Titanium Repeater

Repeaters are the ranger's default answer in early Hardmode and this is the top of the craftable line. What makes it good is not the bow, it is what you load into it. Ichor or cursed arrows turn it into a serious boss weapon, while plain wooden arrows leave it feeling worse than the gun you already own.

The catch is the bars. Titanium armor is the better use of your first haul and the repeater competes directly with it, so make the armor, then the bow, and expect to retire it the moment a hallowed mimic hands you a stormbow that does more with the same ammunition.