OSRS Fletching Guide Level 1 to 99 Fastest and Profitable Methods

Fletching in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a versatile skill that lets players craft ranged weapons and ammunition, such as bows, arrows, darts, and bolts. Known for being one of the fastest skills to reach level 99, fletching offers both high experience rates and profit potential. Whether you’re a main account looking to speedrun to 99 or an ironman seeking efficient methods, this guide covers the fastest, most profitable, and alternative training methods to get from level 1 to 99 fletching in OSRS. Expect to learn about costs, experience rates, and tips to optimize your grind.
Fletching is a fan-favorite skill due to its simplicity, speed, and utility. Here’s why you should consider training it:
- Fastest Skill to 99: With methods like dart fletching, players have achieved 99 in under 4 hours, making it ideal for skillers and speedrunners.
- Profit Potential: High-level methods, like stringing bows or tipping bolts, can net millions in profit.
- Passive Training: Fletching can be done while running, questing, or training other skills like Agility, making it a “zero-time” skill.
- Quest and Diary Unlocks: Levels like 53 (Toxic Blowpipe) and 55 (Broad Bolts) are key for quests and achievement diaries.
This guide outlines methods for all playstyles, from click-intensive dart fletching to AFK bow stringing, ensuring you find the best path to 99.
Fastest Fletching Methods (Dart Fletching)
For players prioritizing speed, fletching darts is the fastest way to 99, offering up to 1.4M XP per hour. However, it’s expensive and click-intensive, requiring significant capital. Here’s the optimal dart-fletching pathway:
Levels 1–10: Bronze Arrows and Darts
Start by fletching bronze arrows to level 6, then switch to bronze darts. Use a dragonfruit pie (+4 Fletching boost) at level 6 to access bronze darts early. This method yields ~50K XP/hour and costs ~1M GP.
- Materials: 153 arrow shafts, 153 feathers, 153 bronze arrowtips; then 1,000 bronze dart tips and feathers.
- Tip: Use Windows Mouse Keys or OSRS Mobile for faster clicking.
Levels 10–22: Bronze Darts
Continue with bronze darts, which offer ~100K XP/hour. You’ll need ~3,000 dart tips and feathers, costing ~2M GP.
Levels 22–52: Iron to Mithril Darts
Switch to iron darts (level 22) until level 37, then steel darts (level 37) until level 52. At level 52, move to mithril darts. Expect 200K–500K XP/hour, with costs around 20M–30M GP for this range.
- Cost-Saving Tip: Stick to mithril darts to 99 for a cheaper but slower grind (~110M GP total).
Levels 52–95: Mithril to Dragon Darts
Fletch mithril darts to level 67, then adamant darts to level 81. At level 90, use a dragonfruit pie to access dragon darts early. Dragon darts yield ~1M XP/hour but cost ~500M GP from 90–99. Total cost for this path is ~557M GP, with a net loss of ~263M GP if selling darts. EVScape holds the world record for 1–99 in 3 hours 9 minutes using this method.
Key Tips for Dart Fletching
- Buy Limits: Grand Exchange limits (13K dart tips per 4 hours) may require alt accounts or buying from players.
- Boosting: Dragonfruit pies save ~20M GP by skipping costly rune darts.
- Mobile Advantage: Use two-finger tapping on OSRS Mobile for 2–4 sets per tick, boosting XP rates.
Profitable Fletching Methods (Bow Stringing)
If you’re looking to make money while training, stringing bows is a semi-AFK method that can profit up to 22M GP from 1–99. It’s slower (~150K–220K XP/hour) but requires less attention.
Levels 1–40: Arrow Shafts to Willow Longbows
Fletch arrow shafts (level 1–5, 78 logs), shortbows (level 5–10, 153 logs), and longbows (level 10–20, 332 logs). At level 20, make oak shortbows (208 logs), then oak longbows (level 25–35, 583 logs). Switch to willow shortbows (level 35–40, 446 logs). This costs ~100K GP with minimal profit.
Levels 40–85: Willow to Yew Longbows
String willow longbows (level 40–50, 1,545 bows, ~4K profit), maple shortbows (level 50–55, 1,307 bows, ~26K profit), and maple longbows (level 55–65, 4,851 bows, ~378K profit). At level 65, string yew shortbows (4,270 bows, ~388K profit) until level 70, then yew longbows (33,361 bows, ~5.7M profit) to level 85. Expect 99K–180K XP/hour.
Levels 85–99: Magic Longbows
String magic longbows (106,840 bows) for ~220K XP/hour and ~16.5M profit. Total profit from 1–99 is ~22M GP, taking ~45 hours.
Level Range | Method | XP/Hour | Profit/Loss |
---|---|---|---|
1–40 | Arrow Shafts to Willow Shortbows | 6.7K–45K | ~100K Loss |
40–85 | Willow to Yew Longbows | 99K–180K | ~6.5M Profit |
85–99 | Magic Longbows | 220K | ~16.5M Profit |
Alternative Methods (Bolts and Arrows)
For a balance between speed and cost, fletching bolts or arrows offers decent XP rates with potential profit. These methods are ideal for players with limited capital or those training other skills simultaneously.
Levels 1–55: Headless Arrows and Broad Bolts
Make headless arrows (level 1–15, 13,363 shafts and feathers, ~45K XP/hour). Then, fletch bronze to mithril arrows until level 55. At level 55, unlock Broader Fletching (300 Slayer points) to make broad bolts (~290K XP/hour, break-even or slight profit).
Levels 55–84: Broad Bolts and Gem-Tipped Bolts
Continue with broad bolts or add ruby bolt tips to adamant bolts (level 63, ~175K XP/hour, slight profit). At level 71, make dragonstone bolts (260,601 runite bolts and tips, ~10M profit, 9 hours).
Levels 84–99: Dragon Bolts and Amethyst Darts
Fletch dragon bolts (840,255 unfinished bolts and feathers, ~210K XP/hour, ~100M profit). Alternatively, at level 90, fletch amethyst darts (~500K XP/hour, cheaper than dragon darts).
Ironman Fletching Strategies
Ironman accounts face unique challenges due to material gathering. Here’s how to train fletching efficiently:
Banking Resources
Store logs, feathers, and arrowtips from Woodcutting, Hunter, and Slayer. Birdhouse trapping (unlocked via Bone Voyage) provides a steady feather supply. Bank stackable items like rune arrowtips from the Brimstone chest (Konar Slayer tasks).
Quest XP and Milestones
Complete quests like Animal Magnetism, Big Chompy Bird Hunting, and Zogre Flesh Eaters for 3,262 XP (level 18). Add Temple of Ikov and The Fremennik Trials for 10,812 XP (level 30). These skip early levels.
Training Methods
Fletch logs from Woodcutting into bows or arrows. Use Slayer drops (e.g., arrowtips) for ammunition. At level 55, broad bolts are efficient for XP and combat utility. High-level ironmen can fletch amethyst darts using mined amethyst.
Tips and Tricks for Efficient Fletching
Maximize your fletching grind with these strategies:
- Bank Presets: Set up presets for quick banking, especially for bow stringing. This saves significant time.
- Grand Exchange Monitoring: Check prices using a fletching calculator to ensure profitability, as prices fluctuate.
- Zero-Time Training: Fletch darts or bolts while running during Agility, Slayer, or farm runs to multitask.
- Portable Fletcher: Use a portable fletcher (if available) for a chance to save materials and boost XP.
- Stealing Artefacts: Combine bolt fletching with the Stealing Artefacts minigame for simultaneous Thieving XP (~200K/hour).
Fletching from 1 to 99 in OSRS is a rewarding journey, whether you chase the fastest XP with darts, profit with bows, or balance both with bolts and arrows. For speedrunners, expect 12–18 hours and ~557M GP for dart fletching. For profit-seekers, bow stringing takes ~45 hours with ~22M GP profit. Ironmen can leverage quests and resource banking for efficiency. Whatever your goal, use dragonfruit pies, bank presets, and zero-time methods to optimize your grind. Happy fletching, and may your skillcape be swift!