Bows ( Skyrim ) A bow is a flexible , bent or curved ranged weapon , strung taut from end to end with a string . Arrows are nocked into the string and then drawn . The arrow is then released and the string pushes the arrow forward . Bows are found throughout Skyrim and are a common weapon , with many types varying in damage , arrow speed , weight , fire rate , and value . Improvement and damage . The damage of a bow varies from bow to bow , with the Long Bow being the weakest and Dragonbone ( only ) being the strongest . Every bow ' s damage is governed by perks and the level of the Archery skill , but there are multiple other ways to increase a bow ' s damage . Smithing . Almost all bows can be tempered using grindstone s found near or around blacksmiths and other locations . Depending on the material of the bow , a bow may be improved with firewood or the appropriate ingot to increase the damage of the bow . Depending on perks and level of the Smithing skill , bows can be made increasingly more powerful . Enchanting . Bows may also be enchanted with weapon enchantments for a variety of different effects . The strength of the enchantment depends on the size of the soul used , the number of usages per charge and the level of the enchanting skill . The potency of fire , frost , and shock enchantments can be boosted if the Augmented Fire , Frost or Shock perks from the Destruction skill are chosen . See here for a full list of enchantments that can be applied to bows . Alchemy . Fortify Marksman potions can be created or bought from merchants to temporarily increase the Archery skill tree . Weight and fire rate . The weight of the bow also dictates the effort required to pull the string back , or " draw , " meaning that the heavier the bow , the longer it will take , and the more damage the shot will do . The lightest bow is 5 and can fire 0 . 55 shots every second ( 1 . 818 seconds before 1 shot ) . Starting at 5 , each additional unit of weight added to the bow subtracts another 0 . 0125 shots / second , so a bow weighing 6 fires 0 . 5375 shots / second ( 1 . 86 seconds / shot ) . The fire rates between 5 and 6 may seem insignificant , but the difference becomes much more noticeable with heavier bows . The Dragonbone Bow , for example , is the heaviest bow weighing in at 20 ; and fires at a rate of 0 . 3624 shots / second ( 2 . 759 seconds / shot ) . The overall draw speed can be calculated by the equation : As weight and quality of the bow ' s construction material are directly proportional , it is important to note that the better the material ( i . e . , Glass , or Daedric ) , the slower the draw speed , and thus the lower the fire rate . The three fastest bows in the game in terms of draw speed share a common speed of 1 . 0 , the fastest speed : Zephyr , from the quest " Lost to the Ages " ; Auriel ' s Bow , acquired at the end of the quest " Touching the Sky " ; and Froki ' s Bow , a unique long bow found in Graywinter Watch that is obtained at the end of Kyne ' s Sacred Trials . Arrow velocity . The velocity at which a bow shoots an arrow is inversely proportional to the bow ' s fire rate . In other words , the greater the fire rate of the bow , the lower the velocity . Usually this means that the heavier the bow , the greater the velocity of the shot . However , there are two exceptions to this rule . In the case of Zephyr , a unique bow weighing 10 and which fires 30 % faster than other Dwarven Bows , arrows fired from this bow will travel slower than even a Hunting Bow which weighs 7 . This is due to Zephyr ' s previously mentioned unique enchantment . Also , the Dragonbone Bow weighs 20 , which is one more than the Daedric Bow , however the arrows have a lower velocity than those fired from a Daedric Bow . Though the velocity depends on the fire rate , the velocity is not hindered by the Quick Shot perk . Range . Bows have two types of range , arc range and maximum range . The former varies from bow to bow and is directly proportional to the bow ' s firing velocity . Arrows fired from a low velocity bow will come down in an arc earlier than arrows fired from a high velocity bow . To compensate for this shorter range , low velocity bows must be angled higher to hit targets at range . The latter type of range , or maximum range , is a universal range between bows . After traveling a certain distance , somewhere around 60 – 65 yards , all arrows have a damage of 0 . Arrows at this distance will most of the time clip through ( pass through ) enemies and land on the other side having done no damage . This will still cause animals and characters to become aware of the Dragonborn ' s presence and search for them , however this will not cause friendly characters to become hostile . Differences with crossbows . If " Dawnguard " is installed , the player will gain access to crossbows . Crossbows , similar to bows , are ranged weapons that benefit from sneak attacks , and can be enchanted and upgraded . Compared to the crossbow , a bow is much lighter and faster to reload , and arrows are much easier to acquire than their counterpart . However , its base damage is generally lower than the crossbow , and is slower to fire arrows , compared to the crossbow firing bolts . Bows . < onlyinclude > < / onlyinclude >