Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ross Seyfried

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Ernie

He has cost me quite a bit of money too. I was reading him in highschool and he was very impressionable, ended up with a 1911 pretty darn close to his pachmyar combat special. Spoke with him in Reno at a show about his ranch for an elk hunt. Never did hunt with him but I ended up building a .35 whelen that has been my lucky rifle since then. I believe he was also the first to put heavy loads for the .45lc into press, still recall him saying that when the guy (linebaugh?) showed up at his house he stood behind something because he was sure the guns were going to come apart.

"I can eat 50 eggs..."

Seyfried always comes off to me as being extremely reliable in the articles that he writes. I don't believe that I have ever read one that didn't keep me interested. Whether it was talking about wearing out and having rebuilt his model 29 Smith twice or nailing a big whitetail in friendly competition with his son or having to hunt a last minute goose for their traditional Thanksgiving goose dinner. If he writes an article, no doubt I'll like it. I wish I could handle one of his Pachmayr .45s. I sure like the looks of those 1911s that he used in competition so well.

there are but few who's writing craftsmanship today can compare to seyfried's...

barsness is one, but to continue to write about a subject as limited as shooting and hunting, and to continue to generate interest amongst a broad segment of society simply doesn't come easily...

i think that this is what fuels the writing about weapons such as drillings, and some of the more obscure brit and euro chamberings and designs...

interesting that i, with my decidedly anti brit/euro leanings, can find such writing fascinating...

For a guy like me living in Europe, Ross is the best american outdoor writer because of his very wide experience (for real) with all types of firearms and because of is amazing knowledge about european firearms, not only US or british. About firearms and hunting it's for sure a really open minded man. Fantastic writer too. When you begin to read a story he write you're obliged to go to the end. Would be very happy to meet him and talk or invite him to hunt in my country.
Learn a lot from his experience. One article he wrote about long range shooting with 310Cadet Martini cadet rifle or 32-20(32WCF) makes me buy one martini cadet in Montreal. For sure he was right, those small pills can hit far away.

Seyfried is the only writer out there that can write an article about a completely obscure caliber or firearm and make me think that I need one by the end of article. I am always amazed at his knowledge and writing skills, I don't know how he does it but he makes words come alive, a skill that very few writers have. If he was a regular, not necessarily every month, contributor to any magazine I would subscribe to it in a heartbeat just for the chance that the next issue may have an article by him.

The fact that a few folks who have met did not like him does not bother me, IMO he is still one of the most skilled writers of the day. I have met a couple of gun-writers that many folks drool over and I am totally unimpressed with them. I mentioned to a hunting magazine/gun magazine editor friend about how I was disappointed in them and his reply was "they have reached the exalted status". Meaning that they have heard so many times about how they are so correct in their opinions that they now believe it themselves.

But one of my biggest likes about Seyfried is that he has not sold his soul,like so many other writers - I cannot recall reading a Seyfried article where he writes something like "I was using a new 300 wzzm from Rugremchester with a Leubushburr scope with their new long range reticle, and it hit with absolute authority on a 50 lb doe at 75 yds, she only ran 40 yards and the performance was overwhelming".

drover

I have been reading his work for a long time. Like others I have enjoyed the knowledge and experience imparted in his writings. For me what sets him apart from other writers is there is an elegance to his writing that makes it more than just a nut and bolts info piece. Hope in the future that he'll get back to being a regular contributor to a magazine. If it's one I'm not subscribing to I'll sign up just to read his articles.

Paul Newman never went to SOTIC, I did. At SOTIC, you have to be able to hit moving targets (12in wide) at 600yd to graduate.

I once killed a groundhog with a claw hammer..

Just saying.

I'm over hero worship for gunwriters. Some are very good, some are not so very good, but even the good ones sometimes have feet of clay.

They write, they shoot, good for them. Hooh-ha.

Gunwriters educate and entertainment us and as we grow and learn it takes an unusual one to keep our interest.
Ross is one of the best at his craft.

Me too.

He has a style that has encouraged me to try some of his advice [ie R-22 in the .338, .45 Colt Bisleys, Failsafe bullets].

In general I have had excellent results.

I have trouble with the occasional comment that he can be unpleasant in person. I don't think it matters much. Most folks can. We purchase his writing not a personal meeting we find pleasant.

I've learned a bunch over the years, and have been entertained too, as a result of reading lots of books and magazine articles written by gunwriters. Some of my favorites have been Gary Sitton (my all-time favorite), Craig Boddington (got to meet him at a SHOT Show, has incredible amount of hunting experience), John Barsness (and Eileen; I feel like they're talking to me around the fire at deer camp), Jack O'Conner (loved his book Sheep and Sheep Hunting, I'd love to be able to spend the time in sheep country like he did) , Rick Jamison (loved The Rifleman's Handbook...good read), Finn Aagard (enjoyed reading about his time in Africa, and in the Texas Hill Country), John Wooters (Texas deer hunting knowledge was great), Jim Reardon (really enjoy reading about his times in the field in Alaska), and I enjoy reading about you (and your family) hunting those bigass bears in Alaska. There are many others, Seyfried included, that I enjoy.

This is the image to which gmoats was referring, with Ross clearing a barricade while wearing his lucky shirt. American Handgunner later used it for its subscription ads. Original photo by Ray Odorica.
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The image below is of Raul Walters wearing his striped sox.
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Both images are from The American Handgunner of March/April 1979. Seyfried on page 29, Walters on p.31.

--Bob

As are you, sir!


Johnny $

I remember seeing that ad in AH magazine when I was 9 years old. Now there's a trip down memory lane. Thanks for digging that up and sharing.

Greg P

If you've never read it before, Seyfried's "Theory of Relativity" article is superb and spot on. I think of it whenever I start thinking about how "powerful" my various handguns are.

Brian.

Thanks for saying that, Gene.

Ross' articles were interesting, even if it was something I wasn't interested in. The one article I remeber had to do where he taught some woman to shoot a Dutch or Romanian 6.5 mannlich and the then went out an used it to kill an elk. I forget if it was a cow or a bull. If I'd had a tag and the season was open, I'd had loaded up my 7x57 with 175 gr. bullets and tried to take one using loads that duplicated the originals.
Paul B.