How to Kill Great White Sharks Safely on Any Account in Old School RuneScape

Great white sharks are one of the most rewarding Sailing-based encounters in Old School RuneScape, offering valuable loot such as dragon metal sheets and the broken dragon salvaging hook. This guide explains a safe, repeatable method for killing great white sharks that works for nearly every account type in the game-including level three skillers, Ironmen, Hardcore Ironmen, Ultimate Ironmen, pures, and main accounts-and can be especially useful for players looking to efficiently build wealth without relying on traditional combat training or choosing to buy OSRS gold to skip early-game grinds. The only requirement to use this method is access to Sailing.

The method focuses on setting up a permanent safe spot where sharks can be killed efficiently with ship cannons while taking little to no damage.

Required Supplies and Preparation

Before heading to the sharks, you’ll need two main resources: repair kits and cannonballs.

Start at Pandemonium and head to Junior Gym. From there, customize any boat and run inside to trade Shipwright Zeb, who sells repair kits. These are used to patch up minor damage taken while setting up the safe spot. You won’t need many-only enough to survive the initial positioning phase. If you run out, you can store extras in your cargo hold and restock easily.

Next, travel to Port Roberts, located south of Port Piscarilius, and trade Iron Bill. He sells bronze, iron, and mithril cannonballs. Bronze cannonballs are the most cost-effective and are more than sufficient for killing great white sharks. Higher-tier cannonballs offer only marginal speed increases and are not required.

Essential Plugin Recommendation

To avoid accidentally gaining Ranged experience, install the Custom Menu Swaps plugin. Add the following entries to custom hides:

· Operate Steel Cannon

· Operate Rune Cannon

This removes the operate option entirely, ensuring you never misclick and gain unwanted XP-an especially important safeguard for skillers and pures.

Cannons, Crew, and Account Restrictions

Level three skillers have additional limitations compared to other accounts. Most crew members can only operate cannons up to steel, due to their privateering level. One exception is Jittery Gym, unlocked at 70 Sailing, who can operate cannons up to dragon.

If you don’t have access to higher-tier crew yet, don’t worry. A steel cannon is more than capable of handling this method. Rune cannons speed things up slightly, but steel remains fully viable and consistent.

If possible, upgrade your hull and keel to the best versions available. These upgrades increase ship HP, armor, defense, and speed, reducing setup damage and improving kill efficiency. A keg of Paralance Bitter is also recommended, as it increases your cannon max hit by one, which adds up over long sessions. None of these upgrades are mandatory, but they significantly improve comfort and speed.

Traveling to the Shark Spot

From Pandemonium, sail south past Chart Island to the great white shark area. Once you arrive, make sure the world is unoccupied. If another player is present, hop worlds before setting up.

Setting Up the Safe Spot

Line your ship up facing south and slowly reverse into position. While backing in, attack the eastern shark-the only one capable of damaging you during setup. You’ll only take damage briefly, usually for one or two kills.

The goal is to position the back of your ship flush with three specific tiles near a rock. Once aligned correctly, the eastern shark becomes stuck on a tile and can no longer attack you. Use repair kits as needed during this phase to stay safe.

When positioned correctly:

· The eastern shark is stuck and must not be killed

· Three other sharks (northwest, north, and northeast) are safely attackable

· You are completely immune to damage

Efficient Cannon Targeting

Load your cargo hold with cannonballs and assign crew members to your cannons. Place your stronger cannon (rune, if available) on the right side, as it can consistently hit two sharks. The left cannon is best used to focus on single targets.

Always attack two sharks at once for maximum efficiency. Switch cannon targets before harvesting, since harvesting locks you into an animation that prevents retargeting for several seconds.

Never kill the eastern shark. If it respawns in the wrong tile, it can regain the ability to attack you and break the safe spot.

Final Notes

Once set up, this method is completely safe, low-effort, and scalable for long grinds. With patience, you’ll steadily rack up kills and eventually hit rare drops like the broken dragon salvaging hook and dragon metal sheets, helping you build long-term value on your account without unnecessary risk. For players looking to supplement their progress through other means, such as acquiring cheap RS gold for supplies or upgrades, this approach pairs well with efficient, consistent gameplay. Stick to the setup, stay disciplined with targeting, and good luck on your great white shark grind.