Musket vs Tendon Bow
The verdict
With crit factored in, Musket puts out 62.8 DPS against 39.5 for Tendon Bow — about 59% more damage per second. Base hits are Musket 31 vs Tendon Bow 19, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Tendon Bow swings faster at a 30-tick use time versus 32, so it lands on-hit debuffs like ichor, procs set bonuses, and reapplies knockback more often — an edge the flat DPS figure understates.
Musket also carries the higher base crit chance (8% vs 4%), which scales further with crit-boosting armor and accessories.
For crowd control, Musket hits with more knockback (5.25 vs 1), 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-by-stat
computed| Stat | Musket | Tendon Bow |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 31 | 19 |
| Use time | 32 ticks | 30 ticks |
| Crit chance | 8% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5.25 | 1 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 9 | 6.7 |
| Sells for | — | 36 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (31 vs 19).
- You're stacking crit-chance gear (+4% over Tendon Bow).
- Pure DPS matters most — Musket wins by 23.3 DPS.
- You prefer faster use time (30 ticks vs 32).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Musket or Tendon Bow? +
Musket averages 62.8 DPS with crit. Tendon Bow averages 39.5 DPS with crit. Musket is ahead by 23.3 DPS.
Is Musket or Tendon Bow faster to use? +
Tendon Bow has the shorter 30-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Musket at 32 ticks.
Do Musket and Tendon Bow use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Ranged weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Musket and Tendon Bow from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.