Well I personally like the survivalists rifle, its almost like full auto, great damage accuracy and power.
and for a handguns I like the seqouia, even with like 5 bullets it can take out 2 or more deathclaws
Different weapons for different builds.
I lean towards energy sniping so the YCS with overcharges and the meltdown perk is my #1 . High luck , Finesse , better criticals, just un-freaking-believable devastation. Bodies fly in all directions. It's my God hammer , it smites the hoardes of non-believers.
I like the AMR but it's too heavy to be practical and the ammo is expensive , love those match rounds. I take it where I plan to meet deathclaws and when crossing the dam . Though, a fully modded sniper usually gets the job done. With much less weight and less AP cost.
For explosives I like a modded grenade rifle better than Thump-Thump, the extra range is worth it. Oh, and of course Annabelle !
For melee The Shishkebab or Knock Knock .
Never done an unarmed build , but I usually pick up Love & Hate fairly early on because it's the best holdout weapon. Better than a silenced .22 even with a guns specialist character.