Best Crossbow Bolts 2023 for Deer Hunting and Archery

Searching for a proper crossbow bolt can be more difficult task than actually playing with it. When working with a crossbow, a good quality crossbow arrow selection is analytical. In most cases, crossbow bolts are made of high-standard carbon fibre and glass that makes the bolt accurate, straight, and easy to strike the target.

A good crossbow bolt has to be durable and reusable, so no matter if you’re hunting or only practicing archery, you can use bolts over and over again.  We have enlisted the top crossbow bolts for accurate hunting. Our buying guide will help you choose the best rated crossbow bolts for hunting to meet your shooting needs. 

Let’s get started!

Best Crossbow Bolts Review Comparison Table

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
Carbon Express Maxima Red	Carbon Express Maxima Red	Carbon Express Maxima Red	Brand: Carbon Express Bolt Size: 2oinch Weight: 10.0gram	Check On Amazon
Carbon Express PileDriver Bolt	Carbon Express PileDriver Bolt	Carbon Express PileDriver Bolt	Brand: Carbon Express Bolt Size: 2o inch Weight: 442 grains	Check On Amazon
Tenpoint XX75 Magnum	Tenpoint XX75 Magnum	Tenpoint XX75 Magnum	Brand: Tenpoint Bolt Size: 20 inch Weight: 436 Grains	Check On Amazon
Easton Full Metal Jacket Arrow	Easton Full Metal Jacket Arrow	Easton Full Metal Jacket Arrow	Brand: Easton Bolt Size: 22 inch Nock: Half Moon	Check On Amazon
Tenpoint EVO-X Center Punch Carbon	Tenpoint EVO-X Center Punch Carbon	Tenpoint EVO-X Center Punch Carbon	Brand: Tenpoint Bolt Weight: 445 grains Bolt size: 20 Inch	Check On Amazon
BARNETT 16075 Carbon Bolts	BARNETT 16075 Carbon Bolts	BARNETT 16075 Carbon Bolts	Brand: Barnett Bolt Size: 20 inch Velocity: 33.5″	Check On Amazon
Bloodsport Crossbow Bolt	Bloodsport Crossbow Bolt	Bloodsport Crossbow Bolt	Brand: Bloodsport Bolt Size: 20 inch Weight: 325 grains	Check On Amazon
Excalibur Diablo Carbon Arrows	Excalibur Diablo Carbon Arrows	Excalibur Diablo Carbon Arrows	Brand: Excalibur Bolt Size: 18 inch Bolt weight: 250 grains	Check On Amazon

Out Top Picks of Best Crossbow Bolts Review 

1. Carbon Express Maxima Red (Top Crossbow bolt for Hunting)
2. Carbon Express PileDriver (Carbon Crossbow Bolt – Editors choice)
3. Tenpoint XX75 Magnum ( Best 20-inch Crossbow bolts)
4. Easton Full Metal Jacket Arrow
5. Tenpoint EVO-X Center Punch Carbon Arrows
6. BARNETT 16075 – Outdoors Carbon Bolts for Target
7. Bloodsport – Deer Hunting Crossbow Bolt
8. Excalibur Diablo– Accurate Carbon Arrows
9. REEGOX Bio –Best for Money
10. Parker B0lts –  Hunter Crossbow Arrows

1.Carbon Express Maxima Red (Top Crossbow bolt for Hunting)

Carbon express maxima red has a weight-forward design to assure maximum strength and speed. These heavy 20-inch carbon bolts are best for hunting. It has high tolerance and works terrific with both compounds and crossbows. 

The dual spine weight forward technology makes these bolts really easy to recover with remarkable accuracy. Carbon Express bolts are known to reserve an added pace. 

This carbon bolt is suitable for crossbows hunting because it is really straight and is camouflaged to look like the natural environment so that the prey does not get spooked, and you get to hunt efficiently. You can hunt deers with these bolts very quickly.

The heavy carbon shafts produce jolts of kinetic energy that hits the target with full force. It is a reliable crossbow bolt which always maintains its integrity when piercing through the prey. Carbon Bolts can help you catch a prey really accurately no matter what the distance between you and your prey is, it makes them highly dependable.

Strength can make pierce all the way through your hunt, which makes it a confirmed kill—making you self assured about your hunting. These carbon bolts are costly but worth the price. 

Specifications

2.Carbon Express PileDriver (Carbon Crossbow bolt – Editors choice)

Carbon Express bolt is one of the good Crossbow Bolts for Target Shooting and Field Practice that is easily available in the market. It contains a substantial amount of carbon, which ensures bone-deep penetration and makes this bolt great for hunters to hunt big targets.

Carbon Express bolt is the heaviest bolt made by their company. Heavy grain weight creates maximum kinetic energy, which ensures that the enemy gets knocked down with the first blow. With this, you can get your target to drop dead in no time without your bolt getting destroyed,

which makes it really great for the price. Which means you can reuse these bolts many times. High speed, optimal kinetic energy transfer from the string leading to the smooth flight off the rail and marvelous accuracy. These bolts are incredibly reliable and come with a straight spine that makes it accurate even at great distances.

It offers less vibration because of its weight and makes less sound, which makes it easy for you to catch your prey. It promises precision and toughness. If you are a pro at what you do, this is the quality crossbow bolt for hunting because of all the things it offers.

There is another plus to this that these Carbon express bolts come in two different sizes, making them really easy for you to choose whatever size you are comfortable with. A bolt like this can boost up your confidence with its flatter trajectory and overall performance. 

Specifications

3.Tenpoint XX75 Magnum ( Best 20-inch Crossbow bolts)

The Tenpoint XX75 Magnum is made of aluminum, which makes this bolt very consistent and accurate. These are usually very precise and is good for your money. These 20-inch bolts can also be used for archery practice if you are working up your skills in this area and work very well with most bows, still proving to be deadly. 

The best feature of this bolt is that it comes with a neon nock, which makes it easier for the hunter to track in the dark and know where it hit. If you are a professional hunter, these should be your go-to crossbow

 bolt because they have a high weight and can pierce through tough prey, not only that they catch the prey in darkness even in the depth of jungles.

These bolts with 0.0038 straightness are easy to install in your crossbow. Very lethal as it goes all the way and kills your prey immediately. One downside is that they are a little pricey because of their neon nock quality, but the way they boost up your confidence in difficult situations makes them profitable.

They also penetrate and kill your target enemy, which makes them beneficial for hunters.

Specifications

4.Easton Full Metal Jacket Arrow – Best lightweight Bolts

The Easton Full Metal Jacket is a mixture of carbon fiber and aluminium. Which makes them really good for archers and people who are new to archery. This crossbow metal bolt helps them practice.

They are thin, which gives them high speed and accuracy making them really easy for a hunter to pull them out of the prey after the prey has been hunted. 

Despite being very thin, they have high strength and tolerance level. The full metal jacket bolt is very stiff, which makes the bolt robust, making their penetration a lot better than most of the arrows out there.

The penetration ensures kill, making it easy for you to hunt. They are excellent in unstable situations such as high winds and extreme angles. 
The 22 inch bolt has a high velocity, which makes them fly flat.

This feature helps hunters who hunt in unpredictable environments, such as in jungles. They promise a fantastic aim; shoots really straight. Although costly, they have many useful features to help you hunt even if you have just taken up this hobby. Buying this particular crossbow bolt will not make you regret spending your money. 

Specifications

5. Tenpoint EVO-X Center Punch Carbon Arrows

This Evo-X center punch carbon bolt made by TenPoint is mainly made for archery practice. They are made of carbon fiber. They are among the most accurate bolts made by TenPoint that comes with a promise of precision. They are swift and can shoot with excellent accuracy to longer distances. 

This 20-inch crossbow bolt is covered with laser-tech carbon that ensures straightness. The fact that this bolt shoots accurately straight should be the reason enough for you to put your confidence in them and buy them. Other than their straightness, they are also very stiff, which makes them pierce all the way in and out of the prey confirming a kill. 

They are expensive because of being one of the top bolts you can ask for. They are also inserted with an LED, which makes them visible in the dark, making them a fantastic instrument for hunters to kill deers and other animals in the dark. They can be an amazing companion for you during camping and other trips because of their illumination feature.

Specifications

6.BARNETT 16075 – Outdoors Carbon Bolts for Target

The BARNETT 16075  is made of lightweight carbon fiber. Having optimal accuracy and adequate penetration. It has a more uniform width as compared to other crossbow arrows/bolts out there, which is added for more durability. These are perfect for short-range and for practising targets.

These bolts are designed to look beautiful that would please the young crowd and people who have an eye for aesthetics. If you want to learn the skill of archery, this bolt is right for you. The thing which makes this 400 grains crossbow bolt worth having is that it is suited with most of the crossbows.

This 20 inches bolt can also be used for hunting if you have excellent hunting skills. They are reusable, showing remarkable consistency. They fly straight and swiftly. Younger people can comfortably use them for practice and killing whitetails. 

Specifications

7. Bloodsport – Deer Hunting Crossbow Bolt

Bloodsport bolt is made of carbon fiber and is excellent for hunters. These are also great for small prey and conventional archery practice. They are very reliable and have also proven to be lightweight. The lightweight feature of bloodsport crossbow bolt makes them very speedy and penetrable, making it easy for hunters to catch their prey without having to worry for much.

One of the unique features of this bloodsport bolt is that it has a blood ring technology, which makes this 20 inches crossbow bolt really good for hunters as with the help of this ring, it can help you track down your prey. You can know the extent of injury the bolt has caused and how much more effort you need to put in order to get your kill. You can think ahead and make a plan which helps you in good hunting. 

These 325 grains bolts are camouflaged to look like a tree, which makes them look like a random object from the environment,  so when you shoot them, the prey would never see them coming, making your hunt easier for you. They also show extreme accuracy. Although this bolt is a bit pricey, if you are a professional and can manage the cost, this high-speed bolt is excellent for you. The fact that it is reusable and doesn’t break easily makes it one of the most amazing bolts amongst others, and all of these features make up for the price.

Specifications

8.Excalibur Diablo– Accurate Carbon Arrows

The Excalibur Diablo bolts are mainly made for matrix crossbows, making them really amazing for those who have this crossbow but not good enough for those who don’t have this crossbow. These Excalibur bolts are made of pure carbon. They are specifically made to be more heavily from the front, increasing their accuracy, exceptionally.

These 18 inches crossbow bolts have an amazing speed as accuracy. A differentiating factor that these arrows have is that these do not require nocks like other bolts. They directly attach to the string, which gives much more genuineness.

The Excalibur Diablo Bolt is indeed well built and can be easily recoverable. You can reuse this as it can be retrieved from the target without any damage. It flies excellent, giving you the required boost you’d need for an amazing kill.

These bolts are lethal even at larger distances. 
Although a little expensive, these have all the amazing features that can be seen while using an Excalibur particular crossbow for the task. It is designed in such a way that it can be quickly spotted after you have shot the bolt away from your bow.

Specifications

9.REEGOX Bio 20 Inch Crossbow Bolt ( Best Budget Pick)

Reegox Bolt is one of the best Crossbow bolts for money. Its incredible for target practice as you can retrieve it and reuse it. It shoots straight and shows excellent precision and is considered as one of the best for rune crossbows.

This bolt is specially designed for beginner hunters. Having high-speed kinetic energy and accuracy can help to hunt small-sized prey. It has proven to be really good for hunting small animals like deers, doe or squirrels, etc. This is capable of penetrating the target.

If you are new to archery and do not know which bolts to go with, choose this. It is really great and very cost-friendly if you are looking for fun and games.

The ReeGox Bio bolt works perfectly with different crossbows and has all the properties you would find in a bolt that is double the price. Hence this is the best buy for you if you are looking for a cheaper bow and the most amazing results.

Specifications

10.Parker B0lts –  Hunter Crossbow Arrows

Parker bolts are made of carbon material. These 20-inch bolts are reliable and specially assembled to take up the stress from the string and bring out the best results. Each Parker bolt is designed to provide maximum speed and optimal accuracy. They are super light bolts, which helps them fly straight. These Bolts would never deviate from their path.

Parker bolts are the best crossbow arrows for deer hunting. These are excellent for practice as can be used again. You can also use the same bolt-on different animals.  They pair really great with a bow and make you dependable on them. These lighter bolts steady your shot and can be great for people who are new to archery because it has a few safety built features in it.

Each Parker bolt is lightweight and shafts at 15 grains per inch having high durability. These bolts are totally worth having because they have a low price which makes them an excellent choice for newbies. These 20 inches bolts can prove to be a really good bolt for you in your hunting experience because of their perfect finish. 

Specifications

Things to consider before Buying Hunting Crossbow bolts

Cost:

The first thing you should notice in an arrow is their cost; you need to buy a bolt according to your pocket size. There are a lot of bolts that serve the purpose in a lesser amount of money, but if hunting is your passion and you have the money, you should go for the best bolts out there. It would be best if you did a lot of research before buying a bolt in order to know the cost details of a crossbow arrows 

Length:

You have to know the length of your crossbow arrow in order to determine the kind of impact it would have on your target. You can choose a range according to your preference and whatever is easy for you to use. You can practice using different lengths to determine which is better for you. 

Material:

The material is usually made of carbon, but there are a lot of mixed materials out there that enhance different peculiarities in a crossbow arrows. A full carbon crossbow bolt is heavier and offers maximum penetration, a comparatively thinner one offers straight path etc.

Weight:

Different crossbow bolts come in different weights. You have to know your strength and level of archery to know which weight you should work with. You need to check what you are buying the bolt for, whether it’s archery, hunting, playing randomly, or practice. 

Nocks:

A nock’s function is to connect the bow with the bolt and also comes in different materials. You have to notice your crossbow and see what nock would be appropriate for both your crossbow and the bolt to ensure the maximum outcome.

Fletching:

Fletching is mainly concerned with stabilizing the flight path of a crossbow bolt. Make sure you know how many fletchings a crossbow bolt has before buying the bolts. An average bolt has 3-4 fletchings. 

Some tips for using Crossbow Bolts for Hunting

• In order to avert harm, follow the basic rules of using a crossbow and crossbow bolt before using them. Please read the manual that comes with the bolts, carefully and follow all the instructions. 
• Don’t touch the string of the bow while shooting an arrow; make sure your hand is away from danger.
• A crossbow should be handled as a dangerous weapon. While using them, you should be aware of the surroundings, ensuring everyone and everything is out of harm’s reach. 
• When working with a crossbow, make sure you are pointing the bolt towards anything you might not want to strike.
• Do not walk around with an aim; if you have no intention of firing an arrow and losing focus for a second can cause a lot of damage in your surroundings without you realizing it. 
• Practice with some reusable and user-friendly bolts. 
• Always put your fingers below the barrel and not directly on the crossbow to ensure safety. 

FAQ

Can you make crossbow bolts?

Yes, you can, but you’d need a lot of practice for making one. And this takes a lot of effort.  Besides, the material for making the bolt doesn’t come cheap. Above all, you need precision and ensure that you are making a bolt that is not just good for looking but for using as well, which would mean, closely looking at the weight, straightness, diameter, and length. There are a lot of factors to consider, and all of this is such a hassle, so it’s better to buy one.

How many crossbow bolts are in a quiver?

There are usually 6 bows in a quiver.

How many bolts can a quiver hold 5e?

A quiver 5e can usually hold 20 bolts.

What are crossbow bolts made of?

Crossbow bolts are usually made of carbon material, but other materials can be used as well. Such as a mixture of carbon and glass fiber. Depending on the purpose that you are making them for and what purpose they will serve. They can also be made of aluminum. All these materials ensure different things in a crossbow bolt such as penetrations, steadiness, straightness, lightness, and accuracy, etc.

Can you carry a bow on your back?

Yes, you can carry a bow on your back by hanging them on your shoulders. But if you are not a professional, it’s better if you don’t, for safety reasons. 

Conclusion

A bolt is necessary for hunting and archery. It is the central part of the hunt. It varies for different crossbows and different events. So you need to make sure that you know all the bolt’s specifications, so you know what you are investing your money in.

 Having the sound equipment will make sure that you have confidence in your skills. It has to be dependable. So look for the bow that has all the skills mentioned above, such as weight, durability, nocks, and, most of all, how well it fits with your crossbow. Buy a crossbow bolt that is suitable for you and go for the one with all the features to match your skill to ensure the best results in your hunting and archery practice. At the end of the day, this all comes down to what you want to do with your bolt

 Every bolt has different qualities and is made explicitly for various features and different types of bows. Some are best for deer hunting, some for archery practice, some for newcomers, and then there are some for small targets, some to take down larger animals. 

Watson R

Master of Modern Bowhunting, Watson knows archery equipment forward and backward. An accomplished bowhunter in his own right, his successes in the field demonstrates to novices that bowhunting isn’t something to be kept behind closed doors. Making it more accessible to beginners and advanced bowhunters alike; Watson has become an expert in the construction and use of longbows, compound bows, crossbows, archery and bowhunting gear; he now shares his knowledge openly.