As far as arrows go - it's usually a personal preference whether to use aluminums or carbons. The aluminums usually (not always) weigh just a little bit more giving them a little more punchwhen the hit an animal,but they need to be checked for straightness before & after shots. The aluminums are generally cheaper & if you have an arrow straightner they are more durable since you can fix most of the small bends. As far as carbons go, they are said to be "either straight or broken". Thats mostly true - I have found some carbon shafts with imperfections & they will not spin true. When using a hard target...Block, Glendale Buck, etc. the carbons get beat up bad. When removing the arrow from the target alot of guys will squeeze the shaft and damage will occur-especially below the fletching. Also, I've had inserts stay inside the targets-the glue will not hold and pulling the shaft out will keep that insert wedged inside the target.

On the issue of flat vs. moon nocks-the manufacturer normally knows best. Years ago on my first crossbow-a Horton, the recommendation was flat caps. Nowdays, the recommendation id for the moon nocks for most of the Horton crossbows. The reason the "moon" is there is for string alignment. Thebows that need the string to line up in a certain area need the moon nock. Shooting flat nocks out of this type of crossbow will generally have poorer arrow flight.