Just as an example here, let's grab the actual damage values.
Two examples, one with an AR and one with a bow, both assuming an Agility of 5 and a Skill of 6, specialization, smartlink, and adequate Recoil Compensation.
The AR we'll use is an Ares HVAR, firing two Long Bursts for +5 DV, total dicepool of 15 and an average of five hits for the shooter. Defender probably manages to get somewhere around 1-2 hits, so we'll assume he gets lucky and gets two hits. Base DV of 5P (Or 6S(e) if we use SnS, plus the other goodies that come with it)+5P from Long Burst +3P from Net Hits. Total damage? 13P, roughly. 14S(e) with SnS rounds, in addition to electricity damage modifiers. The second shot likely has a 1 higher DV due to the defender losing a die on the dodge test for having already been shot, so 14/15 DV. Resistances would really be dependent on our target, but if we go with a fairly standard Armor Jacket, they probably get somewhere around 2-3 hits, so we'll assume 3 hits. Total DV? 1 shot at 10P/11S(e), another shot at 11P/12S(e). Nothing requires to obtain this other than nuyen for adequate RC, which isn't really hard to get at all.
And now a Rating 6 Bow, the highest we can start with. Assuming a same dicepool of 15, we likely average 5 or so hits. Base DV on our bow is 6+2, with a maximum of 9 regardless of how well we shoot this person. Our target dodges, netting 2 hits and reducing our effective hits by 2, still enough to cap us at the damage value of 9. The target rolls to resist, netting 3 hits on oth shots, only suffering about 6S damage from a shot on average. Total possible damage? Absolute maximum of 18, most likely less.
Now, what is required to get each of these? Well, you can just straight up buy an Ares HVAR at character creation without any qualities required, only extra thing needed is to grab adequate Recoil Compensation, which isn't difficult.
What is required to do damage that is even vaguely in the same ballpark with a bow? Almost an absolute top of the line bow, two ranks of Martial Arts so we can even fire twice in a round, probably MRSI software so our shots have a better chance against armor which will require Restricted Gear to get. Total cost? Minimum of 15 BP to grab Krav Maga, Iajitsu, and Restricted Gear so we can get MRSI software, so that we can do around half the damage of an AR. The AR will do slightly less if not a High-Velocity weapon, but still easily outstrips the bow in terms of both raw damage, -AP, range, ease of acquisition, and the effort needed to get it to work.
