Legendary Exhibition Shooter Bob Munden Passes at Age 70

Famed exhibition shooter Bob Munden passed away December 10th, from a heart attack. Bob was 70 years old. Munden’s friends at Hodgdon Powder stated: “Bob was a legend, a showman and a gentleman above all else.” Born February 8, 1942 in Kansas City, MO, Bob began his professional shooting career at age 11 in California. While still in high school, Bob placed second in the noted LeatherSlap competition, and that launched his fabled career as a fast-draw specialist and trick shooter.

Over his long career, Munden traveled around the globe giving shooting exhibitions. Munden was famous both as a speed-draw specialist and a trick shooter with all types of firearms. He was recognized as “The Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived” in the Guinness Book of World Records. As a star of Shooting USA’s “Impossible Shots” TV show, Munden provided amazing demonstrations of shooting skills for a national television audience — such as splitting a playing card tossed in the air. Many of Munden’s famous trick shots were “first-ever” challenges, tricks that no other marksman had ever done before.

Over the years Bob, often with his wife Becky (who is also a skilled shooter), appeared on many television shows, most famously American Shooter, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Stan Lee’s Superhumans, Shooting USA, and Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots. Munden is featured in DVDs including Bob Munden: Outrageous Shooting and Bob Munden: The Collector’s Edition.

Registered as members #118 and #119 respectively, Bob and Becky entertained at the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) End of Trail World Championships of Cowboy Action Shooting 30 times with what Becky proudly said was the most complex presentation ever offered at an exhibition shooting show. She added that Bob was Cowboy Action Shooting’s first gunsmith. After her beloved Bob passed away this week, Becky said: “We had an incredible, memorable life together.”