Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Dave Petzal

At the risk of becoming a punch line, I'd like to get opinions, with specificity, of his writing.

-I like his irreverent style.
-I find him factual in his presentations of his findings and he does not much deal in the myths, rumors, biases and predjudices toward brands or products.
-I like his range of topics.
-I like his irreverent style.

For years I read his stuff in F & S but I no longer subscribe. Now I read his blog on the F & S site.

I like his subtle wit - and his sometimes less than subtle version. I class him as one of the last of the old guard who is still in the business, and admire that.

I also like the fact that you can talk (hell, you can damn near bellow) behind his back, because he's deaf as a brick.

I met him briefly a few years ago after I had been reading his material and he was enjoyable to talk to even though he heard every third word I said.

Seems quite irascible.

He is the kind of irascible old coot that I relate to. I read the mag just for his articles.

I have one of his books and enjoy it. I also look at his articles and columns.

I like Petzal.....

It's hard not to like a fellow who once described Prairie Dogs as having the brain capacity of a of a "Gouda Cheeze"..

He also once said-

"There are two groups of people who hold me in High regard.

The first are the folks to whom I have lent money and forgotten about.

The second group are those to whom I have recommended the .270 Winchester as a good deer rifle."

Jim I do remember that!

Dave is one of the best gun WRITERS who has ever engaged in that dubious trade. Aside from being very literate (not all that common among gun writers) he has shot and hunted a lot, with both factory and custom rifles, so knows a lot of stuff.

Aside from writing skill, however, Dave also knows that gun writing isn't all about being technically correct. John Wootters (another fine WRITER) told me many years ago that gun writing was primarily about entertainment. Dave knows that, and through both innate ability and hard work is very entertaining.

One thing I would like to mention, even though it has nothing to do with the subject at hand, is that Dave is also one of those rare editors who can improve the copy of other writers--and in their own style.

I just wish he would write more books. But books are becoming secondary to blogs in the modern world.

I still have a copy of the first thing that I read by Dave Petzal "Just remember:the.222 is a 200-yard gun;beyond that you'll want something bigger".
It did not take much more of his writings to realize he is a dumbfounded dipschitt not worthy of my time to waste to read his trash.

I am really out of date. I though he died in the 90's.

I like him.

Yep, I can identify with a guy who is half deaf from shooting, grins while writing something politically incorrect-and clever, and provided eye candy for me on the Gun Vault website for about a year in the form of a custom, Mannlicher stocked 7x57 originally made for him. Oh yea, he is a lefty too.

I think he's still with us, as of 3-23-11, according to his blog.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nut

Maybe he's waiting for the next '90s to roll around to kick off.

That was Ken Howell, RIP.

I have a hard time believing he ever made such a statement. Certainly not in the context of using a .22 on Varmints.

You bring that supposed "quote "up every time his name is mentioned( at least 3 time now), yet you never show us the CONTEXT in which he made that statement or any proof he even made it.

I saw a similar statement he recently made about a 200 yard range limit using the .22 centerfires on Deer.

It's in Nosler Number 4 as the intro to the 222.

He's entitled to his opinion, but I found it a bit odd.

I don't think he had fired many tipped bullets when he wrote that....

I certainly agree about the tipped bullets thing with the .222.

The old saw about "200 Yard range" for a .222 is right out of the 1950s. I wonder when Nosler Manual number 4 was published?

As to his 200 yard range limit on deer with .22 centerfires, I did not agree with that one myself, but like you, I believe he is entitled to his opinion.

Well, the Number 4 write up used data for Ballistic Tips from 40-55 grains and those are the only .224 bullets Nosler made at the time.

He did say inside that range, there's still nothing better, but I've found a Hornet or a 221 burns a lot less powder when up close and have about the same effect with BT's, say 125 on in.

It don't really matter; I popped a pigeon in a cornfield past 200 yards with my first 222 and it poofed it nicely and continued to do so until I re-tubed it!