yep some of Elmer Keith`s stuff is interesting but in my 69 years of life i have always notice little guys like Elmer like big things makes them feel bigger i guess ? we always called it little man syndrome , Elmer Keith`s books were kinda boring . i enjoyed and felt writers like Colonel Townsend Whelen were better reading and more accurate on his reloading for his times. and to be real honest John Barsness books are very excellent and John / Mule Deer is always been very helpful on 24 hr. Campfire with his own experiences with reloading ,his hunting and knowledge about guns too . guys he is working dang cheap for us too, so ask him questions and buy his books ,i do own all of their books including his Wife Ellen`s recipe books that i give also for presents to the ladies in my life. >> now if i can only get Ellen to send me some chocolate chip cookies ? "grin and a wink " Pete53
OK, the villagers have moved on to heating tar and plucking chickens.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
My favorite Ross story is the one where his lady friend went hunting on an estate with some dinky, iron-sighted single-shot. The managers told her she could have all the game she killed with that popgun for free. Soon after, they were begging her to go bird hunting or anything besides what she’d been hammering with her little cannon.
I would like to read this story. Where could I find it?
“Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person” -Fred Bear
Ooh, that’s a tough one, Keith. It’s really just a nugget in one of his pieces on single-shot rifles, not the main story. This one was IIRC, a .360-ish (think .38/55). He’s written a good bit about such things. My takeaway from this and a lot of what he’s written is that you don’t need a cannon to kill stuff, a moderately heavy cast bullet even at well under 2000fps will go through a lot of meat and put stuff down, something Northwoods moose hunters knew well. Pretty sure the story was in RIFLE or HANDLOADER, probably RIFLE.
It’s raining; I’ll look around a bit. Meanwhile, here’s a list of Seyfried stuff someone posted here some time back. The links seem to work. There may be a CD available as well: *************************************************************************************** I love reading Ross Seyfried, one of my favorite people. Here is an article on the 475 and 500 Maximum. I thought I wanted a 475 Linebaugh for years, until I fired one. A bit more power then I need. Wow.
Well it looks like one of us has a horseshoe firmly wedged in our nether regions Keith. It’s my habit to go through my giant tub of magazines, mostly Wolfe, and select a bunch to reread. I also keep a few out that have something of particular interest. Seems the one in question is behind Door #2, saving me considerable trouble.
The article is in HANDLOADER 225, October 2003, pages 70-77. “Miniature Black Powder Express Cartridges”. As I said, the tale of the lady and the free game is near the end, and is only really a long paragraph, but the article remains one of my favorites, not only from Ross, but in general.
I well remember reading Ross's articles as a young pup in the UK, never imagining that one day I'd be living in the USA and having access to many things I didn't in England. One article that still sticks in my mind is the one where he had a knife custom made with a 'hump" in the middle of the 3" blade to facilitate easier field dressing on (I think) buffalo in Africa. Pretty cool stuff for a pimply 17 year old in bumf*ck England...
i read the article on the Raging Bull 22 Hornet was a good read i did have one problem with it ? i now want a 22 Hornet in a Raging Bull revolver. and yes Ross Seyfriend is another good writer.
Not related to the 22 Hornet, but this is a Ross Seyfried article I particularly enjoyed. It is about the Ruger Bisley flat top chambered in the 44 Special, and how well it did after fire-lapping, and with heavy cast bullets (280 grain). Good stuff.
Having owned a 12” Contender for that cartridge, I can only suggest you employ plugs, the best you can find, and muffs. My son, who once testfired a .350 RM into a snail in the store he worked at, causing considerable havoc, still talks about the blast from that Contender…..
That will make for some good reading when I have time. I need to go cut grass now as lunch is over.
“Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person” -Fred Bear
What a thread! Thanks to all who are contributing. Me? I'm playing the part of a sponge.
Me too!
“Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person” -Fred Bear
Ross is still the most skilled and knowledgeable gunwriter out there in his preferred niches. I suspect he lost interest in trying to appeal to a pretty ignorant audience and semi-retired to just the DGJ job as he got older. I hope his life is going well; last I knew he was in Kentucky on a big chunk of land. Hopefully watching wildlife and burning a lot of powder. A class act all the way, super literate, very helpful, and a walking encyclopedia of firearms knowledge.
I too count myself as a fanboy of RS. Thanks for the link to the Hornet article.
I have three sort-of Hornets - a German kiplauf in 5.6x35R(Euro version of the Hornet), a Stevens 44 in .22WCF, and a Winchester 54 in .22 K-Hornet (converted by Lyle Kilbourn himself). I need a "regular" .22 Hornet to round things out. The kiplauf and Stevens have .226 groove diameters, standard for those two cartridges, and only get used with oversize cast bullets. Medium charges of 2400 in the kiplauf and lighter charges of Unique and Red Dot in the Stevens (black powder pressures are called for). Standard Hornet dies serve to load for them but I made an expander/mouth belling die to accommodate the larger cast bullets. Actually those two cartridges preceded the Hornet and in fact were the basis for the Hornet.
The 54 is a different animal and that gets treated much like everybody else has described, with Lil Gun, small rifle primers (no small pistol magnum primers here unfortunately), and Speer 45's. It is scary accurate, turning in enough 1/2" 100yd. groups to tempt me to call it a 1/2MOA gun.
When I'm home next week I'll take family portrait of them, with hopes that they entice a regular Hornet single shot to join them.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 06/11/22.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
