Remington Timeline: 1956 – Shooting Star: The Legend of Elmer Keith

By G&A Staff

Few writers have cut a more colorful swath through American gun culture than the legendary Elmer Keith. Over the years, many stories about Elmer have been circulated. One that Remington’s Dick Dietz told years ago was about Elmer attending one of the first Remington seminars.

One of the outings at the seminar was to shoot sea ducks that were flying up and down the shoreline (probably along the Chesapeake Bay). As Dick recalled, Elmer was standing a few hundred yards down the beach blasting away with a 10-gauge as the ducks came on. He was wearing a knee-length camo raincoat, but his signature white, 10-gallon hat remained perched atop his head.

Dick noticed that Elmer was not having much luck with the birds and after a while he walked down the beach to speak with him. After exchanging pleasantries, Dick asked: “Elmer, aren’t you afraid the birds will see your white hat and flare?”

Without missing a beat Keith responded, “Why Dick, by the time those birds see this hat, they’re within range!”

That was vintage Keith and few have summed this legendary writer up better than Craig Boddington in this classic article from Guns & Ammo.

The late founder of this magazine, Robert E. …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo