The story of Elmer Keith's famous, or infamous, 600 yard shot with handgun

[Silverback]

I did a bit of Handgun Metallic Silhouette shooting many years ago and everybody shot from the Creedmore Position, the best I ever did standing was 4 out of 5 rams at 200 with a 44 mag.

 

[Johnn Peterson]

If Elmer said he did it, he did it. - dan

Couldn't argree more. On the cover of his autobiography it states, among other things, he became "the dean of American firearms authorities", and that he did.
In my beginning years handgun shooting it wasn't long before considered his words as gospel and his book "Sixguns by Keith" as the 'bible'. There were others like Skeeter Skelton but Elmer was by far #1. As early as 1969 and then a couple of times in the early 70's I wrote him inquiring on a number of handgun shooting and reloading details and I still have his letters of response.
In 1975 my shooting buddy & I, both Keith fans, loaded the camper on my truck, headed to Salmon Idaho and spent the day with "The Man" and it is the most memorable day in my firearms experience. I have a photo I took, and have scanned now on my PC, of him standing by my truck aiming his famous 4" Smith 44. John Y Canuck, want to post it for me? I haven't figured out the posting thing yet. Any day now. That evening we camped in a gravel pit and I think I read Sixguns cover to cover. For the most part, the way his books are written is just like he talks. I did meet him once more at a gun show in 1979 in Kalispel Montana.
I have no doubt at all on any of his long range handgun exploits. On one occasion at the range, resting back in his long range shooting position I knocked off three out of five gopher silhouettes sitting in top of the posts at the 100 yrd range.
For something closer to the range being discussed on this thread my buddy and I, on an occasion, had the opportunity to 'work' on a floating 45gal oil drum later paced out to just over 500 paces. It took a few shots to range in on it but once the 'Kentucky windage' was figured out, Keith style, Keith 250gr SW loads, 4" model 29's we each hit it a few times and came close enough to scare the hell out of it a few more times. If I remember correctly, we had to have the front sight and base above the rear sight. If I can do that or come that close, I have no doubt concerning his ability or claims.

 

[savagefan]

Great thread John, about six months ago there was a peeing match on here about wilderness carry and hunting with handguns. One heavy poster (a windy fan I'm sure) ranted about six-guns having no place hunting and that Mr. Keith was a liar. Nice to read the story, think I'll buy his autobiography now.