The Red Dead Redemption 2 story mode features a variety of optional challenges which test your skills in different activities like hunting, playing gambling mini-games, exploring, crafting and so on.
In this guide, we look at the Sharpshooter challenge and tell you how to complete them with ease. Since a few of these challenges require killing enemies from long distances, we suggest you get a weapon with a good range, like a rifle and a sniper rifle, before attempting to complete all of them. Completing these challenges can help you increase your stats.
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Sharpshooter Challenge Overview
Sharpshooter challenges test your shooting abilities, tasking you with killing enemies from certain distances, getting multiple headshots in a row and so on. Many of these challenges can be completed easily with the help of Dead Eye, so maxing the Dead-Eye bar will help immensely.
In case you don't intend on grinding for Dead Eye XP, you can also get tonics that reinforce the Dead Eye bar, preventing it from draining temporarily. Completing the first, third, seventh and tenth challenge in this category will unlock items belonging to the Sharpshooter reinforced equipment, which adds a permanent Health bonus once the set has been completed.
Kill Three Flying Birds
This first Sharpshooter challenge feels like a simple warm-up, as all you must do is kill three flying birds. The kills don't even have to be made one after the other, so there's a very good chance you already completed this challenge if you have been crafting a lot and needed feathers to craft special arrows.
In case you haven't completed this challenge yet, targeting some slow moving birds will make completing it quite easy. Herons are among the slowest birds, and they can be found in the swamps found to the north and west of the city of Saint Denis. You will find them in the water, however, so you must make them fly first before killing them. A single shot in the air is more than enough to scare them: once they have taken flight, activate Dead Eye and take them down. If you want to be sure to be able to kill three flying birds with the same Dead Eye use, shoot them with a weapon that doesn't need to be reloaded after each shot, like a revolver, pistol or any repeater with a big clip, like the Lancaster Repeater.
The reward for completing the first Sharpshooter challenge is the Sharpshooter Bandolier, part of the Sharpshooter equipment set that grants a permanent Health bonus once all items of the set have been obtained.
Kill Two Different Animal Species in the Same Dead Eye Use
The second Sharpshooter challenge is quite straightforward and easy to complete at any point during story mode, as you must kill two different animal species in the same Dead Eye use.
While it may be difficult to find two different animal species in the same area, there are a few locations that are filled with different species, such as the already mentioned swamps in the Saint Denis area, forested areas in Lemoyne and West Elizabeth, and the plains in New Hanover. In case you find only one species, you can also trick the system and use a bird for the second kill, as it will count as the second species.
Once you have located the two animals to kill, activate Dead Eye and take them out. Make sure to go for headshots to avoid failing the challenge.
The reward for completing this challenge is $5. You will also get 25 Dead Eye EXP for your trouble.
