gunsmith
Wildcat
Registered: 07/06/08
Posts: 73
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| | 10/27/09 at 06:25 PM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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The Wickliffe Company invited Elmer Keith and Bob Steindler to the YO Ranch in Texas to video a hunt for exotics with production rifles. Tom Kocis tells the following story.)
"Elmer didn't make it out the first day, so Bob and I took the rifles to the ranch's range and sighted them in to print 2-1/2" high at 100 yards. Then the video crew and I headed out with guide Tommy Thompson to try to find a nice blackbuck for Bob. He eventually took one at around 125 yards with a single shot, which we got on video.
"Elmer arrived the next morning, just t in time to get out hunting. The guides kept insisting he take the rifle to the ' range and sight it in himself. He turned to me and asked, 'How was it shooting?' I explained it was 2-1/2" high at 100 yards and printed a 3/4" group. He told the guide, 'That's good enough for me. Let's go hunting.'
He was well into his 80s at the time and had difficulty walking the bush so the guides took him out in an old 1950's vintage Chevy pickup with the front windshield removed which I assume they used regularly for some of their handicapped clients. Well, we chased the blackbuck for most of the morning with no success, for some reason they were very spooky that day, so we returned for some lunch.
"After lunch we headed back out, with Elmer and his guide in the truck along with the video crew and me in the truck bed. All the while the 'pinkos' we hired to do the videotaping kept talking about what a lousy sportsman Elmer was and even compared him to a 'poaching road hunter.' I had to remind them I was paying them to video and not to add their comments to the hunt.
"About 2pm, we finally got to around 150 to 160 yards of a small herd that kept running at a pretty good pace. Elmer was getting a bit impatient at this time, leaned out the door and told me 'Tom, I think I can take that buck but I'm going to have to shoot real close to that doe he's chasing.' I told him I didn't care, take the shot if he wanted, we'd have it on tape. His guide reminded us that if he hit the doe, that was his animal and the hunt was over.
[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]
"Well, he took the shot and immediately the doe dropped to the ground, much to Elmer's dismay, but to the delight of the video crew. We went up to retrieve the doe, but could not find her. Walking up another 30 to 40 yards, the buck was down, a single shot thru the heart. No one could believe it and we searched for the doe for another 15 minutes before hauling the buck to the truck.
"The video crew was besides themselves laughing at how Elmer probably wounded the doe, only to leave her to die a slow death, at this point, I was ready to send them packing. After supper, we decided to review the tape and when we played it back in slow motion, you can plainly see the tail of the doe getting shot off and flying thru the air and the doe sitting down to rub her rump as the heart-shot buck leaped over her. She got up and ran off, tailless but otherwise unharmed. Elmer called that shot, he had told me he'd have to shoot real close to the doe's tail to get a heart shot on the buck, but he had not planned on hitting the doe's tail. I'll tell you that old man could shoot, don't ever doubt his stories.
"Charley Shreiner of the YO decided to give Elmer his buck and not charge us for it, so having some budget left, I went out the next day. Using Elmer's Wickliffe I shot a world record Corsican ram at well over 170 yards on the run with one shot."
COPYRIGHT 2009 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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God Bless Elmer, He showed us the way. It is up to us to carry on. Chivas Regal for everyone, and powder smoke in your lungs. |
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SafarisAfrica
Wildcat
Registered: 01/03/09
Posts: 109
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| | 10/28/09 at 09:49 AM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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Thank you, that was very interesting I do remember your rifle always liked single shots. I have heard several writers I know that shot with Elmer make comments of what a fantastic shot he was with hand gun, rifle and or shotgun.
Len
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Len
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CGM
Tenderfoot
Registered: 01/16/09
Posts: 7
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| | 02/02/10 at 07:01 AM | Reply with quote | #3 |
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Does the video of the hunt still exist? It would be great to watch the master at work.
CGM
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gunsmith
Wildcat
Registered: 07/06/08
Posts: 73
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| | 02/09/10 at 11:14 PM | Reply with quote | #4 |
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Toma Kocis is trying to find a copy of the film. It was paid for by the owner of the Lubisol Company, of Wickliffe, Ohio,the actual owners of the Wickliffe Rifle,(fronted the money) and must still have the movie. It was put on 16 mm film. It disapperared somewhere in time.
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God Bless Elmer, He showed us the way. It is up to us to carry on. Chivas Regal for everyone, and powder smoke in your lungs. |
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CGM
Tenderfoot
Registered: 01/16/09
Posts: 7
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| | 02/11/10 at 02:49 PM | Reply with quote | #5 |
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Great, good luck to Mr. Kocis on the search. I have read many of Elmer's books and much about him over the years and it would be good to see him in action. Maybe if the film is found a copy could go to the Boise Cabela's for all to view and introduce a new generation to the old master.
CGM
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