In DayZ, there are now over 30 firearms and various types of ammunition. That's why we're revealing in this guide which weapons are the best for PvP and raiding in DayZ 1.23 (Dec. 2023).
Guide Overview: Below, we have created two lists, each featuring the top five weapons in DayZ. The first list covers weapons for PvP and provides you with the essential details. In the second list, you will find the five weapons that allow you to raid a base most quickly. Furthermore, you should take a look at our DayZ Weapons Tier List (2024).
Thanks to various damage buffs for selected weapons in DayZ, combined with the new fire rates, the following ranking for weapons emerges.
| Rank | Name | Damage | Shock | Effective Range | Damage/Sec. |
| 1 | Vaiga | 126 | 126 | 50 m | 945 |
| 2 | Le-Mas (Famas) | 107,5 | 107,5 | 300 m | 1612,5 |
| 3 | M4A1 | 97 | 97 | 300 m | 1445 |
| 4 | LAR | 123 | 123 | 500 m | 1220 |
| 5 | VSS und AS-VAL | 75 | 75 | 220 m | 1.125 |
About Vaiga: Taking the first place here is the Vaiga 12 G, and when paired with a drum magazine, this automatic shotgun is an absolute beast. The damage calculated above was measured with red buckshots. It's important to note that damage naturally decreases at a distance, but within a range of approximately 30 to 40 meters, it still holds the top position.
| Rank | Name | Raid Duration (in seconds) | Bullets needed in total |
| 1 | M4A1 | 50,20 | 400 |
| 2 | Vaiga 12G | 51,6 | 156 |
| 3 | Le-Mas (Famas) | 75,72 | 358 |
| 4 | LAR | 91,32 | 317 |
| 5 | VSS und AS-VAL | 134,4 | 513 |
Keep in mind: The M4 surpasses the Vaiga 12G in raiding only when equipped with a 60-round magazine and at least 6 additional 60-round magazines in your inventory. Using exclusively 30-round magazines in the M4 doubles the raiding duration to around 110 seconds.
No, firearms actually fall into the middle ground of different raiding methods when it comes to raiding a base in DayZ. In our comprehensive raiding guide for DayZ (1.22), we explain everything you need to know about raids and provide you with the best tools. In short, for raids, you should rely on explosive devices. These include grenades, mines, claymores, or the M79 grenade launcher.
These weapons and explosives are challenging to find, and you'll need significantly less ammunition or copies of the explosive devices to blast your way into a wall. In our test, it was also revealed that explosives inflict the same amount of damage to both wooden and metal walls.
Now you know the current best weapons in DayZ for PvP and raiding. Which weapons have you used so far, and which ones will you use in the future? Write us a comment and join our DayZ community on Facebook.
