Shooting

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…
Pair of duelling cum target pistols by Kuchenreuter of Regensburg, in Bavaria. Fitted cases with accoutrements do not come much more elaborate or beautifully made — to say nothing of complete — than this one.

The German Connection

Any treatise on duelling pistols invariably begins in London and usually ends up right back…
The two Robert Conquest classics are must-reads for anyone wishing to understand the relationship between Ukraine and Russia. As for Mein Kampf, everyone should read it. You can be sure Vladimir Putin has.

Adolf, Josef, and Vladimir

When I was 15 years old, my cousin married a girl of Ukrainian descent, and…
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…
The Werndl action with its rotating breechblock closed. The quality of the materials and workmanship is obvious, and the action itself is ingenious.

A Heidi Report

In my first Sporting Note a couple of weeks ago about Heidi, the sweet little…
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…
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…
DUELLING PISTOL
…and a John Fox Twigg duelling pistol, circa 1775. He finds it very restful.

Trade Show Blues

Had everything gone according to plan, I would be writing this from the annual Dallas…
Not a still-life watercolor, but close enough. A little reading material and all, in its own subterranean way, interconnected.

Words About Words About Words

If that seems like a fatuous truism, then I congratulate you not only on your…
SHOTGUN
Now fitted with a new Lee Shaver Soule-pattern tang sight and Hadley eyecup, the Stevens Model 49 Walnut Hill is ready for the range.

The Stevens Mystique

Everyone needs a purpose and, for many years, one of mine — a minor one,…
The food’s good and the waitresses are good looking. No wonder it’s always crowded.

Breakfast at Hickman’s

Hickman’s Cafe, Aspermont, Texas, Saturday morning. All the booths are occupied, and most of the…