DayZ field wiki · Gear
Crossbow
Quiet, slow, a bolt you want back
Short answer
A different noise budget. Bolts are loot. Not a toy.
Also: crossbow
How it works
Crossbows are quiet-ish and slow. Bolts recover if you look. No DPS chart.
What to do
Hunt and first contact, not a firefight on a runway.
Don't
Don't leave bolts in a deer you didn't skin.