Comments on: Episode 51: Myths Reopened

By: Rick Cotee

Rick Cotee — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:51:38 +0000

Hi Folks,
I have just watched an episode of Mythbusters, on British TV.
I believe it was epsode 36.
I noted you were using all modern day equipment, when trying to split the arrow, when in fact, if you had used an arrow made from the same type of wood as would have been used in the Middle Ages,
i.e. Hazel, Birch, Aspin etc. I feel the result could / would have been differant,
(i.e. confirmed)

By: Avraker

Avraker — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:02:18 +0000

I don’t understand why they did not use a wooden arrow?, as they said, the arrows woble, but that is only with thecarbon arrow, a sturdy wooden arrow will not have that effect, furthermore, carbon arrows can easy be bent upon inpact, thus altering it’s course and making a split virtually impossible… why would they really go for the carbon arrows?… it’s just plain stupid… it’s like this, if a projectile is bendable, if that hits a hard object, it’ll tend to bend, directing the energy from the tip to the sides(carbon arrows), altering its course…..

By: AndyB

AndyB — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:13:37 +0000

Underwater firing: Anyone heard of the bullets (or better given the fancy name of projectiles) produced for special forces frogmen snipers to be able to fire underwater to kill targets standing on a boat for example. I seem to remeber a film/TV show where this was the central twist in the story… exonorating the original suspect.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:11:59 +0000

I just saw a show on tv about markmanship and on the show they had byron ferguson with the long bow recreating what robin hood did by spltting the arrow and he was able to do that,they even had a slow motion camera to show it.So this myth is true,unlike what they are saying.I saw the show that the mythbusters did,and a real person didnt shoot,they made something that shot the arrows.

By: nev

nev — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:56:49 +0000

the robin hood shot in the movie was done by one of the finest arches of all time his name howard hill.

By: ramjet

ramjet — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:13:46 +0000

Keith, I saw the same show. The arrow didn’t split, it drove the first arrow into the target. For sure an impressive shot. I think with the proper arrows like thoes mentioned by Merv, Bryon could split one.

By: shaun

shaun — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:31:28 +0000

as for the episode 36 one were an arrow can not be cut in half with another arrow i just saw it on the history channel some guy shot an arrow into another arrow… it went about 1/5th of the way in but i still think its possible for them to shoot it all the way down

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:26:16 +0000

The history channel aired a show called extreme marksmen. It showed Byron Ferguson do a robin hood. He was using a longbow not a compound bow.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:30:02 +0000

I just saw a program on another network about marksmanship, it featured a man who shoots traditional wooden arrows with a traditional longbow and he split an arrow tail to tip.

By: Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:49:19 +0000

I know the busters were trying to replicate the traditional arrow split, but has anyone heard of the story about the blind woman who managed to split a modern arrow?