Sharpshooter Challenges

The Sharpshooter Challenges involve shooting many difficult-to-hit targets.

Rank 1: Kill any 5 flying birds.
This is self-explanatory. The five birds can be any combination of crows, ducks, eagles, hawks, seagulls, songbirds, or vultures, and they must be in flight.

Rank 2: Kill 5 rabbits.
Rabbits are found in small groups all over the map, but seem to stick to grassy plains and are typically found near a road. Areas like The Hanging Rock, and Warthington's Ranch usually have rabbits lurking around in small groups.

Note: In order to be skinned, rabbits and other small animals must be killed with pistols or any other low-powered weaponry.

Rank 3: Kill 5 coyotes without taking any damage from them.
Coyotes can be found in most areas of New Austin and Nuevo Paraiso.

The easiest way by far to complete this is to stay on a horse with high stamina, and shoot them with the High Powered Pistol. With headshots, it will be an instant kill on each one. Just make sure not to shoot the horse as even 2 shots will take it down, especially if facing the front of the horse.

Another nifty trick is to go to areas of low coyote spawns (i.e around MacFarlane's Ranch but within visible distance). This is because coyotes are very fearful and will only attack in numbers of 4 or more.



Rank 4: Kill 5 birds from a moving train.
Easiest way to do this is from on top of the train. Use the ladders outside of the cabins to get on top of the train.

Also, sometimes the game bugs and the challenge is only available for completion when the train is boarded "legally" (Boarding when the train is at a station, not jumping on from horseback).

Do this before going south to Mexico, as a mission in Mexico destroys a train bridge, which can lead to frustrating delays in the train traveling around its set path.

Rank 5: Kill 2 different animals with 1 Dead-Eye meter.
Easiest way to do this is by going to the Hanging Rock. Walk around until finding (listen carefully) a rattlesnake. Make sure you know where it is and will have a clean shot. Wait until a bird flies close by (normally only takes a minute max.) and enter Dead-eye mode. Shoot the bird, then the rattlesnake.

Another option is to head to Tall Trees, in West Elizabeth. There are multitudes of larger animals such as bears, boars and elk here, which usually mingle.

Yet another option is head to two crows, south of Armadillo. Many wolves and deer roam around the area. Simply mark 2 shots for the wolf & deer (three shots for deer is recommended) and let a rip. Two Crows is also ideal for the Rank 3 Master Hunter Challenge.

Rank 6: Shoot 2 hats off 2 different people's heads.
These do not have to be done at the same time. Target the top of the hat to make it fly. Walton's gang (Top Hats) and Bandidos (Sombreros) are the easiest.

Use the Dead Eye mode that Landon Ricketts taught about: simple Level 1 Slow Motion. Do not use Dead Eye Lock-on or it'll be head-shot, not a hat-shot. Once in slow motion, manually aim for the very top of the hat (or rim) and squeeze the trigger.

Shooting a hat off someone's head without killing them is not an easy feat at first. Quickly find wanted if practicing on unwitting bystanders. It's optional to put on a Bandana first. If uber-cautious, do it out of town so you don't rack up killing witnesses and you can lose your wanted level quickly.

Alternatively, go to the Walton Gang hideout in Twin Rocks, just north of Armadillo. Obviously, no worry about a wanted level here. Once whittle off all but the last few bandits, should be able to get close enough to Dead Eye into slow motion and then carefully aim for the top of their hats.(Playstation 3 only)

If struggling with this, try shooting down at people. Ride up to them, look down and shoot the rim of their hat. An easy way to do this challenge is to hop on a train. There's a pretty good chance that there will be at least 2 people on the train who have hats.

Use a sniper rifle and aim for the hat of any person or use the Gatling Gun, that it may get this challenge without even trying while using the Gatling Gun during the assault on Fort Mercer.

Note: The sniper rifle is particularly effective in Escalera. Climb to the top of the tower next to the governor's mansion and aim for the brims of sombreros of the people on the road.

Rank 7: Kill 3 Grizzly Bears each with one shot.
Grizzly Bears can be found in the snowy areas of Tall Trees. They will appear more frequently when the player is not on horseback. The best method for defeating the bears is using Dead-Eye Targeting with the Buffalo Rifle, any sniper rifle or any type of shotgun, a Springfield rifle will also work, but have to hit the bear in between the eyes. Wait until the bear is facing, and target the head for the kill. Make sure no hunters are around because they may have shot the bear, and it wouldn't count. Also don't get too close.

Rank 8: Shoot 2 hats off 2 people's heads and disarm 2 people.
These do not have to be done at the same time. Make sure you aim at the WEAPON (not arm or hand). If blood is drawn, it doesn't count. Rifle- or shotgun-holding enemies are easiest to target. Walton's Gang (found at Armadillo and Twin Rocks) is ideal for this challenge because of their top hats and weaponry. Don't use a high powered weapon like the high powered pistol. Use something like the Cattleman Revolver for the hats. Also I'd recomend a sniper rifle and dead eye. It's easier to pinpoint a spot on the hat where the head isn't. For the hats, you can shoot anyone's hat off. For the disarms, it has to be enemies; lawmen do not count as enemies.

Rank 9: Kill any 6 wild animals without changing or reloading weapons.
The SIMPLEST way to do this is: Do either the Twin Rocks or Tesoro Azul gang hideouts. Upon completing those hideouts, 6-8 vultures will circle overhead. Make sure start with a full Dead-Eye gauge, then use a repeater to break up the vulture party.

Buffalo travel in a herd, and wolves' packs sometimes exceed six, so they're a viable option with a full gauge and a repeater.

If haven't already completed this challenge by the time reaching the mission Pestilence that takes place on Marston's Ranch in Beecher's Hope, have a pick from the huge flock of crows swarming the silo.

Rank 10: Disarm any 6 enemies without reloading or changing weapons.
This video shows the easiest method known so far for completing the final challenge.

Using a Mauser Pistol, without emptying the magazine as shown in the video, and without leaving aim, has resulted in unlimited magazine size 5/5 times attempted. Leaving and then re-entering Dead Eye also refills ammo, It does count as a reload and will restart the challenge count.

It seems to be easier to get a disarm by painting the enemy's weapon in Dead-Eye mode before firing (rather than simply aiming at it and pulling the trigger). Verify that it is successfully painted the weapon if the X moves as the gun does.

Also, attempt this during a bounty hunting mission when the bounty is part of a gang. For instance, for a bounty mission to find a Bandito gang member, put on the Bandito outfit, and walk right into the middle of camp. The gang members won't shoot until pulling a gun, so find a spot where there are 4 or 5 of them in a cluster nearby, pull the weapon and go into Dead Eye. Have medicine and an item that refills Dead Eye handy. Since gang members are a little tougher than other characters, it's possible that may be able to disarm them 3 times before they die.

One of the easiest places to complete this rank is in the jail at Chuparosa. Simply climb the stairs and ladders until reaching the room right at the top of the building then simply open the chest of drawers. This causes you to become wanted. The Mexican lawmen will come via the ladder - position at the opposite end of the room with a weapon with a large clip and wait for them to appear at the top of the ladder and draw their weapon. Simply enter dead eye and disarm them, it may need to do this more than once for each enemy. Do not release the aim button and simply wait for the next one before popping him in the same way. It might need to exercise a little patience as waiting for the next lawman to locate, but this is a really easy, low-risk approach to achieving this rank.

An easy way to complete rank 10 is to equip an Evans Repeater, and then shoot until having 1 clip remaining. Then head to a town with few lawmen, such as Armadillo, and then kill 1 person. This gives you 21 bullets to make six shots. Alternatively, with a high rank in Honour and Fame, pull a gun out on Walton's Gang, who sit in the saloon in Armadillo (distinctively), wait until they fire the first shot and then use Dead-Eye to disarm all of the gang members aiming, if there was not enough gang members there in order to rank up, then keep aiming, step outside and find some more.

Another easy place to do this is the Gaptooth Breach gang hideout. During the mine portion all of the enemies appear in front of so it's possible to disarm them then kill then move on to the next guy.

One of the best spots is at Twin Rocks. There's a well on the south side of the area. If hiding behind the wall/fence and lure baddies to the well to hide behind, they tend to expose the right side of their body when hiding. They hide while pointing their pistol to the air away from their body, making for one of the easiest targets ever. As always, make sure have some replenishing items on just in case.

It doesn't have to be 6 different enemies. Disarm the same person more than once. If disarming an enemy with a handgun, then they might pull out a rifle.

Also if using the glitch to get under the governor of Mexico's house, get a bounty, and shoot the guns out of the army's hands as they stand still.

A very easy way to achieve this rank is to first achieve a high honor rank. Then simply pull a Mauser Pistol, with 1 clip left, in front of an officer and he will ready his gun in response. Then simply shoot it out of his hand and repeat this easy process without receiving any bounty. Use the bandana as a safety measure.

Rewards
After level 5 the player receives an increase in ammo when using chests in safehouses and camps. Once he completes all the challenges, his Dead Eye meter builds faster as he kills enemies.

The only outfit this is necessary for is the Legend of the West Outfit.

Strategy
There is an easy way to get the first 3 Sharpshooter levels out during the first and second missions. When going up to Fort Mercer shoot to make the four crows fly into the air, then kill them. Then in the second mission, when looking at the barn in MacFarlane's Ranch, an eagle will spawn overhead, this will complete rank one. Then the rabbits and coyotes should be easy while doing the patrol.