Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Les Bowman

I seem to remember articles by Bowman about Remington XP-100 and a sling that went around the neck/shoulders of his design, don't remember the chambering but I do remember the unique sling.

I think Bowman helped design the Ruger M77 rifle stock, per an old issue in Rifle magazine.

That was Len Brownell.

I think Lenard Brownell was the one Bill Ruger hired and moved to New Hampshire to over see the M-77 and #1 projects. Not sure what part Les Bowman played, but he could have had input. Those guys all knew each other.

DF

You're right, sorry. My grown children are correcting more and more, too! Seems I remember the new Ruger #1 on the cover of the first Rifle magazine and the associated story about it's development. However, I could be wrong! Art

Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, Art.

I feel yo pain. BTDT, have grown kids, too.

DF

It would be nice if someone wrote it but it won't be me. At 75 I don't have the energy. Everything is in boxes and waiting for someone to tackle it. My oldest son was going to but life got in the way. If's been suggested by more than one person.
Take care

I hear ya.

It's such an important piece of history, someone needs to write it.

DF

Yes unless someone steps up to the task then much will be lost. It is unfortunate that only the oldsters appreciate the history and nostalgia. Hard to motivate someone younger when they have no ideal of what has transpired before them.

That's unfortunate, but thanks for the updates.

Hope the torch gets picked up.

Yup, you're wrong. It was the Ruger M77. I know because I dug up my copy and looked.
Paul B.

Thanks to all for jogging my memories. Hidden away I have an old correspondence file of letters back and forth with Les. The letters date from roughly 1967 to 1978, from the LB Ranch in Wyoming to Ocate, NM. Included in the file is a brochure for the LB Ranch, "Big Game Hunting at Its Best", that includes pictures of men we'd all like to meet. Bill Ruger, Al Biesen, Jack O'Connor, Fred Huntington, Colonel Townsend Whelen, and the list goes on. The last page concludes with "The roster of names of those who visit and hunt with us here at the LB--Ranch reads like a who's who of U.S. hunters, gunmen, and writers ….."

The letters (both ways) are obviously written with a cloth-ribbon typewriter. My copies are carbons on "onion skin". Typing must have been easier for him; one letter is typed (double-spaced but narrow margins) on both sides of three sheets of legal size paper.

Most of the correspondence relates to chronographs and load development. If he quoted a velocity it had been measured, and he already knew the trick of using multiple chronographs on each shot. One photo shows his pistol test range with the chronograph using a 10' screen spacing and terminating in a couple of large stumps.

Man, what an era.

Don’t think we’ll again see the equal of that.

DF

The LB Ranch is for sale.

https://www.landsofamerica.com/property/3134-Southfork-Road-Cody-Wyoming-82414/6107007

http://files.obeo.com/TourUserFiles/1023156/LBRANCHWEB.pdf

Calling on Mule Deer

I might be interested, partly due to (supposedly) "semi-retiring" recently. But I'm about a third of the way through the writing for GUN GACK 3, which will take up all my book-writing time for at least another year or more.

Also, one of the unfortunate aspects of such a project, despite its obvious worth, is that it might not sell very well, despite the fact that the right firearms books still very well these days--despite what some people post on the Internet. In fact, printed books have made a resurgence in the past several years. But the shooters and hunters who knew Les Bowman's name are either gone, or getting pretty old, the reason "historical" rifle books don't sell very well these days.

That said, it might do okay, thanks to Ken Oehler's additional historical information. But it might have to be a pretty expensive "limited edition."

1st, yes I’m 69 and gaining so I remember reading Mr Les and more about him than he actually wrote. ***[edit: that what was printed that he wrote]***....... When I first saw this thread recently, I thot, hum that’s a familiar name.

2nd, Thanks to ALL who contributed here, it stirred the ashes of my memory.
I have books and ‘more’ magazine articles with Mr. Les incorporated.

Fond Memories !!!!!!!

Jerry

Yeah, it's an older crowd who would even know who Les was, must less want to read about him.

But, it's the seniors that have the most money as a rule, especially compared to millennial and such.

So, not sure what the "expensive first edition" would need to bring, but think there could be a market.

Maybe with the right promo, i.e. pre-selling first edition issues may help determine if it's a go or no-go.

Just a thought.

DF

I corresponded with Les for years and can likely dig up his old letters. Like those from Finn Aagaard they tell a lot about the writing industry and editors of the day. He talked a lot about his flying career
And guns as well. After Les died I stopped by to look at the rifles he had left for sale and looked at and probably should have purchased the Sharps/ Borchart
I always admired his experience and opinions

I dont know that I agree with you MD. I graduated high school in 2001 (to date myself) and Id love a book on Mr. Bowman. Id venture a guess that avid hunters and shooters in my age bracket read O'Connor, Page, etc more that you might imagine. The only one of the classic writers that may have lost a little shine with the younger guys is Keith. I say that because his writing was dated even when he was writing it. His claims against rounds like the 270, 06 etc have been proven false* and honestly the younger crowd doesn't care about wheel guns. He was also known to make some wildly outrageous claims. He was a damn fine writer though.

*I personally think his problems were in crappy bullets and an unwillingness to stay current with technology.

I digress...write the book and post it for sale! Retirement is for quitters