Ferro vs Renegade: Best Battle Rifle in ARC Raiders? (Full Comparison)

Ferro vs Renegade: Full Damage & DPS Breakdown in ARC Raiders

In my previous article comparing  Arc Raiders shotguns , we explored how close-quarters weapons stack up in terms of raw damage, burst potential and mission fit. Now, we shift the focus to battle rifles — specifically the heavy-hitting Ferro and the agile Renegade — to determine which delivers the title of Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players should equip. By dissecting damage per shot, rate of fire, relative DPS and effectiveness against ARC machines and raiders alike, we’ll reveal the real performance gap between these two contenders.

Raw Damage and Firing Modes

According to the official weapons list for ARC Raiders, the Ferro is a Break-Action battle rifle using Heavy Ammo that deals 40 damage per shot and fires at a rate of 6.6 rounds per unit time, resulting in a Relative DPS of 264 at a range rating of 53.1. 
By contrast, the Renegade uses Medium Ammo in a Lever-Action firing mode, delivering 35 damage per shot at a much higher fire-rate of 21, producing a Relative DPS of 735 and a superior range rating of 68.8. 
These numbers indicate a clear trade-off: Ferro offers higher per-shot damage (which suits elimination of a target with one hit under ideal conditions) while Renegade emphasizes volume and sustained fire. This dynamic echoes the one we observed with shotguns — a higher per-shot option vs a faster-firing alternative — but scaled up into mid-to-long range engagements.

Real-World DPS Considerations & Battle Rifle Viability

While raw numbers are helpful, the true measure of a weapon’s power in ARC Raiders comes down to how often and how reliably you can land damage under pressure. The Ferro’s low DPS value of 264 reflects its slow fire-rate and heavy reload or break-action downtime, making it best suited for controlled engagements, surprise shots or when you have cover and time to line up your shot. On the other hand, the Renegade’s DPS of 735 at longer range gives you significantly more flexibility in standard raid skirmishes — allowing you to engage moving targets, apply sustained pressure on groups and transition smoothly from one target to the next.
In practical terms: If your run anticipates frequent enemy encounters, mixed raiders and ARC units, open zones and reactive engagements, the Renegade’s sustained damage and higher throughput give it the edge. If you plan to hold a position, take pre-aimed shots or eliminate high-value targets, the Ferro’s raw punch may deliver bigger payoff — but demands stealth, precision and patience.

Effective Range, Armor Penetration & Target Types

Battle rifles in ARC Raiders also must contend with enemy armour and target type (human raiders vs ARC machines). The Renegade benefits from a higher range rating (68.8), which means more effective hit-registration at longer distances. Additionally, its stats page lists the Renegade as having “Moderate” ARC Armor Penetration.
Meanwhile, the Ferro is often praised in community write-ups for its ability to “shatter weak points” and perform strong armour penetration when upgraded, especially against ARC robots. For example, one community review labels the Ferro as an “S-Tier” arm-breaker due to its heavy ammo and high single-hit potential — emphasising its value when you have the time and angle to strike.
What this means: If your target set includes heavily armoured ARC units or enemy squads with shields, choosing the battle rifle with stronger penetration and range (Renegade) may yield more consistent results. If you’re playing a sniper-type or ambusher role where you can line-up one headshot, the Ferro remains a viable pick.

Which One Qualifies as the Best Battle Rifle in ARC Raiders?

After analysing damage per shot, DPS, range and armour-penetration – here’s how I evaluate them:

• Ferro: Best suited for specialist roles — heavy-ammo, high-impact shots, ambush tactics, one-hit potential. If you are patient, well-positioned and mostly fighting fewer targets, it can dominate.

• Renegade: More versatile, higher fire-rate, longer range, better for dynamic engagements and mixed enemy types — making it the strongest contender for the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players should pick for general use.

For the majority of players who need a reliable weapon across various raid scenarios rather than a niche specialist tool, the Renegade offers superior adaptability and more consistent damage output. That said, the Ferro remains a powerful secondary or specialist primary for the right playstyle.

Handling, Recoil Control & Precision Reliability 

When choosing the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players can rely on, raw damage and DPS only tell half the story. What truly separates top-tier weapons in ARC Raiders—especially in high-stress raid encounters—is how they behave shot-to-shot: recoil pattern, handling weight, accuracy retention, and consistency when engaging mobile targets. Ferro and Renegade may look close on paper, but their real-world precision characteristics create two very different combat identities.

Recoil Pattern & Follow-Up Accuracy

According to the ARC Raiders weapon database, the Ferro’s break-action design comes with a noticeably higher recoil kick after each heavy shot. This makes the rifle excellent for controlled, deliberate engagements but significantly lowers its performance in reactive gunfights where multiple shots must be fired in quick succession. Ferro users often describe a “reset window” after every round—perfect for ambushers, punishing for frontline fighters.

The Renegade’s lever-action firing system behaves very differently. Although its per-shot recoil is lighter, the rifle still requires manual cycling between rounds, which slightly interrupts rhythm. However, its recoil stabilizes much faster, and accuracy recovery is noticeably smoother. This makes Renegade more reliable in mid-range duels, moving combat, and when tracking agile raiders or ARC drones.

Verdict:
For stability and consistent follow-up accuracy, the Renegade clearly outperforms the Ferro. The Ferro excels only if you land decisive first shots.

Handling Weight & Aim Mobility

Weapon handling heavily influences how well a rifle performs when you’re holding angles, pivoting around cover, or engaging from elevated terrain. Ferro is heavier due to its heavy-ammo architecture, prioritizing impact over mobility. This weight slightly slows aim-down-sight time and lateral movement while scoped, meaning repositioning during combat becomes riskier.

In contrast, the Renegade benefits from lighter medium ammo and a more balanced handling profile. You can snap-aim faster, adjust position between shots, and track targets more smoothly—an essential advantage in ARC Raiders where raider squads flank aggressively and ARC units push hard.

Verdict:
Players who value agility, rapid sight alignment, and fluid repositioning should always lean Renegade.

Precision Reliability Under Stress

Battle rifles aren’t just about mechanical stats—they’re about how reliably the weapon performs when everything goes wrong. In hectic skirmishes, accuracy loss, knockback, and positional disadvantage determine survival far more than theoretical numbers.

Ferro’s “high risk, high reward” profile means it thrives when you control the engagement but suffers when fights become chaotic. Miss a shot, and the punishment window is severe due to long recoil recovery and break-action downtime.

The Renegade, with its higher fire-rate, smoother pattern, and longer effective range, maintains accuracy even when you’re forced to move or react unexpectedly. This reliability is a major reason many players argue it deserves the title of the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players should use for general missions.

Best Battle Rifle for Your Playstyle in ARC Raiders 

Choosing the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players can rely on is less about “which gun has the highest number” and more about how well that rifle matches your role, map, and squad strategy. Ferro and Renegade sit at the top of the ARC Raiders battle rifle category, but they serve very different types of players and situations. Understanding those differences is the key to locking in your personal best pick.

For patient, methodical players: Ferro as your high-impact punish tool

If you like to hold angles, punish mistakes, and delete enemies who peek for too long, Ferro naturally fits your style.

From the official weapons table, Ferro is a Heavy Ammo, Break-Action battle rifle that deals 40 damage per shot, with a firing rate of 6.6 and relative DPS of 264 at 53.1 range. On paper, that DPS looks low, but that is misleading if you play around its strengths: heavy single-shot impact and strong armour performance.

External tier lists and early-game recommendations consistently highlight Ferro as one of the best guns in ARC Raiders thanks to its heavy ammo and high armour penetration, making it excellent against both ARC machines and human raiders—especially in early and mid game.

Ferro is the better choice if:

• You prefer slower, high-impact gunfights instead of constant spraying.

• You’re comfortable pre-aiming common routes and head-glitches and waiting for enemies to walk into your crosshair.

• Your squad needs a mid-to-long-range anchor who can break shields or chunk ARC units so teammates can finish them.

Recommended playstyle and build ideas:

• Treat Ferro almost like a “pseudo marksman rifle” in the ARC Raiders battle rifle meta.

• Pair it with a reliable close-range secondary (SMG or shotgun) so you are not punished when fights collapse to melee distance.

• Invest in reload-speed, stability and stamina/conditioning perks; every missed shot matters with a break-action rifle.

• Position on high ground, ridgelines and long lanes where your heavy hits can’t be easily traded.

If your dream scenario is cracking an ARC’s weak spot in one clean shot or instantly breaking an enemy raider’s shield, Ferro is the battle rifle that feels most rewarding in ARC Raiders.

 For aggressive, adaptable raiders: Renegade as the true workhorse

If you want a primary that feels good in almost every firefight, the Renegade is the frontrunner for Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players can equip for day-to-day runs.

The wiki lists Renegade as a Medium Ammo, Lever-Action battle rifle with 35 damage per shot, a firing rate of 21, and a relative DPS of 735 at 68.8 range. Compared to Ferro, you sacrifice a little damage per bullet, but gain:

• Almost 3× higher DPS

• Noticeably longer effective range

• A much more forgiving rhythm in mid-range duels

In real missions, that means Renegade excels when:

• You’re frequently switching targets, rotating between covers, and third-party fighting.

• You like lever-action rifles that reward good tracking and quick follow-up shots.

• You need a gun that feels solid in both PvE vs ARC enemies and PvP vs other raiders without constantly swapping weapons.

Why Renegade often feels like the “meta” battle rifle:

• Higher effective range gives you stronger mid-range control than many assault rifles while still hitting hard.

• The DPS profile makes it reliable when you whiff a shot — you are not punished as brutally as with Ferro.

• Medium ammo and firing cadence make it easier to combine with mobility-heavy builds, flanking routes, and hybrid roles.

If you naturally gravitate toward flex roles—sometimes anchoring, sometimes flanking, sometimes supporting—Renegade is usually the smarter “one-gun loadout” choice in ARC Raiders.

Matching Ferro vs Renegade to specific roles in ARC Raiders

To decide which is truly the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders has for you, map each rifle to your typical role:

a) Overwatch / Mid-range Marksman

• Wants: controlled picks, shield breaking, weak-point hits, supporting pushes from distance.

• Better fit: Ferro if you favour maximum impact and can play safely; Renegade if you want more shots and easier corrections.

• Tip: build for stability, ADS speed and stamina so you can hold angles without being caught out while repositioning.

b) Aggressive Flanker / Skirmisher

• Wants: chase low HP enemies, clean up fights, swing wide angles, pressure ARC units during rotations.

• Better fit: Renegade, almost every time. Its DPS, range and fire-rate align perfectly with hit-and-run gunfights.

• Tip: pair Renegade with movement perks, slide/sprint bonuses and a high-mobility secondary to stay dangerous in every range band.

c) Defensive Anchor / Zone Control

• Wants: hold doors, punish peeks, defend extraction points, deny pushes.

• Better fit: Ferro if you have solid game sense and aim, because one mistake from the enemy can mean instant deletion.

• Tip: position deep behind cover, use audio and vision to pre-aim, and let teammates play more aggressively around your angle control.

d) Solo Queue / Random Squad Survival

• Wants: a rifle that never feels useless, no matter how chaotic the lobby is.

• Better fit: Renegade. The extra range and DPS give you better odds in unknown situations, bad circles and messy third-party fights.

• Tip: when in doubt, build Renegade as your all-round ARC Raiders battle rifle, then let your secondary specialise (e.g., SMG for close-range, launcher for ARC-only tech).

Skill, comfort and progression: what to pick first

Another important angle when talking about the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players should craft early vs later is difficulty curve:

• Beginner to intermediate players

  • Usually benefit from Renegade first. It is more forgiving, has faster follow-ups, and punishes minor aim mistakes less.

  • Helps you learn recoil patterns, mid-range tracking and positioning without punishing each missed bullet as hard as Ferro.

• Advanced players / high-confidence aimers

  • Can leverage Ferro to secure devastating picks, especially against ARC enemies with exposed weak points.

  • Once you understand enemy pathing and cover setups, Ferro becomes a brutal tool for punishing predictable movements.

Ideally, you should try both rifles in multiple missions—ARC robot hunts, raider skirmishes, and mixed extraction runs—then see which one feels more natural. Comfort and muscle memory often matter more than a theoretical DPS difference on paper.

Final expert recommendation: which is really the Best battle rifle ARC Raiders offers?

Putting together stats from the official ARC Raiders weapons table and community weapon tier insights, a clear pattern appears:

• Ferro is the specialist pick:

  • Best when you can control range and tempo.

  • Incredible against ARC enemies and careless players in the open.

  • Demands patience, map knowledge and backup options for close-quarters.

• Renegade is the universal pick and arguably the true
  Best battle rifle ARC Raiders players should prioritise for most raids:

  • Higher DPS, better range, more forgiving firing cadence.

  • Strong in both solo and squad play, across PvE and PvP scenarios.

  • Fits aggressive, flexible and reactive playstyles extremely well.

So the expert summary is simple:

• If you want a reliable, everyday battle rifle that works in almost every mission and squad comp, pick Renegade.

• If you want a high-impact “skill gun” that rewards precision and planning with massive payoff, invest time into mastering Ferro.

Choose the rifle that best matches how you actually play ARC Raiders—and that is the moment when the gun in your hands becomes the real best battle rifle.