bolts

[Rhody Hunter]

why are they called bolts instead of arrows or something else ?

[smokepolehall]

they should be called arrows, i really don't know why a few ppl want to call them bolts. maybe they like the sound of metal banging against other metal

[rafsob]

Being new to xbows I made the mistake of calling them bolts also, which seems to be a common mistake. They are arrows,not bolts. Bolts were originally all metal shafts that were fired from primitive xbows way back when. Don't think these bolts would fire from my Ten Point GT-Curve very well.

[Mike Van Veghten]

It's just a carry over from the really....old days.
I really don't know why people call them bolts. A medieval crossbow bolt and todays arrows have nothing in common...except that a crossbow is/was the method forthepower.

Bolts came in a coupla different designs. Some, even with a short section of wood shaft, but it was only a coupla inches long.
The "bolts" were in the 6" to 8" long range, all steel (what ever alloy they had at the time!), and heavy.

Arrows came into use much later, don't recall exactly when, but in the 17th or 18th century is when arrows started to be used. Maybe a tad earlier.

Today...as you may be able to tell, the crossbow arrow (aluminum or carbon fiber) is constructed with exactly the same methods as a vertical bow arrow. Some vert. bow arrows are even the same size in outer diameter.

The main difference...the nock.
The second difference, a coupla inches shorter.
So why call'em a bolt...could be a personal feeling of a "cool" factor or something.

Absolutly no connection with the "bolts" of the Chinese and early Midieval days.

Mike

[Rhody Hunter]

Interesting , so the old ones where metal rods . Sounds like they would pack a heck of a wallop

[smokepolehall]

they use to shoot knights threw their armour with them

[Arthur P]

I've called 'em bolts all my life and most likely won't ever change, but the terms bolts and arrows are pretty much interchangeable these days - at least in the crossbow community. The word 'bolt' came into Middle English from the old High German word for crossbow arrows, bolz. Bolt became the common term for crossbow arrows, but it's properly only used for short, blunt or knob ended crossbow arrows.

Replica midieval warfare bolts/arrows with armor piercing bodkin points. They used broadheads for hunting, of course and added a 3rd fletch between the two side fletches, facing UP when loaded into the crossbow.



Then there are target bolts which really do look kinda like bolts.



And their midieval equivalent, where the Germanic term originated.



So ends today's history and entymology lesson. Pop quiz tomorrow. [8D]

[Mike Van Veghten]

Simillar to the last pictures above.
I've got some pictures of even larger, heavier bolts.

The upper (first) pictures are later and more toward when they could actually be called arrows. The first "bolts" that had a wooden shaft...did not have feathers on them. The shaft was just another method of botl/string interaction.

The center picture is of modern (mostly European) style bolts for target shooting.

Mike

[awshucks]

thanks guys for the tutorial! very interesting!