Shooting a “Robin Hood”

A data analyst with a background in IT, Hovig Barbarian has overseen logistic operations for Lafayette, Colorado’s Quicksilver Scientific since 2020. Outside of the professional arena, Hovig Barbarian counts archery among his favorite hobbies. Mr. Barbarian once overcame the odds to make a “Robin Hood” shot. This rare feat involves spitting an arrow that is already sticking out of the bull’s eye of an archery target.

Of course, the Robin Hood shot gets its name from the legendary heroic outlaw character of English folklore. The Robin Hood character famously accomplished this incredibly tricky shot in a shootout with his archenemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

In the days of Robin Hood, his eponymous shot would have resulted in a split or splintered wooden arrow. The modern aluminum and carbon arrows of today produce Robin Hood shots in which one arrow enters the hollow core of another.

Archers contend that different types of arrows are significantly more or less likely to result in a Robin Hood shot. Regardless of the equipment used, shooting a Robin Hood remains an extremely uncommon occurrence.