Crossbow Arrows Guide

Arrows or Bolts? Does it have a difference?

There are people who call crossbow projectiles as bolts and some people call it an arrow. While both definitions are actually right, we only use the word bolt when we are talking about a crossbow and never when talking about a regular bow. Takedown Recurve Bows are much easier to transport and maintain than standard recurve bows. This is because the bolt doesn’t have a stabilizing vane on its back and an arrow does. But nowadays, when people talk about either, they are already referring to the same thing. But in this article, let’s refer to it as an arrow. We’ve also compiled the best youth crossbow.

Different of an arrow and specs

Most of the crossbow arrows measure around 16 inches to 22, the average is the 20 inch arrows. Whenever you purchase a crossbow the best way to know which arrow length is best is by following the manufacturers recommendation. Usually, arrows that are a bit longer are okay, but the shorter ones are not because the tip would be interfering with the rail of the crossbow. Building the perfect Arrows Elk Hunting depends on many factors. You may also see this for Hunting Seat Cushion.

Parts of a crossbow arrow:

The shaft- This is basically the main part of an arrow. This is where everything is connected. Arrows today come in different materials, some are carbon and the others are aluminum. These are lightweight materials that don’t splinter while being very resistant to bending. Sometimes, a combination of both materials is also used. A shaft comes in different degrees of stiffness, this is the spine of the bolt. The weight of the shaft is referred to as the grains. 

The Nock- This part is made from aluminum or plastic, this is the part which is attached to the back of the shaft. This is here to make sure that the bolt always remain in place as you are lining up to take the shot. There are two types on notch, the half moon and the flat nock. The half moon nock is the one with the groove that you would need to align with your string before firing the bolt. The different manufacturers offer different recommendations for the nock type that is being used. For example, the barnett always recommend that you use half moon nocks. If you are not sure you could always call the manufacturer or check out our other articles.

The Fletchings- These are thing wings that is placed on the back of the bolt, it is located very close to the nock and they serve their purpose. In order to stabilize he trajectory of the bolt while mid flight, and help make sure it continues to go t the right direction, and it also prevents the arrow from moving to the left and to the right. These fletchings cause the arrows to spin around the axis while it’s flying to increase the stability. The modern bolts come with 3 fletchings, sometimes even more. It’s usually made from plastic, and they are also referred to as vanes most of the time. The traditional fletchings are made from the feather of a bird, but these aren’t used on crossbows anymore. Fletchings come in different length, there’s no rule as to what is better but you should make sure that the longer the arrow shaft, the longer your fletchings should be.

The Bolt Head- There are 2 main arrowhead types, the other one is the one that splits into 3 main subtypes. The field points, the other one known as the target points are for target practice. It doesn’t have a sharp edge, so it’s not for hunting. There are field points which are screwed in the front of the bolt shaft. They usually weigh 125 to 150 grains in total. When you buy new points, you have to make sure that they weigh the same as the original points which are lighter field points than what is recommend. The broad headss are the type used for hunting because they are screwed in to the tip of the shaft and is built for hunting. Choose the top picks for the Best Mora Knives.

• Fixed blade broadheads has razor sharp blades that aren’t detachable.
• Removable blade broadheads are the blades that can be detached and replaced when needed.
• Expandable blade broadheads are the ones hidden and can only be opened when the arrow hits the animal, this makes sure maximum damage is achieved.

When it comes to choosing the broadheads, personal preference is important.

There are 4 things you need to keep in mind:

1. Make sure that the field points and broadheads are the same weight. This weight also has to be the same as you weight of the heads you get with the bolts that come with your crossbow.
2. Never use arrow shafts and heads that are lighter than what is recommended for your bow. You can use something heavier but never do lighter.
3. Most crossbows today come with arrows and practice field points, you would almost always need to buy something for hunting.
4. Using heavier arrows would be reducing the velocity of your crossbow.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide would be useful to you. And if it was, please let us know through the comment section below.  You can also visit Hog Lights as the ultimate tool for hunters. Have fun hunting! Find the Best Ladder Stands for hunting.