Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Boddington got it right

I've just shared a hunting camp with Craig in Argentina, and he is a very congenial sort without ego. Quick with a laugh and generous with his time and opinions. We talked about many subjects which included filming hunts. Let me say this:

It is very, very difficult to hunt and make film at the same time.

In addition to the camera, the sound man, the equipment stooges rattling around in the bush, you have to worry about the lighting, you not only need to get yourself into position to shoot, you need to get the cameraman and sound guy in position too. You don't think that goes unnoticed to the quarry?

How many trophies are taken in fading light, by spotting a horn or ear serendipitously in bush, or by old fashion hard work tramping threw the thick stuff. Can't do that with 1/2 of Hollywood on your tail.

Then add to that deadlines and costs. You can't extend a hunt an extra week if you had to pass up shoots that couldn't be filmed, and you can't whack everything you see without regard to the camera, which would be gluttony and unethical.

I am certain that when Craig hunts for pleasure, his marksmanship is to be admired.

As for the USMCR thing, it's appropriate on a book cover. He always introduces himself as "Craig" not "Colonel or General" unlike Art Alphin who is always "Colonel Alphin".

hatari,

I appreciate your comments.
It would be like taking your Boy Scout Troop on an elk hunt with you!!

Also:
I'd be very interested in seeing what firearm(s) Craig would use in the field, when it's his own time and money.
He uses the Ruger line a lot. Both the 77 and #1, which I find perfectly in line with game and circumstances, we the public get to see.
But what's really in his hands when Ruger and Hornaday aren't watching??? I'm guessing it's not an Encore!!

Ah, a 'fouler shot' you say. I saw him fire 7 shots at a Cape
Buffalo. Which one of these shots was the fouler? I've also seen
him shot at a lion (under 50 yds) three times, a couple of which
were either clean misses of hits NOT in the vitals. I think his
PH provided the coup d'grace before the lion got into the tall
grass. I'm not criticizing follow-up shots on dangerous African
game, just not sure that his shots were follow-up or still trying to hit the animal. This is somewhat complicated because
his PH doing his job, also fired to put down the animal.

This doesn't even come close to other North American game I've witnessed (via TV) him 'shoot' with several 'fouler shots' fired afterwards!

I know and respect he's a reserve Marine Brig General. And I also
know he used to write excellent hunting articles when he was just
another hunting scribe. I also know that over the years of reading his articles he seemed to lose a bit of his insight. Then
when Kevin "Doctari" Robertson came out with his "Perfect Shot"
for African game, Mr Boddington's jonny-come-lately volume on the
"Perfect Shot" for North American game wasn't just a poor second,
but seriously lacking any intelligent discussion of ballistics,
cartridges, and bullets. Long story short, it wasn't an authoritative book like Mr Robertson's book was about African game! In short, Mr Boddington's book was filled with advertising
spin collected over the last 30-yrs. Such writing is easily obtained by reading a writer trying to break into the trade, so to speak.

Conversely, I'm not an international hunter (by choice), nor
do I 'need to be one'. I'm satisfied hunting North American big game (including Alaska). Nor do I make a big deal about it.
And yes, I've missed my share of shots. But if I miss, I own it.
No fault except my own. I've also racked up a number of one-shot kills over the years (which is my goal).

No glamour, no magnums, no hype. Just plain good shooting, good
shot placement, quality bullets, and good hunting skills. I apologize for not remembering the good Dr's name, but a Southern
gentleman (I think from Georgia), made it his mission to take all the North American game animals with a 30-06 ( I think his name was Y.O. Jones). He wrote a book about his adventures and I
loved it. Yes he acknowledged that with any given specie, there
were better cartridges than the 30-06. But he stuck to his gun
(and reloads). A very interesting read for anyone interested.
His goal was to take every animal with the 30-06! He succeeded.
Far better reading than Mr Boddington bloviating about anything.

I guess I'll toss my hat in the ring on this one, my first post.

I like Boddington's writing. I can't comment on his TV show as I don't own a television, and I've never met him so I can't make any personal comments, but my friend Ed Nixon guided him on several hunts here in NW Montana and always spoke well of him as a person and as a client.

I wish I had 1/10 of Boddington's experience and writing ability!

Blacktail,
I guess my emphasis is that Boddington was once very good, but
as the years accumalated, time changed everything.

If you find his writings insightful and enlightening, so be it.
You keep on learning. After all, that is the only thing important!

Respectfully,
Travelr

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Travelr47,

i've got to jump into this one. The guy you are talking about from Georgia is J. Y. Jones, a very religious and fine man. He lives in south Georgia, and I've enjoyed meeting him though SCI.

As for the perfect shot, I've met both Kevin Robertson and Craig. They share the same publisher. Kevin doesn't have the expertise to do North America, and Craig does. Blame Ludo Wurbain at Safari Press if you didn't like TPSNA. He oversaw both projects. (Ludo is a great guy, too)

I will repeat that hunting and filming are a bad mix. I've tried to hunt and get still photos for article fodder and found you can't do that very well together either. you can hunt, you can take pictures. It's hard to do both.

As for the question of what Craig hunts with when nobody's sponsoring him? He's left handed, so keep that in mind. he likes pre-64 Winchesters and Remingtons because they come Southpaw.

For more Boddington bashing, check my thread:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...owflat/Number/2962724/page/1#Post2962724

I reckon most gun writers would like to be able to show up in a hunting camp and not be recognized and get to hunt like a regular guy. No hey your article about (fill in the blank) was BS! Is my rig good enough? Will you autograph my (fill in the blank)?

As I've posted before, I've only met him once, at the Eastern Outdoor Show many years ago. A helluva good guy. We exchanged a few letters as well, and he's still a helluva good guy. He learns from his mistakes, as we all should, and modifies his opinions based on experience. If he screws up, he says so, too. More than can be said for many of us. And, the icing on the cake: the .30/06 is still his favorite caliber in a hunting rifle. A year or two ago, he hunted everything with a Ruger 77 '06, and had a good time doing it.

Of course the .270 and .280 are great deer rounds , but no better or worse than a hole bunch of others.
My favorites are the .257 Roberts ,the 7X57 the 30,06 the .308 and the .257 Weatherby . I really want to try the 6mm Remington one day.
I juts like the Mauser based rounds...tj3006