Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ken Water's "Pet Loads"

He got some complimentary components, but he bought or borrowed the guns (He used my old Iver Henriksen custom Mauser for his first "Pet Loads" piece on the .35 Whelen, for example) and may've had to buy some of his components, especially in the early days before I became involved.

No expense account.

Boss refused to sponsor him at a SHOT Show or any NRA convention, so he and I had a secret arrangement � I'd house and feed him on my expense account if he'd somehow get himself there and back. Even arranged a mouflon hunt just before the NRA convention in San Antonio. (When he got the ram that you may've seen a picture of, on the wall in his den.)

Ken,
What do writers like Ken Waters do for a day job?
I own the Second edition and the Eighth.
I consider them to be both entertaining and educational.
We have long winters in Minnesota and I have the Second edition committed to memory. (almost)
whelennut

Ken Waters � former merchant sea officer � retired as City Engineer for a city in Connecticut.

Bob Brackney was an investment banker.

Homer Powley was an industrial chemist and Army (civilian) ballistician.

Bob Hagel was a Forest Service packer and hunting outfitter and guide.

Les Bowman retired from a kaleidoscopic career in aviation and was an outfitter and guide.

Jack O'Connor, Warren Page, and Archibald Rutledge were college professors. (Rutledge almost won a Nobel Prize for literature � lost to Faulkner. Shoulda won.)

Ed McGivern was a sign-painter.

Phil Sharpe was an Army officer, IIRC.

Bill Brophy was an Army officer.

Hal Swiggett and Bob Brister were newspapermen.

One whose name I can't dredge-up at the moment was a telephone lineman.

Mike Venturino was a truck-driver who later owned and operated a movie theater.

George Nonte was an Army officer.

Elmer Keith was a rancher, outfitter, and once known as "The Dean of American Guides," with a WWII stint as a civilian Army armorer.

"Townie" Whelen was an Army colonel.

Bill Jordan (Marine) and Charlie Askins (Army) were retired military and Border Patrol.

"Skeeter" Skelton wore a lawman badge or two.

Hal MacFarland, Parker Ackley, and Roy Dunlap were gunsmiths.

Les Wallach worked for the Park Service.



(All whom I can think-of right now.)

I finally bought a copy a few months ago and consider it a great investment.

From my limited experience with more recent Park Service employees, I doubt we'll see too many become hunting/gun writers...

Nothing personal Ken, but I subscribed to Handloader SPECIFICALLY to read Ken Waters articles! The other stuff was just icing on the cake, but Ken's words were golden. I suspect that I am not alone.

I've got the complete set of Handloader and all but about 5-6 issue of Rifle; I look forward to cold, winter nights to re-read them.

Thanks Ken,
Wow, you are a wealth of information!
whelennut

I worked summers (1960-64) in Montana (Glacier National Park trail crew) and Idaho (smokejumper) and many of the folks I worked with had off-season outdoor jobs involving making nature films for Disney, hunting cougar for bounty, etc. - OK, a lot were school teachers or university professors). They had a wealth of outdoor and hunting experiences that would translate easily to writing.

You are right though, not many of today's Park or Forest Service personnel (even seasonal ones) would grow up to be hunting or gun writers.

The thought of taking a laptop in the head to read something just don't sound right.
With a paper magazine you can save the issues that have info that you like or can use,then file the rest in the round file cabinet.
His articles are a source that would take a lot of money today to reproduce.

� leading me to wonder whether you've read and grasped my esteem for Ken Waters.

Yep, its a whole different culture now in those two agencies than what it once was.