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La Mer aux Saintes-Maries (1888), Vincent van Gogh.
La Mer aux Saintes-Maries (1888), Vincent van Gogh.

24 Hours — OK, 48

We’d been gone from our cozy cottage in France for more than six months and…
eukanuba sporting dog
Dietary protein helps maintain muscle mass and promotes muscle growth but it isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to muscle health. A dog relies on an interconnected mix of other nutrients to put protein to use.

Key Nutrients That Support Healthy Muscles in Sporting Dogs

When it comes to optimizing performance, professional athletes know the importance of healthy muscles. The…
This Walker Colt is lot #1102 in Rock Island’s Premier Auction #85, May 13-15, 2022. It is estimated to bring from $250,000 to $375,000. Photo courtesy Rock Island Auction Company

Rock Island in Bloom

In the midst of global economic uncertainty and a conventional land war raging in Europe,…
Rimfire progress, from left: The .22 BB Cap, introduced by Flobert in 1845; .22 Short, from Smith & Wesson, 1857; .22 Long (circa 1870, developer unknown) and the later .22 Long Rifle, introduced by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company in 1887.

The Long and the Short

Way back when, hiking two miles to the general store to buy .22s, I was…
The Hunters in the Snow, by Pieter Bruegel

Tafelspitz and Bruegel’s Hunters in the Snow

The recent lifting of requirements for COVID-19 testing prior to travel to France, for fully…
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…