Bows are a type of Weapon in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Bows belong to the Archery weapon class, with their effectiveness in combat governed by the Archery Skill and Perk trees. Archery weapons are used at range and require Arrows in the case of Bows and Bolts in the case of Crossbows in order to fire. Bows can generally be fired and reloaded much quicker than crossbows, but deal less damage. They also fire in a greater upwards arc, allowing for easier targeting at range. While a bow is drawn, the wielder's movement speed is also reduced.
- See the Weapons page for an overview of Weapon Mechanics pertaining to Bows.
- See the Combat page for an indepth look at the combat mechanics and other gameplay features.
The Best Bows in Skyrim
The following is a short list of some of the best Bows in Skyrim:
- Auriel's Bow - A powerful bow that also deals 20 points of Sun damage. This damage is tripled against undead targets. Auriel's Bow also has a much faster draw speed than most bows, allowing rapid firing, especially in combination with the Quick Shot perk.
- Nightingale Bow - High base damage combined with additional Frost and Shock damage makes this bow a contender for the best bows. It is also a leveled weapon, with the best version obtainable at Lv. 46+.
- Dwarven Black Bow of Fate - Has a 50% chance to absorb 25 points of Health, Stamina and/or Magicka on hit, dealing extra damage and regenerating your various resources.
- Zephyr - While this bow has a very low base damage, it has the unique property of firing 30% faster than standard bows, allowing you to get more hits than usual and potentially defeat opponents before they even have a chance to get close or attack you.
- Dragonbone Bow - The top tier Bow that can be crafted and enchanted.
- Bound Bow - A Bow that can be summoned via Conjuration. Comes with 100 arrows that rival Daedric Arrows in effectiveness.
Skyrim Bow Tips
Bows are the lighter ranged weapon of choice in Skyrim. What they lack in damage, they make up for in quick fire and reload speeds compared to their heavier Crossbow counterparts.
- Benefits from the Deadly Aim perk from the Sneak skill line, allowing them to deal triple the damage while sneaking and allowing for a stealth sniper playstyle.
- The Eagle Eye perk allows players to zoom in while aiming, at the expense of draining Stamina.
- The weight of a bow influences how fast you can fire it. Heavier bows tend to require more effort to draw the string, slowing down its fire rate.
- Arrow velocity is affected by the bow's fire rate, with faster firing bows offering lower velocity and vice versa. Velocity typically affects an arrow's arc trajectory, with lower velocity shots causing arrows to drop in an arc earlier in their flight. This does not affect damage dealt but will require you to adjust your aim accordingly in order to hit your targets.
- Bows have a maximum range of about 60 yards, after which point, arrows will deal no damage to targets or simply clip through them, ignoring hit boxes and not registering hits.
- The Conjuration spell Bound Bow can provide a good bow with 100 arrows.
All Bows in Skyrim
Quick Search of All Skyrim Bows
Click the header to sort the table.
| Name | Weight | Damage | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ancient Nord Bow |
12 | 8 | Can be found on Draugr and Skeletons in ancient Nordic Tombs |
 Angi's Bow |
7 | 7 | Can be obtained from the Quest Composure, Speed and Precision |
 Auriel's Bow |
11 | 13 | 20 points of sun damage. Undead targets take triple damage Can block out the sun until the next morning by firing the Bloodcursed Elven Arrows at the sun |
 Bow of the Hunt |
7 | 10 | Deals 20 extra damage to Animals |
 Daedric Bow |
18 | 19 | Can be made with the Daedric Smithing perk and Smithing level 90 |
 Dragonbone Bow |
20 | 20 | Can be made with the Dragon Armor perk and Smithing level 100 |
 Drainspell Bow |
6 | 14 | Absorb Magicka 15 points. |
 Dravin's Bow |
7 | 7 | Can be obtained during the quest Bow to the Master |
 Dwarven Bow |
10 | 12 | Can be made with the Dwarven Smithing perk and Smithing level 30 |
 Dwarven Black Bow of Fate |
10 | 13 | 50% chance for each attribute to absorb 25 pts. of Health, Stamina, and/or Magicka. |
 Ebony Bow |
16 | 17 | Can be made with the Ebony Smithing perk and Smithing level 80 |
 Elven Bow |
12 | 13 | Can be made with the Elven Smithing perk and Smithing level 30 |
 Falmer Bow |
15 | 12 | Can be found on most Falmer. |
 Falmer Supple Bow |
20 | 15 | Can be found on boss type Falmer like Falmer Shadowmasters and Falmer Gloomlurkers |
 Firiniel's End |
12 | 13 | Target takes 20 points of frost damage to Magicka Health and Stamina. |
 Forsworn Bow |
11 | 12 | Can be found on most types of Forsworn. |
 Froki's Bow |
5 | 5 | Does 10 points of Stamina damage. |
 Gauldur Blackbow |
12-18 | 8-14 | Absorbs 10-30 points of Magicka damage. |
 Glass Bow |
14 | 15 | Can be made with the Glass Smithing perk and Smithing level 70 |
 Glass Bow of the Stag Prince |
14 | 16 | Wielder receives an increasingly powerful blessing for every 20 animals killed by the bow.. The blessing grants an additional 5 points of Health and Stamina at start and increases by 5 for each 20 animals kills. Maxes out at 25 |
| 7 | 7 | Can be found throughout Skyrim starting level 1. |
|
 Imperial Bow |
8 | 9 | Can be found on Imperial Soldiers Can be found in locations all over Skyrim |
 Karliah's Bow |
9 | 25 | Can only be obtained through console commands |
 Long Bow |
5 | 6 | Can be found in bandit camps Commonly sold by merchants and blacksmiths |
 Nord Hero Bow |
7 | 11 | Can only be crafted at the Skyforge after completing the Companions questline |
 Nordic Bow |
11 | 13 | Can be made with the Advanced Armors perk and a Smithing level of 50 |
 Orcish Bow |
9 | 10 | Can be made with the Orcish Smithing perk and Smithing level 50 |
 Stalhrim Bow |
15 | 17 | The Frost Damage enchantment is 25% stronger on this weapon. |
 Supple Ancient Nord Bow |
18 | 14 | Can be found Draugrs and Skeletons in ancient Nordic Tombs |
 Nightingale Bow |
9-18 | 12-19 | Nightingale Storm: Freezes the target for 10-30 points and shocks the target for 5-15 points. |
 Zephyr |
10 | 14 | Fires 30% faster than a standard bow. |
