[DraconisRex]

Bow or X-bow selection? Simple, it's not worth spending a feat point over. Those that can't use bows, for the most part, aren't going to be good with a bow if you put a feat point into it for the first half of the game. And by the time they get good at their "first" attack, they're usually too busy casting huge damage or buff spells.

Now, if the character is going to be an "archer," that's a whole different story. In that case, Composite Bows win hand's down. Example, I've got a ranger "archer" type character. He sits in the back while the two tanks take it to the enemy.

He's a character designed to be an archer from the beginning: 16 strength, 17 dexterity (from the beginning), 17 (14 to start) constitution. As he's level 12, I've really increased his CON, though the last one was a mistake (was half-asleep) and I'll have to go DEX & CON instead of DEX & STR to finish him out.

Also, I took point-blank-shot (or what ever it's called) and rapid shot. And he uses a Composite bow which allows a STR modifier to his missile attacks. So, he gets a +3 STR damage modifier, +3 to hit for dex, +2 to hit for bow, +1 to hit for weapon specialization, +2 damage for weapon specializtion and -2 to hit for rapid shot.

With all that stuff going on, his attack profile goes: 19/19/14/9 The dwarf fighter (20 STR) and the elf fighter (Weapon Finesse, 20 DEX) both go: 22/17/12.