The story of Elmer Keith's famous, or infamous, 600 yard shot with a short barreled revolver has been told and retold many times over the decades since it happened. Sometimes this tale is told by people using it as evidence that handguns can be used at long range, sometimes by people who think Keith was another old cowboy telling tall tales.

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.

Of all the times the incident comes up the real story is seldom told. It wasn't as if Keith drew his revolver and dropped the deer offhand at 600 yards. He had been shooting that gun and load at several hundred yards that week and knew the kind of hold over he would need. He also didn't do it in one shot, and was prone. None of those facts changes the truth of the story or diminishes Keith's accomplishment or shooting ability. In my opinion it does give more credence to the story.

While I don't make any claim that I can shoot as well as Elmer Keith I do know how well I can shoot at long range and I've seen other, better, shots do amazing things with handguns at long range. I believe Elmer Keith made that shot.

Here is one of Keith's recounting of the infamous shot...
http://www.handloads.com/ar...es/default.asp?id=34

Anyhow if Elmer Keith can kill a mule deer at 600 yards with a 44 mag revolver, how is it then that 5.56 Nato is always superior to any pistol round? 5.56 nato is a extremely poor choice for large game, debatable on small southern deer.

What is the 600 yard mid-range trajectory of a 44 magnum fired from a handgun with a 6" barrel?

Just a question from an old 44Mag handloader who used a Model 94 saddle carbine.

[This message has been edited by Tinkrr (edited 09-25-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Tinkrr: What is the 600 yard mid-range trajectory of a 44 magnum fired from a handgun with a 6" barrel? Just a question from an old 44Mag handloader who used a Model 94 saddle carbine.

No clue, but the killing ability of the round at 600 yards has been tested. I just can't imagine the elevation adjustment Keith had to make.

'Were Keith's shots possible? Could Askins have caught .44 Magnum bullets in a catcher's mitt at 600 yards? We set up a couple of experiments to find out.

The first experiment consisted of friend Jim Taylor and myself shooting both a .44 Magnum and a .45 Colt from 7.5" Ruger Blackhawks at a distance that we figured by driving was right at one-half mile. The targets were old log cabins made of logs 6" to 8" in diameter.

If Askins were to catch the bullets with a baseball mitt, he would have needed one made of heavy-duty steel. Not only did the bullets completely penetrate the front wall, but also with the right angle, they exited the back wall. One bullet that penetrated the front wall hit the corner of a brass bedstead and took it apart. So much for the remaining power of a big bore sixgun at long-range.'
http://findarticles.com/p/a..._156_26/ai_82533192/

[This message has been edited by dennis_6 (edited 09-25-2011).]

quote The targets were old log cabins made of logs 6" to 8" in diameter. ...........Not only did the bullets completely penetrate the front wall, but also with the right angle, they exited the back wall.

That means, at 2640', the rounds penetrated 12-16" of wood--unless they went thru the thin chinking between the logs.
My sks, at 600 feet, won't penetrate an 8" crosstie. I've tried it.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: That means, at 2640', the rounds penetrated 12-16" of wood--unless they went thru the thin chinking between the logs. My sks, at 600 feet, won't penetrate an 8" crosstie. I've tried it.

Thats what they are stating. I would call BS on both stories, other than one was from Elmer Keith.