There are lots of shooters out there who don't realize who Elmer Keith and his contemporaries were. After my father died, I looked through his library of books for his original copy of "Hell, I was There!" and could not find it. Mom told me several of Dad's books were water damaged and she tossed many out. I about cried
Elmer Keith's "Hell, I was there"?
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musicman10_1
Member
I bought a copy of "Hell, I was There" on eBay and have really enjoyed reading it. The tales are indeed tall but they are told in such a matter of fact manner that I just believe them.
Good stuff, for sure!
Good stuff, for sure!
DM~
Member
I knew someone (who i trusted his opinions very much) who knew Keith personally. He never said Keith was a lier, but he did say (among other things) that Keith was a BIG bullchitter.
I think Keith stretched things a bit...
DM
col.lemat
Member
I had the pleasure to meet the man once in the middle 1960's at my fathers house. I would say that 98% or more of his stories were true. Embellished up a bit, I would say maybe less then 5% of them were. Life and attitudes about life was differnt 100+ years ago.
I love it. That part about a flat tire being a SHTF situation is so funny because it is so true. I can't tell you how many adult males I hear tell a story about waiting for a tow truck to change their flat tire. Notice I didn't call them "grown men."
Hangingrock
Member
The earliest printing of Six Guns was not politically correct such as a reference to a Darky Cowboy shooting incident in the Chicago stock yards eliminated in follow on printings. Hell I Was There was preceded by a heavily edited version by Winchester Press tilted differently that Keith was extremely unhappy with.
I just bought a brand new copy of sixguns for $20 (paperback) off Amazon. Don't know the edition, but it had this language in it.
I read the book years ago, but his sidekick (whose name I forget) in an attached chapter stated that Elmer, rather than elaborating on something would tend to diminish it even though the thing was unbelievable any way you looked at it. The guy asserted that Keith made every shot he claimed and it was just as far and as accurate as he said. Jack O'Connor, a rival who said quite a bit negative about Keith in his articles would also say he was absolutely truthful in regard to accuracy and distance claims.
Vern Humphrey
Member
Harold Croft called him a liar, after reading an article Keith wrote on long range shooting with handguns. Kieth invited Croft to his homestead outside Durkee, Origon, put up a 4x4 target of scrap lumber and hit it with all four of the handguns Croft brought -- at a range of 700 yards.
After that, anyone who called Keith a liar had to fight Croft!
After that, anyone who called Keith a liar had to fight Croft!
I never met Elmer Keith but I corresponded with him several times when he wrote for Guns & Ammo magazine. Interesting letters he'd send back.
Now living in Idaho for 15 years, I have become friends with an older man who not only knew Keith, but did some hunting, fishing, and gun trading with him. The man I know is an Idaho native, fantastic collector, gunsmith, all around outdoorsman and an incredible shot with handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
I asked him once about Keith's shooting. He said that Keith was the best shot he'd ever seen, and that was saying a lot, considering how good a shot my friend is.
He told me that years ago he and Keith were fishing a stream that fed into the Salmon River. A bald eagle flew over and angled down stream. Keith jerked out his handgun and fired once, almost without aiming. The eagle was killed and fell from the sky. Keith said, "That's one more eagle that won't be killing lambs."
(By the way, that incident took place before the Federal law was passed protecting eagles, hawks, and other raptors.)
My friend said that the range to the flying eagle was about 65/70 yards or so. That's pretty good shooting with a handgun.
L.W.
Now living in Idaho for 15 years, I have become friends with an older man who not only knew Keith, but did some hunting, fishing, and gun trading with him. The man I know is an Idaho native, fantastic collector, gunsmith, all around outdoorsman and an incredible shot with handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
I asked him once about Keith's shooting. He said that Keith was the best shot he'd ever seen, and that was saying a lot, considering how good a shot my friend is.
He told me that years ago he and Keith were fishing a stream that fed into the Salmon River. A bald eagle flew over and angled down stream. Keith jerked out his handgun and fired once, almost without aiming. The eagle was killed and fell from the sky. Keith said, "That's one more eagle that won't be killing lambs."
(By the way, that incident took place before the Federal law was passed protecting eagles, hawks, and other raptors.)
My friend said that the range to the flying eagle was about 65/70 yards or so. That's pretty good shooting with a handgun.
L.W.
Jim Watson
Member
One of Elmer Keith's regulars, likely Judge Don Martin, said that Elmer always told a story the same way. Most people will either embroider and improve a good story as time goes on or they forget details. Not Elmer, he always told it the same way every time.
Arkansas Paul
Member
Damn, y'all have really got me wanting to read this book. I went online to find it and WOW. People who have them are really proud of them. I don't know if I would pay $100 for one. Oh well. Maybe one will turn up cheap one day.
Certaindeaf
member
I think some of his books are paperback and pretty inexpensive. No comparison with the hardback and all the nice glossy pictures though.
mdauben
Member
With used hardbacks going for a couple hundred dollars, someone really should reprint Hell, I was There! for those of us not lucky enough to already have it in our libraries. 
Jim Watson
Member
I'd like to have one to replace the autographed copy lost in the house fire of The Incident.
I had autographed copies of Sixguns, Hell, I Was There, even the cut down Keith.
The most interesting was the copy of Safari bought direct from him. It was not only autographed, it even had corrections written in by hand.
I had autographed copies of Sixguns, Hell, I Was There, even the cut down Keith.
The most interesting was the copy of Safari bought direct from him. It was not only autographed, it even had corrections written in by hand.
420Stainless
Member
Those hard cover prices are crazy. Seems like I bought a new copy just about 15 years ago for around $20. I thought darn near any book published in recent times was printed on demand these days. I guess not.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I think that about sums it up.
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.Tales have a way of getting bigger with the telling. Also, people have a way of doing about anything when they're left with no choice. My great-great-great-grand father(I think that's the right number of "greats") was wounded at the battle of Stones River or Murfreesboro,Ten in Jan 1863. Shot in both legs, he walked home to Morehead,Ky. That's about 300 miles.
If you talk to most oldtimes, they'll tell you that back in the day, whisky was smoother, horses were faster, girls were prettier,and dogs were smarter than today. Just enjoy the stories.
Those items you mention in the last paragraph are completely true, you needed to be there...Chief hehe
If you talk to most oldtimes, they'll tell you that back in the day, whisky was smoother, horses were faster, girls were prettier,and dogs were smarter than today. Just enjoy the stories.
Those items you mention in the last paragraph are completely true, you needed to be there...Chief hehe
Hi all,
First post for me. I'm a new shooter (Grandfather taught me how to shoot when I was a boy, but I was never an owner of a firearm (if you don't count his old Springfield Krag) until recently. A few years ago, while shopping for a Glock, I met an older gentleman that seemed keen to give me some advice while shopping at a local gunshop. Being somewhat different than some folks of my generation, and always open to learning from anyone that is willing to teach, I paid close attention to what he had to say. Fast forward a couple years, and I find myself lucky to have an amazing mentor that has taken me under his wing, and taught me the old ways of big calibers, revolvers, and lever action rifles.
I haven't read the book, but it's no surprise to me that alot of Elmer's stories are perceived as tall tales. Guys like Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton were a rare breed in their time, and today well...they are just legends.
My grandmother turns 94 today. She was a test pilot during WW II. I have pictures of her in her flight suit, in the cockpits of experimental planes (since declassified) and teaching young men star navigation. By today's standards, this would sound like a tall tale for a woman that only stands 4ft 9 inches. At the ripe age of 94, her bone density is so low, it cannot be measured. What would be a slight discomfort bumping into something/sitting down wrong for you or I, results in many fractures for her in her spine, hips, and other bones.
After fracturing her hip last year at 93, I watched this small woman the size of yoda, refuse any help, and transport herself to and from wheelchair without assistance. She then spent the better part of 40 minutes pushing herself down a hallway to "get the laundry" which she then placed on her lap (could break more bones) so that she could spend another 40 minutes traversing the small house back to her bedroom to put said laundry away. All the while refusing any help.
People "back then" were made of different mettle. We are sons and daughters of convenience, and luxury. While I haven't read Mr. Keith's book, from what I know of him and from what has been said here, I have no reason to doubt anything he has said.
-Freq
First post for me. I'm a new shooter (Grandfather taught me how to shoot when I was a boy, but I was never an owner of a firearm (if you don't count his old Springfield Krag) until recently. A few years ago, while shopping for a Glock, I met an older gentleman that seemed keen to give me some advice while shopping at a local gunshop. Being somewhat different than some folks of my generation, and always open to learning from anyone that is willing to teach, I paid close attention to what he had to say. Fast forward a couple years, and I find myself lucky to have an amazing mentor that has taken me under his wing, and taught me the old ways of big calibers, revolvers, and lever action rifles.
I haven't read the book, but it's no surprise to me that alot of Elmer's stories are perceived as tall tales. Guys like Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton were a rare breed in their time, and today well...they are just legends.
My grandmother turns 94 today. She was a test pilot during WW II. I have pictures of her in her flight suit, in the cockpits of experimental planes (since declassified) and teaching young men star navigation. By today's standards, this would sound like a tall tale for a woman that only stands 4ft 9 inches. At the ripe age of 94, her bone density is so low, it cannot be measured. What would be a slight discomfort bumping into something/sitting down wrong for you or I, results in many fractures for her in her spine, hips, and other bones.
After fracturing her hip last year at 93, I watched this small woman the size of yoda, refuse any help, and transport herself to and from wheelchair without assistance. She then spent the better part of 40 minutes pushing herself down a hallway to "get the laundry" which she then placed on her lap (could break more bones) so that she could spend another 40 minutes traversing the small house back to her bedroom to put said laundry away. All the while refusing any help.
People "back then" were made of different mettle. We are sons and daughters of convenience, and luxury. While I haven't read Mr. Keith's book, from what I know of him and from what has been said here, I have no reason to doubt anything he has said.
-Freq
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Welcome to THR, and thanks for believing some of the tail tails us cantankerous old codgers dream up from time to time.
Some of the stories are actually really true.
Things were much different when I was a farm boy in Kansas in the 1950's then they are today.
And they were surely MUCH different when Elmer Keith was a young man in Idaho in the early 1900's.
You must be Very Proud of your grandmother!
And I am too!
My father was a WWII vet, and without those people giving and sacrificing many of the best years of their lives, we would all be speaking German or Japanese now!
Thanks for sharing that about her!!
rc
Some of the stories are actually really true.
Things were much different when I was a farm boy in Kansas in the 1950's then they are today.
And they were surely MUCH different when Elmer Keith was a young man in Idaho in the early 1900's.
You must be Very Proud of your grandmother!
And I am too!
My father was a WWII vet, and without those people giving and sacrificing many of the best years of their lives, we would all be speaking German or Japanese now!
Thanks for sharing that about her!!
rc
I believe this whole heartedly! I much prefer English to Japanese or German!
I can't be proud of her. Impossible to be proud of something you don't understand. She is the kind of person that can do things that I did not know were possible. I grew up in an age with MTV, videogames, and people telling me about all the things I can't do. She does things that I can't fathom, against all odds.
I'm a member of generation X. We X'ers are at a strange crossroads, where we can see the past, and understand (to a degree) the present. When I was a kid, we had rotary telephones, yellow pages, and block parties.
Nowadays, we have facebook, child molesters, and school shootings.
I don't have any answers, but I look towards the past for wisdom from people like Mr. Elmer Keith, hoping someday to find some.
-Freq
I can't be proud of her. Impossible to be proud of something you don't understand. She is the kind of person that can do things that I did not know were possible. I grew up in an age with MTV, videogames, and people telling me about all the things I can't do. She does things that I can't fathom, against all odds.
I'm a member of generation X. We X'ers are at a strange crossroads, where we can see the past, and understand (to a degree) the present. When I was a kid, we had rotary telephones, yellow pages, and block parties.
Nowadays, we have facebook, child molesters, and school shootings.
I don't have any answers, but I look towards the past for wisdom from people like Mr. Elmer Keith, hoping someday to find some.
-Freq
rozziboy18
Member
ol Mr.Keith was one hard ass guy! i remember a story about him that was told not long ago by a guns and ammo editor. i stated that Keith was on a boat destine for catalina island with a few other editors and gun and ammo reps. story goes he was setting at the bar with his model 29 tucked in his pants enjoying a drink, when a man walked up to him. the man said : i see you with that hand cannon all the time, are you any good with it? with out saying a word, Keith pulled out his model 29, took aim at a seagull (in freeking flight!) , and clicked off a round thus killing the bird. he replaced said 29 and continued on to his drink.....no one questioned him anymore.
this story was told on the show "gun stories" funded by midwayusa.
this story was told on the show "gun stories" funded by midwayusa.
buck460XVR
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22-rimfire
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I wonder how good his hearing was?
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