OSRS How to Make Bolts A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Pros

OSRS How to Make Bolts A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Pros

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), bolts are essential ammunition for crossbows, offering a range of damage outputs and special effects that can elevate your ranged combat. Whether you’re a new player or a seasoned adventurer, crafting bolts is a fantastic way to level up your Smithing and Fletching skills while creating powerful ammo for PvM, PvP, or Slayer tasks. This guide covers everything you need to know about making bolts, from basic materials to advanced tipped and enchanted bolts, ensuring you can optimize your gameplay and even make some profit.

Bolts are the backbone of crossbow-based ranged combat in OSRS. Unlike arrows, bolts are heavier and often pack unique effects when tipped or enchanted, making them versatile for various combat scenarios. Most bolts are crafted using a combination of Smithing and Fletching skills, though some special types come from monster drops or specialty shops.

Why Craft Bolts?

  • Skill Progression: Crafting bolts boosts both Smithing and Fletching experience.
  • Cost Efficiency: Making your own bolts can save money compared to buying them from the Grand Exchange.
  • Customization: Tipped and enchanted bolts offer unique effects for specific combat situations.
  • Profit Potential: High-level bolts like diamond or ruby bolts can be sold for a profit.

Types of Bolts Available

Bolts range from basic bronze to powerful dragon bolts, with some requiring gem tips or enchantments for added effects. Below is a quick overview of the main types you can craft:

Bolt Type Smithing Level Fletching Level Base Material
Bronze 3 9 Bronze Bar
Iron 18 39 Iron Bar
Steel 33 46 Steel Bar
Mithril 53 54 Mithril Bar
Adamant 73 61 Adamantite Bar
Rune 88 69 Runite Bar

Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Basic Bolts

Crafting bolts is a two-stage process involving Smithing to create unfinished bolts and Fletching to add feathers. Here’s how to get started with the basics.

Gathering Materials

You’ll need the following to craft bolts:

  • Metal Bars: Bronze, iron, steel, mithril, adamantite, or runite, depending on the bolt type.
  • Hammer: Required for Smithing unfinished bolts.
  • Feathers: Used in Fletching to complete the bolts.
  • Anvil: Found in locations like Varrock or Yanille for Smithing.

Pro Tip: Feathers can be bought in bulk from fishing shops like Port Sarim or obtained by killing chickens. Metal bars are smelted from ores or purchased from the Grand Exchange.

Smithing Unfinished Bolts

Head to an anvil with your hammer and metal bars. Each bar produces 10 unfinished bolts, and the Smithing experience varies by metal type:

  • Bronze: 12.5 XP per bar (Level 3)
  • Iron: 25 XP per bar (Level 18)
  • Steel: 37.5 XP per bar (Level 33)
  • Mithril: 50 XP per bar (Level 53)
  • Adamant: 62.5 XP per bar (Level 73)
  • Rune: 75 XP per bar (Level 88)

Use the bar on the anvil, select “Bolts,” and craft your unfinished bolts.

Fletching Feathers onto Bolts

With unfinished bolts and feathers in your inventory, combine them to create finished bolts. Each bolt requires one feather, and the Fletching experience depends on the bolt type:

  • Bronze: 0.5 XP per bolt (Level 9)
  • Iron: 1.5 XP per bolt (Level 39)
  • Steel: 3.5 XP per bolt (Level 46)
  • Mithril: 5 XP per bolt (Level 54)
  • Adamant: 7 XP per bolt (Level 61)
  • Rune: 10 XP per bolt (Level 69)

Note: The process can be repetitive, so consider using mouse keys or multitasking with other in-game activities like Slayer to make it less tedious.

Enhancing Bolts with Gem Tips

For more powerful bolts, you can add gem bolt tips to increase their Ranged Strength and enable enchantment effects. This is where bolts shine in high-level combat.

Cutting Gem Bolt Tips

Use a chisel on gems to create bolt tips. Each gem yields 12 tips, requiring the following Fletching or Crafting levels:

Tip: Amethyst bolt tips are unique as they require Crafting instead of Fletching and can only be attached to broad bolts.

Attaching Gem Tips

Combine gem bolt tips with compatible bolts (not all bolts can take every gem type). For example, dragon bolts can accept most gem tips, while lower-tier bolts like bronze are limited. The Fletching experience varies:

  • Opal: 1.6 XP per bolt
  • Ruby: 6.3 XP per bolt
  • Diamond: 7 XP per bolt
  • Dragonstone: 8.2 XP per bolt

This step significantly boosts the bolts’ combat potential, making them ideal for bosses like Vorkath or PvP scenarios.

Enchanting Bolts for Special Effects

Enchanted bolts add unique effects that trigger randomly in combat, making them a game-changer for specific strategies. Enchanting requires the Enchant Crossbow Bolt spell and a Magic level.

How to Enchant Bolts

Use the Enchant Crossbow Bolt spell (unlocked at various Magic levels) on gem-tipped bolts. Each spell enchants 10 bolts at a time, requiring runes and a specific Magic level:

  • Opal (e): Level 4 Magic, Lucky Lightning (extra damage).
  • Ruby (e): Level 49 Magic, Blood Forfeit (deals 20% of target’s HP, caps at 100).
  • Diamond (e): Level 57 Magic, Armour Piercing (ignores defense).
  • Dragonstone (e): Level 68 Magic, Dragon’s Breath (dragonfire damage).
  • Onyx (e): Level 87 Magic, Life Leech (20% extra damage, heals 25% of damage dealt).

Pro Tip: Completing the Hard Kandarin Diary increases the activation chance of enchanted effects by 10%, making it a worthwhile goal for serious ranged players.

Best Uses for Enchanted Bolts

Choose enchanted bolts based on your combat needs:

  • Ruby (e): Ideal for high-HP bosses like Zulrah or God Wars Dungeon generals.
  • Diamond (e): Great for PvP or high-defense targets due to armor-piercing.
  • Onyx (e): Best for Fight Caves or situations where healing is crucial.

Tips for Efficient Bolt Crafting and Profit

Crafting bolts can be both a skilling and money-making endeavor if done smartly. Here are some strategies to maximize efficiency and profit.

Optimizing Your Workflow

  • Bank Presets: Set up presets to quickly withdraw bars, feathers, and gems.
  • Multitasking: Fletch bolts during Slayer tasks or Agility training to reduce downtime.
  • Bulk Crafting: Craft in large batches to minimize banking trips.

Money-Making with Bolts

Some bolts, like diamond and ruby, can be profitable when crafted and sold. For example:

  • Diamond Bolts: Combine adamant bolts (405,000 GP for 27,000) with diamond bolt tips (4,779,000 GP for 27,000) to make 27,000 diamond bolts (5,643,000 GP), yielding ~459,000 GP profit per hour and 139,680 Fletching XP.
  • Ruby Bolts: Similar process with ruby bolt tips can net ~486,000 GP per hour.

Warning: Grand Exchange prices fluctuate, so test small batches before investing heavily. Buy one bolt, check its sell price, and aim to sell just below that for maximum profit.

Special Bolts and Alternatives

Not all bolts are crafted via Smithing and Fletching:

  • Dragon Bolts: Unfinished dragon bolts are monster drops (e.g., from Vorkath or rune dragons), requiring 84 Fletching to add feathers.
  • Broad Bolts: Purchased from Slayer Masters or fletched after unlocking the ability, ideal for Slayer tasks.
  • Kebbit Bolts: Fletched from kebbit spikes, used only with Hunters’ crossbow.

Crafting bolts in OSRS is a rewarding process that blends skilling with combat preparation. From bronze to enchanted dragon bolts, there’s a bolt for every player level and combat scenario. By mastering the Smithing and Fletching steps, adding gem tips, and enchanting for special effects, you’ll not only boost your skills but also gain an edge in PvM and PvP. Start small, experiment with profit-making, and soon you’ll be firing off powerful bolts with confidence!