Bows are NOT OP! It takes way longer to kill something with the best bows available to you at any level and then your quarry needs to be not pierce resistant.

Really, I never understood this. Does it make you more "hard core" when not using a bow? Using a bow is dangerous as well, you usually don't have much armor on you, so you can be mobile. You don't have as much health, making you easier to kill.

I think that using a bow is sometimes harder than just going in and killing the beast mano-a-mano.

You can stunlock a troll in (ahem) troll armor and a silver shield. With an iron sword you need maybe 5-6 swipes and he's dead, mostly not breaking the stunlock.

Bow takes way longer. And no, you're not "safe". There's other enemies you might run into when kiting. Your quarry might reach you and give you a quick death.