Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Dave Scovill I called him out before so now some praise.

A month or so back I made a post about his wandering in his articles.

Well now a little praise. His article in the latest Rifle on takedown rifles was well written and to the point and didn't seem to wander.

I figure If I can call him out for wandering it's only fair to say when he did a good job. Was a interesting and informative article and I wasn't even interested in take down rifles. Now I think I need to find a take down Savage 99 in either .250-3000 or .300 savage.

7mms..,

I've read firearms mags since I bought a G and A about1963.
Read or subscribed to them all thru the years. I never heard the name Dave Scoville until I subscribed to Rifle a few years ago. He claims to be the idea man behind Hawk and the triple shock bullet. However, the only time I've seen his name in print was when he wrote it.

I could be wrong but from his writing I get the impression of a curmudgeon, hard to get along with and self impressed. He wrote two articles belittling Jack O'Connor, one titled "Who is Jack O'Connor?" My question was who the hell are you?

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His article on BC was not only interesting but very well written. powdr

I get a kick out of reading Dave's musings. Some of it is sort of "train-of-thought" but that's a valid form if you can accept it. He has valid insights and he brings that extra quality of being in the firearms lifestyle and provides insights into that.

"I could be wrong but from his writing I get the impression of a curmudgeon, hard to get along with and self impressed."

That sounds like JOC to me.

Agreed.

Back when I was younger and knew a lot more than I do today, I wrote him a letter (pre email days) telling him everything he was doing wrong to my favorite magazines and how he should go back to doing it the way Neil Knox did. He did me the favor of a letter in reply and straightened me out in a fashion that required no interpretation or reading between the lines. We corresponded after that for a while and I think we both learned a little.

Plus he's a crotchety been-there-done-that SOB that tells it like it is. I like his candor and his experience. I can't get enough of "truth" these days.

Dave does like to state his opinion, and his opinions are usually based on considerable experience. But he can also be persuaded to change his mind if the other person has a good argument.

My first encounter with Dave took place in 1991, when for various reasons I decided to try to write for some different magazines. I'd always liked Rifle and Handloader, and Wolfe had started upgrading them with better paper and color photos, and was also paying more for freelance articles. So I wrote Dave a letter, asking if he'd be interested in an article on "modern pressure" loads for the .257 Roberts.

I provided some examples in my letter, including one with 100-grain bullets. He wrote back saying that velocity was impossible with 100's from the .257. I wrote back, pointing out that the same velocity was found in several sources of pressure-tested data for 100-grain bullets in the 6mm Remington, and aside from a slight difference in shoulder angle, the 6mm is the .257 necked down. He wrote back, saying I was obviously right, and assigned me the article.

Gotta respect a man who's willing to listen to reason. I always read his pieces, both for good information and for the curmudgeonly aspect. I like both.

I enjoy his writings, especially on the 7x57 and the .375 Scovill ( 9.3 necked up to .375 in an 1895 Browning lever gun) I liked Keith and O'Conner...hard to imagine two more headstrong, opinionated guys, ha.

I agree with Mule Deer that Dave doesnt like to change his opinions any more than anyone else but he is always willing to listen and change them. Dave is an intelligent man, still opinionated, but at least he has earned his right to them.

I like the way Dave cut through all the B.S. gives his opinion, gives his reason, and questions what is going on.

I subscribe to many gun and hunting magazines, in the USA and Europe.
I always read Mr Scovill with pleasure even if the subject of his article may not be one to hold an interest per se.(to me)
His writing has an endearing quality that I attribute to authenticity and experience combined.

Fixed it for you.