Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Bob Milek

Never met him, but I truly felt the loss when he passed. He, Wooters, Boddington and Layne Simpson were the ones that shaped me as a "gun guy".

A little before my time unfortunately.

Did read his stuff when I found it though.

Kirk,

I knew all those guys, though only got to talk with Chet Brown and Bob Milek Sr. at trade shows. Always down-to-earth guys. Became a staff writer for Petersen's Hunting in the early 1990s, when he also was, and still have a bunch of those magazines to drag out and read now and then.

Knew Chub Eastman very well, and we hunted together for stuff from prairie dogs to Cape buffalo in several American states, plus Quebec and Tanzania until shortly before he passed away. A great guy and fine shot (he was on the Marine rifle team), who had all sorts of stories, and a fine sense of humor.

Bob Milek and Gary Sitton were two of my favorites back in those days (80's-90's). Lots of great writers from those times, including our own Mule Deer

tx270,

I also got to know Gary Sitton pretty well, and we were planning a hunt together before he passed away. Like to reread his columns in my collection of 1990s Petersens's Hunting magazines as well.

Thanks,
John

During that era, Milek and Skeeter were my favorite writers. Thanks to Milek I own a .25-06 and a Contender in .30 Herrett.

What I remember most about bob milek was that the 30-30 was considered a 150 yard cartridge until you put it in a scoped Contender then it was a 200 yd + cartridge and especially so in Bob Mileks hands. He knew how to shoot and HUNT..mb

Yep, he also took a Contender .35 Rem to Africa and killed a bunch of plains game with it. I remember him saying his guide was skeptical at first, but after he cleanly killed some pretty hefty critters, his PH said "That thing would work on buffalo."

What threads like these about past writers does, is convince me that I'm getting older. When one of these writers names are mentioned, I can almost always remember a particular article they wrote, that I really liked.

The mention of Gary Sitton always makes me recall the article he wrote titled, .308 Win. the 90% solution. For Bob Milek, it is the article where he took the 35 Whelen to Argentina right after Remington introduced it.

The Bob Milek article I remember best was one of several about the .25-06. He had been very busy, and elk season had already opened when he got a quick opportunity chance to go out. He picked his .25-06, because "it was sighted-in," and killed an eating-size bull with one 120-grain Speer Hot-Cor.

I appreciated the article in several ways, but partly because even in my earlier years of gun-writing the number of my rifles that were sighted-in with a specific load changed frequently, due to having to test different scopes, ammo, etc. So I also understood that aspect of the hunt--and hunting locally in elk country so well-known he could make a quick hunt.....

Here is a few of his writings. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Milek%2c+Bob-a11565

The 35 Whelen article and 416 Rem Mag were the two I remember the most. Wished I had copies of them to read today.

He did love his "quarter bores". I remember that one, and the one when he got his brand new 700 Classic in .257 Roberts, and one where he talked about one of his childhood mentors killing elk with his .250 99, and another mentor dropping two running pronghorn at 150 yards with an iron sighted 94 in .25-35. I own rifles in all those chamberings because of Bob Milek.

Bob and the father of a friend of mine outfitted together for a while…..they new the area quite well! There’s a shooting range just nort of Thermopolis that bears Bob’s name!

I do remember Bob as really liking the smaller bore rifles, but also remember an article he wrote about the .338 WM.

As best I recall he was sitting, watching some elk at what he considered a bit too far for whatever he was shooting at the time! Then from above him and well behind him someone fired and an elk dropped.

He spoke to the hunter a bit later talking about the longer shot and it’s effectiveness…..and found that the hunter was using a .338 WM. Bob mentioned that perhaps for the hunter’s with limited time or opportunities may consider a cartridge such as the .338 WM, provided the hunter is proficient with the rifle!

This was related as best I can recall the article…..it may not be verbatim! memtb

Loved that guy. Even went to Thermopolis on a vacation. The hot springs there is legit & can totally see why he was able to pursue the shooting sports to its fullest in that region. RIP Bob.

#bestshootingglassesever

John,

Every issue of Peterson's Hunting I went immediately to the back and read his monthly column first.

I have all those old issues in a box somewhere.

Bill

My brother was looking at buying a “deer rifle” at around the time of Bob Milek’s writing about the 25/06 and I think I talked him into buying one. That rifle put 117 flat base and Boat Tail 117 Sierras into little bitty groups. He settled on a load with 115 Partitions that I worked up for him.

I have owned .25-06 rifles , I have killed numerous animals with a handgun , and in fact now live in North Central Wyoming ( although on the east side of the Bighorns instead of Bob's side the weather in the Basin sucks ) mostly because of Mr. Milek's writings. I do own and use a 7x57 because of Finn Aagard though..................

Have always liked Thermopolis myself, and if we get run out of Montana due to the present population influx it would be on my short list. Lived in Lander for a year in the 1970s, and really liked it, partly because it was where the mountains met the plains, which is the sort of area have liked most in the West. But Thermopolis has even more varied country around it.

Thermopolis is way hot in the summer and Way cold in the winter. I live in Buffalo and its like ten degrees difference each season. It is not windy there though which is rare in Wyoming. and it smells like the hot springs in town...............