

With crit factored in, Musket puts out 62.8 DPS against 0.0 for Rocket III. Base hits are Musket 31 vs Rocket III 65, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Musket also carries the higher base crit chance (8% vs 4%), which scales further with crit-boosting armor and accessories.
For crowd control, Rocket III hits with more knockback (6 vs 5.25), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Ranged weapons, so the same armor set and class accessories buff either one — you can swap between them without rebuilding your loadout.
| Stat | Musket | Rocket III |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 31 | 65 |
| Use time | 32 ticks | 0 ticks |
| Crit chance | 8% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5.25 | 6 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 9 | 0 |
| Sells for | — | — |
Musket averages 62.8 DPS with crit. Rocket III averages 0.0 DPS with crit. Musket is ahead by 62.8 DPS.
Both share the same 32-tick use time, so neither is faster to swing.
Yes — both are Ranged weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.