Crossbow bolt
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A bolt or quarrel is a dart-like projectile used by crossbows.[1] The word quarrel is from the Old French quarrel (> French carreau) "square thing",[2] specialized use as quarrel d'arcbaleste (> carreau d'arbalète) "crossbow quarrel", referring to their typically square heads. Although their lengths vary, bolts are typically shorter and heavier than traditional arrows shot with longbows.[3]
Parts of the bolt
Point
The point, also called the head or the tip, is the pointed and weighted front end of the bolt, which is sharp and hard so that it can penetrate the target.
Shaft
The
Fletching
Fletchings, also referred to as vanes, are
There is no rule or formula for determining the length of fletching needed — generally the longer the shaft is, the longer the fletching needs to be, and vice versa.
Nock
A
Size and weight
There is not any hard and fast rule of bolt sizing. Generally, the bolts are 15 to 22 inches long but the standard length is 20 inches. Experts recommend longer bolts[4] but they have certain disadvantages as well.
The weight of the bolt can have a serious effect on the range of the bolt. The bolt's total weight includes the bolt's weight, nock, insert, vanes, and broadhead or field point. Almost all bolt manufacturers will list how many grains each shaft weighs or how many grains are in each inch of the shaft. A more massive bolt, e.g. at least 400 grains, will have better downrange energy and offer better penetration but will travel more slowly and thus drop more due to gravity during its flight. A lighter bolt will fly quicker and give the shooter a longer range, but might not have the desired penetration.
References
- ^ "Quarrel". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ISBN 0-19-283098-8). p. 382a
- ISBN 0-486-40726-8.
- ^ "Can I use longer bolts? - Excalibur Crossbow Forum". www.excaliburcrossbow.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.