Well, all this is well and good, and I have run into most of these storys, or their near-match at least. However, on the other side, there are also a very, very few which just happen too actually be True. As an example, I have a buddy some locals like to call "Lyin' Jimmie" because of some of his tales. The problem is, he's the best and most consistent shot I've ever known. He's just a po' country boy, and doesn't look at all the part of a real shootist, but he IS. I've had friends tell me about some of his "lies," and I'd have to tell them that I was THERE and they're actually true. The guy has vision I can't even understand, much less hope for. I've always sought out the best shots I could to shoot with, and it's good advice to anyone. Jimmie was raised on the river banks by his grandpa and grandma, and the first time dark caught him in the woods, he was 8 yrs. old. He shot his first deer at 6. His grandpa hunted and fished for a meager living, had a large garden, and did farm work seasonally for his cash money. His grandpa was a great shot, and taught him to shoot as soon as he could hold a gun up, and he taught him well, too. When grandpa paid for the bullets, he EXPECTED some meat every time the gun fired, except for sighting in or checking the sights after the gun took a blow in the boat or wherever. Lots of these types are no better shots than the rest of us, but ol' Jimmie was a natural, and I'm thankful we've been fast friends for so long. He's a good-hearted fellow and will do all in his power to make a person a better shot. He's very free with advice, and likes a good competition. I've offered him SOME competition, but his eyes were so superior there was just no way I'd be able to beat him very often, but he knew I wouldn't be too far behind, at least, and he liked that.
So ..... despite the fact that you and I both know that 99.9% of these claims, especially the ones about offhand shooting, are as bogus as a whore in church, there ARE a few - maybe 1 in 10,000 - that are really true. One reason I've always respected Jimmie is that he always declares his "scratch" shots as just luck, but he's had so many opportunities, and taken them, that at least SOME of them just HAD to be True, and I know that because I've been witness to some of them, and he's got many, many more that have witnessed too many of his other tales, so ..... if a guy BETS you, and is serious about it, that he can do what he says, it'd be a good idea to think several times before betting any substantial amount and losing it. There ARE some amazing shots among us, and they don't always take kindly to being called liars by people who don't believe anyone else can do what they can't do. The liars will never bet good money on duplicating their feats, so .... the wise will always know how to tell the difference.
