What are the Best Crossbow Bolts in 2024?

With more people hanging up their longbows and recurve bows to switch to the crossbow; it is important to understand the crossbow and its accessories. The accessory that is the most critical to the crossbow is the bolt. Bolts are the arrow of the crossbow. 

If you search online for crossbow bolts, you will find some sites that sell crossbow arrows and some that sell bolts. Today, people use crossbow bolt and crossbow arrow as two different terms to describe the same thing. For the sake of this article, we will be talking about crossbow bolts. And not just any bolts. The absolute best crossbow bolts.

There are many options on the market today for bolts. They come in different materials, different weights, different lengths, and all different styles of nocks. So, not only will we give you our top six picks of the absolute best crossbow bolt, but we will do a breakdown of the different terminology and all the options available on the market today. 

How are Crossbow Bolts Different from Arrows?

Crossbows shoot both crossbow arrows and crossbow bolts. So, what is the difference between the two? The answer can be a little complicated due to the fact that there is the modern interpretation and then the historical interpretation of what a crossbow bolt is. But let us take a closer look and see if we can make a distinction between the two, both in the historical context and the modern context. 

In the modern context, crossbow bolt and crossbow arrow are two different terms used to describe the same thing. Though in the historical context a crossbow bolt would have no vane, have a metal, often square tip, and be extremely short in length. 

The bolt is going to typically be shorter than the longbow arrow of course. But how much shorter? Bolts will typically be between 16-22 inches in length. They still have the four distinct parts similar to the longbow arrow. The four parts are the shaft, fletching, broadhead, and nock. Arrows contain the same parts but will typically be longer. Around 27-32 inches in length. 

Now some of these exact numbers when it comes to length is still debated among archers and hunters alike. The main reason for this has to do with three things. 

First, how the manufacturer labels the bolts and arrows and at what length they are at can be different from one manufacturer to the other. 

Second, and most importantly, most manufacturers and hunters use the term interchangeable as if there is no real difference between the two. It is important to distinguish between crossbow arrow and longbow arrow when you simply say arrow. But the term bolt belongs strictly to the crossbow.

And third, there is the historical distinction between the two because a bolt would have been made at a blacksmith and a longbow arrow would have been made by fletching. 

Without being too technical and diving deep in the historical context, we will just say that the bolt is shorter than an arrow and heavier. It is also only shot from a crossbow and not a bow.

The MOST important thing is that if you are shooting a crossbow, you check with the manufacturer to see what length and weights can be safely shot from your crossbow.

How to choose your bolts

Now that we have broken down the difference between a bolt and an arrow, how do you choose which type of bolt is right for you?

What do you want to use them for?

Always, the first thing to determine its intended use. Are you going to use your bolts for hunting or for shooting targets?

For hunting, you are going to need a bolt that can cause solid penetration and can accomplish a kill. For this, what you will need heavier bolts that can strike with great force. 

Also, what type of game are hunting and what is your desired range? You will need to strike the balance exactly right for range and kinetic energy. If you are shooting targets, what range do you desire? That will affect the weight of your crossbow bolt as well. 

What size/length do you need?

Overall, shorter bolts will give you more power and acceleration. Longer bolts will give you less power but more distance. Again, it all depends on your intended use. For hunting, it depends on what game you are hunting and what your range might be for where you are hunting. 

Like we stated before, make sure when you are selecting the length of your bolts do not shoot any bolts outside of the range stated by your crossbow’s manufacturer. 

Nock Type

We all should know by now that the nock is the point of which the bolt meets your crossbow string. There are two main types of crossbow nocks. There are half moon nocks and flat nocks. 

The flat nock is, of course, flat, but it has a wide surface area for the crossbow string to rest against and it allows the bolt to sit on your crossbow in different alignments. Half moon nocks are different because they have a slit that creates a nice groove for the string to enter into,

Either one you choose there is some safety issues, but it tends to be that the flat nock is the safest. If you do not position your bolt correctly with half moon nocks, it may cause the bolt to be fired in a way that could cause an accident. 

Lighted Nocks

Once you decide what nock type is right for your situation, you have one more decision to make. To light, or not to light?

Lighted nocks would typically be used for hunting. Seems like it would be unnecessary to always use a lighted nock for target practice. Lighted nocks allow you to see the flight path of your bolt and to find your bolt once you are ready to retrieve it.

If you are hunting in low light situations, for instance, dawn or dusk, it can be necessary to be able to find your bolt after a shot. Lighted nocks also allow you to see where your shot is going to hit on an animal since possibly a bolt might go straight through.

Tip Type / Insert

The tip is going to be what strikes the game you are hunting or the target you are shooting. There are many types. If you are target shooting the best choice is the bullet point tip. Bullet points are shaped like a bullet and will hit your target without causing unnecessary added damage that you would get from other tip types. 

For crossbow hunting, the best choice is the broadhead tip. The broadhead tip is designed for hunting because it intends to kill the game. It is wide, sharp, and has a tip on it designed to pierce your target and then the tip grows wider to cause more damage to kill the intended target. If you are hunting, you have other options as well. There are also blunt points and field points. 

Field points can be used for hunting as well as target shooting. So, if you are a hunter who does not want to buy separate arrows for target practice and being in the field, this will save you some money and be effective for both intended uses. 

Blunt points are a flat point intended not to penetrate your intended target but instead to kill it with blunt force. Good for small game like rabbits, squirrels, game birds, and even coyotes with a well-aimed shot. 

Aluminium Bolts vs Carbon Bolts

The two most common bolt types are carbon and aluminum. An aluminum crossbow bolt is heavier than carbon and less expensive. They produce high levels of accuracy and power. The main issue with aluminum crossbow bolts is that they tend to bend over time and will begin to shoot inaccurately. You will need to take them into a Proshop and pay for proper repair otherwise replace them more frequently. 

Carbon crossbow bolts are more expensive but do not lose accuracy over time. Carbon bolts are lighter and stronger. The lightness of the carbon will give you faster shooting speeds. Though the carbon bolts are more expensive, they will last longer and produce accurate results longer, however, they are expensive to repair. 

There are pros and cons to both aluminum and carbon and the material you choose is really up to you and your intended use. 

Bolt Weight

The weight of a crossbow bolt is weighed in grains. Below is a standard chart defining each bolt type from lightweight to heavyweight. 

• 350-399 Lightweight Bolts.
• 400-459 Standard Bolts.
• 460+ Heavyweight Bolts.

The weight class that you need depends on your intended use. The lighter the weight, the faster it will travel and the more forgiveness it will give for accuracy if you misjudge the distance of your target. Lighter bolts will drop less and travel further. This makes for an excellent target shooting bolt. 

If you are using crossbow bolts for hunting, however, the lighter weight might not give you the penetrating power you need. For hunting, you should use a standard or heavyweight to ensure a proper kill. It is an unwanted outcome if you wound an animal with not enough force to kill leaving it wounded in the woods to only die several days later. Not a humane way to leave an animal. 

Customization

One extremely convenient thing is that you can custom design your own bolts and build them yourself to get the exact shot you are looking for. Play with the grain and add you own inserts, vanes, nock, and tips. Also, for example, if after the fact you purchase a set and you do not like the nocks you can change them. Add lighted ones aftermarket or switch it to a flat nock from a half-moon. There are endless possibilities so enjoy.

Crossbow Bolt Reviews

Burt Coyote Lumenok

Carbon Express Mayhem

Wicked Ridge Magnum XX75

Carbon Express Piledriver

TenPoint Pro Lite

REEGOX Bolts