Arrow length for hunting - state regs

[Nitro]

I'm new to crossbows. My Mag 340 came with 16.5 " bolts. I see on the Excalibur website that of the 10 crossbows offered, 9 come with 16.5 inchers. But the State of CT requires 18 inch for hunting. I emailed them, and after mentioning what I found on the Excalibur website, I asked them to please explain why the 16.5's are inadequate.

Here's the reply, "Bolt lengths must be 18 inches or greater in CT because while shorter bolts can reach impressive speeds they lack kinetic energy based on their weight with common factory built bolts. Also as an arrow or bolt is shortened the spine of the arrow becomes stiffer, there is a point in which an arrow will not flex enough to reliably fly straight (nock directly following point). The bow or crossbow may still be accurate but while the arrow/bolt is in flight the nock’s travel deviating from the point’s will negatively affect penetration on game animals.

Any thoughts on this?

[DuckHunt]

Any thoughts on this?

It's an example of someone who doesn't know better making regulations for the rest of us. Or worse, they intentionally want to hamper crossbow users as much as they can. The initial regulation in WV when they finally allowed full inclusion of crossbows during archery season was quite similar. It required bolts at least 18" in length. It took a few years, but we eventually were able to get the regulation changed to a 16" minimum length.

Bolt lengths must be 18 inches or greater in CT because while shorter bolts can reach impressive speeds they lack kinetic energy based on their weight with common factory built bolts.

The length of the arrow has no bearing on the kinetic energy. It's all about the weight. While it would stand to reason that shorter arrows could be lighter, it will all come down to the design. The factory 20" arrows from 15 years ago weighed around 250 grains. The new 16.5" factory arrows weigh roughly the same. Put a 100gr point on either and you meet the minimum 350 grain weight required for the crossbow. For deer, some recommend at least 40# of kinetic energy to achieve an arrow pass through. With a 350 grain arrow, you'll have to be travelling more than about 227 fps at the point of impact to have 40# of kinetic energy remaining. All of the bows available today are way faster and therefore have far more kinetic energy than the minimum required.

Also as an arrow or bolt is shortened the spine of the arrow becomes stiffer, there is a point in which an arrow will not flex enough to reliably fly straight (nock directly following point).

While this is a true statement, it really isn't relevant to the argument they are trying to make. "Factory arrows" are designed with the proper spine for the length. When you start using custom arrows, then spine selection certainly factors into process. This issue can rear its head with vertical archery equipment just like it can with crossbows and I don't see them trying to regulate it there. If you're in the woods with an improperly spined arrow, the safer bet is that you're carrying a vertical bow.

The bow or crossbow may still be accurate but while the arrow/bolt is in flight the nock’s travel deviating from the point’s will negatively affect penetration on game animals.

This is another accurate statement that is and will always be true for all of archery regardless of arrow length. The stability of the arrow in flight affects penetration.

Their basically trying to argue that factory arrows shorter than 18" don't fly stable enough to arrive with enough usable kinetic energy achieve the goal. At least as far as the Excalibur lineup is concerned, they would be wrong.

I'm guessing the goal of the rule originally had noble intent. There are plenty of cheap Chinese made crossbows of questionable quality that can purchased with various lengths of arrows. Many of these bows really shouldn't be used for hunting because they lack the required accuracy. They even have pistol crossbows with very short arrows. I'm guessing the intent of the rule was to prohibit some of the cheap and potentially unsafe bows from being used to hunt. That's not a bad idea. It would have been better if they had performed a little market research to see what is working well everywhere else before drawing a line in the sand.

[Nitro]

Thanks DuckHunt. I think I'll pass this along to the state official, then hold my breath while they re-evaluate that law.

[CT.HNTR]

Nitro,

I am also a CT hunter. I just use 18 inch bolts and call it a day. I like the extra weight. I actually got stopped last year by a DEEP officer and he pulled out a measuring tape and measured my bolts. I cut them to 18.125 to have a cushion.

[Nitro]

Thanks CT.HNTR,

Is there a drop in speed with 18's?

The annoying part for me is that I purchased 2 (6-packs) of 16.5 inchers before I saw that regulation.

[Normous]

Probably your best bet is to return/exchange or sell the 16"s and buy legal length arrows.

Good arrows can also be custom built to your weight spec that will perform better .

[CT.HNTR]

There is always a drop in speed as you go heavier but speed is not everything. You have more momentum with the heavier arrows which translates into better penetration. I shoot 440 grain bolts and never have to worry about getting a pass thru. Even on quartering shots.