Three months ago, I was broke. Like, seriously broke. Had maybe 500K to my name and was desperately trying to figure out how to make money while training fletching. Everyone kept telling me “just make yew longbows” but nobody mentioned I’d go bankrupt doing it.

That’s when I stumbled across this calculator. Changed everything.

What Actually Happened

So there I was, level 68 fletching, thinking I knew what I was doing. Been making maple longbows for weeks, feeling pretty good about my 58 XP per bow. Then I plugged my numbers into this calculator and nearly fell off my chair.

I was losing money. Like, a lot of money. Every single bow was costing me more than I could sell it for. No wonder my cash stack kept shrinking.

The Interface That Makes Sense

Simple Setup You type in your username and it grabs your stats automatically. Or just punch in your current level and XP manually. Takes literally 10 seconds.

The Big Table This is where the magic happens. Every fletching method is listed with level requirements, XP rates, materials needed, and profit margins. It’s like having a personal fletching advisor.

Real Numbers The “Number” column tells you exactly how many items you need to reach your target. Want to go from 70 to 80? It calculates everything instantly.

My Biggest Mistakes (And How This Tool Fixed Them)

The Yew Longbow Disaster Everyone said yew longbows were the way to go at level 70. Calculator showed me I’d need 2,847 bows to reach level 75. Each bow would cost me about 45GP in materials after selling. That’s 128,000GP down the drain!

Discovering Broad Bolts Level 55 unlocked broad bolts, but I ignored them because 3 XP seemed pathetic. Calculator showed the profit margins though – about 15GP per bolt. Made 4M GP over two weeks just clicking bolts while doing other stuff.

The Shield Revelation Nobody talks about shields. The calculator shows maple shields give 116.5 XP each. That’s double what longbows give! Started making shields and my XP rates went through the roof.

How I Actually Use This Thing Daily

Morning Routine First thing I do is check current GE prices against what the calculator shows. Prices change overnight, so yesterday’s profitable method might be today’s money pit.

Planning Sessions Before any major fletching session, I calculate exactly what I need. How many logs? How much will it cost? How long will it take? No more guessing.

Finding Opportunities Sometimes I’ll just scroll through the list looking for unusual profit margins. Found out that iron javelin heads were super cheap last week – made 800K profit making javelins.

The Methods That Actually Work

Levels 1-25: Arrow Shaft Grinding Boring but necessary. Arrow shafts from regular logs are your bread and butter. Calculator shows you need 1,154 shafts to hit level 25. Costs about 80K total.

Levels 25-50: Willow Territory Willow shortbows become profitable around level 35. Calculator helped me realize that buying willow logs in bulk during off-peak hours saved me 20% on materials.

Levels 50-70: The Maple Era Maple shortbows, not longbows. Calculator shows shortbows give the same XP but use half the materials. Wish someone had told me this earlier.

Levels 70+: Multiple Options This is where the calculator really shines. Yew bows, magic bows, high-level darts, crossbows – lots of choices. Calculator helps you pick based on your budget and goals.

Real Talk About Profits

Market Timing The calculator uses standard GE prices, but real prices fluctuate constantly. I’ve learned to buy materials when prices are low and sell products when prices are high. Basic economics, but the calculator makes it easy to spot opportunities.

Bulk Buying Strategy When I find a profitable method, I don’t just buy enough for one session. I’ll buy materials for several levels ahead, especially if prices are good. Saved me probably 2M GP total doing this.

The Patience Game Some methods look profitable but have slow buy/sell times. Calculator might show dragon bolts as profitable, but if it takes 6 hours to buy the materials, maybe it’s not worth it.

Specific Examples from My Grind

The Broad Bolt Goldmine Levels 55-62 were all broad bolts. Calculator showed I needed about 33,000 bolts total. Bought unfinished broad bolts at 23GP each, feathers at 2GP each. Sold completed bolts at 29GP each. Pure profit of 4GP per bolt = 132K profit while gaining 7 levels.

My Crossbow Experiment Tried making steel crossbows at level 46. Calculator showed decent XP but materials were expensive. Bought 500 teak stocks and steel limbs. Made the crossbows, sold them unstrung. Broke even on XP, which was fine for me.

The Dragon Dart Splurge Finally had enough GP to try dragon darts at level 95. Calculator showed I needed 800 darts for one level. Cost was brutal – about 6M GP. But finished the level in 90 minutes. Sometimes you pay for convenience.

Advanced Tricks I’ve Learned

The Unstrung Strategy Calculator shows both strung and unstrung versions of bows. If bowstrings are expensive, stick to unstrung. If they’re cheap, go for the double XP. I check this ratio daily.

Component Flipping Sometimes the individual components are more valuable than the finished product. Calculator helped me spot this with bronze crossbows – the limbs were worth more than the completed crossbow.

Seasonal Patterns Prices follow patterns. Weekend mornings are usually good for buying materials. Monday evenings are good for selling finished products. The calculator helps you plan around these cycles.

Mistakes I Still See Other Players Making

Chasing Pure XP Saw a guy making magic longbows at level 85. Calculator would’ve shown him that yew longbows give 80% of the XP at 40% of the cost. He was burning through his bank for minimal gain.

Ignoring Member Items Free players miss out on so many profitable methods. Those membership icons on the calculator aren’t just decoration – they mark some of the best profit margins in the game.

Not Planning Ahead Buying materials one inventory at a time is inefficient. Calculator shows you exactly what you need for multiple levels. Buy in bulk when prices are good.

Questions People Always Ask Me

Is this calculator accurate? XP calculations are spot-on. Profit calculations use standard GE prices, so they’re a good baseline but check current market prices before committing.

What’s the fastest way to 99? Dragon darts if you have unlimited money. Otherwise, calculator will help you find the sweet spot between speed and cost for your budget.

Should I make my own materials? Depends on your other skills and current market prices. Calculator assumes you’re buying everything, but sometimes cutting your own logs or making your own arrowheads is more profitable.

When should I switch methods? Whenever the calculator shows a better option becomes available. I usually switch every 5-10 levels to keep things interesting and optimize costs.

Are there any methods to avoid completely? Not really. Every method has its place depending on your situation and current market conditions. Calculator helps you make informed decisions.

The Bottom Line

This calculator turned fletching from a confusing, expensive skill into a profitable, strategic part of my OSRS experience. Instead of following outdated guides or random advice, I can make decisions based on actual data.

Fletching doesn’t have to drain your bank account. With proper planning and the right information, you can actually make money while training. This calculator provides everything you need to succeed.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or pushing for 99, this tool will save you time, money, and frustration. Stop guessing and start calculating. Your bank account will thank you.