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Freedom wasn't free. Today they want our guns. What will they want tommorow?

All for different reasons (and all with different philosophies) but all entertaining and informative.

Great handle. This is Hillbillyberry replying.

Finn Aagaard deserves to rank with Townsend Whelen, Elmer Keith, and Jack O'Connor in the dead poet's society.

Of the living oracles, IMHO, the best are Ross Seyfried, Layne Simpson, and Jon R. Sundra. Rick Jamison and M. L. McPherson are treading close behind.

Craig Boddington deserves a category all his own, more of a field reporter and entertainer, most prolific lately, it appears he is out to conquer the world as a one man assault force.

Peter Hathaway Capstick should be classed with Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark, true artistes all.

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Good huntin' and shootin',
Bwanawannabe, Daktari Ron

[This message has been edited by lastmohecken (edited 03-25-2001).]

I enjoyed reading Skeeter Skeleton too.

Finn Aagard and Bob Milek. From the current crop of writers Sitton (I forgot his first name) and Ken Waters.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

As to Boddington, he has sold out to custom makers. He should stick to the products and hunts the common man can afford for most of his stories. As a career ACTIVE DUTY member of our military I also find his constant use of a reserve (weekend warrior) rank a little old. In short, too much ego, too little substance.

Mac

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When hunting and fishing get in the way of your job, it is time to quit the job!

Of course, the kids will never know it.

Will

As to Boddington, he has sold out to custom makers.

I agree with all those who mentioned Jack O'Connor as the favorite. He was my favorite too. Ironically, if they were to go back now and re-read his articles, I think many people would be put off because he had a florid style, quite unlike the more limpid style that is the norm today. Also, O'Connor himself mostly used custom rifles on his hunts (almost always based on Model 70 actions) and wrote a lot about them. He also championed the Winchester 21 side-by-side shotgun.

I agree too that Elmer Keith, Thownsend Whelen, and the late Finn Aagaard were especially good, almost but not quite rising to the same level as O'Connor in my estimation.

As a former Marine, I know what you are talking about when Boddingtin constantly falls back on his weekend warrior rank. Reminds me of all the yahoos who write for those Solider of Fortune magazines with National Guard commisions. I wonder what it is that Boddington did in the Marines, I doubt he was a Grunt or in a Line unit, usually jarheads mention it. He must have sat behind a typewriter one weekened a month for the last 20 years or so.

Bill

Jack O'Conner

Wooters and Sundra are also very high on my list of good gun writers of this era.
BB

Sooner

Alive and writing: John Barsness, Brian Pearce, Ross Seyfried, Layne Simpson, Rick Jamison, John Taffin, Ken Waters.

Former managing editor of Gun World, Dean Grennell, was a favorite. He helped me see reloading as an end as well as a means to an end. I've not see his writing in quite awhile and don't know his status.

[This message has been edited by BigIron (edited 03-27-2001).]

As someone mentioned earlier, I think of Capstick as being in the Hemingway, Ruark class.

Aagaard.

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[This message has been edited by phurley (edited 03-27-2001).]

I wonder if a few of you fellows who are more widely read would mention your favorite works by O'connor, Keith, Aagard, and Whelen. I'll be on the lookout for them, though I realize that O'connor wrote much of his stuff as magazine columns.

Where is Capstick?? Perhaps in a seperate "Adventure Writer" class? In that class, given a limited base of experience, I would have to praise the old writer Russel Anabell (spelling?) His stuff on Alaska fueled me for years. Did he fictionalize? I don't know.

On Gunwriting in General:

I realize that O'connor made his living primarily as a magazine editor/writer, which means his bread was buttered by advertisers.
However, I still find a night/day difference between his work and the work of the current crop of gun writers. I never felt that O'connor wrote ad copy. And I know that his work taught good things about shooting and hunting, to the point of raising the caliber (no pun intended) of the shooting public in general.

This overall positive impact/elevation of the sport is very difficult to acheive for a gun writer. I know of no one who did this as well as O'connor.

I also like Dave Petzal's writing at F&S. I know, I know, F&S is way too "general public" for us real gun lovers.

But the fact is that Petzal is a very good writer. He is also a very good editor. And as the editor of F&S, the line he must walk between product sponsorship and straight journalism is very thin indeed.

Sure, he touts products -- but tastefully -- even honestly, I will go so far as to say. And for every word he spends praising a good product, he spends many preaching things about shooting/hunting that will benefit the average hunter. His never-ending diatribe against the practice of once-a-year shooting comes to mind. After reading his work, I get the feeling he lived it before he wrote it.

By the way, where in NC are you, hillbillybear? I am in Wake county.

Good reading, Talus

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Gerard Schultz
GS Custom Bullets

Haven't read all that much of many of the others (dead) to say much about them.

As a CAREER active duty naval officer, I've had the pleasure of meeting Col. Boddington a few times. Yes it is true that he is a reservist, but he has done considerable active duty time and has served his country honorably. If you don't like the man's writings or opinions, fine, but don't impugn a man's record if you have NO CLUE.

Of the current writers, Ross Seyfried, Jeff Cooper, Mic McPherson, Mike Venturino, Rick Jamison and Sam Fadala are my favourites. Brian Pearce will get there.

The gun magazine that's gone down hill the most? Guns&Ammo, hands down!

Bye
Jack

Daryl

I don't want to mention the "best" writer, I can't really decide, but I do want to mention the only gunwriter I know who can measure a group accurately; not a small feat in that genre: Our very own Stefan Karlsson.

-- Mats