Considering the number of class perks that add DR, using a bow's becoming even less of a useful option for characters than it used to be, and that's saying something. I know the argument against Magic Weapon on bows is "too easy for everyone to get", but a Perk or Background alongside the others seems a sensible way to give out temporary +1 bows.
This could be added to Fighter. It would be great to see, as I've been playing another RPG system while my Internet's been out and actually think "oh shit, they've got crossbows" rather than "hehehehe.... victims". Permanent +1 Enhancement Bonuses would remain the class feature of the Arcane Archer, but a limited amount of DR piercing could be available to characters who weren't starting as specific multiclass elves or halfelves.
Marksman:When you take the time to line your shots up, your accuracy is nothing short of terrifying. You can't keep that level of control up all day though.L1: +2 Spot, Marksmanship 2/day
L5: +2 Spot, Marksmanship 4/day
L8: +2 DEX, Marksmanship 6/day
QuoteMarksmanship:
Provide bonuses to ranged attacks as follows:
+1 AB to the equipped ranged weapon, and +2 Piercing Damage to ammo
Lasts 30 seconds
Another thought I had was is it possible to create a Recover Ammo ability that would mean there's a percentage chance on each attack to be given one round of ammunition of the same type you just fired?
Honestly i'd just like to see some sort of archery background that gives lvl 8 pure fighters 1d6 sneak attack so they can do some actual damage with their unenchantible unbuffable ususally only mighty 1-2 weapon.
You can do that with the Sellsword background. +1d6 sneak attack at L8. The point is that there's no perk specifically for archers, but there are plenty that are designed to support other niche builds like fencers etc. Duelist or Sellsword both complement a bow well, but they don't fit the concept so well. Ranged damage can be reasonable enough with a Mighty 1-2 bow, some +1 arrows and Divine Favour potions for a nonspecialist. Poisoned Arrows are a handy trick too if you have Use Poison loot or perks. My melee PCs always carry a longbow and some Grace pots in case they get blocked off in tight corridors. The problem is that you can buy buffs to melee damage easily but there's no economy for special ammo so it's all about random drops. +1 damage ammo isn't too hard to get but you can't rely on always having some.
Sneak Attack is definitely not the answer, as it means all combat takes place at point blank range. What's needed is a buff or ability that lets characters do well with bows at long range, other than Bard Song. The Marksman buff would be like a weaker version of Bard L3 Song that also let you cut through DR.