If you’re looking for a fast-paced combat career with solid rewards and low entry barriers, bounty hunting in Elite Dangerous is a great place to start. It’s simple to get into, doesn’t require obscure tools or engineering, and offers excellent income, combat experience, and faction reputation — all while blowing up wanted ships.

This beginner’s guide will walk you through everything you need to know: from identifying targets, choosing the right locations, ship loadouts, and completing a successful bounty hunting session.

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Why Choose Bounty Hunting?

• Accessible with even a basic ship.
• No third-party tools needed.
• Scales with your skill and ship quality.
• Builds combat rank, faction reputation, and credits.

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Step 1: Identifying Targets

To spot a valid target:

• A basic scan (automatic when in range) will indicate if a ship is Wanted.
• Check the left-side panel for the pilot’s rank.
  • For beginners, prioritize:
    • Harmless
    • Mostly Harmless
    • Novice
    • Competent

When you destroy a Wanted ship, you’re awarded a bounty voucher.

Important: Redeem your bounty vouchers before your ship is destroyed, or they will be lost.

To redeem:

• Dock at a station.
• Visit Contacts > Administrative Contact > Bounty Vouchers.
• Alternatively, use Interstellar Factors (at a 25% cut).

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Step 2: Where to Find Wanted Ships

You can find pirates and wanted vessels in most populated systems except those controlled by Anarchy factions.

How to Identify an Anarchy System:

• Ships have the tag Lawless.
• In the system map, both Government and Security are listed as “Anarchy.”

Bounty hunting in Anarchy systems requires a Kill Warrant Scanner, so beginners should avoid these early on.

Best Locations for Beginners:

1. Navigation Beacons
2. Resource Extraction Sites (RES sites)

RES sites are superior due to pirate activity and support from system security forces.

How to Find RES Sites:

• Look for ringed planets in a system.
• Choose systems with an extraction economy:
  • In Galaxy Map, check System Info.
  • Use the Pilots Federation filter to show only extraction economies.

Types of RES Sites:

• Low: Easiest; weak enemies, ideal for beginners.
• Medium: Slightly harder.
• High: Tougher enemies; better payouts.
• Hazardous: No security forces; only advanced players should attempt.

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Step 3: Recommended Starter Ships & Loadouts

Beginner-friendly bounty hunting ships:

• Sidewinder
• Eagle
• Viper Mk III / Mk IV
• Vulture (for higher-end beginners)

General Loadout Tips:

• Combine thermal and kinetic damage (e.g., lasers + multicannons).
• Equip the largest A-rated modules you can afford for:
  • Power Plant
  • Thrusters
  • Frame Shift Drive
  • Power Distributor
• Downgrade Life Support and Sensors to D-rated to save weight and power.

Defense:

• Equip the biggest shield your ship can fit:
  • Bi-Weave Shields are good for small ships.
  • Reinforce with Hull Reinforcement Packages and Module Reinforcements.

For Intermediate Loadouts:

• Add a Kill Warrant Scanner.
• Add a Frame Shift Drive Interdictor to chase targets in supercruise.

Pro Tip: High-tech systems with a population over 1 million tend to stock most modules.

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Step 4: How a Bounty Hunting Session Plays Out

1. Drop into a RES site (e.g., Low RES).
2. Scan ships as they enter your vicinity.
3. Look for ships being targeted by system security — these are usually Wanted.
4. Confirm with your scan, then join the fight.
5. Focus on:
   • Small, low-rank targets to start.
   • Assisting security ships to reduce risk.

Important Tip: You only need to deal some damage before a ship dies to get paid. Even if someone else gets the kill, you’ll earn a full share if you tagged it.

Targeting Strategy:

• Shift pips to Shields if you’re under fire.
• Use multicannons for hull.
• Target power plant for potential early kills.

After kills:

• Wait for new waves to arrive.
• Watch for weapons fire in the distance to locate new engagements.
• Repeat until you need to reload, repair, or redeem vouchers.

A novice Python might reward 200,000 credits or more — even in a basic ship!

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Final Thoughts and Progression

• Start with Low RES and move up as your ship improves.
• Don’t attempt High or Hazardous sites in small, unengineered ships.
• Once you’re confident, interdict targets in supercruise using a Kill Warrant Scanner to stack bounties across factions.

Bounty hunting is a rewarding and engaging combat career that teaches piloting, ship management, and combat systems. Plus, the payouts and progression feel meaningful even early on.

Thanks for watching — or reading! Let me know if you’d like an advanced bounty hunting guide covering interdiction, wing combat, engineered builds, and target prioritization.

Until next time — fly safe, stay alert, and cash those bounties. Commander Deiri, signing off.