Whether it’s rescuing someone in need, winning a duel at dusk, or simply hunting flying animals , John Marston needs to be an excellent aimer in Red Dead Redemption . However, good old Marston depends on you, the players. So you’ll have to prove your worth throughout the game. Luckily, the Marksman Challenges will help you practice. Today we’ll tell you how to unlock and complete them all easily. Shall we get started?
Environmental challenges in Red Dead Redemption
Those of you who played the original title will know that the open world of RDR is fantastic, in large part, due to the environmental challenges. These are missions that we can complete at any time as long as we have unlocked them. And many times they appear completely organically, hunting or exploring. In addition, completing them is necessary to add a percentage towards 100% of the game and they give us access to improvements and rewards of all kinds.
There are four types of environmental challenges in Red Dead Redemption : hunter challenges, shooter challenges, survivor challenges, and treasure hunter challenges. In addition, the game also offers other types of challenges , such as some multiplayer challenges, or those that came with the Undead Nightmare DLC and were exclusive to the downloadable content. In this article, we will focus on the shooter challenges.
The Shooter Challenge and all missions
As always with environmental challenges, the first thing we will have to do is activate this challenge . To get it, it will be enough to shoot a bird in flight. Therefore, it will not even be necessary to hunt it . Once we have done so, the first of the levels of this challenge will appear. And in total, 10 levels related to marksmanship await us .
From there, you should know that most challenges will ask us to hunt fast-moving or flying animals . However, on other occasions our aim will also be tested against humans . Or more specifically, making their hats fly away , without actually killing them.
To top it off, there will be even more complicated challenges, in which we will have to do the same things but in “moving” or complicated situations . For example, with a moving train . Or we will even be asked to kill our prey without changing weapons or even reloading them.
Finally, we remind you of a couple of tips. On the one hand, keep in mind that we have an article with the location of all the animals , which can be a perfect complement to this guide. And on the other hand, we recommend that you finish this challenge as soon as possible . Basically, the rewards that await you will give you very significant advantages to face the rest of the game .
Below we leave you with the list of missions, rewards and some tips to overcome the tests more easily:
| LEVEL | MISSION OBJECTIVE | TIPS | Rewards |
| 1 | Killing five birds in mid-flight | Although it may seem complicated, it is one of the simplest environmental challenges. And any type of bird will do. | – |
| 2 | Kill 5 rabbits | You’ll find them easily at The Hanging Rock and Warthington Ranch. Look especially for places with tall grass, near the paths. | – |
| 3 | Kill 5 coyotes without getting hurt | It is best to go on horseback or in a carriage, although you should avoid friendly fire. Coyotes are easy to find in most areas of New Austin and Nuevo Paraíso. | – |
| 4 | Kill 5 birds in flight while on a moving train | The best thing you can do to avoid unnecessary movements on the roof is to get into the car behind the locomotive. | – |
| 5 | Kill two different types of wild animals in Dead Eye mode | A good area to find these wild animals in abundance is Tall Trees. Just don’t cut the DeadEye yourself or he won’t count the challenge. | Upon completing level 5, we will have increased ammunition capacity for all weapons. |
| 6 | Blows off two people’s hats (without killing them) | First of all, keep in mind that you don’t have to do both in a row. The three best options are: the bandits from Walton’s gang, who are wearing top hats, the stagecoach drivers, who are standing still, and the train passengers. In that case, with a rifle and DeadEye | – |
| 7 | Kill 3 bears with a single headshot | The best way is to use a hunting rifle and DeadEye from the top of your carriage | – |
| 8 | Blows off two hats and disarms two people | Follow the same advice as in level 6. And to disarm the opponent, you will have to use a low-power weapon like the Cattleman Revolver. A good place to try is the Twin Rocks hideout. Basically, because the two bandits on top of the rocks will not move. Try a rifle. | – |
| 9 | Kill 6 wild animals without reloading or switching weapons. | The best advice is to complete the Twin Rocks or Blue Treasure lairs. This will spawn a group of vultures that you can easily kill with a rifle that has at least six bullets. | – |
| 10 | Disarm six enemies without reloading or switching weapons. | This one is very tricky, but the best way to get it is by using the Mauser Pistol. What you’ll need to do is leave the weapon with only 15 bullets. Then, you’ll need to reload it so that it reads “15/0” on the HUD. That way, you can use DeadEye or take cover without the weapon automatically reloading. From there, the best place to go is the tavern in Thieves’ Landing. Although if you get it, you’ll need to get out of there quickly because enemies will keep coming. |