Your analysis isn’t just correct, it matches exactly what the Larkinor systems intend.
For hybrid melee/ranged characters, it’s normal to see weapon skill levels fall slightly behind your experience level around mid-game. This happens because splattering, one-hit kills, accelerates XP gain but limits the number of weapon uses needed for consistent skill growth.
The Larkinor Guide recommends keeping Dexterity around level ÷ 1.5, which you’re already following. But even perfect Dexterity can’t counterbalance the fact that quick kills offer fewer “actions” for weapon skills like piercing/slicing and ranged to advance.
Ranged skill growth especially suffers if it’s only used once per fight. Frequent, repeated use, even against lower-level enemies, is necessary to catch it up.
At higher levels (closer to 100), everything stabilizes naturally as fights last longer and splattering becomes less common.
You’re not falling behind. You’re exactly where you should be.