With cost generally not a concern, what is the best way to train ranged the old fashioned way? Magic longbow (sighted) + rune arrows? Rune crossbow + enchanted diamond/dragonstone/onyx bolts? Something else?

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Fighting the decaying avatar in dominion tower freestyle, with ruby bolts (switch to diamond at about half hp) is pretty awesome xp with elite seers diary complete. It best for LOW level rangers as bolt specials are not effected by your level or accuracy, yet the ruby bolt special is guaranteed (and hits 2000 at full hp!!!) and the diamond bolt is guaranteed to hit when the bolt special activates.

 

Let the ava heal when he gets to 2/3rds health, and again at 1/2th health but once he gets to about half health after this one, log out and quickly start again to maximise the use from the ruby bolts you get. Or you can just pray melee in good prayer gear, with ava's accumulator collecting your bolts, and instead of logging out, leaving when your prayer runs out and you die. (There is a safespot if you don't have 43 prayer, but you don't get your bolts back unless you run and get them, and they can be kinda expensive.)

 

I haven't recorded the xp/hour there but I'd bet it's the best single monster range training method until at least 70 range, maybe 99. (Honestly though, just chin :P)

Fighting the decaying avatar in dominion tower freestyle, with ruby bolts (switch to diamond at about half hp) is pretty awesome xp with elite seers diary complete. It best for LOW level rangers as bolt specials are not effected by your level or accuracy, yet the ruby bolt special is guaranteed (and hits 2000 at full hp!!!) and the diamond bolt is guaranteed to hit when the bolt special activates.

 

Let the ava heal when he gets to 2/3rds health, and again at 1/2th health but once he gets to about half health after this one, log out and quickly start again to maximise the use from the ruby bolts you get. Or you can just pray melee in good prayer gear, with ava's accumulator collecting your bolts, and instead of logging out, leaving when your prayer runs out and you die. (There is a safespot if you don't have 43 prayer, but you don't get your bolts back unless you run and get them, and they can be kinda expensive.)

 

I haven't recorded the xp/hour there but I'd bet it's the best single monster range training method until at least 70 range, maybe 99. (Honestly though, just chin :P)

 

I would chin, but I'm thinking of ranging waterfiends after I hit 99 strength.

You could kill Vyres with blisterwood stakes if you have done the quest.

Fighting the decaying avatar in dominion tower freestyle, with ruby bolts (switch to diamond at about half hp) is pretty awesome xp with elite seers diary complete. It best for LOW level rangers as bolt specials are not effected by your level or accuracy, yet the ruby bolt special is guaranteed (and hits 2000 at full hp!!!) and the diamond bolt is guaranteed to hit when the bolt special activates.

 

Let the ava heal when he gets to 2/3rds health, and again at 1/2th health but once he gets to about half health after this one, log out and quickly start again to maximise the use from the ruby bolts you get. Or you can just pray melee in good prayer gear, with ava's accumulator collecting your bolts, and instead of logging out, leaving when your prayer runs out and you die. (There is a safespot if you don't have 43 prayer, but you don't get your bolts back unless you run and get them, and they can be kinda expensive.)

 

I haven't recorded the xp/hour there but I'd bet it's the best single monster range training method until at least 70 range, maybe 99. (Honestly though, just chin :P)

 

I would chin, but I'm thinking of ranging waterfiends after I hit 99 strength.

If you want to range for charms, i recommend cannoning (While crossbow ranging) wallasalkis, they give good blues/crims, make a small profit even with the cballs, and give good range xp.

 

Waterfiends have high range defense.

rune knives in void w/ arma chest plate, boots etc. Cannon if wanted. Chinning is really much faster though. Choose a low defense high hit points monster.

use rune darts and have ferocious ring on in kurandel tasks in her dungeon. Its great fast exp espcially with the +40 damage from the ring.

Use Zayrte bow.

16.(6)gp per shot and as good as chaotic crossbow with rune bolts.

rune knives are higher xp/hr then rune darts (both speed 7, knives have higher strength, not sure how efficient they are though), and crossbow speed weapons are generally terrible for training.

I hear Nexing is good ranged xp. All you need for it is 99 ranged :P.

 

Seriously though, the best method is frost dragons with void deflector, swift gloves and dragonbane bolts, and cannon of course.