Steve NO; Jaywalker; CCMDoc; Rolly; martinbns; 9.3 Guy: Thanks for the kind words. I guess the thing for me that made Ross hero-worthy was his ability to use stories and photos in a way that made me say "I want to grow up and be like him." No matter whether he was writing about revolvers, double-barrel shotguns, or custom rifles, he had a certain captivating style that made me want to experience that, too. He also had probably the broadest range of expertise of any gunwriter in history. He was an African professional hunter/world champion pistolero/Elmer Keith protege who could tell you how to make paper-patched bullets for your Holland & Holland rook rifle, build screamer coyote loads for your custom .22-250 Imp. or design blackpowder goose loads for your damascus-barreled shotgun. If anybody ever had the right to be opinionated, it was probably him. I shouldn't make fun of Clair Rees, because even though I doubt his stories inspire anyone to want to be just like him, at least he had the guts to say "I want to be a gunwriter," and then went out and did it, whereas the rest of us wannabes just linger on the sidelines.
Hunter Jim: Somewhere in my collection of old gun magazines, I have an American Handguner from the early 1980's that has a subscription advertisement picturing a young and determined Ross Seyfriend sporting a baseball cap, ear muffs, gaudy flowery western shirt straight from the 70's, and a moderately customized 1911 jumping off a barricade during an early IPSC shoot. You have to look hard to recognize him, but it's definitely him. It makes me laugh when I think of seeing people like Rob Leatham on American Shooter on TV all decked out in flashy sponsor's clothing and making a huge amount of money as a professional competitor, shooting instructor and product endorser. Nothing against Rob Leatham, but times sure have changed!
