I'm looking into buying a crossbow and I would like to know what the differance is between a 20" & 22" bolts if everything on the bows were the some. weight,draw,ft lbs. and not just 2". is it for different game sizes. what would be your max dist, you would take on a clean shot. some say 40 ft some 60ft.

The difference is the length of the rail.  Crossbows that are designed for 22 inch bolts are usually more front heavy.  Ifyou compare the crossbows you will see that bows using 20 inch have a shorter stroke.  If the crossbow is designed for 22 inch bolts that what you should use.  Using the wrong size bolt in a crossbow can be dangerous and it definately effects accuracy.  I have 3 crossbows.  With the correct bolts I have them sighted for 45 yards, 55yards, 65 yards and 75 yards.

 

Crossbow just like any other bow are capable of shooting up to and including 100+ yards.  But like regular bows they are only as good as the person behind the bow.   As such most should be not shot a game at more than 30 to 40 yards.  the animal you shot at has to much time to move at the sound of the crossbow(bow speed on most crossbow is just around 400 fps=or- when compared to even a black power gun with 1000 fps+).  I am kinda new to crossbow but been a bow hunter for over 51 years and  know that animals can move and cause a bad hit or hopefully a clean miss.  right now my crossbow is set at 25, 35, 45 and 55 yards but the most I'll ever us is a max of 45 yards and that would have to be at a calm animal in a wide open field.  Remember a crossbow is not a gun no matter what some try to make it.

I agree 100% that closer is better for several reasons. I think every crossbow hunter should remember that sound travels 3 to 4 times faster than the bolt from a crossbow. In the area that I hunt there is sometimes a lot of background noise(trains, amish buggys, tractors) that the deer have adapted to and pretty much ignore. If the wind is calm I might take a 65 or 70 yard shot. If there is wind I never take a shot like that. A lot depends on the situation and the decision can't be made until I am ready to take the shot. I will always try to get the deer closer to me but sometimes that doesn't work out.

If you look at the specs the crossbows that use 20" bolts have a shorter power stroke (distance string is pulled back) and like as said above will have a shorter rail. It has nothing to do with type of game or distance. My Bowtech Stryker 380 uses a 20 " bolt and will shoot faster than some others that have a longer power stroke and use a 22" bolt. My first buck taken with mine last season was 75yds, and he only went 20yds. It was a calm day and at a calm buck (2nd. week of the season). I was shooting out of a 12' stand on a river bank shooting across river at a buck that was with 2 other bucks on the opposite sand bar. I fond my bolt stuck in the mud bank that was 90yds. At the time my scope was set at 25-45-60-70yds I have used 4 different brands of bolts and each one shoots different at the mid to longer yardages. I have used the original Stryker bolts, Carbon Express with lighted nocks, Cabellas brand, and now Gold Tip Devastator. I liked the Cabella bolt for being made in USA but didn't like the Aluminum tip insert, the Gold Tips have a brass insert giving a more forward balance point on the bolt. I also switched to a fixed broadhead and am now sighted in at 30-45-55-65yds. Since the reticle spacing are fixed in the scope once I get the first reticle sighted in it is a matter of finding the distance of the rest of the reticles through practice. When I first got this crossbow I sighted in at 20yds, moved back 10 yds for the 2nd. reticle and hit top of the target ripping a fletching. I had to move back to 45 yds to be zeroed for the 2nd reticle. This is an awsome shooting crossbow but I have gone through a lot of bolts in getting familar with it.