- Hot Dogs Horseshoes Hand Grenades 2 best weapons depend heavily on mode: campaign runs reward looting discipline over raw firepower.
- The Simple Gun is a one-shot training tool, not a combat weapon; upgrade out of it fast.
- Belt and backpack upgrades let you carry two guns plus spare ammo, doubling your effective loadout.
- Melee options like knives and batons save scarce ammo against weak hot dog enemies.
- Sandbox armory access lets you test every firearm before committing to a campaign run.
Best Weapons Overview in Hot Dogs Horseshoes Hand Grenades 2
Hot Dogs Horseshoes Hand Grenades 2 is, at its core, a game about guns: hyper-detailed, mechanically simulated firearms that you handle with real VR motion. But you are not shooting zombies or soldiers. You are shooting sentient hot dogs across a giant facility packed with roguelite-style campaign runs, certification courses, challenge ranges, and open sandboxes. Choosing the right weapon matters because ammo is limited, inventory slots are scarce, and dying without extracting means losing everything.
Because the game simulates safeties, magazine placement, mechanical trigger releases, and per-weapon reload procedures, the "best" weapon is often the one you can operate reliably under pressure. A powerful rifle you fumble the safety on is worse than a humble pistol you can run instinctively.
Video Highlights:
- Full campaign walkthrough from the hub into Bunker One, The Upper Reach
- Demonstrates belt, backpack, and two-gun loadout management
- Covers the recycler, ATM, ammo machine, and extraction system
- Sandbox armory tour showing hundreds of guns, attachments, and ammo types
- Long-range sniper challenge completed out to 820 feet on Quest 3
Your first upgrade priority should never be a bigger gun. Get a better belt and a backpack first, then carry a primary firearm, spare ammo, and a knife. Ammo starvation kills more runs than enemy hot dogs do.
Weapon Rankings by Category
Based on campaign performance, ammo economy, and ease of handling, here is how the main weapon categories stack up for early and mid-game runs. Note that the full armory in the sandbox contains hundreds of firearms, and more are added through updates, so rankings reflect what you will realistically find and use in the facility.
| Category | Examples | Damage | Ammo Economy | Handling | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistols | Simple Gun, starting sidearm | Low | Poor to Fair | Excellent | ★★★ |
| Rifles | Found rifles with select fire | High | Good | Moderate | ★★★★★ |
| Sniper Rifles | Scoped rifles (sandbox range) | Very High | Excellent | Slow | ★★★★ |
| Shotguns | Shell-based scatterguns | High (close) | Fair | Moderate | ★★★★ |
| Melee | Knife, baton, wrench, pipes | Moderate | No ammo needed | Excellent | ★★★★ |
| Grenades | Hand grenades | Very High (AoE) | One-use | Tricky | ★★★ |
Best Overall: Found Rifle
- Two shots minimum, often more with a magazine
- Select-fire capability on some models
- Accepts attachments like foregrips and sights
- Ammo refillable at ammo machines
Best Starter: Knife + Pistol
- Knife handles early weak hot dogs free of cost
- Pistol covers ranged threats
- Fits limited early inventory slots
- Easy safety and reload handling
Best Utility: Grenades
- Clears clustered enemies at once
- Watch for self-damage in explosions
- Excellent vs. alarm-summoned waves
- Limited carry capacity
The Simple Gun contains exactly one bullet. It exists for the shooting certification tutorial. New players often grab stacks of them thinking they are real weapons; against metal-pipe-wielding hot dogs, a single-shot firearm is a death sentence.
How to Get Better Weapons: Step-by-Step
Better weapons in the campaign come from looting the facility, surviving, and extracting. Follow this sequence to go from bare-handed hot dog to well-armed operative.
Complete Certifications
Run the certification range first. Movement, gear, tactics, and grenades courses teach the core controls and unlock the systems you need before entering the facility.
Kit Up Before Entering
Before a campaign run, equip a belt and backpack. Place spare ammo on the belt, keep your knife accessible, and holster your primary gun. Two guns plus ammo is the baseline goal.
Loot Methodically
Inside bunkers, check shelves, side rooms, and restrooms (carefully) for guns, ammo, credits, meat, mustard, and mystery items like grips and sights. Scan what you do not recognize.
Recycle Junk
Use the recycler to convert scrap, old guns, and containers into resources. Withdraw everything, then deposit it at the pneumatic transfer to carry it home safely.
Extract Before You Die
Dying without extracting loses your kit, including guns and money. When health drops or ammo runs dry, head to the extraction point immediately. Save and resume later if needed.
Watch out for gunshot sensors and high-security weapon gates. Carrying unauthorized high-sec weapons through a gate triggers the alarm and summons a wave of hostile hot dogs. You can toss weapons over the gate or drop them through to avoid tripping it.
Ammo, Attachments, and Resource Management
Weapons are only as good as the logistics behind them. The facility provides several machines and systems that keep your firepower sustainable across runs.
| Resource | Where to Find | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Ammo machines | Throughout the facility | Refill magazines, watch caliber compatibility |
| ATMs | Facility floors | Withdraw (and sometimes deposit) credits |
| Recycler | Each facility floor | Converts junk into usable resources |
| Meat and mustard | Loot containers, blobs | Upgrade currency for kits and wearables |
| Credits | Corpses, machines, loot | Buy gear from vendors before runs |
| Scanner | Facility loot | Maps the floor, reveals points of interest |
The handheld scanner maps the floor as you explore, showing ammo machines, ATMs, and extraction points. Scanning progress reported above 60 percent means you have likely located most of the floor's key resources. Keep it in your kit whenever you find one.
Attachments found in the world, such as the banana foregrip or various sights, can be fitted to compatible guns if they have the right rail. Not every found attachment fits every found gun, so check before dropping something useful.
Sandbox Training: Test Every Weapon Risk-Free
Before you gamble a campaign run on an unfamiliar firearm, use the sandbox modes. The armory table exposes the full catalog of guns, magazines, ammo types, tools, toys, and attachments, all laid out for free spawning. The sniper range is ideal for validating long-range accuracy; consistent hits out past 800 feet prove a rifle and scope combination works before you carry it into the facility.
Pre-Run Weapon Checklist:
- Test your primary gun's safety and reload in a sandbox
- Confirm belt ammo matches your gun's caliber
- Pack a melee backup for ammo-free kills
- Check high-sec status of carried weapons
- Identify the nearest extraction route on the scanner
The original H3VR received a decade of updates with new weapons, maps, and modes. Treat the current weapon roster as a foundation; the sequel will expand over time, so re-test your loadout assumptions after major updates.
FAQ
Q: What are the best weapons in Hot Dogs Horseshoes Hand Grenades 2 for beginners?
Start with a standard pistol you can handle confidently plus a knife for melee. Pistols have simple controls, and the knife kills weak hot dogs without spending ammo. Upgrade to a found rifle once you have belt and backpack slots for spare magazines.
Q: Is the Simple Gun worth using?
No, outside of training. It holds exactly one bullet and exists for the shooting certification tutorial. Some players joke it is minimalist Scandinavian perfection, but in combat you need follow-up shots.
Q: Do I lose my weapons if I die in the campaign?
Yes. Dying without extracting typically wipes your run kit, including guns, ammo, and unbanked money. Extract through the pneumatic transfer or the grinder exit to keep your loot, and save at the hub to resume later.
Q: How do I carry more weapons?
Find or buy better belts and backpacks. Improved belts hold extra ammo on your body, and backpacks add inventory slots, letting you carry two guns, a knife, and supplies simultaneously.