweight | 17,466 | - | 435,241 | With Jagged Edge | Quickfang |
| Sword | Adaptive | 17,532 | - | 319,822 | With Jagged Edge | Half-Truths |
| Sword | Vortex | 18,094 | - | 279,650 | With Jagged Edge | Falling Guillotine |
| Sword | Exotic | 19,071 | - | 587,097 | - | The Lament |
| Sword | Exotic | 19,968 | - | 312,599 | - | Black Talon |
| Sword | Aggressive | 20,429 | - | 413,487 | With Jagged Edge | Crown-Splitter |
Looking for some more Destiny 2 guides? You're in the right place, check out How to get The Manticore Exotic SMG in Destiny 2 and How to get Seraph Key Codes in Destiny 2 here on Pro Game Guides!
Luka Rakocevic works as a full-time staff writer at Pro Game Guides and is a new-generation gamer. Backed with old-school gaming knowledge, his oldest gaming memories are on SNES, trying to beat Super Mario. Games are his big inspiration, and he frequently draws from that well to create new art. He prefers narrative-driven games like God of War, Killzone, Half-life, Uncharted and similar.
Luka mainly writes science fiction in his free time. When he's not home banging away at his computer keyboard, you will most likely find him at a local pub or a metal concert in the middle of a mosh pit.