Bows use an outdated 'string' pallet when compared to crossbows, fishing rods, etc.. The colors on the 'arrow rest' are also outdated when compared to the 'arrow rest' on crossbows.
Fletching tables show bows with the correct updated string pallet on one of their sides, so this is most definitely a bug. Bows were never updated in the texture update.
Linked issues
duplicates 1
Attachments
Comments 3
That bug is talking about the stick color on the bows not matching crossbows. This bug report is about the miscolored string. This is absolutely a bug because literally everything else in the game that uses string has the crossbows' gradient string pallet. This is not WAI, especially seeing as other instances of the bow in-game (like the fletching table side I showed) shows the bow with the updated string pallet. Minecraft Dungeons also shows the bow with the updated string pallet.
I don't think you should be basing your decision off of a fletching table. If the bow looked like the bow on the fletching table, it would also have to be made vertical. Other blocks like crafting tables have items shown on the side of them, that doesn't mean those shown items will have the same texture as the held item, or that an item like that even exists in the game.
Duplicate of MC-168156. Works as intended.