The ELR-40 is the bolt-action sniper rifle added to Battlefield 6 with Season 5: Siege of Vegas. It sits in the Recon class as a signature, extreme-range weapon with very high bullet velocity and a deliberately slow rechamber. What sets it apart from the game’s other snipers is an ammunition conversion that turns it into a one-shot close-range rifle, reviving a mechanic longtime players will recognise.
Quick answer: The ELR-40 arrived at Season 5 launch on October 13. Its standard build is a long-range bolt-action; leveling the weapon to Mastery 13 unlocks the Single-Shot magazine, which raises base damage to 120 and guarantees a one-shot upper-chest kill at roughly 30 to 60 meters.
ELR-40 weapon profile and stats
The ELR-40 is a hard-hitting bolt-action rifle built around extreme range. Its headline strength is bullet speed, reaching up to 985 m/s with an extended barrel, which cuts down the lead you need on distant moving targets. The trade-off is cycling speed: the rifle rechambers slowly, so a missed shot leaves a long gap before the next one.
| Stat | Standard | Single-Shot |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 100 | 120 |
| Rate of fire | 36 | 36 |
| Magazine | 7 | 1 |
| Hipfire | 34 | 48 |
| Control | 36 | 24 |
| Mobility | 34 | 45 |
Precision sits at 100, matching its role as a stationary, long-lane weapon. EA describes it as having the best bullet drag performance and the furthest sweet spot in its archetype, which points at the open sightlines of Area 51 rather than tight interiors.
The Single-Shot conversion and how it changes the rifle
The custom Single-Shot magazine is the attachment that redefines the ELR-40. Equipping it costs 10 attachment points, drops magazine capacity to a single round, and raises base damage from 100 to 120. At close-to-medium range, that increase is enough to secure a guaranteed one-shot kill to the upper chest, roughly between 30 and 60 meters.
Because the magazine holds one round, the rifle uses a single-round reload between every shot rather than a conventional bolt cycle. The effect is a sniper that can body-shot enemies dead at ranges where you would normally need a headshot. Longtime players will recognise the behaviour from the Martini-Henry in Battlefield 1 and the .300 Knockout in Battlefield Hardline.
The Single-Shot mode shifts the ELR-40’s effective window inward, trading its extreme-range identity for close-quarters lethality. That makes it a credible pick on Vegas Strip, where attackers funnel through hotel corridors, lobbies and stairwells.
Optics and attachment options
The ELR-40 supports variable magnification without the usual offset canted red dot. You can toggle a 4x or 2x zoom onto an 8.00x main scope, which keeps one optic viable across both long lanes and mid-range fights. That flexibility matters more than usual on a rifle that can be built for either extreme.
Other attachments cover velocity, concealment and stability:
- Extended barrel, pushing muzzle velocity up to 985 m/s
- Flash Hider, unlocked at ELR-40 Mastery 11
- CQB Suppressor, unlocked at ELR-40 Mastery 21, plus a Long Suppressor
- Angled underbarrel grip for aim stability
- FMJ ammunition and red or violet laser sights
Pairing the Single-Shot magazine with FMJ ammunition and a laser sight leans the rifle fully into its aggressive close-range build, where hipfire reaches 48 and mobility climbs to 45.
Where the ELR-40 performs across the Season 5 maps
The two maps that arrived with Siege of Vegas pull the rifle in opposite directions, which is exactly why the dual build exists.
Area 51
On Area 51, combat starts across open desert ridges and extended roads, then moves underground through silos, hangars and service tunnels. The expansive surface terrain suits the standard long-range build and its high velocity, letting you watch the main approaches from overwatch.
On defence, the rocky ridges overlooking the main road give clear lanes onto attackers before they reach the hangar roof and side tunnels.
Vegas Strip
Vegas Strip starts on an open boulevard but quickly channels attackers into tight hotel and casino interiors, such as the Olympus lobby and its staircases. The open street rewards the scoped long-range build on approach, while the Single-Shot conversion becomes the stronger choice once fighting moves indoors.
Unlocking the ELR-40 and its Single-Shot mode
The ELR-40 is one of four weapons that landed at Season 5 launch, alongside the Mk 24 assault rifle, the RSPR submachine gun and the Z84M light machine gun. Season 5 content mixes gating, with some rewards tied to the Battle Pass and gameplay progression across the season.
Once the rifle is in your loadout, the Single-Shot magazine comes from weapon mastery progression rather than a separate purchase. Leveling the ELR-40 to Mastery 13 unlocks the Single-Shot attachment, with the Flash Hider available earlier at Mastery 11 and the CQB Suppressor later at Mastery 21.
The Single Shot attachment is active once its unlock notice appears and the loadout shows 120 damage with magazine capacity reduced to 1. Equip it in a match: the weapon reloads one round at a time, confirming that body shots kill in one hit at close-to-medium range.
Built either way, the ELR-40 asks for commitment to a single role per loadout. The standard magazine keeps it a patient long-range tool with a slow bolt, while the Single-Shot mode turns it into a high-risk, high-reward close-range rifle that rewards accuracy on the first shot.
