The Longbow is a bolt-action variant ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’sKastov weapons. It’s classified as a sniper rifle, deals lethal damage to the upper torso, and is incredibly easy to use. It shares more DNA with marksman rifles than any other sniper rifle, yet the Longbow’s high base damage definitely fits with the sniper rifle archetype.

If you have good aim and don’t mind a slow ADS time, the Longbow is easily one of MW3’s strongest weapons. Landing one-taps from mid-range is trivial with this gun, and it’s even easier to build for. This guide will showcase how to make the best Longbow build possible for all Multiplayer modes.

Updated July 13, 2025, by Charles Burgar:The Longbow has received a unique Conversion Kit with the launch of MW3’s second season. This attachment allows you to use Tac Stance with the Longbow, making it a much stronger option for close-range combat. We’ve updated this guide to include a powerful Tac Stance build you may use in MW3 Multiplayer.

Aggressive Longbow Build

The Longbow is a one-hit to the upper torso within its effective range, yet this weapon’s maximum effective range is a measly 12.7 meters. You’ll want toincrease the Longbow’s effective range and ADS speedto make this a proper one-hit killing machine in Multiplayer.

Fortunately, that’s fairly easy to accomplish. We recommend thePro-99 Long BarrelandSonic Suppressorto increase the weapon’s range to 18 meters. For ADS speed, we use a10 Round Mag, FSS OLE-V Laser, and any short-range optic.The laser we use can be seen by enemy players, but we find the OLE-V’s stat buffs to be more than worth this downside.

If you dislike visible lasers, you can drop the OLE-V for a No Stock attachment or any ADS-boosting underbarrel attachment. It won’t be quite as stable as the FSS OLE-V, but this will make the Longbow better suited for one-life modes.

Loadout Recommendations

Since this weapon is suppressed, you’ll need to run some version of Ghost to fully stay off enemy radar. TheAssassin Vestis the best way to do this, as it will give you a stronger version of Ghost that keeps you hidden off enemy radar at all times. Throw onMarksman Glovesto reduce incoming recoil, and useCovert Sneakersto muffle your footsteps.

The gear perk you choose is ultimately down to preference.EOD or Tac Maskis great if you’re playing core 6v6 modes. If you play aggressively, you might preferBlacklight FlashlightorData Jacker.As for equipment, useStimsto heal yourself and any piece of Lethal equipment. Your secondary is also down to preference.

Tac Stance Longbow Build

The Longbow’s uniqueTyrant 762 Kitgives it access to Tac Stance aiming, acting as a hybrid between ADS and hipfire aiming. This build focuses on improving your Tac Stance accuracy as much as possible to make the Longbow a great mid-range option for most maps.

With the Conversion Kit installed, the next step is to increase the gun’s Tac Stance accuracy. TheCronen Intlas MSP-12, FSS Raveger-45 Stock, and Bruen Bastion Angled Gripoffer the best Tac Stance modifiers, reducing the gun’s accuracy deviation to 1.4 degrees.This makesTac Stance accurate up to roughly 15-20 meters.Throw onany suppressorto complete the build.

This build works best with astealth loadout, similar to our previous Longbow build. TheAssassin Vestwill keep you off enemy radar at all times, pairing nicely with this build’s suppressor.Covert Sneakersmuffle your footsteps, andMarksman Gloveshelp reduce incoming flinch. Your gear perk is down to preference, although we recommendEODorTask Maskfor most players. Use any equipment that suits your playstyle.