There are several different ways to upgrade Dead Eye from level 1 to level 8. In total, players will need to accumulate 1100 XP in the Dead Eye category. There are several different ways to gain Dead Eye XP.

Skin Large Animals

Skinning an animal is one of the easiest ways to obtain Dead Eye XP since it doesn’t impact honor and it doesn’t require any materials beyond a bow and maybe some bullets. Depending on the size of the animal, players will gain anywhere from 1 to 10 Dead Eye XP.

Headshots with Free-Aim

While some will rely on the trademark lock-on mechanic of Red Dead Redemption 2 and other Rockstar Games, using free aim will give more Dead Eye XP on each enemy kill. Headshots count for even more Dead Eye XP, with distance playing a factor as well. Players can gain up to 5 Dead Eye XP per kill depending on the distance.

Crafting Tonics and Cooking Food

Crafting and cooking are an essential part of the preparation process in Red Dead Redemption 2 and they will also offer 1 Dead Eye XP per each action. So even if Arthur may be stocked up on food and tonics, we recommend taking time to craft and cook at a campfire whenever possible.

Valerian Root

If players are lucky enough to come across Valerian Root, they can consume it for free Dead Eye XP (20 XP). It’s not a consumable that can be crafted or bought, so players will need to get lucky and find it while looting or searching bodies.

Complete Challenges

The best way to gain Dead Eye XP is by completing challenges in the Gambler, Bandit, or Sharpshooter categories. For each challenge that the player completes they will gain at least 25 Dead Eye XP and that count will go up to 150 XP at the final level. These challenges typically have the player completing some random tasks like robbing citizens or shooting birds while on a train.

With this knowledge ahead of time, players can make sure their Dead Eye meter is maxed out sooner in Red Dead Redemption 2 than it would be otherwise. Upgrading Dead Eye is a major boon and it makes the combat a lot more fun.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PS4 and Xbox One.