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I recently discovered the 24hourcampfire. Absolutely facinating. This thread in particular has been of interest as I am beginning my writing journey in earnest.
For the past 10 years I have written part-time, mainly about fly-fishing. A few months ago I retired from the Canadian Forces with 26+ years as a medic. I decided to try writing fulltime about fishing, hunting and the outdoors. Thanks to a supportive family, I can give it a go. To 22250rem, I find most rejection letters a learning experience as some editiors I have received them from indicate what did not work for them.
I am located in SE Alberta, which is an odd place for a guy trying to write about fishing, but almost perfect to write about hunting/shooting. Not much of a pedigree but it's mine.

Mule Deer:
How right you are. It doesn't apply to writing for gun mags or books, but my best friend and I covered our fraternity room with rejection letters from all the companies who rejected us our senior year of engineering college. Now he's a top engineer with a utility company and I'm heading up an engineering firm. Rejection itself (and not the fear of rejection) can inspire some mighty big works!
Not a gun writer or even a wanna-be. Just a wanna-be good hunter and shooter!

I remember a number of years ago, i was taking a trip back east to my home state, and while on the plane i read a romantic-style article about some guy's hunting dog who up and died on him unexpectedly. May have been in "Grays,"-- can't remember now. But it was a moving story that hit me right in the heart. Right then and there i knew that if i ever got in "the game," I wanted to write stuff that would move people like that. I've had a few of those articles published with some decent reviews now, and those are definitely the most satisfying articles, IMO.

1 of the neatest pieces i ever read was the short foreword that Bob Bell wrote in his Gun Digest Book of Scopes and Mounts titled, "In the Beginning," about a single long-range chuck shot he made with his .240 Cobra/Unertl Ultra-Varmint, that was just as neat as it gets. Very seldom do u ever read anything more than technical about varmint shooting, but Bob hit it right on the head with that short piece.

Actually there's kind of a neat story to go along with that. Awhile back I wanted to write an article for PS magazine as a sort of "thank you" to the gunwriters that influenced me to become an outdoorsman years ago. It was titled, "Through Their Words," and Dave Brennan was gracious enough to publish it several years ago. I wanted to dedicate that short piece to those guys, but i didn't know how to get ahold of Bob. In the book he mentioned he was from a certain town in PA, so i called information for that town, and they gave me a bunch of #'s for all the Bob Bells in that town, so i called several of them, and finally got ahold of him, and ran this idea by him. He was all for it, and i sent the article to him to edit. We stayed in contact for awhile afterwards, and it was a great experience. Nice to know the "heros" of your youth are quite often nice guys that are so approachable. He was certainly one of them.

I don't get on this thing often as I spend seven to eight months a year in "bush" Alaska at my hunting lodge and connecting thru our Irridium sat phone gets a bit pricy. Still I enjoy catching up when I get a chance. I consider myself first and foremost a hunter and guide rather than a "real" gunwriter although I send the occasional piece in to Rifle or Handloader and do a column in Successful Hunter.
I have been interested in anything that went bang or tossed a projectile since I can remember and been a hunter since I was able to cock a Red Rider BB gun. ( I was five)
I shot competatively for four years on the SW Missouri rifle team, served a year as a combat grunt with the fourth infantry division in the central highlands of Vietnam in 1969 and was given a choice as a sniper instructor with the US Army marksmanship unit in Ft. Benning or as a service rifle team member on the Ft. Benning Team. I chose to shoot on the rifle team and every moment off was also shooting with the USAMU pistol team or the skeet team as well.
Once out of the service I finished college with a degree in Wildlife management, obtained my pilots license and began a series of jobs with the National Park service including bilolgist and Park Ranger. I quit to do research with the musuem of Northern Arizona on bighorn sheep and burros and finally worked as chief pilot for Grand Canyon Airlines before heading to Alaska. My first week in Alaskan I answered an add in the Anchorage Times looking for a packer during Dall sheep season and when the guide broke his ankle on day three I started my guiding career.
This is my twenty seventh year.
As for guns, like I said I enjoy everything including military weapons. In shotguns I have owned numerous high grade English and Italian double shotguns (but still prefer Win. M-12's) I shot competitive pistol for years but now prefer the simplicity and durability of tuned S&W revolvers. My first love however is practical hunting rifles, especially in the larger calibers as I also love hunting big bears.
I have also hunted on four continents, including two countries in Africa.

Good to hear from you Phil - always enjoy your articles in the Wolfe publications.

Yessir, what he said!

Thanks to all, Pat

(I sure seem to get some jealous feelings about some of this!)

Those look like 375 HH shells to me LOL

I'm new here as a poster, but, like others, have been observing for a while and this one is just too good to pass on.
I have read Mule Deer for many years and in my mind, as a technically knowledgable outdoorsman, he is a great successor as my current favorite replacing the late great Bob Hagel.
Having gunsmithed for 20+ years, it's relatively simple to sort out the rats__t from the coffee in most article and be able to tell who's for real and who's not.
Kudo's to Ken Howell and Tom Turpin as their stuff has always been the real deal too; most of the rest of the writers posting here, I either haven't read or just don't recognize.
Can't say the same for all writers, though - hunted with one very well know writer (who shall remain nameless) at a Jack Wemple camp in Idaho one time and was positively turned off at his lack of knowledge and superficial personality.....always did and still does come through in what writing he still does.
Keep up the good work boys; it brightens my day when I get to read a really good article.

I'm not a famous writer. I kind of got into it with a little help from Dan Johnson who introducted me to Dave Arnold, who bought my first piece of material for Handguns Magazine. I was thrilled beyond belief to have a feature article in Handguns, but my art sucked! So Dave did something I never would have expeced. He used file photos and had a two page opening photograph of several percussion pistols, some old leather and horse shoes in the sand. He did all this work and still paid me full price! Since then, Handguns has printed two more features from my submissions and is sitting on another. That's not a lot of volume, about one a year, but I am a hobby writer, not a professional. Truth is, I'd do it for free just to see my byline.

I don't have what I would consider to be a wealth of technical experience at the reloading press or the casting pot or the case-prep station. I'm a minimalist! If my rounds go bang and strike the target within an acceptable amount of error, I am pleased. But I am mightily disappointed when I read a review of a new handgun in which the author eschews the tried and tested twenty-five yard benchmark for accuracy, in favor of fifteen-yard "combat accuracy" to categorize the latest in a line of anti-personnel contraptions. If my gun won't do 2.5 inches at twenty-five yards, I'm having a bad day, or I'm shooting a gun that will never find its way into my safe...or my heart!

My interests are mostly historical, but as a life-long (now retired) law enforcement person, moderately talented handgunner and twenty year military man, I have some things tucked away in my brain that actually have the potential to make for decent reading (according to a few writers who have passed on a compliment or two.)

But I'll more than likely never be famous and my name will never be a "house-hold" word in the shooting and writing fraternity. So, I don't consider myself a "gun writer." I'm just a gent who loves guns and hunting, thrills to long rifles and cap & ball revolvers, has a soft spot for Browning High-Power pistols and 1911s, and am turned off by cops in ninja outfits and face masks.

I appreciate this forum and the chance to introduce myself. I've corresponded with MEC a bit, and really like what he does.

Dan

Maybe the best thread i've ever read here at the 'Fire.I'll never see Africa or hunt Alaska but yall make like i can hear the rushing water of the creek as Alaska's rain pelts during a bear hunt.(it does rain there right?)

I was pleased to see Bart dropping by to give his bio, and join the fray. I always enjoy his "Down on the Border" column in G&A. I live in far southeastern Arizona, in fact, drive ole Hwy 9 from north of Rodeo to ElPaso twice a week...still a fascinating part of the Boot heel country or NM.
Keep dropping by Bart....hasta pronto amigo

Howdy folks,
I am brand new to this site, I have been lurking here for months however. I really enjoy Mule Deer's work, tis the main reason I subscribe to Handloader/Rifle/Successful Hunter.
I am most emphatically a "rifle loony", I have a 375H&H and a 416Rigby "just in case I ever go to Africa"-sound familiar?
I also own and love shooting a 257bob, 6.5x55, and a 9.3X62, all of which I call my "Barsness rifles"-am I hopeless or what?
I look forward to many enjoyable hours with all of you on this forum!

I hesitate to rank myself as a writer, amongst some of the very distinguished here. I publish the odd article, about half a dozen in a good year, usually less. Most have been published in Germany, some in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, US, and I even had the questionable honour of seeing one of my articles 'stolen' and reprinted in a Spanish magazine. My first article was published in 2001, so I'm new to this field.

I grew up in Europe, and hunted upland birds and waterfowl for a few years before 'graduating' to bigger stuff. My job took me to Eastern Europe quite a bit, so I managed to arrange for some hunting in countries like Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I moved to Canada in 2003, and I'm now going through the process of experiencing a lot of things for the first time. I doubt if you will be seeing me write "How To Hunt the Mighty Moose", or "How to Bust Bruiser Bruins" or that type of stories any time soon. If anything, moving to a new country, hunting new species, mostly solo, has taught me how much I still need to learn.

Frans

From one newbe to the next, a very hearty welcome to the forum. Glad to have you on board.

This is a great thread.
Connecting to our resident writers deepens as I get to know them as the human beings they are.
One of the guys who grabbed me a few years ago was Phil Shumaker. I read one of his outstanding articles about an Alaskan hunting adventure in a Wolf publication. It was my first of many of Phil's articles to follow. Phil, you are an outstanding communicator. I love reading your writings.
John Barsness is stellar. One of the guys from the small town I live in was at the range shooting with me some time ago. We got to discussing who the best writer was, Jack O'Connor or John Barsness. We both voted for JB.
SDH, your work speaks loudly....... So does your writing and photography. I LOVED your pix on the covers of Accurate Rifle. I wish I could remember what Dave Brennan said exactly, but he said that you must play first fiddle for the Boston pops too, or words to that effect.. Talk about talent in action, poetry in motion, SDH is that.
Bart, I love reading your articles as it's that kind of writing I connect to very well. The real life drama captures me. Keep it coming...
Steve Redgwell, your down home writings here on 24 hour are awesome. I love 'em. Wish you could get some of them in magazines. I do think you should compile them into a book and publish it. I'd buy it.
Ken O, didn't know you were writing till I saw a post you made here about the 6x47. You've done a ton for us shooter with your chronographs. I'll be looking for more of your writings as you are a very good man.
Rockey, being retired Army, I appreciate your service and your writings here on the forum. Being a pilot, especially an IP, moves you to the top. I haven't read any of your writings in print, but would love to see some in pubs. Living in Ogden doesn't hurt your image a bit..LOL I lived in Bountiful.
Turp, I love what you write. I've left my subscription lapse to the pubs you write for, but TODAY I will be renewing them. It's been my loss for not keeping current. And, KUDOS for your military career. Thank you.
Kevin, I'd love to read some of your stuff. If you'd keep us informed on what you have coming out, I'd appreciate it, and I'd buy the pub.
Don, Hang in there. Like Ken says, "It's a cinch by the inch, but hard by the yard ". I'm not a handgun guy, but will be subscribing to Handguns for my oldest son who is a pistol loonie. Thanks for your Military service.
Franz, I'd like seeing you get involved in writing here in the US. You have a such a wonderful history to contribute to us here; stuff we never get to read. I love the European hunting traditions, and would enjoy reading what you have to say. (I'm a BIG fan of German triggers, like FWB and Anschutz <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />)
sscoyote, Bob Bell lives in Mechanicsburg, PA, where my brother lives. I'm originally from PA. Bob was editor of the PA Game News and is a friend of Jack Lewis, IIRC I have Bob's book on scopes.
Ken Howell, you're the leader of the pack. I have your OUTSTANDING treatise on cartridges about 3 feet from where I sit. You're our main man!!! I enjoy your writings here on the campfire, and the one I read in Varmint Hunter Magazine not long ago.

Don

DMB,

What publications does my friend (I've never met him but he is my friend) Turp (T Square) write for? I will renew too! Thanks...Bill.

340boy--

Thought you might like to know that I am considering getting a .340 Wby. built. Have to try one of everything!

John B.

John-

I'm surprised! Thought you were into the milder, calmer, more reasoned days of middle age. A 340 Wby is kinda radical isn't it? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like a crisis of some sort to me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

George

340Boy-

Welcome to the 'campfire.

Edited to say, "I have a .340 too but am trying to get over it and use more "reasonable" cartridges for elk....but just it dominates <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

Mule Deer-
Let us know how it goes, I sure like mine!
Goodnews-
Thank you, I am enjoying it so far-and yes, I am trying to use more "reasonable" calibers as well-which gives me another excuse to buy more rifles. How sweet is that? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />