By Phil Bourjaily

It has been a sad stretch for fans of exhibition shooting. In a short time we have lost both Tom Knapp and Bob Munden. Knapp, who died at only 62 in April, was best known for his exhibitions with Benelli shotguns, and for throwing up to 10 clay targets in the air at once and breaking them all before they hit the ground. 

A few years ago I got to interview Knapp. He told me he started practicing as a young boy after he discovered Winchester shooter Herb Parsons. He and a neighbor threw dirt clods and shot BBs at them. Later he practiced by throwing and shooting bits of gravel with a .22. This video shows Knapp could do some fancy shooting with rifles as well as shotguns and could hit not only gravel but aspirin tablets in the air.

Bob Munden of Butte, Montana, died at age 70. Once listed in the Guinness World Records as the “fastest man with a gun who ever lived,” Munden was best known for his speed on the draw. He will be missed by the many people he entertained in person and on TV.

If you missed out on seeing Munden when he was alive, his exhibition shooting lives on in video. As this clip shows, Munden wasn’t only a quick-draw artist. He could also just plain shoot. The target is 200 yards away, the gun is a S&W Model 60 in .38 special with a stubby barrel and, therefore, a miniscule sight radius. Yet Munden rings a gong 200 yards away with it.

Comments (13)

from Ontario Honker ... wrote 20 hours 8 min ago

Munden did a demonstration at the high school where I was teaching. A very nice guy.

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from RJ Arena wrote 19 hours 51 min ago

Where have all of the real man gone! So few left! Now they will shoot lightning and their hits roar in thunder! I will think of both of them when I watch the next thunderstorm this summer.

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from jjas wrote 18 hours 56 min ago

I enjoyed watching both of those men on tv. They were simply amazing!

My condolences go to their families and friends.

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from FARMBOY wrote 17 hours 55 min ago

My boys and I saw Tom Knapp 3 times at DU Greenwing days. I don't know who was more impressed, the boys or me. He was a wonderful ambassador for the shooting sports and one hell-a-va good man. We certainly will miss him. Our condolences to his family.

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from bradshaw@pa.net wrote 17 hours 44 min ago

Both were remarkable men. I will especially miss the baritone voice of Tom Knapp. There was just something about it that said 'this is a real man with a voice you can trust.'

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from Tim Platt wrote 16 hours 47 min ago

Seeing this guy shooting aspirin in the air reminds me of the post Dave wrote about shooting at a deer from 350 yards or so and everyone gave him a hard time... if you practice enough the impossible becomes mundane.

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from SoCalGunNut wrote 16 hours 44 min ago

We lost two irreplaceable ambassadors for the shooting sports community. Thank you to Tom and Bob for your contributions and my condolences to their families and friends.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from swatjob357 wrote 14 hours 50 min ago

Both were great guys!
RIP!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ishawooa wrote 11 hours 47 min ago

Wonderful ambassadors (sp?) for shooting sports and very interesting to speak to about numerous subjects. Tom came to Cody a few years ago to retire his well used Benellis for display in the BBHC. He was kind enough to autograph one of his fired shotgun shells for my son after a spectacular shooting demonstration. One of my employees grew up in Butte. He said the highlight of his elementary education was the day that Bob came to grade school to give a shooting demonstration free to all the kids.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 11 hours 11 min ago

Great entertainers, gentlemen and athletes.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from kudukid wrote 1 hour 1 min ago

Guns are tools and these men were artisans with theirs!

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from nc30-06 wrote 11 min 35 sec ago

I never got to meet either except on tv. Both were professionals and gentlemen. They will be sorely missed.

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from PbHead wrote 3 sec ago

I saw Ted perform three times and spoke to him at the NRA Annual Meeting. He exemplifies the word class. A true gentleman. God bless him and his family.

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from RJ Arena wrote 19 hours 51 min ago

Where have all of the real man gone! So few left! Now they will shoot lightning and their hits roar in thunder! I will think of both of them when I watch the next thunderstorm this summer.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jjas wrote 18 hours 56 min ago

I enjoyed watching both of those men on tv. They were simply amazing!

My condolences go to their families and friends.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bradshaw@pa.net wrote 17 hours 44 min ago

Both were remarkable men. I will especially miss the baritone voice of Tom Knapp. There was just something about it that said 'this is a real man with a voice you can trust.'

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from SoCalGunNut wrote 16 hours 44 min ago

We lost two irreplaceable ambassadors for the shooting sports community. Thank you to Tom and Bob for your contributions and my condolences to their families and friends.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from swatjob357 wrote 14 hours 50 min ago

Both were great guys!
RIP!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ishawooa wrote 11 hours 47 min ago

Wonderful ambassadors (sp?) for shooting sports and very interesting to speak to about numerous subjects. Tom came to Cody a few years ago to retire his well used Benellis for display in the BBHC. He was kind enough to autograph one of his fired shotgun shells for my son after a spectacular shooting demonstration. One of my employees grew up in Butte. He said the highlight of his elementary education was the day that Bob came to grade school to give a shooting demonstration free to all the kids.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 11 hours 11 min ago

Great entertainers, gentlemen and athletes.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ontario Honker ... wrote 20 hours 8 min ago

Munden did a demonstration at the high school where I was teaching. A very nice guy.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from FARMBOY wrote 17 hours 55 min ago

My boys and I saw Tom Knapp 3 times at DU Greenwing days. I don't know who was more impressed, the boys or me. He was a wonderful ambassador for the shooting sports and one hell-a-va good man. We certainly will miss him. Our condolences to his family.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Tim Platt wrote 16 hours 47 min ago

Seeing this guy shooting aspirin in the air reminds me of the post Dave wrote about shooting at a deer from 350 yards or so and everyone gave him a hard time... if you practice enough the impossible becomes mundane.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from kudukid wrote 1 hour 1 min ago

Guns are tools and these men were artisans with theirs!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from nc30-06 wrote 11 min 35 sec ago

I never got to meet either except on tv. Both were professionals and gentlemen. They will be sorely missed.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from PbHead wrote 3 sec ago

I saw Ted perform three times and spoke to him at the NRA Annual Meeting. He exemplifies the word class. A true gentleman. God bless him and his family.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.