Elmer Keith and His 4 Inch M29

[webber]

Just sitting here wondering how good Mr Keith would have been on a paper target with his 4 INCH M29 say at 50 or 100 yards offhand for a cylinderful?
I have read about his exploits with his handguns as I am a great big fan of Elmer Keith. Coyotes at a quarter mile, flying fish and birds, mule deer at 250 yards and trotting housecats at 300 yards.
If one could bring him back now at the age of, lets say 60, take him to the range and put up a paper target and let him shoot an offhand group at 50 or 100 yards how good do you think he would do?
Has anyone, Mr Taffin, or anyone else ever had the honor of seeing him shoot a paper target with that gun?
Keeping in mind I am talking the M29 4 inch carry gun he carried.

[taffin]

RARELY IF EVER SHOT ON PAPER. HE PREFERRED LONG RANGE TARGETS SUCH AS ROCKS OR PLYWOOD RECTANGLES.

[webber]

I think Mr Keith was a very interesting person. Really no flip flopping around. Stuck to the one load in the 44 Magnum. Realized that if he couldn't do it with the "Keith Load" it probably didn't need to be done with a handgun.
Didn't recommend two, three or four different loads for the same handgun. Used the "Keith Load" in 44 Mag handguns period.
Can't argue with that.

[timothy]

Didnt he mention 5 grs bullseye as a plinker and 8gr unique as a midpower load in sixguns?

[webber]

Yes he did. I am talking about what he personally used the last no experimenting years of his life. No talk about him using the lighter loads
Maybe Mr Taffin can give is the lowdown.
What he eventually settled on through intelligent thought is what I am talking about.

[timothy]

I think i remember seifried writing that he saw elmer hit a porcupine at 80 yards on the first shot, in reference to his ability.

[taffin]

Aug 14, 2020 10:19:11 GMT -5 timothy said:

Didnt he mention 5 grs bullseye as a plinker and 8gr unique as a midpower load in sixguns?

.44 MAGNUM: KEITH BULLET 5.0 BULLSEYE; 8.5 UNIQUE; 22.0 #2400

.44 SPECIAL: KEITH BULLET 5.0 BULLSEYE; 7.5 UNIQUE; 17.5 #2400. NOTICE HIS "HEAVIER TARGET LOAD" FOR THE .44 SPECIAL IS THE LOAD HE GAVE SKEETER SKELTON AND WHICH SKEETER POPULARIZED.

[ezekiel38]

Mr.Robert Petersen of Petersen Publishing, publishers of Guns&Ammo, Hot Rod and a few other media rags drove to Idaho to see if the stories about this old cowboy and his shooting abilities were true. Petersen related the following: Elmer took him Jackrabbit hunting out by Blue Dome, in the high prairie a distance from Salmon, Idaho. Pedersen was a hunter also, but he tells of Elmer busting Jacks both standing and on the run at extended ranges and not missing much with his 44. Petersen also told of the time he took Elmer boating off the southern California coast and Elmer had his 4" 29 along and he was shooting sharks off the stern of the boat with the 29. Petersen hired Elmer because he was the "real deal".

As a young Police Officer I drove to Salmon, Idaho and met Elmer and his wife at their little white house on the bench above downtown and a short distance from the Lemhi County Courthous. When Elmer found out I was a Deputy Sheriff he started bringing out the toys. He wore his 29 4" all the time in a Hank Sloan rig, first holster like that I ever saw. He let me handle the weapon and he advised me to get one. I was a confirmed Model 19 guy in those days. He also recommended the new Marlin 45-70 for a trunk gun as I had been in a road block situation a few days before driving to Salmon to talk to the old Sage.

What I remember about Elmer besides his firearms advice was his deep gravelly voice, cock sure attitude of someone who had been there and done that, his wavy hair and his hands and wrists. His wrists were huge for his size, he was not a big man about 5'8" and weight 165, but his wrists and hands were strong, with meaty fingers and a grip like a grizzly bear. He wasn't big but he was strong and tough as rawhide. This visit was in the summer of 1973. He also showed me his Wesley Richards double rifle, he was quite proud of it,

[Deleted]

singleactions.proboards.com/thread/27589/elmer-keith-challenge

[weiler]

Aug 14, 2020 19:04:25 GMT -5 ezekiel38 said:

Mr.Robert Petersen of Petersen Publishing, publishers of Guns&Ammo, Hot Rod and a few other media rags drove to Idaho to see if the stories about this old cowboy and his shooting abilities were true. Petersen related the following: Elmer took him Jackrabbit hunting out by Blue Dome, in the high prairie a distance from Salmon, Idaho. Pedersen was a hunter also, but he tells of Elmer busting Jacks both standing and on the run at extended ranges and not missing much with his 44. Petersen also told of the time he took Elmer boating off the southern California coast and Elmer had his 4" 29 along and he was shooting sharks off the stern of the boat with the 29. Petersen hired Elmer because he was the "real deal".

As a young Police Officer I drove to Salmon, Idaho and met Elmer and his wife at their little white house on the bench above downtown and a short distance from the Lemhi County Courthous. When Elmer found out I was a Deputy Sheriff he started bringing out the toys. He wore his 29 4" all the time in a Hank Sloan rig, first holster like that I ever saw. He let me handle the weapon and he advised me to get one. I was a confirmed Model 19 guy in those days. He also recommended the new Marlin 45-70 for a trunk gun as I had been in a road block situation a few days before driving to Salmon to talk to the old Sage.

What I remember about Elmer besides his firearms advice was his deep gravelly voice, cock sure attitude of someone who had been there and done that, his wavy hair and his hands and wrists. His wrists were huge for his size, he was not a big man about 5'8" and weight 165, but his wrists and hands were strong, with meaty fingers and a grip like a grizzly bear. He wasn't big but he was strong and tough as rawhide. This visit was in the summer of 1973. He also showed me his Wesley Richards double rifle, he was quite proud of it,

thanks for sharing, stories like the are a reminder for myself to reach out and correspond with the “greats” that make themself available to all of us (John Taffin, David Bradshaw etc)