How do I choose a weapons loadout?

Match it to the fights you take most, with a light and a heavy option ready.

Why test on calm targets?

Comfort with the swing beats a better stat you cannot use under pressure.

After every new zone. Old loadouts stall against new threats.

The weapons reference becomes a working loadout from here, matched to the threats you meet most.

Pick weapons by the fight, not the fantasy. The right tool for the room beats the flashy one in your stash.

Keep a light and a heavy option. One for the swarm, one for the brute; swapping is faster than dying.

Hatchet (Weapons): This tool is a must-have for any rust player.
Pickaxe (Weapons): A Pickaxe, useful for gathering ore from rocks.
Rock (Weapons): A Rock.
Bolt Action Rifle (Weapons): A high powered, highly accurate rifle.
Revolver (Weapons): A shoddy eight-shooter.
Eoka Pistol (Weapons): A primitive pistol that fires one Shotgun round at a time.
Pump Shotgun (Weapons): A Shotgun.
Assault Rifle (Weapons): High damage machine rifle.
Bone Knife (Weapons): Melee weapon crafted from bone and wood.
Salvaged Axe (Weapons): A high-yield resource gathering axe.
Salvaged Hammer (Weapons): A Hammer made from a bunch of other crap.
F1 Grenade (Weapons): Reliable explosive device.
Rocket Launcher (Weapons): Shoots rockets slightly farther than North Korea
Rocket (Weapons): Ammunition for a type of ammo used in the Rocket Launcher.
Beancan Grenade (Weapons): Unreliable explosive device.
Custom SMG (Weapons): A rapid-firing Machine Gun.
High Velocity Rocket (Weapons): Fast moving rocket ammunition.
Crossbow (Weapons): A accurate ranged weapon.

Test your weapons against calm targets often. Comfort with the swing matters more than the stat line.