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The two Martinis — the older in back, newer in front. The break in the thumb rest is clearly visible.

The Fraulein’s Final Touch

In Sporting Notes #19 and #37, I gave you a taste of a couple of…
In the absence of a triumphant photo of dead bear cubs in Russia, I offer this from a hacienda in Argentina where the old ways — the good ways — are still followed.

Back in the USSR

Back in what now seems another era, I was invited to go bear hunting in…
The horns are sounded to urge the dogs on.

Teddy Roosevelt and Gaston Phébus

I was raised in the school of fair-chase hunting by several professional hunters, including my…
For dogs that shift from a highly active hunting season to a low-key offseason, a change in diet may be helpful for maintaining a healthy weight.

The Off-season Hunting Dog Diet

Sporting dogs burn a lot of calories during the hunting season. To support their elevated…
Gartside 6 Meter Lugger: engine ready

Motor Head

I’ll remind you again: I’m hardly a boat guy. And the four boats I’ve built over…
The old and the new: Would that we could find pull-throughs like the one on the left — a 12-gauge multi-tool from England, made many years ago. On the right: A Wieland-made pull-through for an 11mm rifle. Not elegant, but it’s handy and it works well.

The Fine Art of the Pull-Through

This is a short course on how to produce eminently usable pull-throughs, custom fitted to…
Cutting off .66 inches from the .40-65 case became quick and exact using a proper drill press.

The Care and Feeding of Heidi

A couple of enquiries have arrived, requesting details on exactly how I manufactured ammunition for…
grays best

Gray’s Best Angling & Hunting Gear 2022

Gray’s Best awards are anticipated by long-time readers of Gray’s Sporting Journal and coveted by…
A proper reading chair, with good light, in the hours before dawn. The cushion in the window is for the cat, who declined to be photographed.

Mind Travels

Please forgive me for invoking Ernest Hemingway (yet) again, but whenever I start to write…
A Jagdstutzen built on one of the small Werndl actions, probably in the 1880s. The only name on it is Jos. Heinige of Vienna, most likely a high-end gun dealer.

Puzzles Upon Puzzles

It was the name “Werndl” that first grabbed my attention, attached to a very pretty…
Joe-Mama’s Hilltop Tavern, Grubville, Missouri. R.I.P.

One Day … Or, Here at Joe-Mama’s

Every single life-long hunter of my acquaintance is afflicted with one hopeless trait: A nagging…
Robert Ruark’s own best works, although some of his finest short articles, like “Leopard in the Rain,” are included only in hard-to-find posthumous anthologies. Hunters and anglers are used to seeking the unfindable, however, so this is just one more grail.

A Periodic Reminder

Every so often it occurs to me to remind readers that if they haven’t read…