Opinions please, A new air rifle or a new compound bow or a flat bow

[NorthernRaider]

"" What bow would you recommend as a long term put away item. that is to say a just in case reserve, for a non-archer?""

This is not my own advice but what I have gleaned from multiple sources from wise lads like TH and the bow hunters on SB and other US forums habited by bow hunters. I suggest a good decent TAKE DOWN RECURVE kit of around 35 / 45 pound draw weight. You can always move up as your skills and personal style develops by simply buying more powerful limbs for the recurve and keeping the old ones as backups. Once you have got comfortable and familiar with recurve bows ( fixed or take down) then if you WANT you can get a compound bow. According to the Bow Hunters Guide you can once competent with a bow take critters up to the size of Roe, Fallow deer with a 35 pound bow, and red deer etc with 45 to 55 pound bows.

A good decent basic TDR bow ( take down recurve bow) can be had from about £70 up over,
It consists of a RISER ( the bit you hold that the arrow rest and sights are attached to.
The two limbs which on many types come to an international standard for fitting the easiest being those that simply are screwed into place with a knurled knob on each limb.
The String.

For basics that is it , other bits make life much easier like brass nocking points attached to the string to assist with arrow alignment
An arrow rest small little cam thing that usually attached to the bow with double sided tape to sit the arrow on. (Or a whisker biscuit)
An adjustable sight.

Stripped down and stored in a case of under 30 inches length

Recurves will digest a very broad range of arrows, Compounds being much faster do not and are generally more finniky over arrow selection.

FYI a reasonably competent hobby archer can nock, draw, aim and fire up to 6 or 7 arrows in the time you can go through the same cycle with a crossbow.