With so many styles and stats, it's hard to narrow down your choice of weapon to just one.

With the exception of staves and polearms for the more mysterious survival spec, guns and bows are the defining tools of the hunter. Styles vary from extremely minimal and non-flashy to gem-encrusted, skull-mounted, and on-fire. But looks aren’t everything (especially when transmogging is on the table) and a keen eye/careful stat calculator is crucial to choosing the right weapon for your champion. Luckily for you, we’ve done our research! Together we’ll count down five of the most coveting guns and bows currently in-game.

5. Soulrent Outrider’s Recurve (Best for MM, Acceptable for BM) 

This is both a venomous and eye-catching prize for any hunter. 

With colors that mimic the once-popular Jadefang pet and a design that bears echoes of Wrath of the Lich King, the Soulrent Outrider’s Recurve is hard-hitting and stylish. Although there are better in-slot bows at this time for MM and BM hunters, this recurve is a great choice if you’re after the more popular weapons, but can’t seem to get them to drop. This bow drops one spot down to #6 best in slot for BM hunters, as the Directional Meltdown Projector (one of two of the top guns, which we will consider an honorable mention for this list) pulls ahead. It’s also a great transmog item.

Here are the stats:

Item lvl 226

156 - 211 Damage   Speed 3.00

61.2 damage per second

+81 Agility

+149 Stamina

+50 Versatility (1.25% @ L60)

+92 Mastery (2.63% @ L60)

How To Get The Soulrent Outrider’s Recurve:

This bow drops from the fifth boss of the Sanctum of Domination, Soulrender Dormazain. It has a painful 0.6% drop rate and has a chance to drop on LFR difficulty, all the way up to Mythic.

4. Blight Belcher (Best for BM, Acceptable for MM)

It might actually be impossible to make this weapon look more dramatic. 

The Blightbelcher is easily the most brutal looking weapon on our list, with a design featuring an axe-like blade on its underbelly for cutting down enemies. Like the Sourent Outrider’s Recurve, this weapon, although powerful, is an excellent choice to stick with while grinding out the top weapons. It works well for both specs, but favors BM hunters just slightly more than MM. Despite not making the very top of the list, this gun is a popular choice as a weapon and as a transmog item.

Here are the stats:

Item lvl 158

68 - 127 Damage     Speed 3.00

(32.5 damage per second)

+43 Agility

+70 Stamina

+58 Versatility (1.45% @ L60)

+34 Mastery (0.97% @ L60)

How To Get The Blight Belcher:

This grisly gun drops off of Blightbone in The Necrotic Wake dungeon with a 3% drop rate. It can be obtained in Normal, Heroic, and Mythic versions of the instance.

3. Xy Cartel Crossbow (Best for MM)

A simple but deadly weapon for that packs a punch.

Don’t let the simplistic look of the Xy Cartel Crossbow fool you—this weapon is a deadly choice for MM hunters, and comes in as their best in slot for non-raiding players. It has a thick stock and an underside that is both attractive and artistic, catering its look to hunter’s with a quiet and dignified taste. Although a powerful ally of any hunter that gets ahold of it, this crossbow only comes in at #4 for BM hunters, who would do better to obtain the previously mentioned Blight Belcher instead.

Here are the stats:

Item lvl 158

77 - 117 Damage     Speed 3.00

(32.3 damage per second)

+43 Agility

+70 Stamina

+32 Critical Strike (0.91% @ L60)

+60 Mastery (1.71% @ L60)

How to Get the Xy Cartel Crossbow:

This crossbow can be obtained by slaying Dealer Xy’exa in De Other Side instance on Normal, Heroic, or Mythic difficulty. It’s drop chance is 2.5%.

2. The Philosopher (Best for BM)

There's just no bow around that strikes the eyes like The Philosopher. 

All stats aside, The Philosopher is an absolute stunner, and an incredibly sought after bow even for those who have already obtained the weapon at our #1 spot on the list. With a design that gives it almost an 80s sci-fi aura, it is currently the best in slot for BM hunters that have no interest in raiding, and has a surprisingly optimistic drop chance of 5% (although a quick search through various WoW-driven sites will produce comments on comments from frustrated hunters waiting their turn.) This bow is also an acceptable choice for MM hunters, coming in at #3 for them. It may not be number one on our countdown, but if the competition were aesthetics, The Philosopher would win all the way.

Here are the stats:

Item lvl 158

82 - 112 Damage     Speed 3.00

(32.3 damage per second)

+43 Agility

+70 Stamina

+56 Critical Strike (1.60% @ L60)

+36 Haste (1.09% @ L60)

How to Get The Philosopher:

This frequently lusted-after bow drops from Oryphrion in the Spires of Ascension. It can be obtained in Normal, Heroic, or Mythic instances and has the above-mentioned drop rate of 5%.

1. Rae’shalare, Death’s Whisper (BIS for both BM and MM)

Are you worthy to wield the Banshee Queen's weapon?

As is the case with most divisions of weapons within World of Warcraft, there’s always that weapon that everyone in Azeroth knows by name, regardless of class. With a previous owner as infamous as Sylvanas Windrunner is, Rae’shalare, Death’s Whisper is both objectively and subjectively the bow to go for in-game at this time. With a staggering item level of 259 on mythic difficulty, this bow is the pinnacle of weapons for both the BM and MM classes of hunters. It even has its own self-titled achievement that comes along with obtaining it, and gives the wielder an entirely brand new skill—Wailing Arrow, a powerful silencer with a relentless 1 minute cooldown.

Uniquely, this weapon does not statically drop on just a single item level. It drops at 233 on Normal, 246 on Heroic, and the mighty 259 on Mythic. Wraithwisp Sinews from Heroic and Ethereal Fletchings from Mythic can be dropped from Sylvanas after the bow is obtained to bump its level up to 246 and 259 respectively.

How To Get Rae’shalare, Death’s Whisper:

There’s just no way around it—to obtain Rae’shalare, you’ll have to go through its owner, Sylvanas Windrunner, in the Sanctum of Domination raid. As previously mentioned, this bow can drop on Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties of the raid, but with scaled item levels that can be improved as each difficulty of instance is conquered.

And with that, our countdown has ended, and we’ve covered five of the most potent guns and bows available to hunters in-game. Which of these weapons will you spend your precious time grinding for?

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