Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters "Skeeter" Skelton

Good chance that article is in one of his books. If I was home I'd look. Skeeter's books are pricey nowadays, but they are a good read cover to cover. My favorite Skeeter story is the Dobe Grant tale of putting a SAA together in Grant's workshop using Dobe's stash of parts.

I liked Skeeter, and read everything of his that passed my way. But I thought most of his writing was based on fiction or imagination...

His son Bart died a few months ago

How is Jug Johnson these days?

Yeah, age 62. Skeeter died way too young, too.

DF

Influenced by Skeeter I had both a S & W M624 and a M29 shortened to 5". I also adopted his load of 7.5gr. of Unique in both .44 Special and .44 Magnum, loading 200gr. RNFP bullets in both calibers. Seldom shoot anything else, in fact I built a dedicated powder measure that throws that charge. My favorite Skeeter story is entitled "Bustamonte I hate you" about finding a nice Colt Single Action down in old Mexico, only to turn it over to find where some Mexican had scratched his initials into the frame with what looked like a railroad spike.

Yeah, I got to be pretty good friends with Bart. Never met Skeeter but always admired his writing--as I probably mentioned previously in this thread. Learned many things from reading Skeeter, and not just about guns but writing....

I think he had college degrees that greatly contributed to his writing ability. I can't remember what they were. I have several of his magazine pieces, but sadly no books.

I have Good Friends, Good Guns, and Good Whiskey, which is one of several books by older gun writers I re-read periodically. For me it's definitely worth owning, even at the prices copies go for these days.

Mule Deer;
Good afternoon sir, I hope that you and Eileen are having a decent start to the Labor Day Weekend.

Thanks for the nudge to re-read my copy which I picked up when it first came out in the late '80s.

My goodness you're correct over what they're asking for copies of it now, I just looked it up.

As an aside, I've told my good wife and the girls that if I pack it in, they shouldn't just take the library down to whatever book recycling depot is available as apparently some of them are still worth something to others.

Actually that's rather nice to see on several levels as it does mean there's still folks out reading good writing.

When we were a few hours north camping this summer I re-read my copies of your "Life of the Hunt" and "Born to Hunt" which I try to do every few years.

All the best to you both and good hunting this season.

Dwayne

My departed uncle gave me a copy of Good Friends, Good Guns, and Good Whiskey many years ago. Then after he passed I was given his copy of Hoglegs, Hipshots, and Jalapenos. Someone borrowed that one from me and no one will own up to it, so it's gone. I just spent $135 smackers for another copy of my own just this afternoon because I figure I'll never see my original copy again.

I loved Skeeter's "Me 'n' Joe" stories, and still do. They remind me so much of my adventures and misadventures as a kid...I feel like I could be either of those boys, and see it all happening through their eyes as I read the words.

I took my wife to Angel Fire, New Mexico last Fall, and as my habit is now to avoid interstate highways altogether and stay on the more desolate paths, I passed through some unfamiliar and downright lonesome country in the Texas panhandle on the way home. I'll be damned if I didn't drive over a small bridge spanning Tierra Blanca Creek. I didn't have time to loiter (I shoulda made some time) at all...but Skeeter would have been happy to hear that it had water in it and it appeared to be flowing nicely. IIRC, he lamented the creek's poor condition during the latter days of his life. Next time I'll stop and take a closer look at it.

John, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of Hoglegs, Hipshots, and Jalapeños...it reads just as well. I am somewhat embarrassed by what I had to pay for my copy, but don't regret it. Glad I have picked up your books before they command high prices!

Great shooter and writer. Too many today are writers first and shooters second.

I have both, want to sell them plus "Ruger and His Guns". Just cannot load pictures. Figure 250 shipped is fair. Great books, always enjoyed his writings. He and Charles Askins are mt favorites.

That is a good link. I also liked that piece on Charley Askins.

Lots of good info.

DF

This has been another expensive thread....thanks, guys.

Was that up close to Hereford, TX ?

I first started reading Skeeter in 1970, he was never boring for sure. One of his articles was comparing a S&W Model 34 to a Walther PPK/S .22 LR with an MMC rear sight (made in Deming).

I just had to try one out.

Of course the Walther was more accurate, Skeeter said so..

I saw a sad looking 624 4” about 15 years ago in a pawn shop for $400, looked like it had been drug behind a gravel truck. I’d have bought it but it was so bad I didn’t think S&W could get it back looking decent.

Brought back my memories of his love for the .44 Special, though.

I think that I kept my subscription for Shooting Times for only one year after Skeeter’s passing……it just wasn’t the same! memtb

I feel fortunate that I bought Good Guns & Hoglegs decades ago & having read & re-read them many times. Just good stuff across the board, both fiction & non-fiction.
Hell, Dobe Grant stories had my minds eye working overtime picturing the Adobe cabin, lay of the land, the remoteness of it all, etc. Broke my hearty when someone that should know, Taffin, told me that those stories were fictional.

One of my favorites in the day.