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"I didn't want to babble about myself here, and still abhor the idea, but now it looks like I hafta say something."
NO YOU DON'T. If you don't want to participate in the thread we respect your wishes.

A big thanks to the large number of writers who have positively and willingly participated in this thread. It has made it one of the most interesting and informative I have read in a long time. Thanks fellas.

I always enjoyed reading his hunting articles. Seemed very down to earth and chock full of experience. I never saw any commercialism or hawking of products in his writings. They were exceptionally interesting to me. I wonder if the man still lives?

John Taffin is one of my favorite reads.

Just having been around a lot, hunting or shot alot, doesn't establish all that much, really. Look at Elmer Keith, Jeff Cooper and bill Jordan, completely foolish in many regards. Elmer with his bs claims about 600 yd shots on deer with a 6" .44 mag, Jordan with his silliness about 'combat pistols", and Cooper with his claptrap about the so-wonderful"Scout Rifle". So, despite the herd just blindly following x,y, or z, I make up my own mind, based on what makes sense.

To use a famous quote from Finn Aagaard, "How do you know this to be true?

I never met Keith, but I have read the full account of his 600 yard shot on that mule deer and also the one where he was at the range one day and a "big mouthed critic", knowing Keith was in earshot, slandered the same comments to which Keith drew his 44 Magnum and shot a rock out at the 600 yard range and then invited the slanderer to stand on that rock and repeat his insult.

I really like people to be able to defend themselves when they are slandered. Then it simply becomes an, "Excuse me Mr Keith, could you please tell me more about how you learned to shoot your .44 Magnum at that range?" Thank you.

Manners carries a huge weight compared to a cheap shot. There are people I do not favor, but how you handle that reflects yourself.

John Woods

John,

Very, very well said.

Manners and how we handle ourselves surely go a long, long way to defining oneself.

We should ALL use this as a guide to life.

Blessings,

Steve

Thanks Steve.
This is an important and valuable web site to our sport so we need to police ethics and contribution so all are rewarded in some way.
John

I am not a Gun Writer. I am nobody.

But some folks over on the "Going with the 25-06" thread could do well to read the above few posts.

I was talking to John Steinbeck the other day. He said if he had known there was such a thing as the Campfire he would have most certainly contributed during his more prolific years. That said, I still love his quote:

"Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like, from hearing Texans"...

Good writing is good writing, no matter when it was written.

I'm really glad this thread was resurrected from seven years ago. I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

A friend of mine Googled my name the other day and this website came up as one of the first listings. When he went into it, the first question there was "Where's Jon Sundra" or something to that effect. So I went into 24 Hour for the first time in a couple of years (I just don't do this kind of stuff; I guess I'm too much a private person). Anyway, it seems that my handful of readers just aren't aware of the magazines I'm writing for these days. I'm actually writing as much as I ever have; it's just that I'm not writing for the bigger magazines for a couple of reasons: 1: I have a lot more independence and don't have to pander to advertisers to the degree I once did, and 2: I'm paid well enough that the difference is more than worth it.

So, for whomever is interested, I'm the Field Editor for Safari Club International's SAFARI Magazine; Field Editor for RIFLE FIREPOWER, a relatively new magazine from Harris Publications (the same one who published my COMPLETE RIFLEMAN annual for 22 years; Senior Writer for GunHunter Magazine; Contributing Editor to RIFLE SHOOTER, VARMINT HUNTER, GUN DIGEST, and various other Harris Publications magazines.

I'm still in good health and good physical condition for an old coot. And I'm still driving Lamborghinis; that never gets old!!

Good to hear, Jon. Speed on.

Always a treat to hear from you, Jon.

Thanks for the update and drop in again...

DF

Jon,

Good to see you posting here again. I know you're more private than some gun writers--though are quite talkative among some of us! I've always very much enjoyed the time we've spent together, both during and after the hunt!

By the way, just returned a few hours ago from one your favorite places, Argentina. The food and drink and ambience in Buenos Aires was great as usual, as was the dove shooting Cordoba!

You know John, that ring necked doves are NOT a game species in Northern Nevada, we have a bunch of them here in Winnemucca with no season, of course you might have a problem with the city limits, but I have it on good authority that you could shoot 1000 shells & not dent our population significantly, save you the airplane ride.
I'm just jealous. Sounds like you had a good time
MC

Anyone know the current status of Ken Warner, former editor of AMERICAN RIFLEMAN & GUN DIGEST, etc., and Harold Murtz, former GUNS ILLUSTRATED editor? Retired perhaps?

I heard from Ken Warner a couple of years ago. He is in his early 80s and had just bought a house in a small burg in West Virginia. He has his own line of knives and is doing well.

Jim,

Thanks for the update on Ken. I haven't seen him in quite a while now. Good to know he is trucking along, and is in West-By-God-Virgina, which is where I saw him last.

7mmJRS, I wish you would post more often. The ability for an enthusiast such as me to interact with experts and gunwriters is a privilege...and the more of you folks the better.

Who the heck is Jon Sundra?
I had wondered what happened to you sir. Always enjoyed some of your 'bits and pieces' type articles that detailed so well the "where, with what and in pursuit of whom".

I have recently abandoned all gun rags due to the cost for such little content. Too many great magazines have been sullied by poor editing and worse advertisement. Maybe one day the publishers will see the trend and ditch the cronyism.