Once one gets 1000 hours into the game, everything becomes easier. Not only do you get a feel for creature attacks and mechanics, but you also grow accustomed to weapon mechanics.

Using bows from a distance, one tends to aim for and make a lot of head shots. Making a head shot from distance, with a wooden arrow, one can drop a Fuling.

Fresh character

Yes, but your actual physical skill at playing the game. I noticed that too, after progressing up normally, and then starting a new character, and adjusting to the drop difference, it "felt" a lot better than my first time through.

There are two different bow skills at work here.

One is the game mechanic, the skill system. Whatever skill level one attains with this mechanic as one character will be lost when a new character is created.

The other bow skill is a learned skill in a player's brain. This skill is not reset when a new character is created. I believe this is why the crude bow seems more accurate with your fresh character.

Your skill with bows is probably much higher than when you first wielded the crude bow. That alone would make a noticeable difference in the bow's performance.