Any Skeeter Skelton fans?

[Charlie Harley, #14153 2,961]

Not wanting to hijack the BFR thread, I’m curious how many Skeeter Skelton fans hang out in the Saloon. 
 

I devoured all his work. He and Bill Jordan were the two reasons I waited on the Shooting Times every month. 
 

Jug Johnson. Me and Dobe. Plus a whole lot of sound shooting advice and fascinating stories. 
 

A highlight was meeting Mr Skelton at an NRA meeting. He was just as nice as could be. 
 

And yes, one day I’ll own a Blackhawk in 44 special. 

[DeaconKC 1,789]

Skeeter is the reason I love the 44 Special to this day.

[Alpo 6,644]

You know there's a dozen or so of his stories at darkcanyon.net

 

I just went and counted. There's 31.

 

 

http://darkcanyon.net/skeeter_skelton.htm

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Alpo

[Utah Bob #35998 15,861]

Never met him, but I met Baxter Black. So that’s something. 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 2,076]

Never forgot his description of the heater in his truck.
It seemed to have inherited a .44 round by some odd happenstance, and his description of it sounding "like an armored packrat in a squirrelcage" is one I've used many times in describing rattling equipment that shouldn't!

[Dantankerous 4,343]

My Skeeter book. Skeeter's son's book. My Skeeter 44 Special with Skeeter loads.

 

Yes, I am a fan.

 

 

[Warden Callaway 4,634]

I have several of his books.  Use to read all his work in the magazines.   I converted a S&W 28 Highway Patrolman to 45Colt because of his influence.  I really liked his "Me and Joe" stories.  Reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. 

 

I forgot to add that I saw him at the NRA convention in Orlando Florida years ago.  I wanted to go up and shake hands but he was in what looked to be a serious conversation with another guy.  I hung around close by for a good while but finally moved on. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Warden Callaway

[Brandon A Bovine SASS 27688 11]

Skeeter was always a good read,  bought two of his books and really should read them again this winter.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 5,710]

59 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Never met him, but I met Baxter Black. So that’s something. 

 

Oysters~!  

[Capt. James H. Callahan 1,576]

Read ST for decades, he was one of my favorites.

JHC

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 571]

Ever since 65!  Man was a master at costing me all kinds of money.  Still does!

[Muley Gil SASS # 57795 106]

I started reading Skeeter in the late '60s. When he started writing about converting N frame S&W .357s and Old Model Ruger .357s to .44 Special and .45 Colt, I was at the new stands waiting for the next issue of Shooting Times, every month In 1976, I had a S&W Model 27 converted to .44 Special. I also bought .32-20s, a S&W Model 19, a .44 Special Colt New Frontier, a S&W Model 25-5, a S&W Model 24-3, a couple of 1917s-both S&W and Colt, and the list goes on and on and on, including a couple Ruger Blackhawks to .44 Special.

 

I also have his books and his wife's book.

 

When he died, it was like losing an old friend.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Muley Gil SASS # 57795

[Utah Bob #35998 15,861]

1 hour ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

Oysters~!  

[Trailrider #896 1,803]

It's been quite a while... Think I may have met him at the Gun Writers' Convention in Fairplay.  Met Bill Jordan at a SHOT Show. Devoured everything Skeeter wrote, especially in Shooting Times...before it went blah! Met Bart several times. Like his dad a real gent, but boy you didn't want to shake his hand just before a shoot, cause your hand would be numb for a week!

[G W Wade 989]

Always liked the Jug Johnson stories, especially shooting the hinge off the gate with the 44 Magna.    Had 2 of his books and used to loan them out to friends to read.  Ended up buying 2 more when they didn;t come home.     Every shooter should experience his life and stories   GW

[Old Man Graybeard 335]

I always enjoyed Skeeter and Bart Skelton...along with Bill Jordan and of course Elmer Keith

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L 2,010]

Love Skeeter's stuff.  Read his articles on line regularly.  

[Prof. Fuller Bullspit 45]

Absolutely! Skeeter was my favorite Shooting Times writer. I found the books that are collections of his work and continue to enjoy his work. 
 

Another good one, although a different time and flavor is the book, Old Man and the Boy which is a collection of Robert Ruark’s stories.

 

I wish I could find a book of Townsend Whelen’s, and Bill Jordan’s articles.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 571]

12 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Never met him, but I met Baxter Black. So that’s something. 

 

Same here.  Several hours after introduction he came back around to me and my colleagues and called each of us by full names.  I was impressed!

[Chantry 1,219]

I have both of his books: Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey & Hoglegs, Hipshots and Jalapeños  and he his one of the best natural storytellers I've read.

 

On edit:  If you have one of the books, keep it, the prices for either book on Amazon are very high.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Chantry

[Widder, SASS #59054 7,643]

Always loved Skeeter, Bill Jordan, and especially Rick Jamison (hope I spelled that right).

 

Shooting Times covered the best of the best.

 

..........Widder

 

[Sixgun Sheridan 4,253]

I miss the old days when I used to look forward to the next issue of Shooting Times or Guns & Ammo on the news stands. Always full of good articles from gunwriters who actually knew how to write. I'm a bit young for Skeeter and Bill Jordan, but I believe they were still writing when I first got into guns and began reading gun rags. Unfortunately these days not only are most gun rags filled with nothing but cover-to-cover advertising and fake reviews of new firearms (which in truth are simply more advertising), but the people writing that stuff don't even seem to have a journalism degree based on the way they write.

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L 793]

I have several of Skeeter's books. Some of his original books are really expensive now. He was my favorite gun writer, back in the days he wrote for Shooting Times. His son, Bart, was a good writer, too. 

I did get to meet Bill Jordon, once at one of his book signing events. Awesome man, and very nice. He was one of Skeeter's best pals. 

 

There are a lot of good gun writers around, but they would all have to get up on top of Mount Everest, just to kiss the bottom of Skeeter's boot.

 

 

[Pat Riot, SASS #13748 22,437]

I have read lots of articles by lots of different gun writers. I liked Skeeter’s articles. Never cared for Bart Skelton’s. He tried hard but had no substance. I don’t really recall reading much of Bill Jordan’s stuff. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Mike Venturino, lots of technical and historical information on guns of the Old West.  I have learned a lot from him. Another gun writer I really appreciate is Gary James. His knowledge is impressive. 
 

[Widder, SASS #59054 7,643]

Bill Jordan wrote an article in ST about accuracy of the 10/22 using aftermarket mods, etc.....

 

His article differed in statistics and other facts written in the monthly  'American Rifleman' published by the NRA.

 

So, I wrote Bill Jordan about the contradictions of both articles.

 

He actually replied with a HAND WRITTEN 1-page letter back to me, with good information.

My opinion of him was already very respectable but after getting his reply, my opinion put him at the top of the totum pole.

He knew his stuff.

 

P.S. - I think I still have that letter saved inside my trunk.

 

..........Widder

 

[Mud Marine,SASS#54686 Life 763]

As a good Idahoan, Elmer Keith was my .44 guru but Skeeter Skelton reinforced that. I still carry a .44 S&W Special everyday and have hunted with a .44 Remington Magnum for four plus decades.

[Dantankerous 4,343]

How fitting for this conversation on this board...

 

Charles Allen Skelton

 

CAS

 

[DeaconKC 1,789]

Oh, I forgot...I LOVE the .44Special so much...