Sporting Notes

Believe it or not, under the latest gun-control legislation, this venerable (and quite lovely) W&C Scott 8-bore would have been prohibited, purely because of its bore diameter. It is a “Classic Scott” action with the company’s famous “crystal indicator.” Unfortunately, last I heard, the old dear resides in Canada.

Some Good News, for a Change

This just in from compass points north:  The Liberal Canadian government has ditched three of…
Original B&P Competition One shotshells, awarded a “Gray’s Best” in 2010, and still available today (if you can find some).

Baschieri & Pellagri Update

Long-time Gray’s readers will be aware of my affection for Baschieri & Pellagri (B&P) shotshells,…
Long-leaf pine, for which Georgia is famous.

In the Home of the Long-Leaf Pine

Just back from a few days on a plantation outside Thomasville, Georgia, spiritual and actual…
Among the rifles that would be banned under the latest proposal is the inoffensive Ruger No. 1 single-shot. Why? Because it can “readily” be rebarreled to the entirely too powerful .460 Weatherby. This is, of course, hogwash.

Politics and the Art of the Ludicrous

The other day, I took the car in for a new windshield.  The shop was…
Thirty-fives, old and new, from left: .35 Remington (introduced in 1906), .358 Winchester (1955) and .358 Norma Magnum (1959). The author admires them all.

Who Would Have Thought?

As I write this, the annual SHOT Show is taking place in Las Vegas, and…
Beauty and the Beast: Sandy is wearing the Bridger, which she thinks is ideal for many things, but not trap shooting (too dark), while the Beast is wearing the Sentinel. The clear lenses work very well in medium light, but the nose-piece tends to intrude on his vision. The author would love to see both styles offered with amber lenses.

Through a Glass, Darkly (II)

Last month, I wrote a piece lamenting the disappearance of the Bausch & Lomb “Ray-Ban…
Beth Davis with her trusty Ithaca, practising trap with the Garmin XERO S1. This is not the trap field on which we were shooting in this article. On this one (St. Louis Trap & Skeet) side-winds are normal but treacherous down-drafts all but unknown.

Woe Was Us

Every so often, something happens that makes you question everything you thought you knew, but…
Stevens Model 52, built on the older No. 44 action, with the newer Model 45. Both are chambered in the .28-30-120. It’s a lovely cartridge to shoot, but presents many problems in reloading.

New Year, New Rifle

About a year ago, a friend of mine handed me a brand-new, unopened, bag of…
The Savage 99 Model E, mated with the company’s legendary .250-3000, is a match made in heaven for the kind of whitetail hunting found in eastern North America.

Perfection in Hunting Rifles

When it comes to hunting rifles, compromises rarely work.  Okay, certainly they can work well…
Wieland hunting Cape buffalo in the rain on Mount Burko, in the Great Rift Valley of Tanzania. When you are clinging to a cliff by your toenails, having a binocular that is not bouncing around is a great boon.

Combos. Again

For the last ten years or so, my range bag has permanently carried, tucked into…
Oldies, goodies, but no longer made: Bausch & Lomb’s iconic aviator shooting glasses with wrap-around ear pieces and AmberMatic lenses that change tint with changes in the light. Zeiss’s SCOPZ glasses had adjustable bridges and wrap-around stems, which held them firmly as high on the face as you wanted. Unfortunately, to get three or four different color lenses, you had to buy three or four pairs of glasses at $215 a pop. Ouch.

Through Glasses — Darkly

Nothing focuses the mind like the prospect of being hanged, and nothing focuses the mind…
Oldies but goodies: Gene Hill in original paper and hardcover form (with leather, even!) and a Purdey hammer pigeon gun.

Fads & Fashion

It was never my privilege to know Gene Hill, but Michael McIntosh did, and I…