The best XRK Stalker loadout in Modern Warfare 3 is the exact thing you need if you fancy sniping with the new top-of-class sniper rifle in Season 1. You won’t be able to get your hands on it immediately, but when you do, you’ll be dominating up close and from range thanks to its immense power.

It also features in our list of the best guns in MW3 as the only sniper rifle on there, and that is because it has a perfect balance of damage, aim-down-sight speed, and recoil. You can absolutely utilize this beast at range, but the optimal loadout comes for those who enjoy being a little more mobile, quick-scoping when necessary.

Here is the best XRK Stalker loadout in MW3, the best class to use alongside it, and how to unlock the gun to begin with.

How to unlock the XRK Stalker in MW3

To unlock the XRK Stalker, you must complete sector A4 on the battle pass map. This is just two sectors away from the start, so you can get it by completing sectors A1 and A2 first, which means you’ll need just 15 battle pass tokens in total. What’s even better is that much like the best RAM-7 loadout, the XRK Stalker is a free weapon in the battle pass so you don’t need to fork out money for it.

Best XRK Stalker loadout in MW3

Here is the best XRK Stalker loadout in Modern Warfare 3:

• Barrel: KLX-09 Short Barrel
• Optic: Forge Tac Delta 4
• Bolt: XRK Stalker Light Bolt
• Stock: No Stock
• Rear Grip: XRK Stalker Factory Grip

As mentioned above, we’ve built this XRK Stalker loadout with the idea of quick-scoping in mind, being fairly mobile and not sticking to one spot with your sniper rifle. If you do want to play a little slower, build this out with improvements to recoil control and damage range instead. However, for a faster paced style of play, this is what you want to go for, with the XRK Stalker Light Bolt being arguably the most important of the lot since it speeds up the rechambering time considerably.

Having No Stock selected is also vital, as it buffs your sprint to fire, movement, aim-walking, and sprint speeds, while the XRK Stalker Factory Grip also improves the sprint to fire and aim down sight speeds. There are two short barrels available — the KLX-09 we’ve gone for is a little less severe than the Handler LKP, which offers a bigger buff to ADS speed, but significantly harms your bullet velocity, range, and flinch resistance, so it’s not as ideal if you expect to sometimes be hanging back from a distance. Additionally, if you’re happy with the default optic, you could swap that out for a laser attachment that plays into this build style.

Best XRK Stalker class in MW3

Image: Sledgehammer Games/Activision via Polygon

Here is the best class to use alongside the XRK Stalker in Modern Warfare 3:

• Vest: Overkill Vest
• SMG: WSP Swarm
• Tactical: Stun Grenade
• Lethal: Throwing Knife
• Gloves: Assault Gloves
• Boots: Stalker Boots
• Gear: Tac Mask

While having another primary weapon instead of a secondary isn’t mandatory, the Overkill Vest comes with two essential perks: increased weapon swap speed and reload while sprinting. Therefore, it’s the best option — more so than the Gunner Vest because, while that improves your reload speed, it removes the boots option, and our pick for that slot is absolutely vital.

We’d choose the WSP Swarm as the alternate primary because it’s an SMG that absolutely demolishes up close and suits an aggressive playstyle, but you could go for whatever you prefer in this spot really. The standard Stun Grenade is the best tactical, while a Throwing Knife is seriously helpful if you miss your first shot against an enemy up close, since it’s a guaranteed one hit kill.

The Assault Gloves are a huge help when playing aggressive and quickscoping, as you may get surprised as you turn a corner, so improving your accuracy and ADS speed while jumping is a big help. The same goes for the Stalker Boots, which increase your strafe and ADS movement speed. Finally, we prefer the Tac Mask over the EOD Padding in the gear slot, because Stuns and Flashes are much more of a bugbear, but you can switch to the grenade protection if you’d rather.

For more Modern Warfare 3 guides, see how to switch to Tactical Stance, and check our guides on the best Striker loadout, best SVS 545 loadout, best RAM-7 loadout, best MCW loadout, and best AMR9 loadout.

If you’re jumping into the campaign, find all of the items and weapons in “Precious Cargo” and “Reactor,” see how to earn the Back in the Field trophy and the A Shot Blocked achievement, or check out our walkthrough for “Deep Cover.”