How to Use the Weapon Wheel on Horseback in Red Dead Redemption 2

Mount your horse or stand close to its saddle and open the Weapon Wheel in Red Dead Redemption 2 story mode. Select the shoulder or back longarm slot, cycle through the available weapons, and release the wheel on the one you want. Check your loadout again before walking away. A weapon stored on the horse isn't automatically available at every distance.

Select longarms from the saddle

1. Get onto your horse or stand next to it where the inventory is accessible. Stop in a safe place before setting up.
2. Hold the Weapon Wheel input. On a controller, use the displayed weapon wheel button.
3. Highlight the longarm slot you want to fill. Use the cycle prompts to browse the available weapons for that slot.
4. Select the intended weapon and check its ammunition type if you need to change it.
5. Close the wheel and verify what you equipped. If you're preparing to fight on foot, dismount and check your loadout while the horse is still nearby.

Look at the weapon name instead of picking by icon alone. Two longarms can have similar silhouettes but serve different purposes. Select the weapon you want for the upcoming route. If you need another longarm, fill the other slot deliberately and verify both before leaving the saddle.

Use the prompts shown for your input device. The wheel combines selection and cycling, and the controls for cycling may differ from the control used to highlight a slot. Take a moment to learn the layout while stopped. Trying it for the first time while the horse is moving can make you choose the wrong item.

Prepare for riding and dismounting

Choose whether you're setting up to fight from the saddle or to carry gear on foot. For a longer walk, select the longarms while close to the horse and check them again after dismounting. The game can change what Arthur holds or stows during riding, so verify what actually stayed available before leaving.

For example, if you plan to hunt, choose the weapon suited to the animal before walking into the brush. Dismount near the horse and reopen the wheel. If the weapon is missing, return to the saddle and select it again while you can still do so. It is easier to fix the loadout here than after following a trail for several minutes.

For a mission, check whether it sets or changes part of your equipment. Open the wheel when the game permits it and confirm the slots afterward. Use the weapons available for that mission state and make a fresh selection when you regain access to the horse.

Check the ammo before the next fight

A weapon can be selected with the wrong ammunition type or too few rounds for the situation. Highlight it and read the displayed ammo options. Choose the type you intend to use and verify the count. If you're hunting, check the appropriate weapon and ammunition before taking a shot.

Don't cycle every option during combat if you can do the preparation beforehand. Keep one familiar choice for the expected fight and another if you need a backup. Reopen the wheel after replacing a weapon to make sure the selection took effect.

If your character puts the weapon away as you ride, check it again when approaching the place where you plan to use it. The visible position of the weapon and what you can select from the wheel can differ. Use the wheel to verify rather than relying on the animation alone.

Fix a missing longarm

Move close to your own horse and reopen the wheel. Make sure you are on the weapon page, then highlight the correct longarm slot and cycle through it. Check that the gun is available and that the current mission permits selection.

If you can see it near the saddle but it disappears on foot, repeat the selection and check immediately after dismounting. Stay near the horse while troubleshooting. Once both longarm slots show the equipment you intend to carry, leave for the objective.

If you change horses or enter a scripted sequence, check the wheel before the next fight. Confirm which longarm occupies each slot and whether your intended ammunition is still selected. Make the check while you can reach the saddle.