I’m currently reading a book about a lawman that began his career back in the early 1930’s known as “Jelly” Bryce that also put on, by all accounts, some impressive shooting demonstrations / exhibitions.

This got me to thinking about the only shooting exhibition I ever got the chance to see and it probably wasn’t that impressive if stacked up against the famous shooters back in the day. But, for a 13-14 year old kid it was pretty exciting.

I saw mine, of all places, in the gym of my Junior High School, during school hours no less, back around 1971. I can’t remember the shooter’s name but they told us he was a Hollywood stuntman who doubled for Richard Boone (Paladin) in the series, “Have Gun Will Travel.” How true this was I don’t know but do know that he looked a lot like Richard Boone, right down to the same style mustache and was dressed as Paladin. Black outfit & black gun rig with the silver horse head on his holster.

From what I can remember all of his demonstrations were done with single action six guns as well as the bull whip……

I was curious as to who others may have had the pleasure of seeing put on a shooting exhibition, either back in the day or more recently. I’ve read accounts of guys like Ed McGivern, Bill Jordan etc. doing things with a firearm that many would find hard to believe, even after seeing it in person.

An archery shop I used to hang out (when I did archery), The Nock Point, who's owner would shoot an aspirin swinging on a string at twenty yards. All instinctively (no aiming but just concentrating on the target), that is with no sights and no 'finger walking'. His son, he claimed, was an exhibition shooter and a better shooter than he was but was in a car accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

The owner was an amazing shooter. Too make money on us, he would tell us to shoot with him; he without sights us with. We allowed him two shots to get a feel for the bow. Then the competition would start. No matter where you hit, he would shoot your arrow. You may start with six arrows but end up with two.

I saw Tom Knapp who shoots for Benelli a few years ago.
He throws up handfuls of clays and shoots them all before they hit the ground. At the time he had a record for most clays shot that way. I think he tied it at the range during the demonstration.
Shot some vegetables and a jug of some flammable liquid at the end of the show.

I got to see Joe Bowman at the local mall a few years ago.

In the early 1970s, when I was seven, I got to see Bob Munden do his quickdraw show on the street in front of the San Francisco Gun Exchange. He was set up on a flatbed semi trailer outiftted with hay bales and firing wax projectiles.

Bob is still around as evidenced by the Impossible Shots show on Outdoor Channel, but guns in SF have been long gone I'm sure.

His name was "Mr. Charlie". He was employed by Remington Arms and worked in the central Tennessee area in the early to mid 50s. Aerial shooting with a REm. 760 in .222 cal.

Regards,

Tam 3