I grew up reading everything Jack O'Connor wrote, I loved the 270 caliber & took many elk with it using 130 gr Hornady bullets. There's no doubt he was a very gifted writer & the articles about sheep hunting would make anyone feel like they were right there with him.
One time he penned an article about sheep hunting in old Mexico & made the statement that there were 2 ways to go about it, first was, you took your chances like everyone else & patiently waited for your number to be called...or something along those lines.
The other way was to "know" the right people in Mexico & they could make anything happen, that was O'Connor's method & he kind of rubbed it in everyone's face, from then on I never cared for him.
Although I never met Jack O'Connor I did meet Elmer Keith several times & he was much bigger than 5' 6", he was more like 10' 14"!! I liked everything about him & for sure he was the real deal. His shooting was witnessed by many people over several decades, you notice that even later in life he didn't wear glasses, that really helps.
It was Ross Seyfried who said Elmer Keith was the best shot he ever knew with the rifle, shotgun & sixgun combined.
I really enjoyed going out back to his "writing" & trophy room behind the house, it was an old converted garage & many of the animals at the Elmer Keith museum in Boise were in that old building. A couple of times when I was there I had my wife with me & she would visit with Lorraine in the house while I went out back with Elmer, it was a special time.
On one trip I was delivering a Ruger #1 in 45/70 to Jed Wilson, a lawman in Salmon, he had told Elmer I was coming & Elmer met me at the door, 4" model 29 on his hip & a stogie (cigar) in his hand, the women visited & I would buy another book, Elmer would sign it & we would go out back for some real visiting, it was great, he was always polite & I never heard him swear, some people have said he swore a lot, I don't believe it.
I'll tell you one thing he hated more than anything on earth...Golden Eagles!
This is one of the books Elmer signed for me back in the mid 70's.

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These next photos were lost for over 20 years, one of my son's found them this summer. I had always thought I took this photo of Elmer holding the 45/70 I sold to Jed Wilson, after seeing the photo's he's holding one of his own #1's, I think it was in 458 Winchester.

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You can just make out the 4" model 29 on his hip, its in a Hank Sloan holster, either made by Lawrence or by Milt Sparks.

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If the wood paneling in Elmer's trophy room looks familiar to some of you its because the paneling was removed & placed in the Elmer Keith museum in Calelas in Boise.

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I've been asked many times why I didn't get a photo of me & Elmer together... I can't answer that, I thought I did have one but have never found it if I did, back in the 70's was way before digital & taking a self portrait was more difficult, plus I might have been embarassed to ask!

Dick