They do not have any sharp edges so they cannot be used for hunting game as they won’t be able to cause enough internal damage to quickly kill the animal. Field PointsĪlso known as “Target points,” field points are exactly for that – target practice. There are two primary types of arrowheads, and one of them is split further into 3 main sub-types. When buying crossbow bolts they will always have a set of fletchings glued to them. As a general rule, the longer the arrow shaft, the longer the fletchings, and vice versa. More traditional fletchings are made from bird feathers, however these are never used on crossbow bolts.įletchings vary in length, and there is no “perfect” length to look for. Modern bolts have 3 fletchings, made from a form of plastic you might hear them referred to as vanes on occasion. Fletchings will cause the bolt to spin around its axis during flight, increasing stability. Fletchingsįletchings are these little “wings” you’ll find at the back of the bolt, very close to to nock, and they serve the following purposes: to stabilize the trajectory of the bolt mid-flight, help it keep going in the proper direction, and to prevent it from pitching or swaying to the left or right. Check out these top carbon arrows rankings to get info on which types of nocks go best with some of the better arrows out there. If uncertain, give your manufacturer a call or send them an e-mail to find out what type of nock you need before purchasing new bolts. Barnett for example always recommends using half-moon nocks. The half-moon nock has a groove that you will need to align with your string before you can fire the bolt.ĭifferent manufacturers have different recommendations for the type of nocks that should be used on bolts fired from their crossbows. There are two primary types of nocks to be found on crossbow bolts: the half-moon (top image on the left), and the flat nock (bottom image). The purpose of a nock is to keep the bolt in place as you line up for the shot. The nock is made from either plastic or aluminum in most cases, and it is attached to the back of the shaft. So in the above example, the shaft weight is 300 x 0.0648 = ~19.44 grams. You can then convert that weight into grams if you like by simply multiplying the grain weight by 0.0648. So if the shaft is rated at 15 GPI, and the total length of the shaft is 20 inches, then the total weight of the shaft is 15 x 20 = 300 grain. The weight of the bolt shaft is expressed in “grains.” When buying a new set of bolts, the manufacturer will either provide the total weight in grains (for example: 350), or he may simply provide you with a GPI value, which is short for “Grains Per Inch.” If only the latter is provided, you can calculate the total weight by multiplying the length of the shaft in inches by its GPI. The more resistant to bending an arrow is, the more “spine” it is said to have. Shafts come with varying degrees of stiffness that stiffness is referred to as the “spine” of the bolt. A combination of both these materials is sometimes used as well. Most modern crossbow arrows are made from either aluminum or carbon these materials are light-weight, do not splinter, and are very resistant to bending. The shaft is the main “body” of an arrow, and it is to the shaft that all other elements of the (mentioned below) are attached. Slightly longer arrows are usually fine, shorter ones are not because the tip could interfere with the crossbow rail (the groove where the arrow goes).Ī crossbow arrow is made up of the following parts: The Shaft All crossbows come with a recommendation from the manufacturer regarding the length of the arrows you should use when purchasing new arrows, you should make sure that they are the same length as recommended. Most crossbow arrows are 16″ to 22″ in length, with the average being 20 inches.
For the sake of simplicity, we’ll refer to it as a arrow in this article. Linguistically speaking, however, whenever someone talks about crossbow bolts or arrows, they are usually speaking of the same thing.
Technically speaking, a bolt has no stabilizing vanes near the back, while an arrow always does. Both definitions are correct, however the word “bolt” can only be used in conjunction with a crossbow (never with a regular bow).
Some people refer to the crossbow projectile as a bolt, while others call it an arrow. “Arrows” or “Bolts”? What’s The Difference? Make sure to check out our best crossbow recommendations as well. To get a better understanding of how this will impact your crossbow shooting experience, see our article: arrow drop – charted test results. Important Note: Please remember that the weight of your arrows can have a significant impact on accuracy and sighting-in.
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