Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun Guide

Welcome, Hunters! Continuing our series of weapon guides, today we’re giving you the Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun guide. Now, this is one of 3 ranged weapons in the game, which should be obvious, and it’s also very often compared to the Heavy Bowgun because of all the similarities. Those of you new to the Monster Hunter series might not even be able to tell what is the difference between the two. Does Light Bowgun deal less damage than the heavy option? Is Light Bowgun easier to use? We’ll answer this and all the other questions in this guide, so, let’s get started.

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Read our other articles:

• Dual Blades Guide
• Charge Blade Guide
• Hammer Guide
• Bow Guide
• Hunting Horn Guide
• Heavy Bowgun Guide
• Great Sword Guide
• Long Sword Guide
• Switch Axe Guide

Light Bowgun Basics

The Light Bowgun is a highly mobile mid-range weapon designed for players who prefer constant movement while dishing out consistent damage. Its playstyle revolves around quick shots, rapid-fire capabilities, and evasion. Unlike the Heavy Bowgun, the LBG allows you to stay agile, making it easier to avoid monster attacks.

Key Differences from Heavy Bowgun:

• Superior Mobility: The Light Bowgun allows faster movement, quicker dodges, and better repositioning compared to the Heavy Bowgun.
• Rapid Fire Mode: Unlike the HBG's slower, heavier shots, the LBG can unleash sustained bursts of fire with less commitment.
• Versatile Ammo Usage: While both bowguns use a variety of ammo types, the LBG focuses on quick-firing elemental and status shots, whereas the HBG emphasizes raw power and explosive ammo.
• Wyvernblast vs. Wyvernheart/Wyvernsnipe: The LBG uses Wyvernblast—a deployable explosive trap—unlike the HBG’s heavy-hitting special shots.
• Less Recoil and Faster Reloads: Light Bowguns generally experience less recoil and quicker reload times, allowing for a more fluid combat style.
• Emphasis on Sustained Damage Over Burst: While the HBG specializes in massive burst damage, the LBG excels at constant pressure and chip damage while staying mobile.

If none of these things make sense yet, don’t worry, once we get to the controls, this Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun tutorial will start to come together. But before that, there’s one more important thing left to introduce.

Critical Distance

One of the unique mechanics in Monster Hunter games that ranged weapons share in common is Critical Distance. Essentially, it exists, so you still have to be somewhat close to the monster to deal with the most damage. While it may sound disappointing to some players, the idea here is to have hunters be “in the thick of it” regardless of their weapon choice and to avoid cheesy tactics. So, a critical distance is like an effective range. Different ammo types have different effective ranges, and you have to look at the reticle to know if you’re close enough to dish out that extra DMG. BLOG20

• Orange reticle: Indicates you’re at the optimal distance for full damage.
• Grey/white reticle: Means you’re too close or too far, reducing damage significantly.

Critical Distance by Ammo Type:

Once again, the best advice here is to constantly monitor your reticle color when aiming. Adjust your positioning based on the ammo type you’re using to keep that orange glow active.

Light Bowgun Basic Controls

The basic controls for all ranged weapons are pretty simple. If you played any third-person action games, you’ll feel right at home. You just aim, and you shoot. What’s new about bowguns in MH Wilds is that they’re now equipped with a secondary mod,e which used to be a special attack in previous games. Here are Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun controls with button prompts for Xbox and DS controllers.

Standard Mode Controls:

Action	Xbox	PlayStation
Fire
Aim/Focus Mode	Hold	Hold
Focus Blast: Eagle Strike Shot	+	+
Reload
Activate Energy Mode
Place Wyvernblast	+	+
Select Ammo	+ /	+ /

Because the Rapid Fire is a dedicated fire mode now, it has slightly different controls:

Rapid Fire Mode Controls:

Action	Xbox	PlayStation
Fire
Rapid Chaser Shot	Press after firing	Press after firing
Burst Step (dodge while shooting)	+	+

Now, let’s explain how this new fire mode actually works.

Rapid Fire Mode

While the Light Bowgun does not have the Wyvernheart mode like the Heavy Bowgun, it utilizes Rapid Fire Mode, which is one of the Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun mechanics that functions similarly by providing high sustained damage when activated.

How It Works:

• Activate by pressing B (Xbox) or ○ (PlayStation).
• Consumes the Rapid Fire Energy Gauge, which recharges over time or faster when landing shots.
• Certain ammo types like Normal, Thunder, and Freeze Ammo benefit from Rapid Fire, increasing damage output and shot count.

Best Situations to Use Rapid Fire Mode:

• When the monster is trapped, paralyzed, or downed for sustained DPS.
• During predictable monster patterns, allowing you to maintain a continuous fire.
• To exploit elemental weaknesses with buffed elemental ammo in Rapid Fire Mode.
• When targeting monster weak points to maximize damage output.

Use Rapid Fire when you’ve filled the gauge completely to maintain consistent uptime and avoid unnecessary downtimes.

In other words, Rapid Fire mode is your damage booster, the rate of fire increases and your DPS goes up, so there’s no reason not to use it whenever it’s fully charged, unless you want to save some of your special ammo. Now that you know how to use Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds in its basic form, there’s one more cool thing to learn.

Ammo Types Explained

The key thing about all ranged weapons in this game is the fact that they all support a wide range of all kinds of ammo types. Even bows have their coatings, which is essentially the same thing.

The Light Bowgun’s strength lies in its diverse ammo selection. Knowing when and how to use each type is crucial for effective hunting. At the same time you don’t really need to use all of them to be effective. Just use the right ones!

Unlimited Base Ammo:

1. Normal 2, Pierce 1, and Spread 1 are now infinite, ensuring you’re never without options.
2. Focus on using these when running low on specialized ammo.

This is also something that is new in MH Wilds compared to older entries, the base Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun ammo types which now extend to Pierce and Spread have become infinite, which should help newer players who tend to forget to craft more ammo before the hunt. BLOG20

Below is a list of all available Light Bowgun ammo types, their general capacity, and what they do. Note that not all LBGs support every ammo type—check your weapon’s compatibility before a hunt.

There’s no best ammo for every situation. Different monsters are weak to different elements and status effects, so you really have to study your next target to know which ammo type to bring. 

Ammo Crafting

While you have infinite base ammo, specialized ammo (elemental and status) is limited. Crafting on the go is essential for longer hunts.

Ammo Crafting Tips:

• Set up a Radial Menu for quick crafting access.
• Bring materials like Fire Herbs, Nitroshrooms, and Tranq Bombs for mid-hunt replenishment.
• Use the one-by-one crafting option to avoid wasting resources.

Common Crafting Combinations:

 Mounted Combat & Seikret Riding Attacks

The LBG’s mobility extends to mounted combat using Seikret, allowing you to attack while repositioning.

Key Mounted Mechanics:

• Ammo Regeneration: Shooting while mounted gradually refills your Rapid Fire gauge.
• Jumping Reload: Allows you to reload mid-air while mounting, which can stun monsters if aimed correctly.
• Wyvernblast Usage: Place traps while mounted to detonate during monster charges.

Dismounting Attacks:

• Mid-Air Shot: Press + (Xbox) or + (PlayStation) to launch a dismount shot.
• Instant Rapid Fire Activation: Enter Rapid Fire mode upon landing to continue DPS.

One of the best Monster Hunter Wilds Light Bowgun tips we discovered during the beta is using Jumping Reload near monster weak spots to potentially stun and topple them.

Conclusion

The Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds excels at blending mobility, versatility, and sustained damage. Its Rapid Fire mode, paired with powerful elemental and status ammo, allows hunters to adapt to any situation. Maintaining critical distance, managing your Rapid Fire gauge, and customizing your ammo loadout are key to mastering this weapon.

If you’re looking for a weapon that lets you dodge monster attacks while constantly peppering them with bullets, the LBG is your best choice. With the right preparation, you’ll be running circles around your targets, placing Wyvernblasts for big damage moments, and controlling fights with ease.

F.A.Q.