The Best Nerf Guns of 2023

The Zuru X-Shot Reflex 6 is another gold-plated gun, but it's smaller and more compact than the Royale Hawkeye. It also doesn't have a detachable scope, which means that it's not very accurate when it comes to hitting an intended target. In fact, my daughter found it so annoying that she wasn't able to hit her victim (me) that she rated the Reflex 6 "difficult and frustrating."

As far as loading the projectiles, the X-Shot Reflex 6 took the top spot in the "easy to load" category, likely because users can quickly and easily pop the projectiles right into the rotating chamber.

The X-Shot Reflex 6 is a good choice for younger Nerf gun obsessives who might otherwise have a hard time figuring out complicated steps in order to get a gun to shoot, since it works with a simple spring and plunge load design. Simply pull back the hook on the rear of the gun and then just push the trigger to shoot the darts.

The Zuru X-Shot Omega is a cool-looking gun that's sure to intimidate even the most seasoned Nerf opponent. This gun shoots the farthest of any of the Nerf guns we tested, but, unfortunately, that doesn't translate into accuracy at hitting a target. That being said, the X-Shot Omega can shoot up to four darts per second, so if you're looking for sheer volume as opposed to tailored aim, this gun won't disappoint.

There's no question that one of the features that sets the X-Shot Omega apart is that it holds lots of darts, which means you won't have to pause your Nerf battle to reload. However, our kid testers found that it was difficult to line the darts up in the chamber, which resulted in issues with the gun jamming.

One of the best features of the X-Shot Omega is that you prime the blaster by pulling back on the handle mounted on the top of the gun. While this may sound difficult considering the size of the gun, it has little resistance, which means that it was easy for even our youngest tester to manage.

The Nerf Pharaoh Ultra is a huge gun. While that's certainly a plus when it comes to intimidating your opponents, it is decidedly not a plus for kids. In fact, the Pharaoh Ultra is so long and heavy that it was practically impossible for my 7-year-old daughter to manage, and she needed help holding it up to shoot.

Another huge problem with the Pharaoh Ultra is that's it's very difficult to remove the clip in order to fill it with Nerf darts. Neither of my kids was able to get the clip out without adult help, and even I had such a tough time getting it out that I had to get my husband to help. Our adult testers also had a difficult time with the clip and rated the Pharaoh Ultra as the most difficult to load of all the guns we tested. Needless to say, this is not a Nerf gun that kids are going to be able to manage on their own.

The Pharaoh Ultra did get points for accuracy though, thanks to the integrated scope and how far it can shoot. It also felt durable and like it can withstand lots of hard use, so it could be an ideal choice for older teen Nerf enthusiasts.

The Nerf Dino Squad Rex Rampage is the only Nerf gun we tested that required batteries, which turned out not to be much of a "pro" as it made the gun really heavy. If you're scoring simply on looks, however, the Dino Squad Rex Rampage is a winner thanks to its resemblance to an actual T. rex. The bright red and green colors also help it to stand out, and it was the first gun that my kids wanted to test because they found it so appealing.

Unfortunately, outward appearance is the best thing the Dino Squad Rex Rampage has going for it. Our testers did like that the clip holds 10 darts at a time, but it scored low for accuracy at hitting a target, and every single tester felt that it was underwhelming.

The battery power means that there's no need to prime the blaster—users simply fire up the motor and press the trigger—but no one felt that this feature made up for the Rex Rampage's overall shortcomings.

Similar in design to the X-Shot Omega, the Crusher features pump action that can blast up to four darts per second. That's definitely a great thing—assuming the gun isn't too heavy for your kids to manage. Our youngest tester could barely lift the Crusher up, and she certainly couldn't hold it steady long enough to take advantage of this trait.

In terms of accuracy, the Crusher scored low, and it wasn't especially easy to pull back the handle to load a dart into the chamber. The 35-dart belt is a pro, however, and we didn't have issues with the auto-rotating belt causing the gun to jam as we did with the Omega. The Crusher has a long shooting range—supposedly up to 90 feet—but its lack of accuracy canceled out any positive impact that provides.

The feature that sets the Nerf Modulus Recon MKIII blaster apart is the dart shield that can be attached to the top of the gun. While this seems like a cool idea, it's not big enough to shield players from any shots unless their opponent is basically standing four feet in front of them. Great idea, not so great in execution.

The Nerf Modulus Recon MKIII blaster was difficult to shoot for both our kid and adult testers—you have to pump the slide back and forward for each shot—which slowed down how quickly they were able to shoot their opponents. The Recon MKIII blaster also shoots really hard, which led to concern among the parents in our testing group that players could get hurt. The Recon MKIII blaster does have a clip that holds 12 darts, but everyone found that it was hard to remove and took time to load (though not as difficult as the Pharaoh).

As far as accuracy, the Nerf Modulus Recon MKIII blaster scored pretty low, but it does have a long range, making it good for use outside.