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My crossbow pet peeve

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I just want to get this off my chest. Modern crossbows shoot arrows and not bolts. Arrows have fletching and bolts do not.
The crossbow bolt is a short dowel-type projectile that was once used for indoor and outdoor target shooting. It is seldom, if ever used in the twenty-eighth (or so) century of crossbow shooting. Now is time for crossbow shooters, arrow and crossbow manufacturers and even those opposed to the existence of crossbows to all crawl onto the very same page and come to the realization that the crossbow shoots arrows, not bolts.
This is a crossbow bolt:

Ok, I'll shut up now.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
To be honest with you, I have never shot a crossbow. I made the choice to get into archery and do so with a compound bow. That said, I'd like to shoot one in the future because I think it'd be cool as heck.

Historically there's quite a bit of neat stuff about xbow's, how the Christians used to no use them because they thought they were unethical because they killed too many people. Quite the different ethical question than there is now.

There's a lot of people that will debate crossbows and whatelse, my largest opinion is that if you're putting a sharp projectile through an animal that's going to make it bleed and die, you're ethical and that's fine with me.
 

hickslawns

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Supporting Member
39,721
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Ohio
I am not going to knock them either. If I have to ride my Jazzy Scooter and shoot a crossbow to kill a deer someday, I will do so proudly. I am sure I will own one sooner than that though. I will probably start my kids on them. If you never go to a compound, I don't care Mike. You enjoy hunting as much as any of us on here. I am glad to see you growing in the sport and I am glad you had a dang good season last year. Enjoy your crossbow, and vent away about bolts vs arrows!
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
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7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
Must be you against the world, cause everything I have ever seen has been bolts. Guess Cabelas and everyone who makes arrows for xbows are wrong...
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
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9,358
133
Hardin County
Only crossbow I've seen that shot feathered arrows was my brothers youth model and I have a buddy that makes home made aluminum arrows for crossbows and feathers them. A hunting buddy of mine shoots both feathered arrows (homemade to length) and bolts through his with minimal difference.

Most places that I've seen have bolts on display for crossbows, but to be honest I haven't been in the market for the last few years. What bow do you have?
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
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I think it's just a naming scheme to differentiate between the two so some people don't get confused. That's all. Technically they are both arrows. And both kill deer.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I think it's just a naming scheme to differentiate between the two so some people don't get confused. That's all. Technically they are both arrows. And both kill deer.

I think you're right. I have two compound bows; older models and they are killer on bad shoulders. This was the main reason why I went the crossbow route. One day I may go and try a modern compound with 90% let-off and give the crossbow to my boys.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
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Southeast Ohio
I won't lie to ya, my Elite has a super smooth draw, but it's still killer on my shoulder. I have brokered it up pretty bad over the years with baseball and I don't think it will be too awful long before I reduce my poundage down to 60lbs.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
It was just a general statement.....it was lamost 1:00 in the morning and I was tired and wanted to go home and go to bed....Not directed towords anyone in general..
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
Supporting Member
9,358
133
Hardin County
No big deal, I wrote mine late to so wanted to make sure I didn't word something that made it sound different, I'm good at that!! LOL

My buddy that make arrows cuts down 22-19 aluminum arrows and puts feathers on them. Talk about a smack. I've seen them first hand nearly knock a deer down on impact they would hit so hard. Like I said though, always seemed to have consistency issues when trying to shoot a feathered arrow with my crossbow (Barnett Quad400).

At that point in my career I was young, thought it was cool to try to target shoot out to 80-90 yards so I would lose/bend/break arrows like they were going out of style. I always just stuck with the Horton bolts you could pickup at Walmart. I never really took the time to dial-in my crossbow with a custom arrow setup.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
No big deal, I wrote mine late to so wanted to make sure I didn't word something that made it sound different, I'm good at that!! LOL

My buddy that make arrows cuts down 22-19 aluminum arrows and puts feathers on them. Talk about a smack. I've seen them first hand nearly knock a deer down on impact they would hit so hard. Like I said though, always seemed to have consistency issues when trying to shoot a feathered arrow with my crossbow (Barnett Quad400).

At that point in my career I was young, thought it was cool to try to target shoot out to 80-90 yards so I would lose/bend/break arrows like they were going out of style. I always just stuck with the Horton bolts you could pickup at Walmart. I never really took the time to dial-in my crossbow with a custom arrow setup.

I really want to dial in my arrows this season. I have 12 new Beaman ICS arrows and I want to balance them and get the weight consistent.