Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What Happened to Bob Milek?

A colaboration would be a great idea.

I liked reading articles Bob Milek wrote.........made me feel good about shooting a 35whelen, I will never shoot more game animals than with the 35.

I doubt that a complete archive of Bob's articles still exists anywhere.

I met Bob Milek strolling around the shot show a few years before his death. I had to ask him about the Remington .280 mountain rifle he was shooting and writing about in "Petersons Hunting" and the velocitys he was getting which was 2975 FPS and I can't remember the bullet. I asked him why the "Accuracy" was never printed on his load and his reply was accuracy was a personnal issue to the editors and they preferred the velocity data.

He was a small man with a slender build about 5'6" as I recall.

Doc

I enjoyed Mr. Milek being a voice of reason in the Magnum era.


ddj

Great thread Farmall. The specialty pistol writings (mostly) of Bob Milek's in Petersen's Hunting actually had a pretty strong influence on a lifelong friendship between myself and another buddy. I met this friend of mine while hitchhiking many years ago in No. CO, and saw a Thompson Center brochure on his seat. I was also into the specialty pistols some at the time, and we struck up a friendship based on varmint shooting and deer/antelope hunting with SP's. This was back in the mid-to late '80s', and we couldn't wait for the next issue of PH to come out so we could read whatever the next Milek project was at the time--the most fascinating gun stuff out in those days...we thought. I often wonder what he would think of some of the MONTROUS SP's that are now being chambered in the XP-100 (huge 338's, etc.).

Couple years ago Rich Mertz, designer of the MOA handgun started putting on a long-range handgun shoot-- www.moaguns.com that we are helping with. Rich talks fondly about Bob, as he is also one that would be on Ken's "long list". I can only wish now that I would have had a chance to meet him.

I actually got ahold of his wife several years ago in an attempt to try to get an old video of his back in production, "Hunting Antelope and Deer With a Handgun," i think it was entitled, but didn't come to fruition, unfortunately.

Oh, but I how wish I could visit and loosen your tongue long enough to get some good stories about those on the "S" list. that would be worth a round for the house.

"Oh, but I how wish I could visit and loosen your tongue long enough to get some good stories about those on the "S" list. that would be worth a round for the house."

That was sort of what I was thinking when I posted the question.

One of the most enjoyable days that I've ever spent was in late 82 or early 83. I was on a Sierra bullets sponsored Prairie Dog shoot in Goodland, KS. I got to spend the day in the backseat of an International Harvester Scout with Bob Milek. Our host, C.W. Wade was driving/guiding and Bill Jordan was in the front, passenger seat. In those days, we never got out of the vehicles--the windows all had padding around them and C.W. would simply steer the vehicle to position us for shots. Bill Jordan was about as diametrically opposite of Bob as anyone could be. He was tall, talkative and very funny. He and Bob would tease each other endlessly. While Jordan had a beautiful Wichita Arms in triple deuce, Bob was shooting a Contender with a .223 barrel. When shot out of the rear-passenger window, the muzzle of Bob's Contender was perfectly positioned to be deafening for Jordan--it was almost right in his ear--as a WWII Marine, Jordan was mostly deaf, but the blast from that short barrel would also rock the Scout a little and made for some really humorous comments from Jordan. At the time I was writing for Guns/American Handgunner and alittle for Peterson Specialty Books and was primarily an IPSC shooter. Later that day we went to a shooting range and I got a picture of Bob shooting an IPSC, compensated race-gun--very un-like his persona! Wish I could find that pic.

He put the "gentle" in gentleman and I think of him fondly every time I go thru Thermopolis.

Bill Jordan and I were also talking about his writing for Handloader and Rifle when Pete ruined everything with those accursed exclusive contracts.

Bill had no hobby interest in handguns. He loved to hunt with rifles and shotguns, but Guns & Ammo wouldn't let him write about anything other than handguns and Skeeter. I once remarked that any thought of a handgun probably brought back memories that he'd rather forget, while thoughts of rifles, shotguns, or hunting brought back fond memories. Bill shot a quick look at me, obviously startled that I'd have that insight, and said "That's true!" Then he looked far out into deep space and murmured "That's very true!"

Just think of all the wonderful hunting yarns that Guns & Ammo wouldn't let Bill write! At least we had those wonderful Bob Milek yarns and Bill's Skeeter stories.

My friend Skeeter was also a wealth of missed opportunities. He and I had a bunch of hunts lined-up, all of which he missed.

My last contact with Skeeter is still a sad memory. He kept saying that he owed me something but couldn't remember what or why. He didn't owe me anything, but he took my reassurances of that fact as simple graciousness and went away still thinking that he owed me something. To this day, I have no idea what he was thinking about.

Ken ,when the you mentioned two lists,I knew we would never see the short one, you always come across as too much of a gentlemen,however that leaves the long list.

Bart Skelton did a drive by the Campfire a couple of years ago. Hope we didn't scare him off. Do you have any contact with Bart?

The flip side of the short list �

I've often been appalled by readers' condemnation of some of the finest fellows on the long list. Bob Milek, Ed Matunas, and of course Elmer Keith spring to mind as prominent examples of outstanding gentlemen who've been repeatedly denounced by readers who obviously didn't know 'em.

And FWIW, all the guys on my short list have their loyal fans among readers who obviously don't know 'em.

IIRC, Bart's in the Border Patrol � if so, he's busier 'n a one-legged man at a snake-stompin'.

Jordan had a slight speech impediment which caused him to soften his "r's" - he sounded slightly like Elmer Fudd. Ken, not to disagree with you, but Jordan would have said, "That's vewy twue!" He had an obtuse sense of humor and was a born-again-ragin-cajun from Louisianna (I'm assuming that everyone knows that the term "coon-a$$" is NOT a racial pejorative but a name that cajuns use to refer to themselves). When he found out that our host/guide was a third generation Texan he said, "you know the diffewence between a coon-a$$ and a horses-a$$?" C.W. said, "no." Jordan replied, "the Sabine wiver!" Milek came unglued at that one! The whole day went down hill from there (or uphill depending upon your viewpoint). Fond memories.

I believe it was Bob Milek who wrote an article on the 1911 and the 45acp a dozen years or so ago. I no longer have my copy. It might have appeared in Guns and Ammo, or perhaps whatever magazine that Jan Libourel used to edit? I just recall it being a really enjoyable article to read. He talked about the steps he went through to get the slightly customized stainless gun assembled, with this part from soandso, and that component from soandso, and the fact that he was pleased with it, because it acquitted itself well at the range with no muss and no fuss -- it put those big fat bullets right where he wanted them. And that was good enough for him. And it was good enough for me... I bought a stainless 1911 not long thereafter, with thoughts of lightly customizing it, and never got around to it. He passed away not long thereafter I believe, and I miss reading any more of his articles.

Great stories. Up until about 2001, I had an incredible 20-25 year stash of G&A and a few other mags, but "the Woman" made me divest myself of all that stuff, when I sold my place and we moved to her house. All I got to keep were the Handloader and Rifle mags.

Most of my Bob, Finn, Bill and Elmer articles are long gone.

Musta been blinded by love or lust? Probably just sheer stupidity.

One of my earliest recollections of Bob Milek, was an article about speed goats and the 25-06. Was on the verge of getting a 25-06 anyway, but that made the chore even more urgent. No 'lopes here in PA, but I've enjoyed every whitetail taken with that cartridge in the past 25+ years. I also miss Milek's contributions and have for many years.

Ken: sure good to have you back!

gmoats, that was hysterical! I love hearing stories like that about people that I wish I could've hunted with. Thanks to all for sharing their stories, and by all means, please continue!

Being new to this site I don't want to take up too much space until I have a better feel for the board but will tell one more story--this one about Jordan not Milek.

In late 83 or early 84 the NRA started a "Practical Shooting Committee." The members were Bill Jordan, Ray Chapman, John Bianchi, Jeff Cooper and a few less notables such as myself. Jordan and Cooper were polar opposites in terms of personalities---Jordan a wit, Cooper an intellectual---they were at odds on almost everything that the board discussed. Both were WWII Marines and basically deaf as posts. Jordan said something like, "we have to make sure that dis here spowt is faiw fow wheelgunners and not just fow fowty-five shooters." At that, Cooper would lean forward and say, "what did he say?" We'd repeat Bill's comments to Jeff and he'd say something like, "no, no, no 'practical' shooting is about setting up a realistic scenario and letting the shooter solve it with whatever tool works best." At that point Jordan would lean forward and say, "what did he say?" I wish that they had video taped those meetings--between the partisan shooting disciplines and constant repeating-at-louder-decibles, the meetings were funny, albeit frustrating, wastes of time. They did make fond memories however.