Apex Legends Light Ammo weapons may not be as lethal as their Heavy Ammo counterparts, but the R-301 offers a lot of death potential if you are willing to master it.
In February 2021, after the Season 8 update, the R-301 was added to the Fully Kitted weapons. The Anvil receiver has also been brought back, which increases the semiautomatic damage from the AR and doubles the shots the gun fires when the tap is fired.
While the small size of the R-301’s clip can discourage many players, it remains an incredibly powerful option in Apex Legends. The R-301 is an extremely reliable assault rifle that has high accuracy, methodical rate of fire and decent damage in close combat at medium range.
If you are looking for a fully automatic lightweight ammunition weapon that can exceed the R-99 or an AR that won’t leave you on the ground, so the R-301 is a great choice.
For more Apex Legends Season 8 tips and tricks, check out our guides below:
30-30 Repeater guide | All fans of legends and nerfs | All guns and nerf fans | Fuse guide | What’s in the season 8 battle pass? | Season 8 Patch Notes | How To Open Explosive Holds | Spitfire Guide | R99 Guide | Mastiff Guide | When will Apex for Switch be disabled?
Apex Legends R-301 damage statistics
The R-301 certainly offers a lot of damage, as long as you hit most of your clip.
The R-301 may not have received any buffs in season 8, but the reintroduction of the Anvil receiver has given it greater lethality. This is particularly true when you are able to find an Extended Light Mag. After all, this allows the R-301 to hit enemies constantly with high-precision shots.
Due to the weapon’s very vertical and horizontal recoil pattern, firing shots from a distance can be quite difficult, especially if you don’t have a barrel stabilizer. This can be particularly damaging, considering how poor the standard ammunition capacity of the R-301 is.
To counter this, it is generally best to carry out close-range shootings. A complete analysis of the R-301’s damage can be found below.
| Body part | Damage |
| Head | 28 (2x) |
| Body | 14 |
| Legs | 11 |
| Body DPS | 182 |
Accessories R-301 Mag
One of the R-301’s biggest weaknesses is its terrible clip size. In fact, you will need to land most of the Mag to take down your opponent. This can be quite problematic if you miss a few shots or find yourself against a moving opponent.
To help alleviate the standard size of the R-301’s dull Mag, you will need to prioritize your upgrade as soon as possible. Below you can see the number of rounds each Extended Light Mag will give you.
- Inventory: 18
- White Mag: 20
- Blue Mag: 25
- Purple / Gold Mag: 28
Optical accessories R-301
A medium-range optics is generally the best option for the R-301.
Here are the optics that can be equipped with the R-301:
- 1x Holo
- 1x “Classic” HCOG
- 2x HCOG “Bruiser”
- 1x-2x Variable Holo
- 3x HCOG “Ranger”
- 2x-4x variable AOG
Get an Extended Light Mag as soon as possible
Extended Light Mag is mandatory.
As you may have noticed, the R-301 doesn’t really have the most ammunition in Apex Legends. In fact, this is AR’s biggest weakness. Although the standard butt of the weapon (18) may be suitable for hand-to-hand combat, it can quickly get you into many problems during ranged combat.
This is because you will often need to land the entire R-301 clip if you want to take down fully armored opponents. To avoid having to reload every second and relieve the pressure of having to be highly accurate, it is imperative that you find an Extended Light Mag. Although the 28 cartridges in the Purple / Gold Extended Light Mag are still very low, this will help to increase the potential for weapon destruction.
Touch fire long distance
Sometimes it is better to avoid the fully automatic mode.
Like most weapons in Apex Legends, it may be best to simply avoid using fully automatic ranged combat, especially during long-range shooting. This is particularly true with light ammunition weapons, where stopping power is less. Tap firing will not only allow you to conserve the R-301’s ammunition, but will also provide greater accuracy.
After all, vertical and horizontal indentation can be incredibly difficult to control when it becomes fully automatic. The reintroduction of the Anvil receiver also allows the R-301 to use two ammunition per shot, causing even more damage when fired in a single shot.
So there you have everything you need to know about the R-301. If you follow these R-301 tips and tricks, you can guarantee more deaths quickly. Make sure to follow @TitanfallBlog for all the latest news and updates from Apex Legends.