Letters

Shedding Light on a Shooter

The letter by Robert Cox (Letters, May/June) concerning his grandfather, Wilbur Cox, of Remington's Shooting Team was most interesting. Two years ago at the Remington Society of America's Annual Meeting and Seminar, Gordon Fosburg, an expert on Remington advertising, promotional literature and events as well as historic photographs, made an outstanding presentation on the Remington Shooting Team, including detailed biographies of Wilbur Cox and others. Mr. Cox should contact Gordon (gfosburg@direcway.com) or Jack Heath (gaheath@aol.com), RSA's official historian, to learn more about these fascinating characters.

Kevin McCormack
Via e-mail


A Krieghoff Critique

I've just finished reading "The House of Krieghoff" (May/June), and I wondered how much Krieghoff paid either Shooting Sportsman or Clair Kofoed (or both) for that extended piece of advertising drivel. If I want to read uncritical bumf about a gun or gunmaker, I can request a brochure from the company. If I want offensively meaningless statements like "one has only to pick up the gun to feel its life and spirit," I can go again to the free advertising brochures the company would be happy to send out. I was, of course, awed to learn that "skilled workers" apply epoxy to the stocks. I should have been shocked to learn that it was done by unskilled workers.

Krieghoff makes a good piece with, like all things made by man, some oddities and imperfections; e.g., some parts are probably either over-engineered or overly complicated. The firm does not need free advertising, and I hope Shooting Sportsman is not in such desperate financial straits that it needs to flack for its survival.

Shame!

John Pazereskis, Ph.D.
Via e-mail


Krieghoff paid neither Clair nor Shooting Sportsman for the article about its incredibly stupendous guns. If you're interested in overly critical drivel about inferior firearms, you'll need to look elsewhere.


Standing By the 16

In May/June Tom Roster addressed the 16 gauge in his Shot Talk column. He volunteered two questions regarding the 16 that were representative of those posed to him by readers. The first was about the suitability of the 16 for chukar hunting, and the second was about which loader and hulls he prefers. After comparing the availability of different loads in 16 gauge to those in more popular gauges, Mr. Roster stated definitively: ". . . reloading is an absolute necessity for any 16-gauge shooter. It is the only way to have ready access to the shot sizes and loads you really want to shoot in this-gauge gun."

Imagine my surprise, as a 16-gauge shooter who does not reload, upon hearing this proclamation. How on Earth have I been able to break clays and drop birds for all these years without ever reloading a single shell? Why have I not felt that I was missing something? Perhaps the problem lies in Mr. Roster's discussion of the available loads in 12- and 20-gauge shells compared to the 16. He clearly focuses on the maximum shot loads available commercially. Yet many shooters are quite comfortable with 1-oz loads for upland birds. Without naming brands, I shoot 7/8-oz loads at targets; 1-oz loads at upland birds; and 11/8-oz loads at ducks. Anyone willing to spend a short time searching the Internet can find a wide variety of loads available for this gauge, all of which are easily ordered and delivered to the doorstep within days.

Just to see if I was alone in my disagreement with Mr. Roster, I logged onto the SSM Website Bulletin Board (www.shootingsportsman.com), which is populated by a variety of experienced shooters from all over the country. I restated Mr. Roster's proclamation and asked: true or false? Of the first 50 responses, the vote was an overwhelming 45-5 that Mr. Roster had overstated his case, and the comments supported the vote tally.

I am the last to argue that the 16-gauge is the right gun for every upland bird hunter. Still, to publish such a statement may scare off the potential owner who does not wish to wade into the complexities and time requirements of reloading.

Macgill James
Via e-mail


Tom Roster responds:

Macgill, you currently are happy shooting solely factory loads through your 16-gauge and ordering much of your ammunition to be delivered by UPS. I'm sure many other shotgunners do likewise. I respect that.

However, if the 16-gauge shooter wants the broadest possible access to 16-gauge loadings and pellet sizes with the most convenience at the least cost, I stand by my statement: reload. Also, I did not focus on the heaviest loadings but rather gauge/shell capacity.

Recent huge materials-cost increases in shotshell manufacturing together with rising fuel costs and the resultant rising shipping charges in the near future will force both dramatic increases in ammunition pricing and simultaneous reductions in domestic and imported ammunition lines. Minor ammunition markets like the 16 gauge stand to take the biggest hits.

Reloading, rather than frightening people away from the 16, actually will serve to prolong the gauge's existence and use. I repeat my advice to 16-gauge shooters: If you're not already doing so, look hard at reloading. In addition to the above reasons, it will be a very good countermeasure to the coming adversity.


Show Service

I just wanted to let you know that I am a big fan of your magazine and have been a subscriber for about 10 years. Naturally, I wanted to visit your booth at the Safari Club International Convention in January, as I did last year. While talking with SSM Art Director Lynda Mills, who was "manning" the booth at the time, I mentioned an article in the then-current issue about some custom gunmakers in the US ("Buehler & Tucker Gunmakers," Fine Gunmaking, Jan/Feb). I asked if they were at the convention, and Ms. Mills said they were. She gave me directions and then led me to the booth and introduced me to Reto Buehler. I have a Bozard 20-gauge that needs work and had no clue who to contact about my problem. Mr. Buehler seems the perfect choice.

There were many interesting things at the SCI convention, but I always will remember the kindness of Ms. Mills in seeing to it that I got in contact with a person who could rework my gun and Shooting Sportsman Magazine for delivering the kind of esoteric information we double-gun owners need to pursue our passion.

Dan Williams
Via e-mail


We appreciate receiving your comments, criticisms and suggestions. Please send correspondence to Letters, Shooting Sportsman, PO Box 1357, Camden, ME 04843; editorial@shootingsportsman.com.

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