[quote=@Athol]
[@Lotrix Molick] If I can throw in my 2 cents...if they're that short, go with a crossbow. Any bow that would fit someone that short would be really weak.
[/quote]

Or, the bow could be a composite reflex, thus being compact and powerful. The biggest issue is that one other character wanted an engineer type, so I am worried about overlap if my character is a mechanical weapons engineer to develop their crossbow.

Also, a big consideration is whether refined metal or good wood is easier to come by. With low quality wood and average metal access, crossbow edges out bow. With high quality wood or high quality metal with access to proper adhesives, then composite reflex wins due to quality allowing for high, compact draw weight and thus offering nearly the same power for a faster shot. Crossbows are more durable overall and have half the weight on their ammo. The problem is rate of fire as well as how the character would get the draw full.

What type of armor is common in this era? If armor is at best infrequently used, then the crossbow would require far less "power" behind it as period mechanics could allow an inbuilt pull mechanism to reduce fatigue and increase speed.