The 'Dave Petzal Thread' appears every couple of years and always yields a chuckle.
For some fine reading, consider the stories in this issue of F&S:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photo...-best-classic-hunting-and-fishing-storieF&S has been at the top of the heap for many, many years. Many good outdoor mags have come and gone; others, like SA, lost their way (and perhaps returned). Mr. Petzal has been both writing and editing there for a lot of years as well.
This means he makes his living, doing what many fine writers would love to do but are not good enough, at a typewriter. That probably means he can't spend 50 or 60 hours per week shooting rifles...snip
His writing has touched hundreds of thousands of readers. They mostly don't care about minutes of angle and twist rates, and wouldn't think of shooting 300 yards. They want to enjoy the woods with good rifles. Their scopes will never break. They don't care about shooting after dark.Those folks read Petzal, enjoy it, and become better hunters and shooters. Some of them gravitate to the loonie fringe, hang out at places like 24HR, and spend serious time studying bullet drift at 900 yards. I'm among both camps...annuder snip
If anyone can write better, regardless of whether they've shot more and better rifles at more animals in more places, which is unlikely, I'm sure F&S would love to see their work. Petzal will decide if it's worth reading.
I agree with this assessment. Not everyone cares about, or can afford copper bullets, Leupold scopes or Sako rifles. Some can, but don't bother. They enjoy the hunt, but are loathe to worry about small details. They love the whole experience - the campfire, the camaraderie, the outdoors (forest or fields) and even the trip there and back. What they don't care about is what you mentioned - MOA, twist rates, bullet drift, etc. Many would label this 'minutiae'.
I don't own many Leupolds at the present time because they are overpriced for my needs. Yes, you read that correctly. I would be inclined to buy one if they were cheaper,
and if I owned fewer rifles. None of my rifles ever gets a work out like someone who shoots competitive benchrest. Bushnells and Nikons abound in my lockers. My scopes are all guaranteed for more years than I'll be hanging around, and Leupold's warranty is no better. While reputation is important, warranties are useless when a scope goes south in the middle of nowhere.
Petzal has a lock on his audience. F&S know this, or he wouldn't be there anymore. Eventually he'll quit, retire or get fired, but that's par for the course in that business. What he does, he does very well.
I like his wit myself. Dave Petzal has one major problem today and that is he grew old. The young Bucks want someone they can relate to, someone interested in the current black rifle craze, who thinks Bergers and shooting at 600 yard plus is where it is at. He doesn't seem all that enthused about Bic rifles...
Getting old sucks, and this might be a reason why Jim Zumbo found himself in hot water. We are all products of our age, and it takes work to be able to bridge the generations. He goofed.
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StocksFor me, wooden stocks are silly. They can be pretty to look at, but when I'm getting rained on or handling a rifle roughly, wood will give out before synthetic. My choice. Others will disagree. It doesn't make my reasons wrong, just different. We do not share the same values or requirements.
ScopesTo me, variables make more sense for varmint hunters and long range shooters - especially when there some heat coming off the ground, or the target appears at varying distances. But that doesn't mean they all use variables. Even those made by Leupold. It doesn't make their reasons wrong, just different. They do not share the same values or requirements.
The world is a large place. Hunting is different when you travel more than a few miles or chase different species. It's all good. Live and let live.
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