CSE-Crossbow Arrow Components

There is a misconception that modern-day hunting crossbows shoot bolts. Partially because in the past crossbows did shoot bolts and partially because some arrow manufacturers still market their arrows as crossbow bolts. But today's crossbows shoot arrows and as a crossbow hunter you have many options in the arrows you will choose to shoot. You have options on the material your shaft is constructed from, what weight point you want to shoot, the length and the style of fletching, and the type of nock you need. So in this segment of the crossbow safety and education series we'll be discussing the components that make up a crossbow arrow and go into detail on what makes them different. The first part of the arrow we'll discuss is the arrow shaft. Arrow shafts can be built from two main types of material, either aluminum or carbon, and each type does have some advantages and disadvantages. With an aluminum shaft you'll get more consistency from arrow to arrow as far as arrow weight, arrow spine, and arrow straightness are concerned. However, aluminum shafts tend to be a bit more heavier than carbon shafts and they can have a Carbon arrow shafts are lighter and more durable than aluminum shafts. They hold up better to abuse from other arrows hitting them when group shooting and tend to be a bit more resistant to bending. However, some carbon arrow shafts can be inconsistent in spine even when from the same batch and you may find that you will get one or two out of a dozen that may not group with the other arrows from that same group. The insert is the part of the arrow that allows you to screw in a practice point or broadhead into the arrow shaft. Inserts can be made from plastic, carbon, aluminum, and or brass. Generally you'll find that aluminum arrow shafts will contain the plastic, carbon, or aluminum style inserts in effort to keep the total arrow weight down. The brass inserts are generally found in carbon arrow shafts. Because brass inserts weigh more, they help increase the total arrow weight when using the lighter carbon arrow shaft. In the end of the insert you'll find a point of some sort. When practicing with your crossbow, you have a practice point often referred to as a field point. Field points come in different shapes and weights with the most common weight for crossbows being 100 grains. A broadhead is the type of point you'll use when hunting. The two main types of broadheads are fixed bladed and mechanicals. Fixed bladed broadheads have blades attached to them in a fixed position. The most popular styles have either three or four blades. The height of the blades will determine the overall cutting diameter of the broadhead. A mechanical broadhead has blades that will move when coming into contact with the animal. They generally have a smaller diameter when shot from a crossbow and then open up to a diameter much larger than fixed blade broadheads after striking the animal. However, mechanical broadheads aren't legal in every state, so you'll want to consult your state's game laws before deciding on hunting with mechanical broadheads. No matter what type of broadhead you choose, you should shoot the same weight as your practice point. And don't take for granted that broadheads will shoot in the same point as your practice points. Oftentimes they won't, so you'll need to practice with your broadheads too. At the back of the arrow you'll find the fletching. Arrow fletching can be made from feathers or plastic. However, plastic has become much more popular because it is more durable. Most crossbow arrows will have three fletchings, often referred to as vanes. However, there are some crossbows that will shoot an arrow with four fletchings. The vanes come in different lengths from anywhere from two inches long to five inches long. They can be attached to your arrow in different configurations to promote more or less arrow spin when shot. Most crossbow arrows will have a cock vane, and that is the odd colored vane which will always point downward into the rail of the crossbow. The end of the arrow that comes in contact with the string is called a nock. Your nock may be plastic or aluminum and can come in different configurations. Most crossbows will shoot either a flat nock, which is squared off at the back, or what is known as a half moon nock, which has a half crescent cut out at the back of the nock to promote better string engagement. The flat nock can be loaded with any of the vanes in the downward position. The moon nock, however, must be indexed correctly to your string or you risk potential damage to your crossbow. Now, because of advancement in crossbow technology, in recent years we have seen a few more styles of crossbow nocks start to emerge. The omni nock from 10-point crossbows is a nock that engages the string like a moon nock, but allows you to still load your arrow with any vane in the downward position like that of a flat nock. Parker crossbows have come up with a nock called the capture nock that actually has a deeper throat in it to actually encompass the string. And fire nock, which builds a line of aftermarket nocks, has come up with a full containment style nock, much like that of a traditional bow that actually snaps on to the crossbow string. So what nock should you be using? Well, the manufacturer of the crossbow you shoot will recommend the type of nock that works best from their crossbows, and you shouldn't deviate from their recommendation. Doing so could result in damage to your bow or possible injuries to yourself. So that's it. We covered lots of information regarding the components that make up a crossbow arrow, but one thing we didn't cover was arrow length. Your manufacturer would determine what length arrow works best out of your crossbow. Most times your arrow will be either 20 inches or 22 inches long. As a rule, always follow the guidelines set forth by your crossbow manufacturer. Deviating from their recommendations are not worth the risk of damaging your crossbow, or worse, getting injured over.