Best Ranging Gear OSRS for Maximum Damage and Efficiency

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), ranged combat is a fan-favorite for its versatility, allowing players to deal damage from a safe distance in PvM, PvP, and Slayer tasks. Choosing the best ranging gear can make or break your performance, whether you’re tackling bosses like Zulrah or training at Nightmare Zone. This guide dives into the top-tier ranged equipment, from early-game essentials to endgame BiS (Best in Slot) items, to help you optimize your setup for any scenario.

Ranged gear boosts your accuracy (Ranged Attack), damage (Ranged Strength), and survivability (defensive stats). Unlike melee, ranged relies heavily on gear progression to scale damage, especially since ammunition and weapons play a massive role. The right setup can increase your DPS (damage per second), save resources, and make high-level content more accessible. Below, we break down the best options across all slots and levels.

Understanding Ranged Stats

Ranged gear provides three key stats:

• Ranged Attack: Improves accuracy, ensuring your hits land.
• Ranged Strength: Increases your maximum hit for higher damage.
• Ranged Defence: Protects against ranged attacks, though less critical for PvM.

Balancing these stats depends on your goals—PvP builds prioritize offense, while PvM setups may need defensive bonuses for tanking.

Early-Game Ranged Gear (Levels 1–40)

New players or those on a budget can still pack a punch with affordable ranged gear. Early-game options focus on accessibility and cost-effectiveness while providing decent bonuses for training.

Leather and Studded Leather

Starting at level 1, leather armor is dirt cheap and craftable. Upgrade to studded leather at level 20 Ranged for a slight boost.

• Leather Body: +8 Ranged Attack, dirt cheap from NPC shops.
• Studded Chaps: +6 Ranged Attack, affordable on the Grand Exchange.

Coifs and Shortbows

A coif (+2 Ranged Attack) pairs well with a basic shortbow. Use bronze or iron arrows for training on low-level monsters like cows or goblins.

Frog-Leather Armor (Members)

At level 25 Ranged and Defence, frog-leather armor offers better stats than studded leather. Buy it from Reldak in Dorgesh-Kaan after completing Death to the Dorgeshuun.

• Frog-Leather Body: +10 Ranged Attack, +15 Ranged Defence.
• Frog-Leather Boots: +2 Ranged Attack, budget-friendly.

Mid-Game Ranged Gear (Levels 40–70)

Once you hit level 40, mid-game gear opens up, offering significant upgrades for Slayer, quests, and early bossing. This is where dragonhide armor and crossbows shine.

Green to Black Dragonhide

Dragonhide armor is the go-to for mid-level rangers. Each tier requires higher Ranged and Defence levels, with black dragonhide being the best at level 70 Ranged.

Armor	Ranged Level	Ranged Attack Bonus	Defence Level
Green D’hide	40	+15 (Body)	40
Blue D’hide	50	+20 (Body)	40
Red D’hide	60	+25 (Body)	40
Black D’hide	70	+30 (Body)	40

Tip: Free-to-play players need to complete Dragon Slayer I to wear the green d’hide body.

Snakeskin and Ranger Boots

Snakeskin armor (level 30 Ranged and Defence) is a solid alternative to dragonhide, especially for boots and bandanas. Ranger boots, obtained from medium clue scrolls, offer +8 Ranged Attack at level 40 Ranged—perfect for pures.

Crossbows and Darts

Crossbows like the rune crossbow (level 61 Ranged) outperform shortbows at this stage. Pair with broad bolts for cost-effective training. For pures, throwing knives or darts (mithril or adamant) are fast and cheap.

• Rune Crossbow: +90 Ranged Attack, great for Slayer.
• Adamant Darts: High attack speed, ideal for low-Defence targets.

High-Level Ranged Gear (Levels 70–80)

High-level gear bridges the gap to endgame content. These setups are ideal for mid-tier bosses, PvP, and efficient training methods like chinning.

Karil’s Armor

Karil’s leather armor (level 70 Ranged and Defence) drops from Barrows. It’s degradable but offers solid stats for hybrid setups.

• Karil’s Top: +30 Ranged Attack, +47 Ranged Defence.
• Karil’s Crossbow: +84 Ranged Attack, ammo-free but slower than other options.

Toxic Blowpipe

The toxic blowpipe (level 75 Ranged) is a game-changer for its speed and versatility. It uses darts and Zulrah’s scales, with a 25% chance to inflict venom (100% with a serpentine helm). Its +60 Ranged Attack and +40 Ranged Strength make it a Slayer and PvP staple.

Pro Tip: Use mithril darts for training to save costs, reserving adamant or dragon darts for bosses.

Ava’s Devices

Complete Animal Magnetism to unlock Ava’s accumulator (level 30 Ranged) or assembler (level 70 Ranged after Dragon Slayer II). These capes recover 60–80% of your ammunition, saving millions of GP over time.

• Ava’s Assembler: +8 Ranged Attack, +2 Ranged Strength.

Endgame Ranged Gear (Level 80+)

Endgame ranged gear is where you’ll see massive DPS spikes, perfect for raids, high-level bosses, and competitive PvP. These items are expensive but worth the investment.

Masori Armor

Masori armor (level 80 Ranged, 30 Defence) is the BiS ranged armor, dropped from Tombs of Amascut. Its fortified variant boosts defensive stats without sacrificing offense.

• Masori Body (f): +59 Ranged Attack, +12 Ranged Strength.
• Masori Chaps (f): +46 Ranged Attack, +8 Ranged Strength.
• Masori Mask (f): +23 Ranged Attack, +2 Ranged Strength.

Cost: ~115M GP for the full set, but its +82 Ranged Attack and +8 Ranged Strength dominate all content.

Armadyl Armor

Before Masori, Armadyl armor (level 70 Ranged and Defence) was king. Dropped by Kree’arra in God Wars Dungeon, it’s still excellent for budget-conscious endgame players.

• Armadyl Chestplate: +56 Ranged Attack, +70 Ranged Defence.
• Armadyl Chainskirt: +40 Ranged Attack, +60 Ranged Defence.

Twisted Bow

The twisted bow (level 85 Ranged) is the ultimate ranged weapon for high-magic targets like those in Chambers of Xeric. Its damage scales with the target’s Magic level, making it unmatched in specific scenarios.

• Stats: +70 Ranged Attack, +20 Ranged Strength (scales higher).
• Cost: ~1.5B GP, a long-term goal for most players.

Zaryte Crossbow

The Zaryte crossbow (level 80 Ranged) is the strongest crossbow, dropped by Nex. Its special attack doubles accuracy and triggers enchanted bolt effects, ideal for PvP and bossing.

• Stats: +110 Ranged Attack, +1 Prayer bonus.
• Cost: ~400M GP.

Necklace of Anguish and Other Accessories

Accessories round out your BiS setup:

• Necklace of Anguish: +15 Ranged Attack, +5 Ranged Strength (level 75 Hitpoints).
• Zaryte Vambraces: +18 Ranged Attack, +2 Ranged Strength (level 80 Ranged).
• Archers Ring (i): +8 Ranged Attack and Defence, imbued via Nightmare Zone.

Ranged Gear Progression Tips

Upgrading your ranged gear should align with your account goals and budget. Here’s a quick roadmap:

1. Levels 1–40: Stick to leather, frog-leather, and shortbows for cheap training.
2. Levels 40–70: Transition to dragonhide and crossbows, prioritizing Ava’s accumulator.
3. Levels 70–80: Invest in a toxic blowpipe and black d’hide or Karil’s for versatility.
4. Level 80+: Save for Masori armor, Zaryte crossbow, or a twisted bow for endgame dominance.

Training Tip: Use the cannon at ammonite crabs or chinning in Monkey Madness II tunnels for fast XP. Always use the Rapid attack style for maximum DPS.

With the right ranged gear, you’ll shred through OSRS content with ease. Start small, grind smart, and aim for those BiS items to become a true master archer in Gielinor!