Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Les Bowman

If I remember this stuff with any kind of accuracy, Les Bowman lived in Wyoming. Apparently, he was a top quality guide and rifleman and JOC seemed to put a lot of stock in him. I don't recall ever seeing any writing with his (Bowman's) name on it which is perhaps unfortunate.
He seemed to be a very interesting person. Anybody here have any first hand stories or other biographical info on him?

Royce

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1952282/1


http://www.randyscustomrifles.com/history.html


http://www.abebooks.com/Hunting-Americas-Game-Animals-Birds-Elman/1206620009/bd



I just remember his stuff in some of the older magazines, likely G&A, NRA etc.

Pretty good article by Simpson on Les Bowman and the 7 Rem Mag.

There is also the 1986 American Rifle article by Aggard and Bowmen on the origins of the cartridge and how it came to be. One of the few cartridges that got hands on field testing before it was introduced.

Hope I did the link correctly.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/remingtons-big-seven/

Bowman wrote some articles that were published over the years, but not a lot. Two I recalled immediately appeared in P.O. Ackley's Handbook for Reloaders and Shooters, where an essay from Bowman (perhaps a long letter written to Ackley) appears in the chapter on "Killing Power." Another on the origins of the 7mm Remington Magnum appeared in American Hunter as half of a 2-part special, the other half written by Finn Aagaard.

Bowman started out in the aircraft industry and apparently did quite well, selling his Texas business in 1949 and moving to Wyoming where he became a hunting outfitter. He was a rifle loony with enough money to play around with many rifles, and became well-known in the industry thanks to writing some and guiding hunters such as Jack O'Connor and various manufacturers, such a Fred Huntington of RCBS, and some of the higher-ups in Remington, including Mike Walker. He also knew a hell of a lot about what worked on North American big game, due to both his own extensive experience and guiding so many hunters. Apparently his outfitting operation was eventually quite extensive.

He was actually a pretty good writer, but didn't need the money so only wrote occasionally. I seem to remember a few of his other articles appearing in Gun Digest (and maybe Handloader's Digest) over the years.

I recall one or two articles for Handloader/Rifle magazine as well that he wrote. He seemed to be a very practical and knowledgeable guy.

He also guided people like Warren Page, and Abdorezha Pahlavi, brother of the Shah of Iran in his outfitting days. Elk Heaven was a popular place I guess.

I seem to remember an article of Bowman's that appeared in Gun Digest, sometime in the '90s (I think) about the failure of the Colt-Sharps rifle back in the early '70s, recounting his own involvement in that project. I know I've read other articles penned by Bowman, but none come to mind.

Funny....I had forgotten his involvement in the Sharps rifle. I saw one of those today. Very unusual rifle to find out there.

I have a hardcover called "Gun Talk" which has an article he wrote called "Western Rifles". Good Writer, great Article. As JOC said about him "His stuff just makes sense"

Les Bowman and his wife Martie were both barnstorming pilots in the 1920s. I think she also competed in airplane races. Their daughter "Larnie" flew with them, and I think performed some wing-walking stunts. I know that she was one of the younger licensed pilots ever at age 12. Some legislators got nervous about a pre-teen flying around over their heads, with the result that minimal age of licensing was raised to 16.

Les died in 1987 and Martie in 1985. A dozen years ago Larnie started to sell off some of her parents effects on eBay. Her children were not interested in shooting and hunting. I snagged two books by Jack O'Connor that had belonged to Les. They were gifts to him from O'Connor, autographed to his old friend Les Bowman. The books were sent with some clipped articles written by Bowman and about him too.

Larnie died in 2012. For a number of years Larnie and her children maintained a web site about Les and Martie's flying career. The link I had for that site has gone dead.

Google found a link to an aviation page about the Bowmans: http://dmairfield.com/people/bowman_le/index.html

--Bob

I have a really good article written by Les Bowman about the 7x57 mauser. Its what convinced me to by one.I need to look for it; its in the garage I hope! Seems like it was in one of Peterson's Hunting Semi-annual hunting "special" edition issues.
"In the garage" means magazine article, NOT rifle. Whew!

Cool article. Thanks for putting it up Bob.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for posting it.

A very good friend of mine lives in Cody and guided for Bowman quite a bunch of years ago. Les gave him a 700 in 7mm mag that has accounted for numerous elk. A few years ago, my friend's son insisted that he take the old outdated 4x Weaver off and replace it with a modern day "wonder scope." Jerry, my amigo, brought the outfit to me to do the job and our friend Ten Sleep loaded some ammo for Jerry. I changed scopes and rings, cleaned the rifle up a little and headed for the range. Got it sighted in easy enough so then got all settled in the bags and shot a three shot group at a hundred yards that measured quite a bit under a half inch. Everybody was happy but I think Jerry would just as soon have stayed with the old Weaver.

Steelhead put up the post about Randy Selby, an accuracy smith that is just as good as anyone can be. He has done some work for me and some of my friends. Always done right.

My wife and I met Les in 1968 on our honeymoon trip. He was living in Cody at the time. Pretty modest little place. I had been working for Gun Sport magazine, just before getting married, and told him to get his money up front for any articles to the magazine, as the owner not big on paying people. He'd written a number of articles for Gun Sport and had a pretty big tab owed to him. Real nice down to earth person, as was Elmer Keith who we also met. J O'C invited me to see his gun collection, which was something else. Had some of his trophies in his garage, which had a high ceiling and had been boxed in to be another room. I got busy trying to make a career and never got to go out and hunt with Les' outfit, though do believe it would have been the one to go with at the time.

There must be an elk outfitter that is hunting Bowman's old area, any idea who it could be?

Lots of guides operating in the thorofare..

hidden creek outfitter,pacific creek outfitters,Tefran outfitters, are a few off the top of my head.

Pretty sure a member here that goes by Ravennr (or close to that) guides there too.

When it comes to that area,Wyoming can get bent as far as i'm concerned..stupid ass NR wilderness law.

A few corrections to some statements made about Les and Martie Bowman They moved to New Mexico and then to Wa State where Les continued to test and shoot and write. Larnie, Les and Martie lived together until they all passed. The two granddaughter helped their Mom with selling many of the guns and artifacts after they kept many things they wanted for their children as they were taught to value these things but there was so much and Larnie wanted to share with collectors that might be interested in owning some of the items. It was not a matter of not being interested as many of the items have been passed on to his 4 great grandchildren such as guns, magazine articles, hundreds of photos and many other items. They decorate the homes of his two granddaughters and great grandchildren. And his oldest great grandson just recently used his Remington Presentation rifle to hunt for elk. His two granddaughters learned to shoot as soon as they could walk.
Larnie did wing walk at age 8 and does hold the record for youngest soloist at age 12. Long before pilots were licensed. They do have an exhibit which is rotated at the Smithsonian.
Les was well known in the gun world and was close with many of the names in that world in the 50's to 80's
and the modest place in Cody was where they lived until the place in New Mexico was purchased and finished by their daughter. Some of the heads and trophies were sold but some our in the homes of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

If you need any more information I will be glad to answer emails.
Jacie Strout daughter of Larnie and granddaughter of Les and Martie.

That is the same web page that I wrote for my Mother and grandparents. The airfield ask to repost it after I discontinued my web site. Called "The Flying Bowmans" Also there are many articles in several publications written by Les with his byline. Some I even did the photography. We have many that are packed away.

Jacie thanks so much for the information. I wish you would write a biography about your interesting family. Many fans of both hunting and aeronautics would be interested.

Jacie,
Thank you so much for providing that interesting information. Your grandfather's writing was always of interest to me as a young man growing up.
Best wishes to you and your family.