Pay-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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Fletcher's outfit[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
The wise perk on a weapon or tool in the main or off-hand slot can give up to 4% more experience.
Fletching skillcape[edit | edit source]
The Fletching cape's perk provides a chance to make extra bolts, arrows, and darts.
Portable fletcher[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Levels 52-99[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Quest | Members | Experience reward |
Fletching requirement |
Other requirements |
---|---|---|---|---|
Big Chompy Bird Hunting | ![]() |
262 | 5 ![]() |
|
Animal Magnetism | ![]() |
1,000 | N/A |
|
Zogre Flesh Eaters | ![]() |
2,000 | N/A | N/A |
The Fremennik Trials | ![]() |
2,812 | N/A |
|
Devious Minds | ![]() |
5,000 | 50 ![]() |
|
Catapult Construction | ![]() |
5,000 | 42 ![]() |
|
Temple of Ikov | ![]() |
8,000 | N/A |
|
In Pyre Need | ![]() |
12,500 | 53 ![]() |
|
Within the Light | ![]() |
20,000 | 70 ![]() |
|
The Branches of Darkmeyer | ![]() |
40,000 | 70 ![]() |
|
River of Blood | ![]() |
50,000 | 75 ![]() |
|
Total | 146,574 |
Other methods[edit | edit source]
Levels 55-99[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 84,000 | 342,720 | 401,520 | 58,800 | 0.7 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 126,000 | 1,711,080 | 1,932,840 | 221,760 | 1.76 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 97,944 | 342,720 | 278,880 | -63,840 | -0.65 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 146,916 | 1,527,120 | 1,701,000 | 173,880 | 1.18 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 113,400 | 435,120 | 566,160 | 131,040 | 1.16 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 170,100 | 1,958,040 | 1,983,240 | 25,200 | 0.15 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 126,000 | 435,120 | 450,240 | 15,120 | 0.12 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 189,000 | 1,784,160 | 2,013,480 | 229,320 | 1.21 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 139,440 | 693,840 | 1,001,280 | 307,440 | 2.2 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 209,160 | 2,610,720 | 2,945,880 | 335,160 | 1.6 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 153,720 | 693,840 | 720,720 | 26,880 | 0.17 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 230,580 | 2,189,880 | 3,112,200 | 922,320 | 4 |
![]() |
Add heads | 45,000 | 675,000 | 4,815,000 | Untradeable | -4,815,000 | -7.13 |
![]() |
Add heads | 45,000 | 562,500 | 8,730,000 | 6,795,000 | -1,935,000 | -3.44 |
![]() |
Add heads | 45,000 | 675,000 | 15,615,000 | 10,755,000 | -4,860,000 | -7.2 |
![]() |
Add heads | 45,000 | 787,500 | 22,995,000 | 2,925,000 | -20,070,000 | -25.49 |
![]() |
Add essence | 45,000 | 787,500 | 21,330,000 | 10,215,000 | -11,115,000 | -14.11 |
![]() |
Make bolts | 30,000 | 600,000 | 5,400,000 | 3,870,000 | -1,530,000 | -2.55 |
![]() |
Make darts | 55,000 | 1,034,000 | 16,610,000 | 4,180,000 | -12,430,000 | -12.02 |
![]() |
Make darts | 55,000 | 1,375,000 | 53,350,000 | 8,195,000 | -45,155,000 | -32.84 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 170,016 | 16,289,280 | 8,989,680 | -7,299,600 | -42.93 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 255,024 | 14,593,320 | 6,882,120 | -7,711,200 | -30.24 |
![]() |
Fletch | 1,680 | 194,880 | 16,289,280 | 8,499,120 | -7,790,160 | -39.97 |
![]() |
String | 2,520 | 292,320 | 13,857,480 | 5,639,760 | -8,217,720 | -28.11 |
See also[edit | edit source]
Free-to-play guides | |
Members' guides |