Aimed Shot is an instant shot available to Marksmanshiphunters that deals ranged damage plus X and reduces healing done to that target by 50% for 10 seconds. It shares a cooldown with Multi-Shot and the two deal the same damage (per target) before talents are taken into consideration. When fully talented, Aimed Shot will deal more damage against a single target and cost significantly less mana. Against a single target, it is the second highest damage shot available to Marksmanship hunters, after Chimera Shot.
Lethal Shots increases the critical strike chance by 5%. Master Marksman increases the chance by another 5%. Improved Barrage increases critical strike chance by another 12%.
Mortal Shots increases the critical strike damage bonus by 30%. Marked for Death increases the critical strike damage bonus by a further 10%. Piercing Shots causes the target to bleed for 30% of the critical strike damage.
When fighting against more than one target, Multi-Shot should be used instead of Aimed Shot as the two share a cooldown and Multi-Shot can hit more than one target.
Hotfix (2011-02-22): ""Aimed Shot damage has been decreased to approximately 160% weapon damage (at level 80+), down from 200%.""
Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Mana cost has been reduced from 11% of base mana to 8%, casting time reduced from 2.5 sec to instant. Cooldown increased from 6 seconds to 10 seconds and damage reduced.
Patch 2.3.0 (2007-11-13): Added reduction of healing done to that target by 50% and cast time was reduced to 3 sec from 3.5 sec. The reduced healing effect does not stack with Warriors' Mortal Strike or with Rogues' Wound Poison.
Patch 1.10.0 (2006-03-28): This ability now has its attack power normalized the same as melee instant attacks. This means that the attack power contribution from all ranged weapons will be the same, no matter what their speed. All weapons will contribute attack power as if they were 2.8 speed. Weapons slower than 2.8 speed will do slightly less damage than previously; weapons faster than 2.8 speed will do slightly more damage.
Fixed bug where Aimed Shot wouldn't cancel properly when the target moves out of range.
Patch 1.5.0 (2005-06-07): Special ability shots no longer add the ranged weapon speed or take into account ranged weapon haste when determining the actual cooldown. The tooltip and cooldown timers should now properly reflect the actual cooldown.