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Author Topic: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s  (Read 442 times)

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Offline Questor

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Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« on: June 01, 2009, 07:34:24 AM »
If you get a chance, read the article on Herb Parsons in the June American Rifleman. It's hard to believe that such a person ever existed. In summary, he was travelling salesman for Winchester who did astounding shooting demonstrations ala Annie Oakley. But he also used mortars, dynamite, gasoline filled watermellons, and explosives filled grapefruits in his exhibitions. One time he shot a crow at 1200 yards as part of an exhibition. He travelled with all his stuff in a big red station wagon with Winchester logos on it. Even during the depression he had a sales quota of 7 .410 shotguns per day!

I've always been an Ad Topperwein fan, and I certain Bob Munden a lot.
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Offline Sourdough

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Re: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2009, 07:53:32 AM »
I saw a bunch of those shows back in the 50s, both shotguns and rifles.  My Grandfathers took me to see them, at the County Fairs. 

One guy, I'm not sure if it was him or not, used a semi-auto .22RF (seems like it was Winchester) to shoot an Indians Head into a piece of tin.  We had one of those hanging in the club house at the Tanana Vally Sportsman's Association.  Since it was such a collectible we had talked about taking it down and relocating it to prevent it being stolen.  Too late, it was still hanging there when the club house caught fire and burned down last year.

Benelli Shotguns still has a Demonstration shotgun shooter going around.  Have seen him on TV many times.  Keep looking for the time and place where he will be giving a demonstration. 
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Offline Sourdough

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Re: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2009, 08:03:20 AM »
I looked at the article on Ad Toepperwein, scrolling down I saw the tin with the bullet holes in the shape of an Indians head.  Thanks for bringing this site to my attention.  I have been wanting to tell some of the kids about these people.  Rog    WOW!

Here's an excert from that sight:

Drawing pictures with bullets was one of Ad's most popular stunts. While his art may not be as impressive as his 72,500 wooden block aerial target score that was 99.9875872% perfect, the keen-eyed Texan's bullet drawings of Uncle Sam, Sioux Indians in full war dress, Popeye, Jiggs, cowboys and ducks with 300 rapidly fired shots are prized possessions of gun clubs throughout the country. This remarkable gunsman made famous the Indian-head bullet drawing. With approximately 450 exceedingly well placed shots, the whole of them delivered in the space of a dozen minutes, he drew the perfect likeness of an Indian chieftain in full war bonnet regalia. In his heyday, Topperwein had many contemporaries, some of whom tried to emulate his Indian, but their efforts were crude indeed compared to his bullet work. Our Texan had been a cartoonist for a San Antonio newspaper before he took up his guns in the Winchester cause. This artistic background stood him in good stead when bullets replaced his pens and brushes.

http://showmanshooter.com/html/herb_parsons.html
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Where is old Joe when we really need him?  Alaska Independence    Calling Illegal Immigrants "Undocumented Aliens" is like calling Drug Dealers "Unlicensed Pharmacists"
What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact.

Offline Questor

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Re: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2009, 08:36:50 AM »
I bought Bob Munden's video a few years ago. It's a great video, but not quite what I expected it to be. I thought it would be more about long-range shooting with handguns. It really doesn't have much in there about that. But I wasn't disappointed. It was basically good excerpts from various shows he has performed. It's professional in quality, very entertaining, and the kind of thing you can show to company. Even people who don't care about shooting will be entertained by it. It covers a lot of different types of shooting. There was quite a bit of emphasis on speed drawing and shooting, which is to be expected because he is billed as the worlds fastest shooter.

It's really amazing what that man can do. If you can't go see him live, the video was reasonably priced and he's got a web site to order it from. It looks like they've done some re-packaging, but this is what they're selling now:

http://www.bobmunden.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=4

The thing that sticks in my mind is how fast he can fire a 1911, he's like a machine gun with it.

I really wish they would do a video with his long-range shooting feats. They are the most amazing sights I have seen a shooter perform. Most of what's in the video I bought was suited to a relatively small area that would be typically available for exhibitions.
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Offline Yankee1

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Re: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2009, 05:12:58 PM »
How about Ed Mcgivern.  5 shots into a half dollar sized target in under a half second.  He performed that feat on several occasions with many wittinesses.
The man was fantastic with a pistol.  There was a book written about him.
I belive it was called  "Fast and Fancy"
                                        Yankee1
                                   
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Offline mirage1988

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Re: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2009, 06:29:57 PM »
Sourdough-
His name is Tom Knapp, there is a hunting show here called the GameFair, have seen him shoot there a couple times. The shooting is AMAZING, the benelli advertising is the reason Ive only watched him twice.
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Offline guzzijohn

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Re: Herb Parsons: Another example of how things have changed since the 60s
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2009, 03:15:56 AM »
Ed McGivern wrote the the book "Fast & Fancy" It is a good text book for the shooting of revolvers. He was a great shot but as stated in his book he practiced a lot and really studied the art of shooting revolvers. I am guessing that he must of had some great natural reflexes and eye/hand coordination to boot as I don't think that I could pull the trigger as fast let alone hit anything other than a mountain.
GuzziJohn
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