Elmer Keith's 600yd shot

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So what do you all think, I would have to have seen it to believe it. That bullet couldn't have been going much over 700fps, wind drift, bullet drop, width of the front sight. That is allot of stuff to overcome.
 
He documented it in one of his books, pretty easy to find copy's of the written account on the net.
 
He said "the more you practice the luckier you become " .
Learn all the details of how to shoot .Strange that so many don't know how .
There was an experiment with shooters of various experience to shoot a 45-70 at 1000 yds .All started out saying "no I couldn't ever hit that target ".
But they all did !!! By learning how to and practice !
Psychology has it's effect too. I',e seen NRA types used to shooting 50 yd targets .If you put the target at 60 yds they say they can't hit it ??? You'll get a bigger group but you'll be on the paper.Wierd but that's in the mind. Do it all right and you might get the deer !:)
 
Are you suggesting that Elmer didn't make the shot he wrote about?

And sure, its a lot of stuff to overcome, but he claimed he did it, and named a witness (at least one, as I recall, maybe more).

Elmer shot a LOT. And I can tell you that practice counts for a lot. I've spent about 30 years plinking at a two foot target at about 200yds, off hand with a single action .45 Colt. On a good day, from a good rested position, I can hit a target about half that size. I wouldn't try that 600 yard shot at an animal, but then, I'm not Elmer.

I think he did it.

Also, the approx. 700fps velocity at impact means rather little. Clearly it was enough. The .455 Webley runs in that low velocity range, and was considered a fair manstopper for many years.
 
If I remember correctly it took him several shots. He was seeing bullet impacts and kept adjusting his hold. At any rate doing that takes a combination of a lot of skill and luck.

It's been a while since I read the details, but I believe he was shooting at a wounded and escaping deer. Not just trying a stunt.

A link to the story

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=34
 
I'm saying I'd have to see it. So you walk 4 shots into a deer at 600yds, how could you even tell were to go after each shot, what size group would the gun have held at that distance even in a Ransom Rest? 700fps means allot as far as I'm concerned, if it was even that much. I've seen deer hit a whole lot harder than that with high powered rifles and go a pretty fair distance.
 
So what do you all think, I would have to have seen it to believe it. That bullet couldn't have been going much over 700fps, wind drift, bullet drop, width of the front sight. That is allot of stuff to overcome.
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Then what you're saying is you don't believe Elmer Keith's shooting ability. Fine. I'd suggest getting a copy of "Hell, I Was There" - read it, then get back to us on whether you now believe what Elmer did.

He was the real deal. A Montana / Idaho cowboy who grew up shooting all types of rifles and pistols, shot at the Camp Perry rifle matches, was instrumental in developing the .44 magnum, and is generally considered the dean of shooting / hunting / gun writers.

I would suggest going to the Cabelas in Boise, ID to see the Keith museum if you have the chance.

There is no reason to not believe Elmer Keith made the 600 yard shot with a pistol given his shooting ability, and daily association with guns and shooting as part of his life. He describes the shot in detail in his autobiography.

A 700 yard shot he made with a pistol is described on page 124 of Hell, I Was There. The shot was done for Harold Croft who came from Philadelphia to witness the shot.

The target was a 4-foot square made from some boards at Elmer's ranch.

Keith laid down on his back using his saddle for a headrest, and held the gun between his knees to steady it. He had practiced the shot on numerous occasions for his own information on long range shooting. On his first try, it had taken him 11 shots to get the correct elevation for that range. Once he had the range figured out, he proceeded to put six shots into the target.

Unless YOU can offer proof to contrary, other than rank skepticism based upon your shooting abilities (which won't be in the same universe as Elmer's) - let it go.
 
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It's been discussed many times in the past. Both Elmer and the fellow who witnessed the shot stuck by the story, to their graves AFAIK.

As incredible as the shot is, I choose to take a highly respected man at his word rather than doubt him with no cause except my doubt.
 
buckhorn,
last I checked, I am entitled to my opinion, who had the range finder?
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They paced it off on his ranch. You know, here's a piece of advice. Rather than attempting to demonstrate how much you know, you might start evaluating what you don't know and work on filling in the gaps...
 
No way such a shot could be made, other than by luck. At 600yds, a good pistol would shoot a two-foot group? Three foot? No way you could know where a round will randomly fall within that circle, and adjust for it.
 
An excerpt from the link I posted above. If Bob Munden duplicated the shot, Elmer Keith could have done it.

Many of you have heard of Bob Munden. He's famous for both lightning fast quick draws with a Colt Single Action Army (SAA), and just about any other handgun, and long range shooting. In one demonstration that's been shown on Shooting USA several times he used a stock 6" iron sighted Smith and Wesson 44 Magnum (629) and factory ammunition to pop a balloon at 600 yards using a truck hood for a rest. That doesn't prove that Keith made his shot, it does show that it is possible for someone to shoot that well.
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Bob Munden hit a playing card at 200 yards with a snubby revolver. I'd say it's plausible to hit and kill a deer at 600 yards. It would take A LOT of skill and luck, but it is plausible.

Hey maybe we should contact Mythbusters. They're always looking for new myths to test. I bet if we got enough people to email in, that they'd do it eventually.

Just read JMR's post, didn't realize that Bob hit a balloon at 600 yards, as well.
 
Once again, for all you youngsters, If Elmer said he did it, he done went and done it. :) and you can take that to the bank.
 
Elmer might have stretched the truth a bit---but he wasn't a liar.
And he had credible witnesses.


Heck---last month I hit a 10 gong at 300 yds with a CZ75 shooting
offhand. Witnessed. I've hit a 12" at 450 with a Glock 17 and a
S&W K22--also offhand. Dry dirt so I could walk the shots in,
a pile of ammo and a big pinch of dumb luck.:)
 
No way such a shot could be made, other than by luck.
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As others have mentioned, Keith was a man of his word in a time when that still counted for something. Many of his other shooting feats were witnessed and well-documented, and from reading his writings, I really see no reason he'd exaggerate something like that.

I think he mentioned it in Sixguns, but I'll have to dig it out. He did mention being a bit surprised he actually made the hit.
 
Once again, for all you youngsters, If Elmer said he did it, he done went and done it. and you can take that to the bank.
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Exactly. You can read account after account of some really good shots. Elmer Keith, Bob Munden, Ed McGivern and Jerry Miculek are right at the top of the heap. Absolutely amazing shots.
 
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