Pay-to-play Fletching training

The Old School RuneScape Wiki also has an article on: osrsw:Fletching training

See also: Free-to-play Fletching training

This guide focuses on the creation of bows, as that is the most common method of training the Fletching skill and therefore the materials are easiest to get hold of. Xp/hr rates in this article are generated using the base experience. Boosting your experience, for example by having bonus experience, wearing all or part of the fletcher's outfit, or using a portable fletcher, will increase the experience gained for each action and reduce the cost of training Fletching.

Rates given in this guide are a maximum amount possible; they assume that you will be fletching steadily, with quick banking and few to no distractions in game or in real life. Many players will, realistically, not achieve these amounts. Note: to significantly speed up the banking process it is recommended that players use presets. This is especially important if stringing bows, as it will only take one click to swap the bows in your inventory with 14 unstrung bows and 14 bowstrings. Set up the preset to include whichever materials you are going to use and set it to either '1' or '2' for quick access. This quickly adds up and saves a lot of time. All calculations in this guide are rounded up; this may result in you needing slightly fewer materials than stated.

Quick notes

• An easy way to gather bowstrings without crafting or buying them is to do a few rounds of Temple Trekking and choose bowstrings from the available rewards.
• The Proto-tool reward from Stealing Creation can potentially be a useful item for level 40+ fletchers, as its knife form can be drained to gain 20k bonus experience in fletching. However, the time taken to obtain one must be balanced against its usefulness; combat games are twenty minutes long, and non-combat clan games are typically 10–15 minutes long, which is time you may prefer to spend fletching instead.
• Grand Exchange prices are the median price. Materials may cost more than the prices stated, and finished products may sell for less.
• Fletching an inventory of unstrung bows from logs takes 50 seconds an inventory. Stringing an inventory of 14 bows to make the finished product takes 15 seconds. These have been rounded up to 60 seconds and 20 seconds respectively to account for banking time.
• Experience for fletching a bow from a log and stringing that same bow gives the same experience. With this in mind, the number of logs and bowstrings should be halved if you decide to both fletch and string.
• A calculator that shows the costs of making bows and ammunition can be found here: Calculator:Fletching/Items.
• Portable Fletchers are commonly used at the Lumbridge Market on World 84.

Helpful items

Fletcher's outfit

Each piece of the fletcher's outfit increases your experience by 1%, for a total of 6% while wearing all 5 pieces (you gain an additional 1% for wearing the whole set). Each piece can be obtained for 100 reward points from Stealing Creation.

Relic powers

Players with level 118 Archaeology can activate the Inspire Genius relic power at the mysterious monolith for a 2% experience increase to Fletching.

Crystal knife

The crystal knife is obtainable by Crystal Singing or elves that do that for you. The knife has two effects:

• 5% chance of getting double arrow shafts from fletching logs,
• 5% chance of giving a strung bow instead of an unstrung bow when fletching unstrung bows.

Torstol incense sticks

Each potency level of torstol incense sticks provides a 0.5% increase to base XP gain. The potency level will increase every 10 minutes and will reach its maximum at level 4 (+2% to base XP). Overloading consumes 6 sticks but instantly provides the maximum potency.

Wergali incense sticks

Each potency level of Wergali incense sticks provides a 0.5% chance to produce a strung bow when fletching logs into unstrung bows. The potency level will increase every 10 minutes and will reach its maximum at level 4 (+2% chance). Overloading consumes 6 sticks but instantly provides the maximum potency.

Wise perk

The wise perk on a weapon or tool in the main or off-hand slot can give up to 4% more experience.

Fletching skillcape

The Fletching cape's perk provides a chance to make extra bolts, arrows, and darts.

Portable fletcher

The portable fletcher is a Treasure Hunter reward that can be bought on the Grand Exchange. It lasts for 5 minutes and can be used by other people. It has multiple boosts:

• 10% experience boost.
• 10% chance to save logs when fletching bows or crossbows up to, but not including, elder logs; this effect also applies when fletching protean logs, but does not apply when burning them.
• 10% chance to save arrowheads and headless arrows when making arrows.
• 10% chance to save unfinished bolts and feathers when making bolts.

Fletching potion

The fletching potion boosts Fletching by +3. It is one of the few Fletching boosts available, aside from god banners, spicy stews, and advanced pulse cores.

Sacred and volatile clay fletching knives

The volatile and sacred clay fletching knives obtained from Stealing Creation respectively give 29,340 and 24,450 bonus experience to Fletching.

Levels 1-99

This section will show the time and number of either logs or unstrung bows and bowstrings needed to reach level 99 if switching to each newly unlocked bow type you can fletch as soon as possible, along with the prices of the materials involved; logs, bowstrings, unstrung bows and finished bows.

Levels 1-5

The best way to get from level 1 to level 5 is using arrow shafts, which give 5 experience each.

• Experience needed - 388
• Logs needed - 78
• Time - 150 seconds
• Logs cost = 29,868
• Arrow shafts = 18,240
  • Total profit = -11,628

Levels 5-10

Between level 5 and 10 you should either fletch or string shortbows. Both methods give 5 experience.

• Experience needed = 766
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 154
• Time = 6 minutes (fletch) OR 4 minutes (string)
• Logs cost = 60,522
• Shortbow (u) cost = 64,064
• Bowstrings cost = 67,760
  • Shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 131,824
• Shortbows = 219,450
  • Total profit (stringing) = 87,626
  • Total profit (fletching) = 3,542

Levels 10-20

At this point you should switch to making shieldbows, which give 10 xp for fletching the shieldbow (u) from logs or adding the string to make a finished bow.

• Experience needed = 3,316
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 332
• Time = 12 minutes (fletch) OR 8 minutes (string)
• Logs cost = 130,476
• Shieldbow (u) cost = 114,540
• Bowstrings cost = 146,080
  • Shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 260,620
• Shieldbows = 460,152
  • Total profit (stringing) = 199,532
  • Total profit (fletching) = -15,936

Levels 20-25

You can now work with oak to make bows. Oak shortbows give 16.5 experience for fletching or stringing them.

• Experience needed = 3,372
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 210
• Time = 7 minutes (fletch) OR 5 minutes (string)
• Oak logs cost = 112,560
• Oak shortbow (u) cost = 64,470
• Bowstrings cost = 92,400
  • Oak shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 156,870
• Oak shortbows = 221,760
  • Total profit (stringing) = 64,890
  • Total profit (fletching) = -48,090

Level 25-35 - Oak shieldbows

You can now make oak shieldbows, for 25 experience for fletching or stringing.

• Experience needed = 14,564
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 583
• Time = 21 minutes (fletch) OR 14 minutes (string)
• Oak logs cost = 312,488
• Oak shieldbow (u) cost = 97,361
• Bowstrings cost = 256,520
  • Oak shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 353,881
• Oak shieldbows = 458,821
  • Total profit (stringing) = 104,940
  • Total profit (fletching) = -215,127

Levels 35-40

Willow shortbows are now available. These give 33.3 experience for fletching from willow logs or stringing them.

• Experience needed = 14,818
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 445
• Time = 16 minutes (fletch) OR 11 minutes (string)
• Willow logs cost = 225,170
• Willow shortbow (u) cost = 97,010
• Bowstrings cost = 195,800
  • Willow shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 292,810
• Willow shortbows = 376,025
  • Total profit (stringing) = 83,215
  • Total profit (fletching) = -128,160

Levels 40-50

Now you can make willow shieldbows, which give 41.5 experience for fletching or stringing.

• Experience needed = 64,109
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 1,545
• Time = 55 minutes (fletch) OR 37 minutes (string)
• Willow logs cost = 781,770
• Willow shieldbow (u) cost = 185,400
• Bowstrings cost = 679,800
  • Willow shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 865,200
• Willow shieldbows = 1,008,885
  • Total profit (stringing) = 143,685
  • Total profit (fletching) = -596,370

Levels 50-55

Now you can make maple shortbows, for 50 experience each when fletching from maple logs or stringing.

• Experience needed = 65,303
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 1,307
• Time = 47 minutes (fletch) OR 32 minutes (string)
• Maple logs cost = 266,628
• Maple shortbow (u) cost = 312,373
• Bowstrings cost = 575,080
  • Maple shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 887,453
• Maple shortbows = 1,002,469
  • Total profit (stringing) = 115,016
  • Total profit (fletching) = 45,745

Levels 55-65

You can now make maple shieldbows, which give 58.2 Fletching experience for fletching from maple logs or stringing.

• Experience needed = 282,792
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 4,859
• Time = 2 hours 53 minutes (fletch) OR 1 hour 56 minutes (string)
• Maple logs cost = 989,604
• Maple shieldbow (u) cost = 805,266
• Bowstrings cost = 2,134,440
  • Maple shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 2,939,706
• Maple shieldbows = 3,274,425
  • Total profit (stringing) = 334,719
  • Total profit (fletching) = -184,338

Levels 65-70

You can now make yew shortbows, which give 67.5 experience for fletching from yew logs or stringing.

• Experience needed = 288,199
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 4,270
• Time = 2 hours 33 minutes (fletch) OR 1 hour 42 minutes (string)
• Yew logs cost = 1,105,930
• Yew shortbow (u) cost = 1,438,990
• Bowstrings cost = 1,878,800
  • Yew shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 3,317,790
• Yew shortbows = 3,360,490
  • Total profit (stringing) = 42,700
  • Total profit (fletching) = 333,060

Levels 70-80

You can now make yew shieldbows, which give 75 experience for fletching or stringing.

• Experience needed = 1,248,441
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 16,646
• Time = 9 hours 55 minutes (fletch) OR 6 hours 37 minutes (string)
• Yew logs cost = 4,311,314
• Yew shieldbow (u) cost = 4,461,128
• Bowstrings cost = 7,324,240
  • Yew shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 11,785,368
• Yew shieldbows = 13,300,154
  • Total profit (stringing) = 1,514,786
  • Total profit (fletching) = 149,814

Levels 80-85

You can now make magic shortbows, which give 83.0 experience for fletching or stringing.

• Experience needed = 1,272,526
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 15,286
• Time = 9 hours 6 minutes (fletch) OR 6 hours 4 minutes (string)
• Magic logs cost = 6,313,118
• Magic shortbow (u) cost = 9,110,456
• Bowstrings cost = 6,725,840
  • Magic shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 15,836,296
• Magic shortbows = 17,869,334
  • Total profit (stringing) = 2,033,038
  • Total profit (fletching) = 2,797,338

Levels 85-90

Magic shieldbows are the second type of magic bow. They give 91.5 experience for fletching or stringing them.

• Experience needed = 2,087,738
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 22,817
• Time = 13 hours, 35 minutes (fletch) OR 9 hours, 4 minutes (string)
• Magic logs cost = 9,423,421
• Magic shieldbow (u) cost = 9,788,493
• Bowstrings cost = 10,039,480
  • Magic shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 19,827,973
• Magic shieldbows = 28,178,995
  • Total profit (stringing) = 8,351,022
  • Total profit (fletching) = 365,072

Levels 90-95

Elder shortbows are the penultimate type of bow unlocked outside of Daemonheim. They give 101.2 experience for fletching or stringing them.

• Experience needed = 3,425,226
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 33,847
• Time = 20 hours, 9 minutes (fletch) OR 13 hours, 26 minutes (string)
• Elder logs cost = 328,180,512
• Elder shortbow (u) cost = 181,115,297
• Bowstrings cost = 14,892,680
  • Elder shortbow (u) and bowstrings total = 196,007,977
• Elder shortbows = 92,436,157
  • Total profit (stringing) = -103,571,820
  • Total profit (fletching) = -161,957,895

Levels 95-99

Elder shieldbows are the last type of bow unlocked outside of Daemonheim. They give 116 experience for fletching or stringing them.

• Experience needed = 4,262,873
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 36,749
• Time = 21 hours, 53 minutes (fletch) OR 16 hours, 35 minutes (string)
• Elder logs cost = 356,318,304
• Elder shieldbow (u) cost = 185,913,191
• Bowstrings cost = 16,169,560
  • Elder shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 202,082,751
• Elder shieldbows = 82,244,262
  • Total profit (stringing) = -119,838,489
  • Total profit (fletching) = -170,405,113

Ammunition

Levels 52-99

Fletching broad arrows is a fast, but expensive, method for training Fletching. When fletching broad arrows, you make 20 sets of 15 arrows, at 15 xp per arrow (225 xp per set). As broad arrows are untradeable, no profit can be made from this method of training except you can break down the arrows with invention to get stave, head, crafted parts and precise components . Players can gain 675,000 base experience per hour using this method. Players that are unsure whether the investment of 300 slayer points is worth the cost may take into account that fletching a broad arrow is required for one of the hard desert achievements

• Experience needed = 12,910,771
• Broad arrowheads and headless arrows needed = 860,719
• Time = 19 hours
• Broad arrowheads price = 55,086,016
• Headless arrow price = 37,010,917
  • Cost per arrow = -107
  • Loss per hour = -4,815,000
• Total cost = 92,096,933
• Total profit = -92,096,933 (finished product is untradeable)

Levels 75-99

Making rune arrows is a slower but much cheaper alternative to making broad arrows. They are made in sets of 15, granting 12.5xp per arrow, for a total of 562,500 base experience per hour.

• Experience needed = 11,824,010
• Arrowheads and headless arrows needed = 945,921
• Time = 21 hours
• Rune arrowheads cost = 142,834,071
• Headless arrows price = 40,674,603
• Rune arrows price = 142,834,071
  • Cost per arrow = -43
• Total profit = -40,674,603

Levels 81-99

Making rune darts is a very fast but expensive way to train Fletching. They are made in sets of 10, at 18.8xp per dart. Fletching rune darts can give 1,034,000 base experience per hour.

• Experience needed = 10,841,613
• Rune dart tips and feathers needed = 576,682
• Time = 10.5 hours
• Rune dart tip cost = 167,814,462
• Feather price = 6,343,502
  • Cost per dart = -226
  • Total profit = -130,330,132

Levels 90-99

Making ascension bolts from ascension shards is a fast but highly expensive way to reach 99. These are made in sets of 10 bolts, granting 20xp per bolt.

• Experience needed = 7,688,099
• Shards needed = 384,405
• Time = 13 hours
• Ascension shards cost = 69,192,900
• Ascension bolts price = 49,588,245
  • Cost per bolt = -51
• Total profit = -19,604,655

Levels 90-95

An alternative to making ascension bolts is making dragon arrows. Making dragon arrows grants more experience per set however costing more than making ascension bolts. Dragon arrows are made in sets of 15 arrows, granting 15xp per arrow. Players can gain 675,000 base experience per hour using this method.

• Experience needed = 3,425,226
• Arrowheads and headless arrows needed = 228,348
• Time = 6 hours
• Dragon arrowheads cost = 69,417,792
• Headless arrows price = 9,818,964
• Dragon arrows price = 54,575,172
  • Cost per arrow = -108
• Total profit = -24,661,584

Levels 95-99

Dark arrows are made in sets of 15 arrows, granting 17.5xp per arrow. Players can gain 787,000 base experience per hour using this method.

• Experience needed = 4,262,873
• Arrowheads and headless arrows needed = 243,600
• Time = 7 hours
• Dark arrowheads cost = 114,004,800
• Headless arrows price = 10,474,800
• Dark arrows price = 15,834,000
  • Cost per arrow = -446
• Total profit = -108,645,600

Levels 95-99

Similar to dark arrows, stalker arrows can be made at level 95 Fletching by combining Stalker essence with dark arrows, granting 17.5xp per arrow made. Players can gain 787,000 base experience per hour using this method.

• Experience needed = 4,262,873
• Stalker essence and Dark arrows needed = 243,600
• Time = 7 hours
• Stalker essence cost = 99,632,400
• Dark arrows price = 15,834,000
• Stalker arrows price = 55,297,200
  • Cost per arrow = -247
• Total profit = -60,169,200

Levels 95-99

Making dragon darts is the fastest way to train Fletching, but at a high cost. Darts are made twice as fast as bolts and arrows. They are fletched in ten sets of ten darts, at 25 experience per dart (250 base experience per tick, or 2,500 base experience per Make-X dialogue). Players can gain 1,500,000 base experience per hour with this method.

• Experience needed = 4,262,873
• Dragon dart tips and feathers needed = 170,515
• Time = 3 hours 6 minutes
• Dragon dart tip cost = 163,523,885
• Feather price = 1,875,665
  • Loss per dart = -821
• Total cost = 165,399,550
• Dragon darts = 25,406,735
  • Total profit = -139,992,815

Quests for Fletching experience

Main article: Quest experience rewards § Fletching

Quest	Members	Experience reward	Fletching requirement	Other requirements
Big Chompy Bird Hunting		262	5	30 Cooking 30 Ranged
Animal Magnetism		1,000	N/A	18 Slayer 19 Crafting 30 Ranged 35 Woodcutting 15 Thieving
Zogre Flesh Eaters		2,000	N/A	N/A
The Fremennik Trials		2,812	N/A	40 Crafting 25 Fletching 40 Woodcutting
Devious Minds		5,000	50	50 Runecrafting 65 Smithing
Catapult Construction		5,000	42	44 Construction
Temple of Ikov		8,000	N/A	42 Thieving 40 Ranged
In Pyre Need		12,500	53	55 Firemaking 52 Crafting
Within the Light		20,000	70	69 Agility 75 Ranged 75 Woodcutting
The Branches of Darkmeyer		40,000	70	76 Woodcutting 70 Magic 67 Slayer 64 Crafting 63 Farming 63 Agility
River of Blood		50,000	75	80 Herblore 80 Constitution 78 Attack 78 Ranged 78 Magic 76 Firemaking 72 Mining
Total		146,574

Other methods

Levels 55-99

Maple shieldbows are usually a cheaper, if slightly slower, route to achieving level 99 in Fletching. They give 58.3 experience for fletching or stringing.

• Experience needed = 12,867,795
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 220,717
• Time = 131 hours 23 minutes (fletch) OR 87 hours 36 minutes (string)
• Maple logs cost = 45,026,268
  • Maple shieldbow (u) cost = 36,639,022
• Bowstrings cost = 97,115,480
  • Maple shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 133,754,502
• Maple shieldbows = 148,983,975
• Total profit (stringing) = 15,229,473
• Total profit (fletching) = -8,387,246

Levels 70-99

Yew shieldbows are another alternative method to reach 99. They're a compromise between the speed of magic shieldbows and the relative cheapness of maple shieldbows. 75 experience is given for fletching or stringing yew shieldbows.

• Experience needed = 12,296,804
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 163,958
• Time = 97 hours 36 minutes (fletch) OR 65 hours 4 minutes (string)
• Yew logs cost = 42,465,122
• Yew shieldbow (u) cost = 43,940,744
• Bowstrings cost = 72,141,520
  • Yew shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 116,082,264
• Yew shieldbows = 131,002,442
  • Total profit (stringing) = 14,920,178
  • Total profit (fletching) = 1,475,622

Levels 85-99

Magic shieldbows were the best fletchable bow available, until the elder bows were released, and are still used for training due to their lower price in relation to elder logs and bows. They give 91.5 experience for fletching or stringing them.

• Experience needed = 9,775,837
• Logs/unstrung bows needed = 106,840
• Time = 56 hours, 26 minutes
• Magic logs cost = 44,124,920
• Magic shieldbow (u) cost = 45,834,360
• Bowstrings cost = 47,009,600
  • Magic shieldbow (u) and bowstrings total = 92,843,960
• Magic shieldbows = 131,947,400
  • Total profit (stringing) = 39,103,440
  • Total profit (fletching) = 1,709,440

Levels 83-99

Another alternative is making Sagaie at the Jadinko lair at level 83 Fletching, although this also requires 83 Woodcutting and 83 Firemaking, and it can be a lot slower than making Dragon darts or arrows due to the time spent collecting supplies. However, it is completely free.

Levels 96-99

Bundling bamboo gives 100 experience per bundle, can be done with 2 golden bamboo or 5 bamboo obtained from the Arc region.

Experience per hour

This section shows the maximum possible experience per hour, and the potential costs, for fletching or stringing the high-level shortbows and shieldbows.

Method	Action	Amount/hr	Exp/hr	Material costs	Sell for	Profit/Loss	GP/XP
Maple shortbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	84,000	342,720	401,520	58,800	0.7
Maple shortbow	String	2,520	126,000	1,711,080	1,932,840	221,760	1.76
Maple shieldbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	97,944	342,720	278,880	-63,840	-0.65
Maple shieldbow	String	2,520	146,916	1,527,120	1,701,000	173,880	1.18
Yew shortbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	113,400	435,120	566,160	131,040	1.16
Yew shortbow	String	2,520	170,100	1,958,040	1,983,240	25,200	0.15
Yew shieldbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	126,000	435,120	450,240	15,120	0.12
Yew shieldbow	String	2,520	189,000	1,784,160	2,013,480	229,320	1.21
Magic shortbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	139,440	693,840	1,001,280	307,440	2.2
Magic shortbow	String	2,520	209,160	2,610,720	2,945,880	335,160	1.6
Magic shieldbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	153,720	693,840	720,720	26,880	0.17
Magic shieldbow	String	2,520	230,580	2,189,880	3,112,200	922,320	4
Broad arrows	Add heads	45,000	675,000	4,815,000	Untradeable	-4,815,000	-7.13
Rune arrows	Add heads	45,000	562,500	8,730,000	6,795,000	-1,935,000	-3.44
Dragon arrows	Add heads	45,000	675,000	15,615,000	10,755,000	-4,860,000	-7.2
Dark arrows	Add heads	45,000	787,500	22,995,000	2,925,000	-20,070,000	-25.49
Stalker arrows	Add essence	45,000	787,500	21,330,000	10,215,000	-11,115,000	-14.11
Ascension bolts	Make bolts	30,000	600,000	5,400,000	3,870,000	-1,530,000	-2.55
Rune darts	Make darts	55,000	1,034,000	16,610,000	4,180,000	-12,430,000	-12.02
Dragon darts	Make darts	55,000	1,375,000	53,350,000	8,195,000	-45,155,000	-32.84
Elder shortbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	170,016	16,289,280	8,989,680	-7,299,600	-42.93
Elder shortbow	String	2,520	255,024	14,593,320	6,882,120	-7,711,200	-30.24
Elder shieldbow (u)	Fletch	1,680	194,880	16,289,280	8,499,120	-7,790,160	-39.97
Elder shieldbow	String	2,520	292,320	13,857,480	5,639,760	-8,217,720	-28.11

See also

• Money making guide/Fletching