shooting

woodcock
Detail of a John Twigg duelling pistol circa 1772. They don’t make them like this anymore.

Lovely Old Things

Sometime way back when, in the early 1950s, J.K. Stanford ventured down to Cornwall to…
professional hunter
Botswana professional hunter Chris Dandridge, wearing the world-weary expression of the PH experienced beyond his years.

A PH’s Lot Is Not A Happy One*

I grew up watching safari movies in which African professional hunters were portrayed by Clark…
boss shotgun
This 28-gauge Boss & Co. over/under, built in the early 1920s, brought $164,500. Photos courtesy Rock Island Auction

Another Boss Triumph

If not a record, then very close by Terry Wieland Gun auctions always produce their…
federal paper shotshells
The paper is first rolled into long laminated tubes.

Gold Medal Gold

Federal Paper at the Olympics by Terry Wieland Across the screen this afternoon rolled a…
Sometimes, you don’t shoot simply because packing it out is more than you can do. This Alaska bull was spared because there was too much of him to carry, and too far to carry it. That, and the fact that he would go no more than 49¾ inches in a management unit with a 50-inch minimum. The thought of carrying all that meat and going to jail to boot…

Do Any Good?

The title of this post is a question I’ve heard only in the South. It’s…
ithaca e
This Flues-model Ithaca 4E trap gun was a mess when Edy received it, and a lovely article when he returned it to Dick Stephens a year or so later.

Edwin von Atzigen, RIP

The name “von Atzigen” is not familiar to most, but in my opinion it should…
Granite Mountain .505 and Blaser R8 chambered for the equally fearsome .500 Jeffery. Both have short, heavy barrels — the Blaser’s is 24 inches, but it saves length on the action — which are exactly what the doctor ordered for such bruisers. They weigh an identical 10.4 pounds.

Weight a Minute

What follows was triggered (so to speak) by my learning that the Army’s new rifle,…
Student and instructor at the Holland & Holland shooting ground near London. The instructor wears ear muffs, because he is around shooting all the time. The student is using plugs because many young people find it difficult to wear large muffs. The people at Holland & Holland, sticklers for safety, feel the plugs are sufficient under the circumstances. The best combination: High quality muffs (with or without an electronic sound-enhancing system) and soft rubber “finned” plugs properly (i.e., deeply) inserted. Absolutely essential for shooting indoors or with heavy rifles, handguns, or anything with a muzzle brake.

Turning a Deaf Ear

 A gunsmith friend of mine who specializes in tactical and competition rifles says that applications…
Paper laminated and rolled into long tubes, yet to be cut to length.

Paper Gains (Again)

It’s been a while since I’ve sung the praises of Federal Paper shotshells, and it’s…
The author believes a proper shooting outfit increases confidence.

Females and Firearms

The first time, several years ago, I went to my local sportsmen’s club to check…
purdey gun
Fantasy engraving by Aristide Barre, unusual for 1912. Courtesy Rock Island Auction Company

Rock Island Preview

Rock Island’s second premier auction to be held at its new premises in Texas is…
Warren Page’s Mashburn custom rifles were auctioned by his widow, Martha, at the sixth GameCoin convention in San Antonio in 1977. All three were purchased by Arthur McGreevy, shown with Page’s Mannlicher-stocked bear rifle.

O’Connor versus Page; the Clash of the Gun-Writing Titans

The greatest rivalry in the odd world of gun writing was between Warren Page of…