Awww, hell.
Keith.
First, the circumstances, eyewitnesses, and background of the 'infamous and unbelievable' shots of Keith ARE on record and in print. If someone has not read them, then that is their loss, but does not validate their own unsupported and unwitnessed judgment of the facts: AS WITNESSED and RECORDED.
Secondly, unless a person has spent considerable time with a pistol, sagebrush, and mountain sides, just constructively and carefully plinking a ton or so of lead away, I'm not sure on what grounds that soul can make any informed decision about long range pistol shooting.
Thirdly, Keith's own son has commented in print about his father's eyesight. The man was raised in wide open spaces, spent great amounts of time there, and was noted for his game-spotting ability by contemporary accounts: far beyond the ordinary folks perception. Yes, it's in print and verified by more than one source.
Fourth: how about ya read the man's autobiography, and check out exactly HOW MUCH shooting he did? I did a brick or two of .22's thru my Colt Match Woodsman about every weekend in my late teens. I could hit specific dirt clods and other far targets better than most of the local .22 rifle shots, and I'm a mere child compared to the distances shot and the guns which Keith used all his life.
He knew trajectory and wind and light and terrain and the capabilities of a weapon far better than just about anyone reading this. Disagree? Publish y'r own biography,with the number of witnessed shots that Keith has.
Whenever i read this topic and the windy, opinionated, inflated ego, jealous, little minded, disparaging and ignorant self-displays of Keith bashing that inexhaustibly accompany it, I am reminded of a friend's motto.
He manages the buildings of a large health complex, as big as some small towns, inhabited by a lot of high IQ's and higher egos.. He says, "People are stupid, and the more they think they know,the stupider they are."
As to Parson's feats? I grew up knowing the grandsons of an exhibition shooter for Winchester: one Mr Richards. His son was Win Richards, long time school superintendent of Phoenix, Ariz schools. The old boy's mementos and medals and tin Indian targets and memorabilia were all over the house and barns. I listened carefully to eyewitness accounts of his shooting. Those men could see a target like a super-star major league hitter can count the stitches on an incoming fast ball. No shixx, Shakespere.
When even ONE of the Keith/Parson type critics have the experience and practice and demonstrate in public and for the record, even a smattering of the recorded feats which were witnessed, then they might have a tiny shred of cred. Until then, the whole lot of you are just puffing smoke and blowing wind.
Hell, I can't even see fine-sight picture pistol sights anymore, but if you want to show up at one of the long range pistol seminars that Linebaugh puts on, or have a personal chat with John Taffin or Ross Seyfried or a few other pistol luminaries, I'd be more than pleased for you to pay my way to shoot with them and you, so's ya can try and demonstrate just how 'impossible' long range pistoling is: according to y'r mentally blighted and ignorantly crippled concepts of human possibility and ballistic fact.
Just a thot, ya know? God, this subject makes me laugh so hard, it's difficult to leave such a target rich environment. However, if anyone could have made that crow shot at that distance, I doubt you'd find anyone more capable or in better tune to do it than Mr Parsons. Trying judge a phenomenal man like that by our personal standards, no matter how much we value our experiences, is still comparing the Allegheny Mountains to Mt Everest.
