Combine this with our advice on the best armour attributes in Destiny 2 and our lists of armour sets and where to find them, and you have everything you need to craft a perfect Destiny 2 build. On this page, part of our Destiny 2 guide, we'll run down the best hand cannons for PvE and PvP. Equip a hand cannon energy weapon, though, and you've got a fantastic shield-popper before switching to something else for those critical strikes. PvE-wise, hand cannons are satisfying to wield against mobs as they make heads pop beautifully - but lower ammo reserves mean they're a bit of a chore to use as a kinetic weapon on the critical points of Destiny 2's bullet sponge bosses. Beginner PvP players should consider another weapons category for Crucible. The low rate of fire and stability mean you need to be sure of every precision shot, and certain you won't be outflanked. They're not as amazing as they (sometimes) were in D1, but in the hands of skilled players they remain very deadly indeed. In Destiny 2, hand cannons are only effective at short to mid range, have a notable bloom effect, and ideally should be supported by a counter-balance mod.

Hand cannons are among the most popular weapons in Destiny 2, despite ongoing debates as to their overall effectiveness.

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