RDR2 Sharpshooter Challenges: Fast Methods for All 10

Three areas solve a large part of the Sharpshooter set:

Location	Use it for
Hanging Dog Ranch	Distance, headshots and disarms
Bluewater Marsh	Birds
Valentine / Saint Denis	Hats

The tricky one is Sharpshooter 8.

Recommended setup:

Hanging Dog Ranch + Varmint Rifle + gun hand/arm + reset the ranch without reloading or switching weapons.

Now go rank by rank.

Sharpshooter 1 — kill three flying birds

Where to go

Bluewater Marsh or The Heartlands.

You do not need a particular species.

You only need birds that are easy to flush into the air.

Method

1. Find a group of birds.
2. Move closer until they take off.
3. Activate Dead Eye.
4. Kill three while they are flying.

Bluewater Marsh works well because many birds are large and easy to track.

The Heartlands also has plenty of crows and other birds.

If it does not count

The bird needs to die while airborne.

Do not waste shots on perched birds.

Sharpshooter 2 — kill two different animal species in the same Dead Eye

Where to go

Emerald Ranch works well.

Any place with two different species close together also works.

Method

1. Find two different species.
2. Get both in view.
3. Activate Dead Eye.
4. Mark one animal from each species.
5. Kill both during the same activation.

Set the animals up before activating Dead Eye.

If it does not count

Two animals from the same species do not work.

Find two different species first.

Easy method if the mission is still available

Use Billy Midnight.

The mission already puts you on a moving train and avoids much of the trouble involved in stealing one yourself.

When you have room:

1. Stay on the train.
2. Look for birds.
3. Kill five while the train remains in motion.

Normal method

If the mission is gone:

1. Board a train.
2. Wait until it is moving.
3. Find a position with a clear view.
4. Kill five birds from the train.

There is no need to massacre passengers.

If it does not count

The train needs to be moving.

All five birds need to die while you are shooting from it.

Where to go

Hanging Dog Ranch.

You have visible enemies and open ground.

Method

1. Find an enemy.
2. Aim with the tomahawk.
3. Walk backward until you are almost outside throwing range.
4. Step slightly forward.
5. Activate Dead Eye.
6. Throw at the torso or head.

Use the weapon’s own aiming range as your distance guide.

If it does not count

You were probably too close.

Move farther away and repeat.

Sharpshooter 5 — kill six animals without reloading or changing weapons

Where to go

Use a quiet farm with several animals together.

RDR2.org recommends a farm southwest of Flatneck Station.

Weapon

Lancaster or another weapon holding more than six rounds.

Method

1. Start with a full magazine.
2. Find at least six animals.
3. Kill the first.
4. Continue through the others.
5. Do not reload.
6. Do not switch weapons.

Farm animals are easier than chasing six wild animals through brush.

If it does not count

The two obvious causes are:

• you reloaded;
• you switched weapons.

Reset with a full magazine.

Where to go

Shady Belle or Hanging Dog Ranch.

Both let you increase the distance while keeping enemies visible.

Weapon

Rolling Block Rifle or another long-range scoped rifle.

Method

1. Find an enemy.
2. Aim through the scope.
3. Back away.
4. Keep backing up until you are close to the edge of range.
5. Move slightly forward.
6. Fire.

Go for a clean one-shot kill if possible.

If it does not count

You need more distance.

You do not need another enemy.

Back up farther.

Sharpshooter 7 — seven consecutive headshots

Where to go

• Hanging Dog Ranch;
• Shady Belle;
• any hideout with enough enemies.

Method

1. Use an accurate weapon.
2. Stay in cover.
3. Use Dead Eye if it helps.
4. Confirm the head before shooting.
5. Fire.
6. Repeat until seven.

There is no time limit.

Go slowly.

If it does not count

Any non-headshot breaks the streak.

If one shot looks questionable, assume the streak is gone and start again.

This is the common roadblock.

Where to go

Hanging Dog Ranch.

Weapon

Varmint Rifle.

It does low damage and gives you plenty of shots before reloading.

Recommended method

1. Equip the Varmint Rifle.
2. Make sure you have enough loaded ammunition.
3. Approach Hanging Dog Ranch.
4. Find the guard near the entrance.
5. Aim at the hand or arm holding the weapon.
6. Shoot until he drops the gun.
7. Leave far enough for the ranch to reset.
8. Return.
9. Repeat.
10. Do not reload.
11. Do not switch weapons until all three disarms count.

Where to shoot

The gun hand.

Or the gun arm.

You want the weapon to fall.

Body shots may kill the enemy first.

Avoid Dead Eye for Sharpshooter 8

Depending on your progression, Dead Eye can trigger an automatic reload.

If Dead Eye reloads the rifle, the attempt is over.

To remove that variable:

do Sharpshooter 8 without Dead Eye.

Alternative: Cornwall Kerosene & Tar

There is another community method involving:

• bow;
• Poison Arrows;
• limb shots.

Some players report success.

Others say it does not count.

Keep it as the backup method.

Try Hanging Dog Ranch with the Varmint Rifle first.

Sharpshooter 8 not counting

Check:

• Did you reload?
• Did you switch weapons?
• Did Dead Eye reload automatically?
• Did the enemy actually drop the weapon?
• Did you kill him before the disarm registered?
• Did you holster or draw another weapon between attempts?

Touch as little as possible between disarms.

Sharpshooter 9 — shoot three hats off people

You need three hats knocked off, not three kills.

Two methods work well.

Method 1: Saint Denis

Look for NPCs or poker players wearing large, easy-to-see hats.

Aim for the hat.

You want it to come off.

You do not want to kill the person.

Method 2: Valentine shotgun method

Go:

across the tracks / uphill from Valentine Station.

Move far away.

Use a shotgun.

At enough distance, the pellets can knock the hat off without necessarily killing the NPC.

Steps

1. Find someone wearing a hat.
2. Move away.
3. Aim around the top of the head.
4. Fire.
5. Check that the hat comes off.
6. Repeat.

If it does not count

The hat needs to fly off.

If you are killing the NPC before the hat comes away:

move farther back.

Sharpshooter 10 — kill three flying birds with three consecutive long-scope rifle shots

Where to go

Bluewater Marsh.

Any open area with large birds also works.

Weapon

Rolling Block Rifle.

Method

1. Find the birds before starting.
2. Wait for the first to take off.
3. Make the first shot count.
4. Do not fire again until the second target is clear.
5. Kill the second.
6. Wait until the third is clear.
7. Kill the third.

Use Dead Eye if you need it.

The important part is:

three consecutive shots.

One miss resets the streak.

Which birds should you use?

Large ones.

Easy to see.

Predictable flight.

Do not make the Challenge harder by trying to shoot three tiny dots at extreme range.

Fast route for all ten

The Heartlands / Emerald Ranch

• Sharpshooter 1
• Sharpshooter 2
• Sharpshooter 5

Train / Billy Midnight

• Sharpshooter 3

Hanging Dog Ranch

• Sharpshooter 4
• Sharpshooter 6
• Sharpshooter 7
• Sharpshooter 8

Valentine / Saint Denis

• Sharpshooter 9

Bluewater Marsh

• Sharpshooter 10

These locations are not mandatory.

They simply reduce travel and setup time.

Frequently asked questions

How do I complete Sharpshooter 8?

Go to Hanging Dog Ranch.

Use the Varmint Rifle.

Shoot the guard’s gun hand or arm until he drops the weapon.

Leave far enough for the ranch to reset.

Return.

Repeat three times without reloading or switching weapons.

Can Dead Eye ruin Sharpshooter 8?

Yes.

Depending on your progression, it can introduce an automatic reload.

The safest method avoids Dead Eye.

Where should I do Sharpshooter 9?

Use hat-wearing NPCs in Saint Denis or the long-distance shotgun method near Valentine Station.

Where should I do the 660-foot kill?

Shady Belle or Hanging Dog Ranch.

Where are easy birds?

Bluewater Marsh.

Can I do Sharpshooter 3 during Billy Midnight?

Yes.

It is one of the easiest community methods while the mission is still available.

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More Challenge guides

All RDR2 Challenges

RDR2 Bandit Challenges

Master Hunter

Gambler

Weapons Expert

RDR2 100%

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Sources

RDR2.org — Sharpshooter Challenge Guide.

Red Dead Wiki — Sharpshooter Challenges.

RDR2.org Forums — Sharpshooter 4.

Reddit — Billy Midnight method for Sharpshooter 3.

Reddit — Hanging Dog Ranch + Varmint Rifle method for Sharpshooter 8.

Reddit — Poison Arrow alternative for Sharpshooter 8.

Reddit — Valentine method for Sharpshooter 9.

Challenge requirements come from game-reference sources. Reset, disarm and hat methods include community techniques and can behave differently depending on story and Dead Eye progression.

Last verified: October 5, 2026.