Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Some gun writers need to toughen up!

My brother scribblers can speak for themselves or ignore this point altogether, but I think they'll all agree with my opinion. Which is --

An honorable gun or hunting writer* writes to inform or entertain his readers, not to impress them with how great or how fortunate he is -- exactly the same way you tell your friends about your own experiences and interests. The money and the opportunities don't add-up to nearly enough to fully satisfy the writer's urge to share with appreciative readers or to fully compensate him for his time. This is not the way to fame or fortune. The best-known gun and hunting writers whom I've known in the last half-century-plus have been virtually unknown in their own home towns, known far and wide to only a very small percentage of even the community of shooters and hunters around the country and the world.

Any reader who takes a writer's writing the wrong way suffers from a psychological problem that's deeply rooted in his own pysche, not in the writer's. Envy him his knowledge and opportunities, if you will, but don't let enmity spoil your attitude or your peaceful enjoyment of his work.

Or don't read his work if you can't enjoy it as he intends it.



*not, alas! every writer whom I know well. There are three, whom I can think of, whose stuff I simply won't read -- because I know them too well to respect 'em. Only one of the three is considered a major writer.

To all,

Amen brother Ken.

Tom

Ken, as a reader I can't help but agree with that last post 100% give or take. I read a pile of publications and they are indeed a pile as my wife can attest. I read them mostly for entertainment and consider new information and knowledge a bonus and quite frankly, there is a lot of these "bonus" tidbits to be had.

Once you have read enough of a certain authors work you come to understand their personality, angle, preferences and subtle ways they hint information. Granted, there are writers that aren't worth alot, but I work with individuals that aren't worth much eigther, and so it goes.

Chuck

I too read mostly for the enjoyment- if I learn a bit good too. There are some writters I do not enjoy and thus don't read them. I enjoy JB's work mostly because he was one of the few writers that wasn't bashing the Ruger cuz it wasn't a Rem. He even had the guts to have one done up custom like!!

I have no problem with the writer recieving a free hunt or such - part of the job - lets him do the things I never could and thus I get to live a little outside my little circle of life.

As to spotting animals- I am color blind and I think it has actually helped me! I tend to notice patterns in the woods and deer just seem to "stick out" maybe my color vision helps negate some of their natural camoflauge. I also seem to pick up any and all movement in teh woods instantly. Weird.

Well in sumation JB and Ken keep up the good work !!

It always amazes me the scathing attitude that gun writers get when they visit a forum. I've been visiting these things from the beginning and over the years a gun writer would drop by now and then and sure enough, some jerk will come out of the woodwork and reem the guy for some inane reason. Usually it's something taken out of context of a story the guy wrote a while back, but most of the time it seems to be jealousy/penis envy. Not only that, but god forbid somebody enjoys reading gun/hunting magazines these days. The general opinion on forums (maybe not this forum) seems to be if you read gun magazines, you are an arm chair hunter / novice and never really make it out into the woods. Never understood that line of reasoning. You enjoy guns/hunting, so you should read what...quilting? How about a good gardening rag? I know, you should sit in front of the TV and get a little dumber just by watching one of the many reality shows.

My little rant aside, I think it's great that the gun writers who visit this site are brave enough to stick around and share their wisdom and experience.

Thanks,

Lou

PS. Anybody who happens to get a free hunt, free guns, optics, gear etc because of their celebrity status/industry contacts who feels that it will somehow make them less of a hunter or good person, please pass the free stuff on to me.

Gunwriters,

You guys go ahead and take as much advantage of what ever perks and freebies you can get(you don't need me to tell you that), I wish someone would come up to me and say here is a new rifle, ammo, or scope that I want you to take on a free hunt and at the end you can keep the equipment all you have to do is write an article for a gun magazine and try to show us in as good a light as you can honestly do. Boy I would be all over that in a second. The vast majority of people would not even for a second think to condemn you for taking advantage of such an opportunity, as is apparent by the responses from the forum in general whenever someone attacks any of you gunwriters personally. By the way I like the way you all take up for yourselves when they do.

By the way I like only very small doses of heavy recoil myself, it doesn't make you a gunwriter if you can shoot 30 rounds of 600 nitro in an hour(or does it).

It ain't easy bein' senile! I forgot to add an example of positive transference that I'm often the undeserving beneficiary of. Every now and then, a reader tells me that I'm his favorite gun writer, but the swelling of head and chest collapses when he gets around to citing some of his favorite "Ken Howell" masterpieces -- when I then have to remind him that they were written by Ken Waters.

Oh, well -- fifteen seconds of prominence is better than none at all, I suppose.

I've seen the same thing happen with another writer whom I know well -- an able and knowledgeable young fellow who's neither as able nor as knowledgeable as he thinks he is, but whose name is very, very close to that of a past master. Many readers regard his knowledge much higher than he deserves. I have to grin whenever I hear him cited as an outstanding expert. (FWIW, I like him immensely as a person.)

If you all were writers how come you keep "forgetting" to write those names? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'm kidding I understand it. To be completly honest I just read and if the article rubbs me raw - then I check the by line. Same as if I like it. Thats how I got on to JB. I was buying Rifle and Handloader for the ads. I like gun related ads and keept reading good stuff by Mr. Barsness and then became a fan. It was quite by accident that I found him here. Mr. Waterrr- Howell too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am not impressed so much but what caliber a guy shoots or how many - I like writers that make sense and have a sense of humor. Ones that also "put me in their back pocket" when they write about a hunt are my favorites too.

Mr. Shoemaker ( I hope thats right - no copy of Rifle handy) is another writer I have shined up to lately. I am also glad we don't see the same articles in the mags posted here. A great credit to the writers that they can answer our questions here and not just rehash their body of work. I suspect it is to keep us buying the print so they can continue to eat!!

Although I do not specificaly remember one of dogzapper's articles - I really like his postings here and the little blurb he wrote in my Nosler Manual. I wonder if I am the only person that reads those - I read them all - cover to cover like a novel, don't know why - guess I am weird.

Dogzapper - what mags do you regularly write in? I need to get a copy.

There are others here I think could write an article or two. I am sure Stick could write a piece up about the 223AI - Shaman seems to write very well too.

Some of those I always enjoy to read here at the 'fire.

I can't write as I can not spell, type or read most days. Really not my cup o tea BUT if some writer was in the San Antonio area and needed a test mule/lacky for a Saturday - call me - no recognition just the chance to see it done so to speak.

To the gun writers who post here: I appreciate all your viewpoints but even more just the fact you are willing to post here on the Campfire the subject matter of which generally is within your professional balywick, from whence you derive your livelihood, while it is only our passion. So I can imagine sometimes you are or feel hounded by PMs, posted questions, etc. It's not quite the same situation but...I can't imagine doing cases all day then going on line to answer questions about anesthesia from people who are interested or want advice for their upcoming surgery. Not that I wouldn't do it; but I wouldn't seek it out me thinks.



Ken Howell, your snippets of prose are so-o-o-o crisp and edgy (roll-back?? LOL!!). Mule Deer, it's not only your exerience and knowledge that impress me; Tsquare, I've read you some but not lately - must be reading the wrong mags. I've left some out no doubt... oh, I forgot dogzapper who if I'm not mistaken (if I am please correct me) help design the new B&C reticle for the Leups - worked it over today on the range ( in fact at the 300 yd bench was sighting the target when a whitetail buck in summer red and velvet crossed 100 yds behind the target burm. I swung off the target onto him and wondered where at 400 yds the lowest horizontal hash mark on his chest would but the 180-gr Nosler). The sight picture was purdy but he was on vacation.



Thanks all.



GDV

you guys are all good in my book, but i must confess that i miss jack o'connor.....

md, if you don't mind my asking, did you grow up east or west of the divide in montana?

East, in Bozeman in the 1950's and 60's. Have lived in various parts of the state, though, including near Forsyth, up in the northeastern corner (Poplar), in Missoula for 9 years, and in central Montana for a few after Missoula, in a tiny town named Hobson near Lewistown. After all that, ended back up within an hour of Bozeman 14 years ago, and plan to stay.

MD

True, doing so marks you as "tough enough, but not smart enough" to be a gunwriter! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BMT

i am very familiar with hobson! i grew up in havre and chinook, but lived several years in lewistown. while living there, my favorite places to hunt were over just a couple of miles west of buffalo, up against the little belts. i also spent a lot of town down at the edge of the little snowys south of glengarry.

living in sand coulee/stockett now, not too far away. i'd better get out and start scouting for some good local honey pots! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />