There are plenty of nuances involved when it comes to weapon behavior in Monster Hunter Wilds, and not all of them are obvious at first. For example, while ranged weapons may not seem as complex as melee weapons, they do have a number of things that make them just as interesting, like Critical Range.
Critical Range plays a huge role in how well a ranged weapon performs. If you’re using something like a Bow in MH Wilds, you’ll need to understand what Critical Range is and how you can take advantage of it if you want to deal as much damage as possible. Here’s a brief overview of how this works and how it can affect your playstyle.

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What is Critical Range in Monster Hunter Wilds?
Critical Range (also referred to as Critical Distance) in MH Wilds refers to the distance at which your ranged attacks deal full damage. Think of it as a sweet spot between you and your target. Even the best builds for weapons like the Heavy Bowgun need to take Critical Range into consideration.
You’ll know if you’re within Critical Range if you look at your crosshair. If the ring surrounding your center dot turns gold, then you’re within optimal range.
However, keep in mind Critical Range is not equal to maximum range. A weapon’s Critical Range distance varies depending on ammo or coating you’re using. For example:
- Close-Range Coating for Bows pulls your Critical Range distance closer to monsters, making you less effective from farther away.
- Power Coating for Bows pushes your Critical Range farther away from monsters, making you less effective up close.
- Critical Range for most Bowgun ammo types start at medium range except for Spread and Wyvern Ammo.
- Explosions caused by Bowgun Sticky and Cluster Ammo will always deal full damage regardless of Critical Range.
With all this in mind, players should always strive to stay within their weapon’s Critical Range distance. This may seem counter-intuitive at times, especially considering the irony of using a ranged weapon within licking distance of a monster, but it’s worth noting that coatings and ammunition designed for close quarters typically deal more damage.
Players can extend their Critical Range by using the Ballistics skill. Some weapons have this skill built into them, though players can also use Precise Jewels to get it. This is a good weapon skill to have as a general quality of life improvement, though it’s often better to just learn a weapon’s optimal range so players can use other armor skills for their decoration slots.
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