We score the crossbows in our ranking against each other on the same five tests. Bolts never went through that bench, so nothing below carries a score - what follows is the real length, spine class and material pulled from each maker's own listing, plus the one thing that decides everything: matching the bolt to the bow you actually own, not to a spec sheet or a price.
A crossbow bolt - the industry also calls it an arrow - is the most consumable part you will buy, and the one beginners choose worst. Every bow in our ranking ships with a starter set, so the question is almost never "which bolt do I start with" but "what do I reorder, and can I buy a cheaper or fancier one than the factory pack." The honest answer is that fit comes before brand, before material and before price: a bolt that is the wrong length or too light for your bow is not a bargain, it is a broken limb waiting to happen.
This guide walks through the three things that actually decide a bolt - length, material and total weight - then covers what fits the beginner bows we test, and lists the arrows first-timers see recommended, with the specs that matter.
Crossbow bolts are sold by length, and length is not a preference - it is a compatibility rule set by your bow. A bolt that is too short can fall off the rail or fail to clear the string catch, which is the fast route to a dry-fire. Three lengths cover almost the whole market, and knowing which camp your bow is in narrows the choice before you look at anything else.
| Length | Where you see it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20 inch | The mainstream standard - most full-size beginner bows | Barnett, CenterPoint, Killer Instinct, Xpedition and the rest of our ranking all use 20-inch bolts |
| 22 inch | Older and some large-format platforms | Legacy Barnett models and a few big-frame bows; check the manual, do not assume |
| 16 to 18 inch | Compact and premium reverse-draw bows | Newer TenPoint compacts, Ravin, and recurve Excalibur run shorter shafts |
The practical rule: order the exact length your bow shipped with, which is printed in the manual and on the factory bolt pack. Going longer than specified is usually harmless; going shorter almost never is. If you are between platforms and still choosing, the good news is that every model in our beginner comparisons uses the same 20-inch class, so a single bolt choice covers all of them.
You will see two materials advertised. Carbon (and carbon-composite) is what almost every modern bolt is made of, and what every bow in our ranking ships with. It is tough, it flexes and recovers cleanly, and - most important on a crossbow - it fails safely: a cracked carbon shaft is more likely to be caught on inspection than to shatter mid-flight. Aluminum bolts still exist and are cheaper, but they bend rather than break, and a bent aluminum shaft that looks fine can fly wildly or damage the bow. For a beginner the decision is already made: buy carbon, and treat any aluminum bargain pack as a false economy.
The one habit that matters more than the brand of carbon is inspection. Flex every bolt before you shoot it - bend it slightly and listen. A crack, a creak or a visible splinter means it is retired, not reused. A carbon shaft that fails on the shot puts its energy into your hand and the bow, and that is the accident carbon's fail-safe reputation is meant to prevent, not the one it guarantees.
Total bolt weight - measured in grains, including the point - is the specification that changes how your bow performs. Most factory bolts land around 400 grains, and manufacturers publish their advertised speeds using a light bolt to make the number look big. A heavier bolt gives up a little of that top-line fps but holds its energy far better downrange, which is what actually drives penetration and a clean result. This is the same reason we treat advertised speed as a secondary criterion rather than the headline - our explainer on how far a crossbow can shoot covers how weight and energy interact once the bolt is in the air.
Spine - the stiffness of the shaft - matters too, but for a beginner it is handled by staying inside the class your bow was built for. Fast bows need stiffer, appropriately weighted shafts; running a bolt that is too light is explicitly warned against by every maker because it behaves like a partial dry-fire and can crack limbs. The safe move is to match the total weight of your factory bolt when you reorder, and only experiment with heavier setups once you understand your bow. Never go lighter than the manufacturer's stated minimum.
Every crossbow in our ranking is a full-size beginner platform that uses 20-inch carbon bolts, so a single length and material choice covers all of them. The Barnett Whitetail Hunter II, Barnett Recruit XP and Barnett Hyper Whitetail 410 ship with Barnett's own 20-inch Headhunter arrows; the CenterPoint Dagger 405 and the Killer Instinct bows - Burner 415, Boss 405 and Lethal 405HD - all come with 20-inch packs too.
Because they share a length and a spine class, third-party 20-inch carbon bolts of matching weight are interchangeable across the whole shortlist, and the same reorder works whether you own the CenterPoint or a Killer Instinct. That is not true for every crossbow - brand-specific ranges like TenPoint, Ravin and Excalibur have their own nock systems and lengths that decide fit, so if you own one of those check its dedicated guide before you buy a generic pack.
One thing the bolt does not replace is the tip. The arrows in the box come with field points for practice; the shot that matters needs a cutting head, and matching that head to your bolt weight and your bow's speed is its own decision - our best crossbow broadheads guide covers it. And whatever bolts you settle on, buy in quantity: you will shoot far more of them sighting in than you expect, which our guide to sighting in a crossbow scope explains.
These are not on our own crossbow test bench, so there is no score attached - just the real length, material and pack size from each maker's listing. Confirm the length and weight against your own bow before ordering.
The factory arrow for Barnett bows and the straightforward reorder if you own the Whitetail Hunter II, Recruit XP or Hyper Whitetail 410. Twenty-inch carbon with half-moon nocks, so it drops straight back into any of them.
Killer Instinct's own 20-inch carbon bolt, the natural reorder for the Burner 415, Boss 405 or Lethal 405HD. Sold in sixes, which is the right quantity given how fast bolts get consumed sighting in.
A deliberately heavy 20-inch carbon shaft aimed at penetration rather than raw speed. A sensible upgrade over a light factory bolt for anyone hunting bigger game, provided your bow is rated for the extra weight - re-check your zero after switching.
A tighter-tolerance carbon bolt for shooters who already group well and want to remove the arrow as a variable. Not the place to start, but a genuine step up once your bow and your form are consistent.
A widely available 20-inch carbon option from one of archery's best-known shaft makers, with lighted-nock versions if you shoot at dusk. Lighted nocks add weight at the back of the shaft, so re-check your zero after fitting a set.
Whatever your bow shipped with, which is printed in the manual and on the factory pack. Twenty inches is the mainstream standard and covers every full-size beginner bow, including all ten in our ranking. Some older platforms use 22 inches, and compact or reverse-draw bows use 16 to 18 inches. Do not order shorter than specified - a too-short bolt is a dry-fire risk.
Carbon, for a beginner without exception. Carbon is tough, flies consistently and fails more safely - a cracked shaft tends to be caught on inspection rather than shattering in flight. Aluminum is cheaper but bends instead of breaking, and a bent shaft that still looks straight can fly wildly. Every bow in our ranking ships with carbon.
Only if the length, total grain weight and nock type all match your bow's specification. For the full-size 20-inch beginner bows we test, third-party 20-inch carbon bolts of matching weight are interchangeable. For brand-specific systems like TenPoint, Ravin or Excalibur, the nock and length are proprietary enough that you should follow the dedicated guide for that brand.
Match the total weight of your factory bolt, usually around 400 grains including the point, and never go below the manufacturer's stated minimum. A too-light bolt behaves like a partial dry-fire and can crack the limbs. A heavier bolt gives up a little speed but holds energy better downrange, which matters more than top-line fps for penetration.
More than you think. You will shoot dozens sighting in and practising, and bolts are genuinely consumable - they get lost, cracked or bent. A pack of six is the sensible reorder quantity, and keeping a couple aside for tuning saves your good arrows for the shots that count.