After a couple of dozen hours in Fallout 76, I finally got tired of waiting for a sniper rifle to drop randomly and set out to find it myself. I ended up collecting a few places where you can find this ranged weapon, but keep in mind that the chance of spawning is not 100%. So if you could not find the sniper rifle in the first indicated location, then just go to one of the following. If none of them have a rifle, try again in a couple of hours or the next day.
It is also important to remember that weapons can be of different tiers. Finding a good gun is only half the battle. The situation often arises that you find a weapon, and it is several levels higher than yours. In this case, it remains to leave it at home and start pumping the character.
Location of sniper rifles
Flooded depot
The first location is located east of Watoga, in the Flooded Depot (in the southeastern part of the map). Look for large structures that were used to support the monorail, including a building with a ladder. Go upstairs.
Mega-parking lot Red Rocket
The second spot where a sniper rifle might be is at the mega parking lot northeast of the Sunnytop ski run (east of the map). Look for a building in the south of the location, which you can get by jumping to the roof from the cliff. At the top will be a skeleton and, with some luck, some clothing or a sniper rifle.
Mining tunnel
North of Sunnytop Ski Resort (in the eastern part of the map) there is another location where a rifle might be. It is southeast of the Winding Path Palace and west of the previous mega parking lot. Look for the miners' outpost and clear it of enemies, then go upstairs and inspect the area.
