I've been seeing a lot of posts on the forums complaining about the effectiveness of auto rifles this sandbox, more specifically 600 auto rifles and I wanted to give my two cents on the issue. I honestly don't think 600 auto rifles are that OP if at all. I say that the reason 600 auto rifles are so popular right now is not because of their TTK but because, in a world of guns that have a lot of RNG accuracy and bloom when aiming down sights, 600 auto rifles have the least amount of bloom when compared to other competitive weapons. I can only speak on how the console version of the game, but bloom and recoil here is about 50% more recoil and a lot more bloom when compared to the PC version of the game. Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTFcPzKacfg&t=389s This means that players gravitate towards guns where BS mechanics like Bloom are minimized so that players will only loose fights if they make a mistake. Hand cannons on console are not really all that competitive right now. The only exceptions being a few legendary outliers like Austringer, Dire Promise, 180's, and maybe Old Fashioned. The reasons Hand Cannons aren't so good is because their recoil animation prevents you from seeing where you are aiming on a follow up shot, having very strong bloom (random accuracy cause by "spamming" the weapon"), and reacquiring the player to hit multiple head shots to reach the competitive TTK of 0.8 seconds. Basically, Hand Cannons require a lot of work on the player's end in order to keep their shots on target. Scout rifles are bad because their optimal TTK is too dang high. The only one that is relatively good is No Feelings (maybe Randy's), but it has to have Box Breathing on it. Otherwise there's no way you're going to have a good time with a Scout. Pulse Rifles are okay for now. Sidearms are okay, but only at close range where shotguns a fusions rule. Really, considering all this, Auto Rifles have the stars aligned in their favor. Let's be honest here, what weapon is a competitive player going to use? A weapon that will consistently and reliably shoot where it is being pointed right off the bat or a weapon that will struggle and refuse until you loose? I'd say the weapon that'll shoot where it's being pointed right off the bat is what most people would choose. Why learn how to "shot pace" when there is a weapon available that does the same thing without the RNG BS? Answer: there is no reason to, unless you want to intentionally handi-cap yourself.