Jumping into a fresh match with a level 1 gun can feel a bit rough. Shots don’t land the way you want, and you’re itching to get those attachments unlocked. The grind can seem endless at first, but there are ways to speed it up. One trick a lot of players overlook is mixing in modes that play to your weapon’s strengths. For example, jumping into Hardcore can make a huge difference. With lower health pools, even a bare-bones gun can drop enemies fast. More kills per minute means more weapon XP. If you want an even easier start, some folks use CoD BO7 Bot Lobby setups to warm up and get into a rhythm before heading into live matches.

If Hardcore isn’t your style, small-map objective modes are the way to go. Domination, Hardpoint, and Kill Confirmed tend to funnel players into tight areas, so you’re rarely running around looking for action. In Domination, you can pick a flag and hold it down, catching multiple enemies as they push in. Hardpoint works the same, with rotating objectives keeping fights constant. Kill Confirmed gives you extra XP for grabbing tags, so even if you’re not top fragging, you’re still stacking points. The key is to stay in the fight—avoid long rotations and focus on where the bulk of the combat is happening.

Then there’s Zombies mode, which is perfect when you just want a break from sweaty lobbies. Early rounds are slow-paced, enemies move in predictable patterns, and you can rack up headshots without worrying about getting sniped. While each kill might give slightly less XP than multiplayer, the sheer volume of kills you can get is huge. You can spend hours farming waves, and because the pressure is low, it’s a great way to level weapons while relaxing. Put on some music or a podcast, settle in, and let the levels climb without stress.

On top of the modes you choose, timing matters. Double Weapon XP tokens are gold, but don’t waste them on short sessions. Save them for when you’ve got at least an hour or two to grind. Double XP weekends are even better—you’ll level guns twice as fast without burning through tokens. Keep an eye on challenges too. Daily and weekly tasks often align with weapon categories you’re already using, so you can knock them out while farming kills. And if you really want to skip the slow start, some players turn to BO7 Bot Lobby runs to quickly stack XP before diving into tougher matches.