Whatever happened to Dave Scovill, is he still working? Is he still writing ?

He is retired now, and has been for several years. For an editor, he had an interesting pattern of starting to write about one topic, and rambling onto another. For example, he would frequently put a title on his column that, by the time you reached the end, had little to do with its content. Also, he wrote the longest sentences of any professional writer I've ever encountered. However, once I got used to his "style," I always read his column first. It's hard for me to admit, but I miss his writing. He was as loony as the rest of us, and liked to get down into the weeds on handloading subjects.

gaperry,

Yep, that was Dave! I learned a lot while working with him for over 20 years.

But as he got older he tended to keep rehashing the same stuff--which isn't uncommon among gun writers. One reason I've been writing less is trying to avoid that tendency....

I always enjoyed his articles on the .45 Colt. His book on Single Actions and .45 Colt is all over the place, but has good info.

"vice", "of interest"

Yes, that book is all over the place, but yet I've read it several times.

I enjoyed Dave Scovill a lot. Especially enjoyed his tales of Oregon and later life in the southwest. If he rehashed a topic, oh well, it was still interesting reading.

I enjoyed Dave Scovill's style, but I kinda ramble myself. I didn't mind the rehashing either, there were nuggets to be pulled out of quite a few of his columns. Hope he's doing well.

I enjoyed his big bore lever gun hunting in Africa.

Ron

Always worth reading. Very accomplished and knowledgable. Maybe just a bit too obviously proud of those things and quick to dismiss other peoples’ notions.

Still, the mags he ran have lost a step in other hands, no doubt about it.

Reading his articles was a bit like opening an unexpected pakage. The label may not describe what was inside but was usually interesting.

Like Warren Paige, he used odd verbiage at times. I am not quite sure where exactly "amidships" is on an animal.

Right dab in the middle

In other words, too far back.

I didn't say that. I took this deer as he was going into the thick brush. Hit him "amid ship" and went right down, didn't make half a body length

In the middle, land lubber 😁

HAHA you're onto me!

I also read it many times. Had too to pull out data and wanted too. LOL

Never really cared for his work.

He was definitely the crusty old timer like “get off my lawn [bleep] it!” guy, but I enjoyed his articles usually read them last as I was finishing up the Rifle/Handloader magazine. He definitely understands the big bore handgun world.

41

I always read is column in Handloader. Haven't read his books yet. I figure the content of messages he got from readers could have exacerbated his inner curmudgeon :-)

Between aft and for'ard.

Bingo.

Re: rehashed gun article ramblings.....
It's ok. It's difficult not to eventually have to go over some of the same ground. The quality writers can do it and make it seem new. Choice of words is critical. Ask any preacher....
Read Agatha Christie.... She did a marvelous job avoiding similar plots.
#3 in books sales after the Bible and William Shakespeare...

Well I allways liked the way Dave told Randy and Coni to pull their head out before they suffocated when he told them their X bullet needed relief grooves like the Northfork to work right and stop c opper fouling so bad..mb lol

I need his book on the .45 Colt. While Dave wasn’t my favorite writer, he did design the 270-SAA bullet!

His Turnbull .50 ‘86 Winchester fascinated me.

He did miff a few folks with his article 15 or so years ago where he supposedly sullied the character of Jack O’Connor. Don’t remember the details and I’m sure it’s in my back issues upstairs, but I’m way too lazy to go find it.

Some of his writing interested me, but mostly the content and his expertise. He’s far from alone in his writing tendencies and style.

I never noticed decent prose running out of Papa Keith’s pen either, but I like and enjoy his work very much also.

Despite criticisms, Dave was a great editor and was not adverse to publishing out-of-the-mainstream articles and technical articles. He lasted much longer than many editors do in the gunwriting business. He likely did a lot of things right.

Bingo - I always wondered if that impressed anyone else.

Your welcome 5sdad. I allways wondered if Dave got a dime from Barnes for making them profitable. I can't be the only guy who had terrible copper fouling from all their bullets prior to tsx variety...mb

I like the things he seemed to like and I liked his articles. One thing he wrote something like “Today’s deer hunters should be hunting with a 44-40
Lever gun with iron sights, so as to learn what hunting is.” His writings make me think we may be about the same age, IDK.

Dave is in his late 70s. He was either 58 or 59 (can't remember exactly) when we went on a safari in Botswana's Okavanago Delta in August of 2003.

I always skipped over his articles.

Dave was always interesting to visit with at the SHOT Shows.

I did read Dave Scovill

That's why I read the magazines. Read everything, cover to cover. Even things I had zero interest in. When they hired all the folks from the regular gun magazines and made it, well... mostly a "regular gun magazine", I stopped buying it.

I don't need any more "Here is a gun" articles. (Here's a gun I own, and here's some groups I shot with it, and please ignore that I've basically written this same exact article about this same gun a half dozen times or more.)


I enjoyed him. I can remember a few things he wrote, and projects/purchases of mine he influenced. That says something. There are plenty of well known, well like gun writers still working I can't say that about. (most)

Always liked his writing.

I do Like the 45-270-SAA bullet in my .45 Colt. I had totally forgotten that he designed it.

Ron

Scovill sucked me into the 375 Scovill in his writings. I was ready to take the plunge and I saw the 9.3X62 case one version was based on. I never looked back and have had two of them. Factory Brass and Ammunition, what's not to like with that? MK X action, Montana Rifle Barrel and assorted other niceties. Leupold 3X9 with Pachmyer Low Swing mount. Has the German Plex Reticle. Whitworth Express 3 Leaf rearsight and NECG front. Regulated the 3 leafs with a Laser Sighter at 25 yards. !00/200/300 hit on paper at 100 first go. Needs fine bead sighting to hit the leaf calibration. Has a M70 style safety. Have one 3 shot group at a 100 that is .45" Ctr To Ctr. Boyds stock because of my budget. May have to repost with picture. Been awhile since I've done this. Long live the 9.3 Mauser......

IMG_0831.jpeg

Yeah, ole Elmer wasn’t a polished literary type, but he was a great story teller and had loads of on hand experience, making him a very interesting read. Thank God for editors.

DF

It's just "one of those things".

At one time it was "Where am I going to get 9.3x62 brass? 270/280/30-06 brass is everywhere, dang near free!"

Then the internet got into full swing and 9.3x62 isn't hard to come buy.

Then recent events made it flip flop again.


That's why at least one gun in every caliber is always the right answer.


(I have a Hawk/Scovill I haven't fired in 20+ years, but I'm still window shopping 9.3x62's on Gunbrokeme. Why, cuz I never owned one!)

Have posted this before, but I know one of the guys who edited Elmer's Guns & Ammo copy--which was composed by Elmer himself on an old typewriter. Apparently one of the frequent typographic errors was substituting an "i" for the "o" when Elmer attempted to type the word "shot." (As you'll note, the "i" and "o" are next to each other on the standard keyboard.)

Having worked for Dave , personally guided him on a brown bear hunt and spend numerous evenings With him and his wife Roberta I got to know him quite well. He is an intelligent man and did a commendable job of running Wolfe Publishing. Like all of us He has his faults and foibles but was quick to spot an imposter and didn’t suffer fools well. One of his outstanding traits is that he never seems to be at a loss for words.

458, have you ever thought about putting your articles together in a book? I'd be on that pre-order list!

We need an autobiography, or at least a biography.

That's awesome!


Haha!

It's silly....but what soured me a bit on Scoville was when he went off on Frank Barnes.

My favorite night time book was COTW.

It all seemed unnecessary....but maybe they had a long running dispute.


It was all over the 32 Win Special if I remember correctly.

Hell...Scoville could have easily been correct....but I didn't like the way he went about it.

I have a letter from Elmer, " type written". When he made a mistake he'd x it out & keep going. Truly a CHARACTER

I know Jeremiah Polacek and Rob Leahy, who builds holsters in Prescott, have been discussing it with me. I certainly am willing

Please do it !!! TELL THEM TO PRINT PLENTY !!!

Here's one sure sale!

".....I really don't care for that man."

I think one of the best, most practical articles Scovill wrote was on case neck tension and crimping. He tested various scenarios in the .45 Colt, adjusting neck tension via different size expanders. By far the best accuracy and least velocity variation was with a tight bullet fit (high neck tension) and a strong crimp. A tight crimp alone could not make up for low neck tension.

He also helped Doug Turnbull design the .475 Turnbull cartridge, based on the .50-110 case. I have a Ruger #1 so chambered, and it is easily the most accurate big bore rifle I have seen.