If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

MW3 best Longbow loadout

The Longbow is a monster of a sniper rifle.

A character can be seen walking through the forest with a gun in MW3
Image credit: Activision

Modern Warfare 3 is back with its precise gunplay and customisation, and there’s plenty of weapons for you to try out. Whether you like to aggressively run and gun down your opponents or sit back with a sniper, there’s something for everyone. Snipers, however, will appreciate MW3’s best Longbow loadout.

The Longbow is a ferocious sniper rifle in MW3 that allows for some serious quick-scoping and plenty of instant kills for those who can land headshots. So, without further ado, here’s the best MW3 Longbow loadout, including all the attachments, perks, and equipment you’ll need.


MW3 best Longbow loadout: best attachments

The Longbow is one of the best weapons in MW3, especially with as much ADS speed as possible packed into it. It has a one-shot headshot and you can quick scope with it, which with some luck (or sheer skill), will set you up for some brilliant clips. This particular loadout is partially thanks to YouTuber, WhosImmortal.

  • Underbarrel: XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop
  • Stock: Stockless
  • Optic: KR V4 1X Riser
  • Bolt: SA-M Quickbolt
  • Rear Grip: DEMO 650 Grip

With the XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop as the underbarrel, you’ll get yourself some additional movement speed, ADS speed, and sprint to fire speed which will ramp up your mobility. This’ll affect our bullet spread, but that’s not going to matter with a weapon like the Longbow where we want to be quick-scoping where possible.

Your optic is down to what you’re most comfortable with, but the KR V4 1X Riser actually improves our ADS speed a tiny bit, and we want as much ADS speed as possible for this weapon. It can easily be swapped out for something else you have a preference for, though.

A loadout for the Longbow sniper in MW3
Image credit: VG247/Activision

Having a Stockless stock will - like our underbarrel - focus on improving our mobility with the weapon while limiting our control of it. Again, as we’ll be quickscoping, we don’t need to worry about the spray or control of this gun too much; we just want to be as fast as possible. That said, if you’d rather have some more control of your Longbow, you can always swap the Stockless stock out for something that will provide you with a little less mobility and a little more control, such as the KV Factory Stock.

Attaching the SA-M Quickbolt will also increase our rechambering speed so that we can be super quick with our shots and continue to keep the kill feed ticking, or ensure a target winds up dead. As for the rear grip, using the DEMO 650 Grip will improve our ADS and strafe speed that little bit further, which is what this loadout is all about.

Of course, as a sniper, the Longbow does require a bit of skill and the ability to aim consistently. If you have that nailed, you’ll have a blast killing off enemy after enemy with - and without - your scope.

MW3 best Longbow perks and equipment

Now that our Longbow loadout is established and we’ve got a speedy sniper in our hands, it’s time to run through what equipment compliments the weapon.

  • Secondary Weapon: Renetti - our Renetti loadout has the pistol feeling more like an LMG, making it better for any surprise short-range encounters.
  • Vest: Infantry Vest - provides three gear slots and three equipment slots.
  • Gloves: Marksman Gloves - reduced sway and flinch when ADS, which is ideal for snipers.
  • Boots: Stalker Boots - increased strafe and ADS movement speed.
  • Gear: Bone Conduction Headset - reduces combat noise, so you can hear enemy footsteps and gunfire more clearly.
  • Tacticals: Flash Grenade - a versatile grenade that blinds and deafens targets so you can go in for the kill or delay.
  • Lethals: Breacher Drone - a drone that will explode when in contact with or in close proximity to a target.
  • Field Upgrades: Munitions Box or Trophy System - you can never go wrong with more ammo, but the Trophy System can destroy nearby equipment and projectiles to keep your sniper self safe and secure.
A class build of equipment and gear for using the Longbow in MW3
Image credit: VG247/Activision

How to unlock the Longbow in MW3

The Longbow is unlocked in MW3 when a player reaches Level 28. So, you’ll be grinding it out for a short while before you’re able to quick-scope your way through a match.


For more on MW3, take a look at our best AMR9 loadout, and our best Striker loadout.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

In this article
Follow a topic and we'll email you when we write an article about it.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Related topics
About the Author
Kelsey Raynor avatar

Kelsey Raynor

Guides Writer

Kelsey's passion for gaming began with Resident Evil, and it's been rather difficult to get them to shut up about horror games since. When they're not scoping out new scares or commiserating the cancellation of Silent Hills, they can often be found fawning over cute Pokémon and Kirby, or being very average at FPS games.

Comments