Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Is there a current writer who reminds you of...

I'm not sure where the proper place to post this would be, but I am curious.

Are there any gun or hunting writers who remind you of Jack O'Connor?
I can't get enough of his stuff, which is hard for a 21 year old who isn't sure
where to look.

So, I was just seeing if any writers of today evoke the same emotion and reaction
with their writing? If so let me know!

John Barsness who goes by Muledeer on here wrote a story about Mule Deer hunting in the last issue of Sports Afield that was extremely well written. There has been a turn against the craft of writing and more emphasis on grip and grin hero pictures and I blame this on poor appreciation of good writing.

JackVliet: No.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Sadly there isn't. The good news is many of the old writers have books available. Grist Gresham, Elmer Keith Robert Ruark, and Towndend Whelen are a few that come to mind.

.270 fan?

I wasn't familiar with John Barsness before I found this place. I've found him to be a "no nonsense" kind of guy who has spent a lot of time accumulating information and is willing to pass it onto people free of charge.

I've got a lot of good information from his writings concerning rifle scopes. I've spent more than a little money on scopes and found many of them to be junk.

Barsness has saved me money and I appreciate it.

I can't answer your question but you have good taste.
I was a kid in suburban Atlanta in the sixties. Nowhere to hunt, I didn't know anybody who went hunting. No hunting shows on tv.
But there was Jack O'Connor. My parents subscribed to Outdoor Life and I avidly read every story by Jack.
I loved his work.
Also bought his book The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns.

I remember he was always talking about going on big game hunts with the Shah of Iran.
He was well-known for his love for the .270

Read either "The Ninety Seven" or " A Hunter's Story" by John Barsness. Those stories rank with anythng O'Connor ever wrote.

No. Gun rags are now all tacticool black rifle garbage. Outdoor mags are written at a 6th grade reading level. Quit them both years ago.

I wouldn't say I'm a .270 fan, only taken three whitetail with it so far, and it's a good one, time will tell.
I too have a few of his books, as well as the ones after he passed away.

I'll have to check out John Barsness, honestly have not read anything of his that I can remember.

I will be getting books from the older writers, really enjoy how they can make a story flow.

In terms of writing, I think O'Connor is a better writer than Barsness but Barsness is more knowledgeable about stuff than O'Connor was.

It's just different these days. Times they are a changin' Gene Hill, Corey Ford, all those old classic writers have left the building. We are so lucky to have a gifted writer like John among our group, but it's just not the same.

Gary's Sporting Journal... It is about the writing and the photography and is the best of the best.

Sporting Classics magazine is in there with some good stuff.

God, I hope not. O'Conner was a good writer, but sucked as an ethical "sportsman".

Patrick McManus
Skeeter Skelton

Thank me later...



DMc : )

Really???

Other than Ross Seyfried and Gary Sitton, no. Not even close. They brought a passion rather then just a technical story as they all do now..

Gary Sitton was a favorite.

Well I never hunted with O'connor, so I won't comment on his hunting ethics.

I appreciate the honest answers, both who don't think so as well as the
reccomendations. I'm going to look into these guys, I love a good hunting
story, and or gun article.
O'connor is the biggest reason I like to read so much now, glad to have the knowledge on here.

Garry Sitton was very good.
John Wootters.
Craig Boddington.
John Barseness.
Jeff Cooper.