The best M8A1 loadout in Black Ops 7 is going to be very familiar for any Call of Duty veterans in the house, because this is a returning beast from Black Ops 2, way back in 2012. It was one of the best guns in that game and, well, the design director has got his wish this time around because it's one of the best guns in Black Ops 7 too.

This is a three-shot burst gun that can drop enemies in just one trigger pull, if you're accurate. It was once classed as an assault rifle, but this time around it's a marksman rifle, meaning it's best at long range, although if you hit your shots, it can be devastating up close too. We want to focus on that ranged combat though, by buffing the damage range and accuracy. Here's the best M8A1 loadout in Black Ops 7 and how to unlock it in the first place.

To unlock the M8A1 in Black Ops 7, you just need to reach level 10. It's the first marksman rifle you unlock, and you can reach level 10 in no time at all, especially if you have some double XP tokens available.

The best M8A1 loadout in Black Ops 7

Here's the best M8A1 loadout in Black Ops 7:

    Optic: PrismaTech Digital Holo
    Muzzle: RL-5.56 Brake
    Barrel: 23" Barrier Barrel
    Underbarrel: Force Stabilizer Handstop
    Magazine: Link-Chamber Fast Clip
    Rear Grip: G7-Launch Grip
    Stock: Gridlock Stock
    Fire Mods: Buffer Spring

Alright, there's no beating around the bush here: you're not going to be focused on close-range combat with this loadout. We can adapt for that with the recommended class down below, but when it comes to attachments, we're focused on accuracy and damage. Take note that we're using the Gunfighter wildcard to equip eight attachments. The muzzle, underbarrel, rear grip, and fire mods attachments listed above all provide significant benefit to both the vertical and horizontal recoil on the M8A1, meaning you can hit your shots from a serious distance.

Meanwhile, we use the listed barrel attachment to improve the damage range. If all three bullets connect, you can kill an enemy up to 50 meters away with one burst. There are two outlying attachments here, the first being the stock choice, as it adds a tiny bit more mobility with the aim walking movement speed buff, and the flinch resistance, which can be a pain… other than the times it pushes your aim onto their head.

Then there's the smaller magazine, but unlike fully automatic weapons, chances are you've killed your target before you're anywhere close to running out of ammo with the M8A1. Therefore, the buffed aim down sight and sprint to fire speeds are a minor enhancement. Finally, the optic listed above is simply our personal preference, but if you'd rather a different sight, anything from 1-2x zoom is suitable, or potentially even more if you want to pick foes off from further away.

Here's the best class to use alongside the M8A1 in Black Ops 7:

    Wildcard: Gunfighter
    Pistol: Coda 9
    Melee: Knife
    Field Upgrade: Drone Pod
    Tactical: Pinpoint Grenade
    Lethal: Point Turret
    Perk 1: Flak Jacket
    Perk 2: Fast Hands
    Perk 3: Bankroll
    Specialty: Tactician

First up, we have the Coda 9 sidearm, which is a fully automatic pistol. As mentioned above, we're using the class to assist with the fact the M8A1 isn't great up close, so switching to your trusty sidearm is highly recommended since it'll shred through foes up close. Meanwhile, the Drone Pod field upgrade is currently one of the most complained about pieces of equipment in the game thanks to how frustrating it is for enemies to deal with, so when you're playing slowly and picking enemies off from afar, it helps distract them.

The Pinpoint Grenade is a huge help for knowing where enemies are and where to aim, if an enemy is going to come round a corner, or even if they can be shot through a wall. Meanwhile, the Point Turret is another distraction technique, because while it's unlikely to get kills by itself, it will weaken enemies and make you aware of them.

On the perks front, Flak Jacket is used in lieu of choosing the Trophy System field upgrade, which would be our other recommendation if the Drone Pod gets nerfed. Fast Hands is crucial for those times you need to switch quickly to your sidearm, and Bankroll is used for two reasons. Firstly, this sort of playstyle means you're less likely to be dying often, so you've got a higher chance of earning better scorestreaks, and secondly, it's the best choice to enable the Tactician specialty, which is also the most suitable for a slower playstyle.

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