Sharpshooter Joe Bowman, who grew up in Asheville, dead at 84

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Washington Post obituary here:

Joe Bowman, a nationally known Texas sharpshooter who could blast an aspirin to powder at 30 paces and split a playing card edgewise at 20, died June 29 in Junction, Tex.

Mr. Bowman, who called himself the Straight Shooter and the Master of Triggernometry, performed at gun shows, rodeos and conventions across the country.

Always movie-cowboy resplendent in a 10-gallon hat, embroidered shirt and Western-style pants stuffed into ornate, hand-sewn boots — attire he made himself — Mr. Bowman performed thousands of shows, including command performances for King Hussein of Jordan and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Mr. Bowman also created portraits by shooting holes in thin sheets of metal.

Joseph Lee Bowman was born April 12, 1925, in Johnson City, Tenn., where he started shooting at age 6, and spent many of his formative years in Asheville, N.C., and Houston