[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Pulse Rifles and How To Get Them

Updated:

13 May 2021

In Destiny 2 we often have a weapon for every occasion, an auto rifle for hordes of enemies or a scout rifle for picking off enemies at a distance. (unless you play Titan like me, sprinting forward until the enemy’s in punching range). While the multiple-gun method is fine and dandy, when you want the best of speed and accuracy pulse rifles are the way to go. Today we have a list of the best pulse rifles for your PvE and PvP needs.

The Perks of Pulse Rifles

Pulse rifles are some of the most versatile weapons in the game thanks to their 3-round burst firing mode. This makes them much more accurate than an auto rifle and fire faster than a scout rifle. What makes them effective is that once you get a feel for them you’ll be able to land multiple headshots per burst, getting the job done fast.

How this list works:

For the sake of simplicity, we will list only the weapons’ curated perks (the perks that Bungie thought would make a good roll) rather than list all random perks. For the exotic weapons we’ll name their exotic perks. I’ll provide a link to a full rundown of each weapon and their randomized perks.

Our Top 5 Pulse Rifles for PvE

Outbreak Perfected
Blast Furnace
Redrix broadsword
Chattering bone
Graviton Lance

1. Outbreak Perfected

“-directive = KILL while enemies = PRESENT: executive(directive)-”

If you've played the Rise of Iron expansion in the first Destiny, you’ll remember Outbreak Prime, here’s it’s big brother. On precision kills and consistent hits upon an enemy, SIVA nanites will spawn and track down to attack your target. To make things worse for them, Outbreak Perfected will do more damage based on how many nanites are swarming an enemy. This is great when you need a little more punch when chipping away at a major enemy’s health.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 27

Range: 68

Stability: 46

Handling: 42

Reload Speed: 51

Rounds/Min: 450

Magazine: 35

Curated Perks:

Extended Barrel: Increases range, Decreases handling speed, Moderately controls recoil
Accurized Rounds: Increases range

Exotic Perks:

The Corruption Spreads: This weapon creates SIVA nanite swarms on rapid hits and precision kills.
Parasitism: This weapon does more damage to enemies based on the number of SIVA nanites that attach to them.

What makes Outbreak Perfected good?

Very stable
Individual Nanites do 10 damage
Nanites track down a target; if they die, they will find attack other target
Exotic Catalyst for this rifle stacks nanites and damage
Good for PvE and PvP

Here’s the full rundown of the weapon:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/400096939-outbreak-perfected#

How to get Outbreak Perfected:

There’s quite a few steps to acquiring this weapon, so here’s a guide:

Outbreak Perfected in Action:

2. Blast Furnace

“Forged in the hottest fires.”

Blast furnace is one of the few aggressive pulse rifles in the game, meaning instead of a standard 3 round burst this rifle fires in bursts of 4 bullets. This gun also has a very nice scope: the Meyrin RDL that highlights targets but also is very unobtrusive of your view. Its curated perks include Outlaw and Headseeker which synergize nicely, while its randomized perks come in handy too; should you get a good weapon roll.

Weapon Stats with Curated Perks:

Impact: 35

Range: 89

Stability: 72

Handling: 41

Reload Speed: 51

Rounds/Min: 450

Magazine: 43

Curated Perks:

Aggressive Burst: Hard-hitting four-burst fire.
Tactical Mag: Slightly increases stability, Increases reload speed, Slightly increases magazine size
Outlaw: Precision kills greatly decrease reload time
Headseeker: Body shots landed with this weapon precision damage for a short time.

What makes Blast Furnace good?

Great range
Nice Scope
Perk rolls often work well together

Weapon details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3843477312-blast-furnace#

How to get Blast Furnace:

This is a Black Armory weapon, you’ll first need to acquire a pulse rifle frame from Ada-1 back in the Tower Annex and follow the quest steps.

Blast Furnace in Action:

3. Redrix Broadsword

“The second swing is no less deadly.”

The perks on Redrix Broadsword are a match made in heaven. The first being Outlaw, where precision kills make you reload faster. The second being Desperado, which increases fire rate while the aforementioned Outlaw perk is active. These perks working together helps you score fast kills and lets you hail damage relentlessly.

Weapon Stats with Curated Perks:

Impact: 33

Range: 64

Stability: 69

Handling: 33

Reload Speed: 44

Rounds/Min: 340

Magazine: 27

Curated Perks:

High Impact Frame: Long range, slow firing, and high damage.
Chambered Compensator: Increases stability, Moderately controls recoil, Slightly decreases handling speed
Outlaw: Precision kills greatly decrease reload time.
Desperado: Reloading while Outlaw is active increases your rate of fire.

What makes Redrix Broadsword good?

Outlaw and Desperado work great together
High impact stat
Desperado perk boosts rounds/min from 340 to about 600 according to tests.

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/1161276682-redrixs-broadsword

How to get Redrix Broadsword:

Get ready for a long grind, to get this gun you have to obtain the quest Forging the Broadsword from good old Lord Shaxx. Here’s a guide that should help you:

Redrix Broadsword in Action:

4. Bad Juju

"If you believe your weapon wants to end all existence, then so it will." —Toland the Shattered

Making a return from the first Destiny is Bad Juju. Its exotic perk String of Curses refills your magazine, increases damage, and charges your super energy. It doesn’t stop there, because this effect can stack up to 5 times. In PvE, the effect can increase your critical damage by about 99% when String of Curses is at its max.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact: 27

Range: 46

Stability: 79

Handling: 60

Reload Speed: 52

Rounds/Min: 450

Magazine: 27

Curated Perks:

Hammer Forged Rifling: Increased range
Steady Rounds: Greatly increased stability, Slightly Decreased Range
Hip Fire Grip: Increase accuracy and stability when firing from the hip
Short Action Stock: Greatly increases handling speed

Exotic Perk:

String of Curses: Fires full-auto. Kills refill the magazine, increase damage for a short duration, and grant Super energy based on the strength of String of Curses.

What makes Bad Juju good?

Very stable
Exotic perk refills magazine on kill, but doesn’t draw on your own ammo reserves. Meaning (almost) infinite ammo.
String of Curses stacks 5 times and increases critical damage to enemies by 99% when at max effect.
Helps charge your Super

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2816212794-bad-juju

How to get Bad Juju:

To get Bad Juju you’ll have to unlock and complete its exotic quest. Here’s a guide to help you:

Bad Juju in Action:

5. Graviton Lance

“Think of space-time as a tapestry on a loom. This weapon is the needle.”

Hey look, a SPACE GUN. I’ll get straight to the point with this one, Graviton Lance shoots a two round burst that creates Black Holes and makes your enemies explode; which then spawn void projectiles that track to other enemies. Like I said, it’s a SPACE GUN.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact: 29

Range: 73

Stability: 100

Handling: 54

Reload Speed: 61

Rounds/Min: 257

Magazine: 31

Curated Perks

Hammer Forged Rifling: Increases range
Accurized Rounds: Increases range

Exotic Perks:

Black Hole: Second shot of a burst rips a hole through space-time, doing high damage and recoil with no falloff.
Cosmology: Kills with this weapon cause enemy targets to detonate and spawn Void projectiles that track targets.

What makes Graviton Lance good?

Amazing stability
Good range
High AOE damage potential
SPACE GUN

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3628991658-graviton-lance

How to get Graviton Lance:

If he has it in stock, you can buy this pulse rifle from Xur. You can also get it in exotic engrams.

Graviton Lance in Action:

Our Top 5 Pulse Rifles for PvP

Nightshade
Vigilance Wing
Sacred Provenance
Chattering Bone
Bygones

1. Nightshade

“Three drops is all it takes.”

Nightshade is a pulse rifle with a lightweight frame, allowing you to move faster when you have this weapon out. Other good features of this weapon is it’s solid reload speed and handling for a lightweight pulse rifle. It’s certainly not fancy, but it does the job well.

Weapon Stats with Curated Perks:

Impact: 27

Range: 48

Stability: 63

Handling: 76

Reload Speed: 71

Rounds/Min: 450

Magazine: 33

Curated Perks:

Lightweight Frame: Move faster with this weapon
Kill Clip: Reloading after a kill grants increased damage.

What makes Nightshade good?

High body shot damage, making it very forgiving for missing headshots
Kill Clip helps when facing multiple enemies
Decent Handling

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/339163900-nightshade

How to get Nightshade:

Nightshade can be found in Vanguard rank-up packages from our friendly Commander Zavala himself. Go meet him at the Tower and do his quests and bounties most of which are pretty easy.

Nightshade in Action:

2. Vigilance Wing

"The eye remains open. The Lighthouse remains lit." —Brother Vance

Vigilance Wing has a staggering 5-round burst and packs quite a punch. If you’re accurate enough to get headshots most of the time, you can take out an enemy with 2 bursts of this exotic rifle. This gun shines in gamemodes like Trials of Osiris thanks to its perks that help you when you lose teammates and increases weapon performance if you’re the last player on the fireteam.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact: 33

Range: 69

Stability: 73

Handling: 49

Reload Speed: 46

Rounds/Min: 530

Magazine: 30

Exotic Perks:

Harsh Truths: This weapon fires a 5-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration and increased movement speed.
Last Stand: Improved weapon performance and greatly increased recovery when its wielder is the last living member of a fireteam.

What makes Vigilance Wing good?

High impact
Perks can save you when you’re at a disadvantage
5-round bursts
Sweet Eqyptian style motif
Good Stability

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3628991659-vigilance-wing#

How to get Vigilance Wing:

You can get this rifle in exotic engrams or from Xur if he has it in stock.

Vigilance Wing in Action:

3. Sacred Provenance

"These gifts were not made for us, but we were meant to have them." —Rekkana, Warlock of the Kentarch 3

Here’s another aggressive frame pulse rifle that fires a 4 round burst. Sacred Provenance is a fairly smooth shooter and has nice range. One stand-out feature of this rifle is that one of its potential perks is rapid hit, where precision shots increase stability and reload speed; this perk isn’t often seen in most pulse rifles.

Weapon Stats with Curated Perks:

Impact: 35

Range: 81

Stability: 61

Handling: 41

Reload Speed: 42

Rounds/Min: 450

Magazine: 49

Curated Perks:

Aggressive Burst: Hard-hitting 4 burst fire
Appended Mag: Increases magazine size
Tracker Disabled: No tracker is displayed on this weapon

What makes Sacred Provenance good?

Good range
Good size magazine
Potential for Rapid Hit perk, which can work well with its other random perks

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2408405461-sacred-provenance#

How to get Sacred Provenance:

To get your hands on Sacred Provenance you’ll have to play the Garden of Salvation raid. It can either drop from bosses or can be found in raid chests.

Sacred Provenance in Action:

4. Chattering Bone

“We have so much to discuss, o seeker mine.”

Check out this pulse rifle, o reader mine. The Chattering Bone is lightweight and hits quickly. It’s got great recoil control and if you’re lucky enough to get the curated roll for this gun, you’ll have a damage buff for a majority of the time. This is because the curated rolls for this weapon include Kill Clip, where you get increased damage if you reload after a kill, and High impact reserve where the last rounds in a magazine do more damage.

Weapon Stats with Curated Perks:

Impact: 27

Range: 58

Stability: 61

Handling: 78

Reload Speed: 76

Rounds/Min: 450

Magazine: 33

Curated Perks:

Lightweight Frame: Move faster with this weapon.
Light Mag: Improved reload and range.
Kill Clip: Reloading after a kill grants increased damage.
High-Impact Reserves: Rounds at the end of the magazine deal more damage.

What makes Chattering Bone good?

Good recoil control
Good reload speed
Great handling

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/568515759-chattering-bone

How to get Chattering Bone:

Grab some friends because to get this rifle you’ll need to go through the Last Wish Raid and get it through the Wishing Wall or in a raid chest. There is however, a possible way to do it solo:

Note that with recent patches and updates this method may no longer be possible, or may need a different approach.

Chattering Bone in Action:

5. Bygones

"Gone, but never forgotten." —The Drifter

Let bygones be bygones. Consistent recoil and equipped with an Adaptive Frame, Bygones is not to be messed with. With a good roll, you can 2-burst kill an enemy, and hip firing can be a more viable option with this rifle.

Weapon Stats with Curated Perks:

Impact: 29

Range: 53

Stability: 60

Handling: 60

Reload Speed: 33

Rounds/Min: 390

Magazine: 47

Curated Perks:

Arrowhead Brake: Greatly controls recoil, Increases handling speed
Extended Mag: Greatly increases magazine size, Greatly decreases reload speed
Kill Clip: Reloading after a kill grants increased damage
Full Auto Trigger System: Holding down the trigger will fire this weapon at full auto

What makes Bygones good?