Precise Shot VS Rapid Shot

[Masakan]

If you had to choose one of these to take which would it be and why?
Both are useful in their own way but i don't know which one is over all more beneficial.

[ketaro]

Precise Shot. Because a -4 to hit sucks so much.

[Nytemare3701]

Rapid Shot, because it's useful even when NOT firing into melee, and by being an extra shot, it's sort of like having a +4 to the roll.

Average roll of 10, +50% chance for trying twice, -10% for the -2 penalty on the rolls.

Yeah, there are complications if they aren't hittable at all with the -6, but I'm not doing that math.

[SorO_Lost]

but I'm not doing that math.

doing the exact math can be tedious but looking at chances of hitting once,  say you have an 80% chance to hit which is your nonmelee or melee & Precise figure, -6 for Rapid's total penalty into melee is -30% and two attacks means 100% of one hitting.

But if you had two attacks from BAB the second one has a -25% adjustment, Precise would have total of 135% and Rapid would have total of 125%. Once you get into the lower odds of hitting Rapid really isn't that great but as long as you can keep your to-hit close such as everyone using reach and range or pot shooting the ones not in melee like a smart person Rapid is generally going to work out for you.

[kitep]

Rapid Shot.  Usually there's someone you can shoot that's not involved in hand-to-hand.

FYI, there's also the Precise weapon special ability (MIC, p40, +1 cost equivalent) that negates the -4 penalty.

You could also just use teamwork, where the melee guy takes a 5-foot step away after attacking.

[Masakan]

Hmm that brings up another question...does the feat manyshot work with the ability of bow of songs? or does it still just work with a single shot?

[kitep]

Since Manyshot uses the same attack roll for multiple arrows, I think the Charisma bonus from Bow of Songs would apply to all the arrows.

[linklord231]

Precise shot is more likely to be a prerequisite, so that one. But only because I have to.

[Kethrian]

I'd say the reality is if you are partying with multiple melee-centric PCs (more than 1), Precise Shot is more useful, otherwise Rapid Shot is.  But at higher levels, Precise Shot gets better, because for one thing it leads to Improved Precise Shot, which ignores cover and concealment less than total and always lets you hit your intended target in grapples, while Rapid Shot leads to Improved Rapid Shot, which only removes the -2 penalty from Rapid Shot.

[Keldar]

Rapid Shot.  Its a prerequisite for many archery feats, is useful every round you full attack with a bow, and Precise Shot is available through items.