Depending on your preferences, you can also choose between fixed-blade or mechanical broadheads, majorly made of steel.Ĭompared to vertical bow arrows, bolts are shorter and have a thicker shafts. Manufacturers in the modern era are selling bolts made of synthetic materials like aluminum and carbon since they are more durable, lightweight, and flexible than old materials. Hence, it will not easily deform once it hits the target. If you look closely at the tip, it takes the shape of an arrowhead, wherein it can sometimes be flat or pointed, usually made of plastic or metal. Although they have the same purpose as their counterparts, bolts have a distinctive shape that allows them to operate appropriately with crossbows. Therefore, the term bolt came from various origins, which proves that it is not an alternative word for “arrow.”īesides history and etymologies, bolts differ significantly from vertical bow arrows regarding design characteristics. The word bolt refers to several distinct sorts of arrows, derived from the Old French verb “bolte,” which means “to shoot.”.The term also originated from the Old English word for arrow.It’s also related to “spear,” which is an Old Norse word, reflected from “pijjlfft,” a modern Swedish name for crossbow.Bolt also originated from the French word “carré,” which refers to “square” because of its square-like heads.You can trace “bolt”‘s etymology back to Middle English botel, derived from Old French “boite,” which means a box.Therefore, bolts are a type of projectile like the arrows used for vertical bows but made solely for crossbow weapons.Ĭoncerning historical facts, the word “bolt” also comes from different etymologies, which you can refer to best below: Moreover, they also look like squat darts, which differentiates them from other arrows. The Medieval bolts had no vanes and were much larger than the modern ones archers use today. That’s why it only makes sense that they are deadlier than vertical bows in the past. They call the crossbow’s projectile bolts because they hit the target like a “lightning bolt from the sky,” aided in successfully penetrating the enemy’s plate armor and chain mail. As a result, the crossbow needed a shorter and heavier projectile, which led to the invention of bolts. Compared to vertical bows, crossbows are horizontally-oriented and must be heavy to deliver enough energy to reach the target. Like crossbows, bolts started to exist in the Medieval period. To help you understand better, enumerated below are the following reasons why you need to call crossbow arrows bolts: However, they are not identical, given that crossbows have unique features requiring specific measurements to reach a said projectile. Both have similar parts, such as a nock, shaft, fletching, and field point. They think the term “bolt” here is a synonym for the word “arrow,” which isn’t the case when shooting crossbows.Īt one glance, there is no apparent difference between the two. Most archers and hunters indeed use the two words interchangeably when firing crossbows. One of the most intriguing terminologies that even continues to be in discussion is whether one should refer to a crossbow’s arrow as a bolt or not. Terminologies can be confusing, especially if you are still trying to get familiar with all of them. ![]() Hence, it is only right to call them bolts instead of arrows. Aside from historical references and design reasons, their size and length are somewhat different from arrows. The invention of the bolt goes way back to Medieval warfare, designed solely for crossbows.
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