Shooting a “Double Robin Hood”

You don’t have to shoot a bow very long to before you encounter the term “shooting a Robin Hood.” This event is achieved when an archer shoots an arrow into a bullseye, then sends the next shaft perfectly into the first, just like the folklore hero did in his famous shootout with the Sheriff of Nottingham. In Robin’s day, when archers shot wooden shafts, a “Robin Hood” usually resulted in the original shaft being split or splintered. But with the advent of aluminum and carbon, the feat was marked by the second arrow perfectly penetrating the hollow core of the first.

I have, to the best of my recollection, shot only four perfectly-centered Robin Hoods over the years (ironically two of them occurred with recurve bows and cedar shafts). There have been quite a few chipped nocks or shaved fletchings, indicating an oh-so-close, but the real-deal Robin can be maddeningly elusive for someone of my modest skill.

Which makes the double-Robin-Hood recently shot by Bob Morgan (pictured) especially impressive to me. Morgan, a pro shooter for Carbon Express, was warming up for an ASA shoot in London, Kentucky. Shooting from a distance of 35 yards, Morgan center-punched the bull with his first arrow, then shot twice more at the same spot. After the 3rd arrow, Morgan noticed that the final shaft seemed to be dangling from the target. When he walked up to the butt, he realized he’d shot a double-Robin. An awesome feat from any reasonable distance, but at 35 yards, truly remarkable.

So how ’bout you? Ever heard of a double from this distance? Shot some Robin Hoods yourself? I’d like to hear about them!