Red Dead Wiki
Register
Advertisement
For the Red Dead Redemption 2 variant, see Rolling Block Rifle (RDR 2).

The Rolling Block Rifle is a weapon featured in Red Dead Redemption.

Description[]

The Rolling Block Rifle is a very powerful sharpshooting rifle. It is able to take down targets at long range with more ease than other weapons due to its scope, although the one-shot ammo capacity plus the engaging of the scope each time one aims with it limits the weapon's use in close quarters combat.

The Rolling Block Rifle is the first scoped rifle that can be obtained by missions. When aiming down the sights of this weapon the player may notice white/gray areas around the rim of the scope. These areas indicate the location of the nearest enemy to the direction of aim. By moving the scope towards the white area, it will gradually enlarge until a full white ring appears when aiming directly at the enemy.

Acquisition[]

Single Player[]

Undead Nightmare[]

  • The player will obtain the rifle once they have cleared Pacific Union Railroad Camp from the Undead infestation.
  • Alternatively, the player can also obtain the rifle by killing the survivors in Blackwater on the roof of one of the buildings (and theoretically other survivors later on in the game who use the rifle, for example the Plainview survivors). However, if the player kills the survivors and take their weapons, Blackwater will have a much higher chance of being overrun by the undead. This is a quicker way at getting the rifle and it gives the player a small advantage, but at the price of an increased risk of a zombie invasion. Also the survivors will attack the player if he opens fire so make sure you can kill them in a single dead-eye burst, or John will most likely be killed. An easy way of doing this is to aim for their heads with the Cattleman Revolver. Using dead-eye to put two shots on each of their heads is a good way to dispatch them. Due to the relative ease at which the player can acquire the Rolling Block Rifle via less below-the-belt methods, this is arguably a bad strategy to acquire the gun.
  • Another option would be taking it from the Sasquatch Hunter, who may wield it after the cutscene, simply killing him with a headshot would make him drop the rifle.
    • The Sasquatch Hunter can be seen firing some shots from his rifle like a repeater, despite it being a single-shot weapon.

Multiplayer[]

  • The Rolling Block Rifle is unlocked into the player's regular inventory upon reaching rank 20.
    • The "Rolling Block Bully" weapon challenges are unlocked at the same level. Completion of these challenges turns the weapon golden for the player.
  • It can also be obtained by killing another player who has the weapon equipped.
  • It is also a weapon in the Marksman class in cooperative missions

Multiplayer Tips/Tricks[]

The Rolling Block Rifle in multiplayer is easy to use, but hard to master, due to its very low rate of fire and ammo capacity. Since the weapon has a very high effective range, players need to take cover if the other player has a similar rifle, since other weapons do not have such high range. With this weapon, it is very easy to take down enemies behind low cover, or taking out enemies that are taking cover if in an elevated position. When viewing through the scope, the ring around it will light up when an enemy is in range. Although you may not quite see the enemy, you'll still have a general idea of his location, even if he's behind an object like a rock or wall.

Trivia[]

  • This was a high-powered, long range rifle; together with the Sharps, it was the preferred weapon of professional buffalo hunters. 
  • The scope is modeled to resemble a Malcolm tube scope, probably in the popular six times (x6) magnification. These were very expensive, often costing as much as the rifle it was mounted on.
  • Most 19th-century long-range rifles were instead equipped with tang-mounted vernier aperture sights, as modeled on the in-game Sharps Buffalo Rifle.

Gallery[]

Achievements[]

The Rolling Block Rifle can be used to unlock the following Trophies/Achievements:

Bullseye
20 gamerscoregamerscore
Bronze bronzebronze
Get 250 headshots in any game mode.

Longarmofmarston
20 gamerscoregamerscore
Silver silversilver
Kill 500 enemies with any rifle, repeater, or shotgun

Thegunslinger1
5 gamerscoregamerscore
Silver silversilver
Get a headshot while in Expert Mode in Singleplayer.

Navigation[]

Advertisement