After a couple sweaty nights in Black Ops 7, I stopped blaming "bad luck" and started paying attention to lanes. If you can't hold a sightline without your barrel climbing into the sky, you're basically donating streaks. That's why I keep coming back to the XM325 LMG, especially when I'm warming up in a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby and dialing in muscle memory. It hits hard, sure, but the real win is making it feel steady enough that you're not fighting the gun more than the other team.
Why the XM325 Works for Map Control
Most LMGs in BO7 have the same problem: they're built to punish you for moving, then they punish you again when you finally post up. The XM325 can dodge that trap if you build it like a "heavy AR." You're not trying to turn it into a hipfire monster. You're trying to hold a lane, snap to a second target, and stay on the objective without a reload every ten seconds. Once the recoil settles down, you'll notice you're taking cleaner fights at mid range, and your crosshair isn't bouncing off heads when you need that last bullet.
The Eight-Attachment Setup (No Guesswork)
Go all-in on the full eight attachments, because mixing "whatever feels good" usually leaves you with weird kick and sluggish handling. Start with the Merlin Mini optic. It's simple, crisp, and doesn't crowd your screen. For movement, pair the VG-6 Light Stock with the Elysian Rear Grip. That combo keeps your strafe and ADS feeling usable without making the aim feel loose. Then handle recoil and range with a Muzzle Compensator plus a Reinforced Barrel. Finally, slot the Accelerated System in fire mods to bump the rate of fire, and add the Laser Matrix so your first shots land where your eyes are already aiming. If you want the quick route, the loadout code is L02-68Y84-UYQ15-1, and it'll set everything up fast.
Heat, Mag Choices, and How to Not Throw Fights
Here's the part people mess up: the XM325's big mag makes you feel invincible, and the Accelerated System dares you to hold the trigger. Don't. The heat mechanic will bite you right when a second player swings the corner. Burst it. Three to six rounds, reset, repeat. You'll still melt people, and you won't get caught in that awful overheat pause. If you're a run-and-gun type, dropping to a standard mag can help you rotate faster, but for anchoring hills, cutting off pushes, and farming multi-kills, the default capacity is kind of the point.
Practical Use in Real Matches
Play it like an anchor, not a hero. Post on a heady, watch a lane, and let teammates take space off your pressure. When spawns flip, don't sprint first—pre-aim the most likely cross, then move. It's boring, but it wins games. And if you're chasing camo challenges or just trying to get your confidence back, a consistent setup matters more than "meta" drama, which is why some players even buy BO7 Bot Lobbies to get reps in and lock their routes down without the chaos of a full sweat stack.