Check out this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne guide & walkthrough on how to use the weapon - Heavy Bowgun! Learn recommended combos, skills, play tips, & more!!!
How To Use Heavy Bowgun
Related Heavy Bowgun Articles
 How To Use | Best Builds |
| Recommended Skills | Endgame Tier List |
Heavy Bowgun - Overview & Strengths
Excels At Long Range Combat
The Heavy Bowgun is a weapon that can attack at long range with a high firepower per shot. This allows you to fire shots towards monster parts that are harder to reach for melee weapons even from afar.
Can Equip Custom Mods & A Shield
Similar to the Light Bowgun, the Heavy Bowgun allows you to equip up to three custom mods, including a Shield Custom mod that can block & prevent monster attacks facing the monster directly up front.
Has Two Unique Special Ammo Types
Each Heavy Bowgun will be equipped with either of the two special ammo types: the Wyvernsnipe & Wyvernheart, each with a different effect & firing method.
Shoot High Powered Precision Shots With Wyvernsnipe
The Wyvernsnipe turns your Heavy Bowgun into a powerful sniper rifle that lets you shoot precise shots. The Wyvernsnipe is ideal for long monsters as each shot will penetrate throughout its entire body.
Fire A Heavy Barrage With Wyvernheart
The Wyvernheart on the other hand dishes out a barrage of shots bullets, like a machine gun. The Wyvernheart is great for dealing huge amounts of damage up close thanks to its high rate of fire, and damage.
The Heavy Bowgun Lacks Mobility
Though the Heavy Bowgun boasts great firepower, it has extremely low movement & weapon mobility. Pulling out your weapon, moving while shooting, and reloading are very slow, and will take a lot of getting used to.
Harder To Fight Armored Monsters
Armored monsters with higher resistance against ammo damage can be pretty tough, and will require precision shots towards exposed parts. Plan your loadout accordingly depending on your target monster.
Heavy Bowgun Usable Ammo Types
Compatible Ammo Types for Heavy Bowgun
| Ammo Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| Normal Ammo | Non-specialized ammo. You have infinite Normal Ammo 1, while Normal Ammo 2 and 3 features higher firepower |
| Pierce Ammo | Armor-piercing ammo that deals multiple hits to some monsters |
| Spread Ammo | Ammo that covers a wide area. Deals multiple hits at close range |
| Elemental Ammo | Ammo that causes elemental damage of any of the five element types (Flaming Ammo, Freeze Ammo, Dragon Ammo, Water Ammo, Thunder Ammo |
| Abnormal Status Ammo | Bullets that cause abnormal status on a monster (Poison Ammo, Paralysis Ammo, Sleep Ammo, Exhaust Ammo |
| Cluster Bomb | Ammo that fragments into smaller shells. Can cause teammates to be knocked back |
| Slicing Ammo | Ammo that sticks to the target and releases sharp blades that can sever tails |
| Sticky Ammo | Ammo that lodges into the target and explodes. Can also stun monsters |
| Recover Ammo | Recovers health when shot towards an ally |
| Demon & Armor Ammo | Ammo that increases strength and defense of the target |
| Tranq Ammo | Works similarly to the Tranq Bomb. Used to capture monsters ensnared in traps |
| Wyvern Ammo | A short range but high damage ammo that ignores damage resistance |
| Special: Wyvernsnipe | The Heavy Bowgun's special ammo that fires a single high powered precision shot that pierces towards its target. |
| Special: Wyvernheart | Fires a continuous stream of bullets until charge meter is empty. Damage increases as you get close and the longer you fire |
Heavy Bowgun - Recommended Skill List
Increase Attack Power Of Ammo Types
When using the Heavy Bowgun, it is important to increase the damage of the corresponding ammo type being used (Spread Ammo, Pierce Ammo, etc.) and to strengthen your resiliency against monster attacks.
Recommended Skills To Increase Ammo Type Attack Power
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| RECOMMENDED! Special Ammo Boost | Increases attack power of Special Ammo |
| RECOMMENDED! Razor Sharp / Spare Shot | Shots have a chance not to expend ammo |
| RECOMMENDED! Piercing Shots | Increases attack power of piercing ammo and Dragon Piercer |
| Spread/Power Shots | Increases the attack power of Spread Shot & Power Shots |
| Normal Shot | Increases attack power of Normal Ammo |
| Attack Boost | Increases raw attack power and affinity with at least level 4 or higher |
| Critical Eye | Increases your affinity rate |
| Peak Performance | Increases attack power when HP is full |
| Maximum Might | Increases affinity when stamina is full |
| Weakness Exploit | Increases affinity rate of attacks that land on monster weak spots |
| Critical Boost | Increases the damage of critical hits |
| Agitator | Increases attack power and affinity when large monsters become enraged |
This skill mix prioritizes the attack power of ammo types commonly being used by the Heavy Bow Gun. Since some ammo types are limited to 1-2 shots per reload, the Razor Sharp / Spare Shot skill lets you shoot with a chance of not spending ammo.
Recommended Skills To Improve Durability & Resistance
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| RECOMMENDED! Free Elem / Ammo Up | Unlocks the weapon's hidden element and also increases bowgun loading capacity |
| Evade Window | Extends the invulnerability period when evading |
| Evade Extender | Extends evade distance |
| Quick Sheath | Speeds up weapon sheathing |
| Earplugs | Prevents stun from monster shouts |
The Free Elem / Ammo Up skill allows you to load more bullets per reload, increasing your damage potential on a monster. Since the Heavy Bowgun has a slow sheathing time and low mobility, the skill mix above speeds up weapon sheathing, and improves evasion.
Heavy Bowgun - Gameplay Tips & Tricks
Familiarize Yourself With Ammo Types
Each Heavy Bowgun can only equip a specific set of ammo, so familiarize yourself with each available ammo type. Before going on any hunt, equip only ammo that you can use, and which fits best to the hunt.
Ammo Types Have Different Damage Types
Each ammo type also has a different Damage Type. For example, Slicing Ammo can deal cutting damage, which will be best aimed towards monster tails.
Make Sure To Fire Within Critical Distance
Ranged weapons work best when fired within its Critical Distance, which will deal the maximum possible damage. Outside the Critical Distance, ammo will deal less damage, and when completely out of range, you will not deal any damage.
Reticle Glows Bright When Within Critical Distance
Watch the reticle as you aim towards a monster. It should glow bright to indicate if you are within Critical Distance.
Critical Range Varies Per Ammo Type
While the Heavy Bowgun has a longer critical range than the Light Bowgun, the Critical Distance still varies per ammo type used.
Anticipate Monster Movements & Move Accordingly
When using the Heavy Bowgun, you must anticipate the monster movements, and aim for the right monster parts. When shooting, it's best to do a "hit and run" tactic of shooting and dodging away to compensate for its low mobility.
Cluster Bombs Are Powerful But Situational
The Cluster Bomb ammo type is useful for bombarding a monster, and makes it easier to defeat monsters. However, in a multiplayer quest, you might endanger allies and knock them back. Make sure the area you are firing the Cluster Bomb is clear of allies.
Use Special Ammo Whenever Available
The Special Ammo for the Heavy Bowgun has a long cool down time and takes a long while to be usable again. Whenever it's available, use it to make hunts faster and easier.
Setup Radial Menu For Easy Ammo Crafting
Similar to the Light Bowgun, it's recommended to setup a dedicated radial menu for crafting ammo to keep ammo reserves up. Make sure to keep crafting ingredients in your loadout as well to craft ammo items on the fly.
Check Out How To Use The Radial Menu Here!Heavy Bowgun - Basic Move List
Basic Move List
| Button | Move |
|---|---|
| | Aim |
| | Fire / Reload (When Out Of Ammo) |
| While Sliding | Sliding Shot |
| | Reload |
| | Reload All Ammo Types |
| While Jumping | Mid Air Reload |
| | Load Special Ammo |
| + | Melee Attack |
| D Pad Up or Down + or | Select Ammo |
| | Evade / Roll |
