Learn how to craft and use the .44 Desert Vulture
Looking for a top-notch pistol in 7 Days to Die? Do you want a weapon powerful enough to stop a charging zom-bear in its tracks without sacrificing mobility? Then the .44 Desert Vulture is just what the doctor ordered. Based on the popular real-world Desert Eagle, this massive handgun boasts all the power of a .44 Magnum without the slow reload time.
This guide will walk you through crafting a .44 Desert Vulture and offer advice on utilizing it best.
How to craft a .44 Desert Vulture in 7 Days to Die
The .44 Desert Vulture is a high-end, sophisticated weapon that won’t be easy to construct. You’ll need to reach the final tier in the Handguns crafting skill and a Workbench before you can successfully assemble this weapon. The amount of crafting materials required will depend on the quality of the Pistol being constructed:
| Material | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handgun Parts | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Forged Steel | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Duct Tape | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Scrap Polymers | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Spring | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Handguns Crafting Skill | 68 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 100 |
- Handgun Parts can be found by scrapping non-pipe handguns, searching weapon chests and gun safes, or may be purchased from traders.
- Forged Steel can be crafted at a Forge or salvaged from advanced devices like vending machines and street lamps.
- Scrap Polymers may be scavenged or salvaged from plastic objects and appliances.
- Springs can be found in vehicle parts crates or salvaged from machinery and vehicles.
- The Handguns crafting skill can only be improved by finding and reading issues of the Handgun Magazine skill magazine.
.44 Desert Vulture Overview
Base Stats
.44 Desert Vulture Stats by Quality
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magazine Size | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Rounds / Minute | 130 | 130 | 130 | 130 | 130 | 130 |
| Effective Range | 23 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 20 |
| Max Durability | 226 | 268 | 322 | 370 | 432 | 322 |
| Mod Slots | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Ammo
Predictably, the .44 Desert Vulture is chambered in high-caliber .44 Magnum cartridges, of which there are 3 types: Standard, HiPower (HP), and Armor Piercing (AP). The damage of each shot will depend on the quality of the weapon and the type of ammo used.
Damage By Ammo Type
| Ammo Type | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .44 Magnum | 90.3 | 95.3 | 100.6 | 101.9 | 107.1 | 111.9 |
| HiPower .44 Magnum | 97.4 | 102.7 | 108.4 | 109.8 | 115.4 | 120.7 |
| AP .44 Magnum | 104.4 | 110.2 | 116.2 | 117.8 | 123.8 | 129.4 |
Crafting .44 Magnum Ammo will require a workbench and the following materials:
- 1 Bullet Tip
- 2 Gunpowder
- 1 Bullet Casing
Crafting HiPower .44 Magnum Ammo will require the player to have read the Magnum Enforcer Vol. 6 perk book as well as have access to a workbench and the following materials:
- 2 Bullet Tips
- 2 Gunpowder
- 1 Bullet Casing
Crafting AP .44 Magnum Ammo will require the player to have read the Magnum Enforcer Vol. 5 perk book as well as have access to a workbench and the following materials:
- 2 Bullet Tips
- 3 Gunpowder
- 1 Bullet Casing
Mods
The .44 Desert Vulture accepts the following mods. Note that only one mod of any category may be attached at a time except accessory mods.
- Barrel: Barrel Extender, Muzzle Brake, Silencer
- Sights: Reflex, Scope 2x
- Accessory: Cripple ‘Em
- Tech: The Hunter, Rad Remover
- Trigger Group: Semi, Burst, Full-Auto
- Magazine: Magazine Extender
- Rail: Laser Sight, Weapon Flashlight
Tips and tricks for using the .44 Desert Vulture
As a member of the Handguns weapon class, the .44 Desert Vulture scales in power with the player’s Agility attribute and the Gunslinger perk.
Despite its limited effective range, the Vulture is excellent for mid-range combat. Its impressive accuracy and high damage value make it ideal for picking off targets at range with well-placed headshots.
The .44 Desert Vulture is especially useful for players that value mobility, as moving while aiming this weapon has a negligible impact on accuracy. Keep in mind, however, that this weapon suffers from heavy recoil, which may make follow-up shots difficult.
Without piercing ammunition, we wouldn’t recommend relying on the Desert Vulture to take on crowds, as it can only store 8 rounds and kicks like a mule. However, these detriments can be negated with mods like a magazine extender and muzzle brake to make it a devastating mobile cannon.
Since the Desert Vulture is technically a .44 Magnum weapon, wielding it does count for triggering the discount of the intimidation perk obtained from the Magnum Enforcer Vol. 4 perk book.
The high damage value of this gun makes it perfect for taking down armored or particularly tough enemies. Be sure to aim for the head, though, as this weapon deals significantly more damage from headshots.
The high recoil of the Vulture makes it more difficult to trigger the critical damage from the Gunslinger perk. On the bright side, most enemies won’t survive enough successive shots from this monster to trigger critical hits anyway.
Final thoughts on the .44 Desert Vulture
Not only is this iconic pistol widely present in lots of modern media, but the absurdity of its size and power of it makes it an ideal choice for blasting zombies. The Fun Pimps clearly believed that the .44 Desert Vulture was the pinnacle of handgun construction and form, and we tend to agree with them on this one.
Looking for some more pointers to help you survive Navezgane? Check out our 10 Tips for Getting Started or our in-depth Beginner’s Guide.
