Recently, for members, bolts have become worth smithing, Bolts while not as fast as plates are more cost effient, they can even be rather profitible even if you buy the bars/ores, depending on exactly what kind you are making.

 

 

 

They also seem better then arrows which require shafts and feathers where as bolts only require feathers.

 

 

 

However I find this works best with high lvl metals (mith, addy, rune). Smithing anything lower is probably a waste of time, and probably unprofitible. I personally buy bars/ores and smith mith, addy, and rune bolts (mostly mith and rune).

 

 

 

I think this should be included into the Smithing Guide.

 

The guide currently mentions making arrows but not bolts.

http://tip.it/runescape/?page=smithing_guide.htm#fletch

 

 

 

It's in there already.