As the title states. Bows don't level up unless used as a melee weapon.

Just evaluating this for the pack, and I noticed this. Seems really silly to only be able to get the new modifiers from levelling your bow by literally hitting things over the head with it. Hopefully that can be addressed. :)

I am also having this issue. Currently getting around this by lowering the XP requirement in the config file. Which is far from perfect, but it kinda works.

Any solution to this yet?

Latest update sounds like it fixes this?
in f76ed27, or is it different @bonii-xx ?

Fixed in newest version

Issue still occurring.

Happens in 1.11.2 too.

The general gist of issue: XP is only given to whatever it is that deals the damage to the mob. Since a bow never actually does that unless you whack the mob with the bow itself, the bow therefore does not receive XP.

Could something be done using the bonus damage that bows sometimes give?

I was thinking to add a check, if the damage dealing item is a bolt/arrow, then split the exp between the bow/crossbow and the arrow/bolt.

Since this wasn't posted here, there is an addon for 1.10 called Tinkers Tool Leveling Addon for Bows that fixes this.

Sadly, no other versions that I know of.

An interesting addition to this issue... I just shot a blaze and my Longsword got the XP.