OSRS: The Best Ranging Ammo (Ranked)

What are the best ranging ammo types in OSRS?

Ammunition is used by any form of ranged weapon, including crossbows, bows, and ballistae.

However, there are many different types of ammo for each of these ranged weapons.

Fortunately, we’ve rounded up the absolute best types you can use while playing Old School Runescape.

The 10 Best Ranging Ammo in OSRS

Each of the ammo types on this list has been chosen based on their ranged attack power.

They have then been ranked based on the damage they can do in combat and their overall usefulness.

So, without further ado, here’s our list of the 10 best ranging ammo in OSRS:

10. Mithril Arrows

Kicking off our list, we have mithril arrows, which can be used with willow bows and greater.

These arrows have a ranged strength bonus of +22, making them significantly stronger than steel arrows.

To use these arrows, you must have a ranged skill of at least 20, but to make them, you’ll need a fletching skill of 45.

If you need help, you can check out our OSRS 1-99 fletching guide to learn how to level up your skill quickly.

In order to make these arrows, you will need to use mithril arrow tips on headless arrows.

Mithril arrow tips can be purchased on the Grand Exchange or created with a smithing skill of 55 and a mithril bar.

Alternatively, you can buy completed arrows on the GE as well or at Lowe’s Archery Emporium, located in Varrock.

Once you reach ranged level 20, you will definitely want to make the switch to this type of ammo!

9. Adamant Arrows

Up next, we have adamant arrows, which require a ranged level of 30 in order to use.

These arrows come with a +31 to ranged strength, and they are the best that F2P players can use.

While they can be purchased in many archery shops around Gielinor, they can also be created using a fletching level of 60.

This requires attaching adamant arrow tips to headless arrows. These arrow tips can be made with 75 smithing and an adamant bar.

However, they can also be purchased on their own from ranging shops if you just want to attach them using fletching.

Of course, you can also purchase adamant arrows from the Grand Exchange for around 11 coins each.

Keep in mind that these arrows can only be fired from a maple bow or stronger, so make sure you have the right equipment.

That being said, you can also purchase poison and poision+ varieties of these arrows to make them more effective.

These varieties are more expensive, though, with a single poison+ arrow costing around 430 coins on the GE.

8. Rune Arrows

Rune arrows can be extremely powerful, especially when paired with one of the best ranging weapons in OSRS.

These arrows can only be fired using a yew bow or stronger, and they come with a ranged strength bonus of +49.

Players can be created using a fletching skill of 75, though they can also be obtained from the Ranging Guild.

At the Ranging Guild, players can exchange 2k archery tickets, earned by using the archery range, for 50 rune arrows.

You can also turn in three Last Man Standing points at Justine’s Stuff for the Last Shopper Standing and receive 300 arrows.

Alternatively, they can be purchased at the Lletya Archery Shop or Daryl’s Ranging Surplus in Shayzien.

Rune arrows can also be found on the Grand Exchange, though they are fairly expensive at 93 coins each.

If you choose to buy the poison++ variants, this price gets even higher at 830 coins per arrow.

That said, these arrows can be incredibly powerful, especially if used with the magic shortbow, a combination that makes them popular with Ironmen.

7. Amethyst Arrows

Amethyst arrows have a +6 higher ranged strength bonus than rune arrows, offering a +55 bonus in total.

These arrows can be fired using any bow, magic or stronger, and they are popular to use with the Twisted Bow in particular.

Players can craft these arrows using amethyst arrow tips on headless arrows with a fletching skill of 82.

However, to make amethyst arrow tips, you will need a crafting skill of at least 85, along with a chisel.

While we go over everything you need to know in our OSRS 1-99 crafting guide, if you’d rather buy them, they are available on the GE.

Alternatively, you can always buy finished amethyst arrows on the Grand Exchange as well, for around 230 coins.

Once you have these arrows, you can also combine them with an oily cloth to make amethyst fire arrows.

6. Dragon Arrows

Dragon arrows are the strongest type of arrow in Old School Runescape, and they require a ranged level of 60 to use.

Additionally, they can only be fired using the dark bow, twisted bow, venator bow, or 3rd age bow.

However, if used with the dark bow, these arrows will enhance its special attack, Decent of Dragons.

This makes it deal up to 50% more damage, for a maximum of 48 damage per arrow fired.

Dragon arrows can be made by attaching dragon arrow tips to headless arrows using a fletching skill of 90.

However, dragon arrow tips can be hard to come by as they can only be found as possible loot from dragon implings.

While they are available on the GE, they cost 1.5k each, making them extremely expensive to purchase.

In fact, you can buy finished dragon arrows on the GE for 1.4k, making them slightly more affordable than their arrow tips.

Despite their exorbitant price, these powerful arrows are arguably worth it, seeing as they provide a +60 to ranged strength.

When paired with the best ranging armor in OSRS, these arrows can be devastating in combat!

5. Mithril Bolts

Next, we have mithril bolts, which can be fired from a mithril crossbow or greater and require a level 36 in ranged to equip.

These bolts boast a +82 to ranged strength, making them incredibly hard-hitting projectiles.

They can also be tipped with sapphire, emerald, or a grapple. If topped with sapphire or emerald, they can then be enchanted.

However, to attach a sapphire, you will need a fletching skill of 56, and for an emerald, you will need a fletching skill of 58.

To simply make plain mithril bolts, you will need a fletching skill of 54, which will allow you to attach feathers to unfinished mithril bolts.

If you want to create the unfinished bolts yourself, you will need to use a mithril bar on an anvil with a smithing skill of 53.

Alternatively, these bolts can be purchased from the GE for 41 coins each or looted from various enemies like the bronze dragon.

Mithril bolts are some of the most popular to use for ranged training since they do a lot of damage and are fairly cheap to buy.

4. Broad Bolts

While broad bolts have the same ranged strength bonus as adamant bolts, +100, they are needed for a few slayer tasks.

Specifically, players who need to slay Kurasks or Turoth using ranged will have to use broad bolts.

In fact, they can even be as effective as the best OSRS melee weapons if you have the right setup!

Broad bolts require a ranged level of 61 and a slayer skill of 55 to equip, and they can only be fired from rune crossbows or greater.

However, they are fairly affordable, costing only around 60 coins in the Grand Exchange per arrow.

They can also be purchased in sets of 250 from any Slayer Master in exchange for 35 Slayer Reward points.

OSRS members often use these bolts for training at higher levels because they are as strong as their adamant counterparts but much more affordable.

Aside from purchasing them, though, you can fletch them yourself, but you will need to unlock the Broader Fletching ability first.

This ability can be unlocked using 300 Slayer Reward points, and it will allow you to add feathers to unfinished broad bolts.

If you have a fletching level of 76, you can also use unfinished broad bolts to create amethyst broad bolts.

This variant has a ranged strength bonus of +115 and serves as a great alternative to the standard variety.

3. Runite Bolts

These are one of the best bolts in OSRS, and they provide a ranged strength bonus of +115, tying them with amethyst broad bolts.

As the fourth strongest ammunition type in the game, they require a ranged skill of 61 to equip and use.

However, this ammo type can only be fired from rune, dragon, dragon hunter, Armadyl, and Zaryte crossbows.

To create runite bolts, you will need to first smith unfinished runite bolts using a runite bar and a smithing skill of 88.

Alternatively, these can be purchased for 190 coins each on the Grand Exchange if you don’t meet the smithing requirement.

You can then use a fletching level of 69 to attack feathers to these bolts, which will grant 10 fletching XP.

Of course, you can also purchase the finished arrows on the Grand Exchange if you don’t want to spend time crafting.

On the GE, each runite bolt will cost you around 108 coins, making them fairly affordable overall.

2. Dragon Bolts

Dragon bolts require a level 64 ranged skill to equip and use, and they are the strongest bolt type in Old School Runescape.

However, they can only be fired from the dragon, dragon hunter, Armadyl, or Zaryte crossbow.

As the strongest crossbow bolts, these offer a ranged strength bonus of +122, making them incredibly powerful.

They can be obtained by using feathers on unfinished dragon bolts, which requires a level 84 fletching skill.

Unfinished dragon bolts are dropped by a number of enemies, including Vorkarth, Nex, Phantom Muspah, Rune, and Adamant dragons.

Alternatively, they can be purchased on the GE for 1.4k coins each, though they are only available to members.

That said, you can purchase finished dragon bolts for the same price, so if you don’t need fletching XP, this is the way to go.

Additionally, bolt tips of any type, excluding amethyst, can be added to dragon bolts and then enchanted.

This can give them an extra boost while still retaining the hard-hitting ranged strength bonus these bolts are known for.

1. Dragon Javelins

Taking our number one spot are dragon javelins, which are a type of ranged ammunition used for the light and heavy ballista.

These are the strongest type of javelin in the game, and they boast a ranged strength bonus of +150.

Dragon javelins can be created by attaching dragon javelin heads to javelin shafts, using a fletching level of 92.

Javelin shafts can be created with a fletching level of 3, and they only require a knife and some logs.

Alternatively, they can be purchased for only 1 coin on the GE, making them extremely affordable.

Dragon javelin heads, on the other hand, are dropped by a variety of dragons, as well as dragon implings and the demonic gorilla.

Brutal green dragons and red dragons have the highest chances of dropping them, followed by the adamant and lava dragons.

However, in order for them to be contained as a drop, Monkey Madness II needs to be completed.

You can also find them on the Grand Exchange, though they will cost you around 900 coins each.

That said, if you don’t meet the fletching requirements, you can purchase dragon javelins fully made.

This is actually more affordable, as they only cost around 830 coins each, less than javelin heads.

Summary

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best ranging ammo in OSRS and learned more about what type is best for your character.

Although dragon javelins are the best ammo type overall, they may not work for every play style.

If you’re a bow user, dragon or amethyst arrows will be best, so make sure to take that into consideration!

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best ranging ammo in OSRS:

1. Dragon Javelins
2. Dragon Bolts
3. Runite Bolts
4. Broad Bolts
5. Mithril Bolts
6. Dragon Arrows
7. Amethyst Arrows
8. Rune Arrows
9. Adamant Arrows
10. Mithril Arrows

Which ammo type are you going to use first? Leave a comment below.