Hell, I invented the magnum! Tribute page. Thoughts, opinions, and excerpts from Keith’s writings, “Hell, I Was There”, “Sixguns” & more. Also, some gun history
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7 Sep 2023
Reply to this post with a month and year (between Nov 1961 and Nov 1982) and I’ll give you your Elmer Keith “Gun Notes” horoscope advice.
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Jun 13
I have the first magnum 10 bore ever produced, made for Major Charles Askins by Ithaca in the 20s.
Best shooting shotgun I’ll ever own.
It’s been rebored and rebolted a few times to for the best possible pattern of No 3 shot.
“Gun Notes” (November 1973)
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Jun 13
Shot it since the early 30s and did my best waterfowl shooting with it.
Shoots 93% with both barrels for 10 shot strings without cleaning,
66% with BBs, and 70% with 4s.
If a shotgun won’t go 80%, it’s not a shotgun to my notion.
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Jun 12
Loaded my SAA with hot 45 colts.
First 2 shots sounded funny. Third time didn’t fire at all, looked and this is what I saw.
Wrote to American Rifleman for advice.
Decided to shoot my hot loads out of the thicker 44sp cylinder.
Years later we produced the 44 Mag.
“Sixguns” (1961)
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Jun 12
I showed the author Zane Grey the first long-range pistol shooting he'd ever witnessed while guiding for him in 1931.
“Hell, I Was There” (1979)
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Jun 12
They were shooting at a rock at 400 yards with a 30-06 Model 1895 Winchester with a ZG in gold on the left side of the receiver.
They couldn't seem to hit it.
I laid down with my back to a log, took my old 7 1/2” 44 Special single action Colt and hit the rock repeatedly.
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Jun 12
Grey asked me why I packed a rifle. I told him I wanted the rifle for more power, the six-gun was just a handy weapon to use all time. Grey later wrote about that trip, highly fictionalized of course, in his novel, Thunder Mountain.
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Jun 12
Picture I took of a bobcat before testing my 45 on him. Slapped the hat off my head before I stopped taking pictures.
“Sixguns” (1961)
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Jun 12
Timeless
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Jun 12
Shot 2 mule deer at once with a 400 Whelen loaded with 350 gr slugs. Iron sights.
We could only stalk them to 350 yds. My friend I was hunting with only had a short Krag carbine, and asked if I could get 2 in line and hit them with 1 shot.
“Big Game Rifles and Cartridges” (1936)
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Jun 12
A dark doe was bedded just above the buck I wanted. The buck stood with with his body quartering towards me. Holding the thickness of the gold bead over the top of his rump, I thought I could get the shot through the top of that rump and ricochet into the doe.
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Jun 12
Hoping to at least wound both, as there was snow on the ground, I squeezed off the shot. Broke the buck’s and the doe jumped out of her bed. She ran off and dropped a short distance, her jugular severed.
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Jun 11
I was once called on to demonstrate sixgun shooting for a CCC Camp. I started off by doing long range shooting, then general target shooting, then mirror shooting and finally got to double action work.
“Sixguns” (1961)
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Jun 11
You must do all slow fire, careful
shooting, before you start fast double action shooting. After a few double action shows you are never up to par. On slow fire during the rest of that demonstration.
I broke a lot of bottles thrown in the air, then made the six hits on a gallon can tossed up 20 feet with the left hand while I shot double action with a S&W heavy duty 38/44 Outdoorsman with the right hand.
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Jun 11
Lastly did some fast quick draw hip
shooting, starting with one gun and
then using two guns at once. I tossed a gallon can out in front, then drew two guns at once from Berns-Martin Speed holsters. The 38/44 was used in the left hand
and the heavier 44 Special Triple Lock in the right. Luckily I hit the can with all 12 shots.
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Jun 11
22 WRF is much better than 22 LR for even the smallest of game. All the lubricant is enclosed in the casing.
I’ve seen 22 LR at close range bounce off of hog skull, Gila monster skin, and even deer hide.
For small game, I’d prefer 32-20, 32 S&W Long, or 38 sp
“Sixguns” (1961)
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Jun 11
Super Blackhawk
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Jun 11
Sixgun penetration:
I’ve seen a bison skull with holes in the frontal plate from 170 gr 30-30 slugs that did not touch the brain. Finishing shot behind the ear was needed.
I’ve also seen bull elk take 180 gr soft nose in the forehead and run off.
“Gun Notes” (July 1962)
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Jun 11
In 1919, I had a 38-40 go through the skin on a mad bull elk’s forehead and expand to the size of quarter on his skull where it stopped.
I also had a 110 gr Remington 30-06 blow up on a deers shoulder and expand before even breaking bone.
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Jun 11
Fast bullets with quick expansion limits penetration. But I’ve had my 250 gr hand loaded 44 magnums go clear through bull skulls to the back of the neck, and even straight through elk broadside.
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