I am having a hard time coming up with new bolts. Can someone please tell me where I can get more? I've found the 8 that are inside the castle but i need more.

Any help is appreciated.

The smithing NPCs (there are two) in fort dawnguard both sell plenty of bolts. And you can always smith some yourself. Buy some steel ingots from blacksmiths, chop some wood, and craft a bunch of bolts.

Luckily, if you're on the Dawnguard side you can craft them and buy them off NPCs in the Fort.

If you sided with the Vamps, you're [censored] out of luck, because Bethesda decided to make an entirely new weapon type (that was flaunted in every gameplay video as a flagship feature of the DLC) a faction exclusive for some ridiculous reason. I'll bet money that when/if they release Spears/Polearms, those will be faction specific too.

You can still craft them though, right? I believe the steel bolt schematics are automatically learned when you take the steel smithing perk. Steel ingots are cheap, and wood is free, so I imagine he can stockpile bolts even if he's a vamp.

No, you can't. The only means to the lowest quality steel bolts are off dead Dawnguard members, which obviously is a problem. They drop about 2-8 bolts per body, and that's only if they have crossbows. (Some don't carry them at all.) There's also Dwarven Spheres for Dwarven Bolts. Besides those two, there's absolutely no way of getting bolts for your crossbow, which I find to be complete BS. It's pretty much ruined what I wanted out of my Khajiit Vamp thief. :/

The fact that Dawnguard get Vampire Lords but Vampires can't even craft normal steel bolts is a huge slap in the face.

That's because vampires are lame.

In all seriousness it was an incredibly lop-sided DLC; Dawnguard, IMO, get way more benefits than vamps.

Dawnguard side gets Vampire Lords without the ring/amulet upgrades to it. Vampire side should have the ability to craft basic Crossbow and Steel Bolts (not upgrades, just the basic versions). If they think it wouldn't make sense, it wouldn't be hard to explain. There could be a Vampire side quest to infiltrate Fort Dawnguard and steal the basic crossbow schematics, and you'd learn how to make them. Simple.

I don't want crossbow upgrades on the Vamp side, I simply want a practical method of stocking up on bolts besides farming Dawnguard and Dwarven Spheres all day. (How would you even farm Dawnguard, being that they're random spawns or quest-related?)

I have the steel smithing perk but bolts do not show up. I saw a mention of schematics, I take it I may have to wait until i get those to smith my own?

Are you on the Dawnguard side, or Volkihar side?

Dawnguard

You should be able to craft (and buy) Steel Bolts at the forge in Fort Dawnguard as soon as you recruit a certain two unnamed (spoiler) NPCs for Isran.

Ah, ok. I didn't realize that. I know the people you're talking about and i haven't dealt with them yet.