Who is your favorite gunwriter?

Who didn't grow up on O'Connor and Bob Milek was a favorite also. Pat McMannus' "The Sequence" still serves me to this day.

Rick Jamison 'cause he wrote the first coyote hunting book I ever read. Jim Carmichael for his passion for accurate rifles and varmint shooting. And, lately I've been impressed with the technical but down-to-earth writing of John Barsness on the Fire also.
 
I gotta say, I just read a piece by John Haviland and he never ceases to amaze me with his off base comments. He is just simply not good IMO.....
 
Jim Zumbo
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At this time I do not have a favorite. Most writers either reflect on their own personal firearms collection or are advertising a firearm for a company. The articles that I find are almost the same as the info posted on the companys websites. I just have a hard time with vanilla articles. I feel as though I wasted my money, when I read some of these articles. I sure would like to see a different perspective when it comes to firearms articles. You can agree or disagree with me, but its just my opinion.
 
Originally Posted By: chefpierreAt this time I do not have a favorite. Most writers either reflect on their own personal firearms collection or are advertising a firearm for a company. The articles that I find are almost the same as the info posted on the companys websites. I just have a hard time with vanilla articles. I feel as though I wasted my money, when I read some of these articles. I sure would like to see a different perspective when it comes to firearms articles. You can agree or disagree with me, but its just my opinion.

I'll pretty much go along with your thoughts. I don't trust any gun writers when it comes to firearm reviews. After all, you can't say something is crap and still expect your magazine to get advertising dollars. I've also read "secrets of the rut" in one form or another for the last 20 years. There's only so many ways to talk about hunting deer, coyote, etc.
 
Ross Seyfried, if you can find his work. Very knowledgeable and has "been around" (lived in South Africa, IPSC World Champion pistol shooter). He has some unusual views backed by experience and a knack for explaining them.

I grew up reading Cooper and O'Connor, great stuff and valuable long after their demise.
 
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Originally Posted By: bigsky_songdogsi like a lot of them , but i really enjoy Mike "Duke" Venturino.

He writes good. When we 1st moved to Montana about 15yrs ago, I couldn't wait to meet him. Finally got the chance at the gun store where my wife used to work. He came in and was visiting the owner of the store, who introduced me to him. We chatted for a bit when my wife (A Marine rifle/pistol coach/PMI) returned behind the counter with a few 1911's to price out and put under glass in the display case when "The Duke" commented to the store owner "Oh, you got skirts doing mans work now eh?" in a very condescending tone.
My wife launched unlike I have ever seen before, came around the corner of the display case and proceeded to let Mr. Venturino know the health risks of being 400 lbs on a 6 foot frame and made some reference about him doing somethin sexual to himself. The shop owner starting busting a gut and told "The Duke" he might want to drive very carefully in our county as the little "Skirt" is also a Sweetgrass county Dept Sheriff.

Venturino can lick the sweat off my scrotum.

My wife also shot "A" class USPSA/IPSC with me in the early 90's and currently is the high qualifier for her dept. (3 years running)
 
Most of the one's I like have already been mentioned except Jon R Sundra. I like his mag. "The Compleat Rifleman" that comes out ounce a year.
 
That is a great story, I love it.
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I got pulled over by the Michigan State Police coming up out of Indiana yesterday evening. Woman officer. She clocked me going 81 mph in a 70 mph zone.

Told her I was only going 75 mph. Which, honestly, is what I thought. Wasn't trying to BS her.

She asked me what I was doing. Told her I was coming back from my 2 daughters' basketball tourney in Indiana. Still had the shirt and wristband on. She asked me where the kids were then. Told her a few miles back with my wife, we had to drive separately. Told her I was gonna catch [beeep] when they see me pulled over.

She asked if I had any drugs/alcohol/cigarettes(from over the state line) on board. I told her no. Told her she could look in the 2 coolers I had in the Jeep. She didn't bother looking, and let me go, no ticket.

I thought she was pretty cool, and also had a lot of respect for her. It ain't easy for a woman to do "men's jobs". And the ones that do them, certainly do not like to be told about it. If I had been anything other than polite, I'm quite certain the outcome would have been different........
 
'My wife launched unlike I have ever seen before, came around the corner of the display case and proceeded to let Mr. Venturino know the health risks of being 400 lbs on a 6 foot frame and made some reference about him doing somethin sexual to himself. The shop owner starting busting a gut and told "The Duke" he might want to drive very carefully in our county as the little "Skirt" is also a Sweetgrass county Dept Sheriff.'

CJAY
I like your wife and don't even know her.

I think "the Duke" is bored with writing and should retire. Check American Handgunner NOV/DEC 2009 Page 44 in the "Shooting Iron" column: "A full time writer's worst nightmare is (or should be) boredom. If he becomes bored, his writing will be boring. At best, what a writer has going for him is not especially his knowledge, it's his enthusiasm and the ability to infect a reader with it."
I quit reading his articles then. I don't currently find his writing "infectious" at all.
Note to Mike: Retire. Please. Nothing personal. You know it's true and admit it. Tell Roy to let you go. Give us someone who has passion.
I miss Steve Timm's writing from Handloader and Varmint Hunter.
Elmer Keith and John Taffin and Ross Seyfried are classics. Brian Pearce is better as he matures in his writing, Phil Shoemaker always comes through in his ability to make it interesting. Clint Smith's writing is terrific and relevant.

Just one guys opinion...
 
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Good posting 2muchgun..
I thought Jack O'Connor knew everything when I was a kid. I was given an OL subscription and read everything from cover to cover. I realised later that my opinions and Mr O'connor's were different on a lot of things, but the man could tell a story. I wonder how much time I have spent in O'connors camp, or helping him spot or track?
Never cared for Elmer Keith. He thought he made a bigger thump than reality, imo.
Gerry Blair would be high on my list, but I don't think he is still writing. Barsness is real good as well. McManus helped me get through school, so I owe him at least a mention. Petzal is a pretty good read for me too. Van Zwoll as well.
I do not read anything by Jamison, or Zumbo or Bynum or a few others.

In my opinion, most of today's writers are writing the same story 9 different ways. You can read the same story retold in several different mags. Typewriter jockeys they were referred to in the old days. If they spent more time hunting/shooting and doing it differently instead of just another muley, whitetail etc. hunt it would make for better stories and less reader blahs. That's my thoughts.
 
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunJamison put out some decent stuff....
Yep, I read my dad's old copy of "Calling Coyotes" all the time.
 
Jamison also did some nice work in the handloading dept. Most of his stuff was pretty in depth. I never found any of it that enlightening, but that does not take away from the body of work. He was pretty extensive, for the most part, and I like that. There are only a few guys like this around. M.L McPherson comes to mind, as does Bob Forker. They are old timers who know their shitt.

As for Seyfried, he is probably one of the best ever, IMO. He was one of the names who I was waiting to pop up. Very knowledgable, good writer. HIGHLY experienced, and it shows.

Shoemaker is another guy whose opinion I value. When he talk about bear hunting and bear hunting cartridges/rifles, I listen. Down to earth, no BS, and just plain knowledgable........
 
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