Rifle books

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I just ordered a book that many hunters considered to be good reading, "One Man, One Rifle, One Land" by J.R. Jones. It's about a hunter that used a 30-06 during many years of hunting. I'm a big 30-06 fan and I'm really looking forward to getting it. I paid $30 for a used book so this one doesn't come cheap.
 
Hatcher's Notebook, by Julian S. Hatcher (Major General, U. S. Army, ret) is somewhat dated, but has a wealth of his information from working with small arms research in the earlier part of the 20th Century.
Rifles for Large Game, by Elmer Keith. Also somewhat dated, it offers some basic information about rifle and cartridge requirements.
Dangerous Game Rifles, by Terry Wieland. A contemporary book book by a living (as far as I know) author. Again discusses rifles and cartridges. Also an interesting (if one likes that sort of thing) chapter on reloading dangerous game cartridges.

I also have some books by past hunters about their experiences. Bell of Africa, (Walter D. M. Bell) is fascinating, but does not dwell much on arms and ammunition. He does mention the rifles he used, but without great detail. He didn't reload it seems and used a lot of commercially acquired ammunition. There are all manner of books about firearms history, from the early days of black powder to current times. They range from the rather interesting to being a version of catalog.

Also, there are many books on specific types of firearms. If one's tastes run toward a certain kind, look for those at gun shows, flea markets, book stores (go figure) and garage sales.
 
If you're a pre 64 Model 70 fan the one book that has a wealth of information is "The Rifleman's Rifle" by Roger C. Rule. I bought one about 30 years ago and I use it often. One incident that happened to me was that I buy Model 70 parts, and I purchased a magazine box on eBay and when it arrived it came from none other than Roger Rule. That made my day and every time I use that rifle I think about the magazine box! At that time he lived in Hawaii.
 
Philip Sharpe's "The Rifle In America" is a must have, also his "Complete Guide To Reloading"
W.H.B and Joseph E. Smith's "The Book Of Rifles" is another essential reference.
Earl Naramore's "Princpes and Practice of Loading Ammunition" is mandatory for anyone serious about handloading.
 
This thread is going to end up costing me some bucks. Just ordered a used copy of Philip Sharpe's "The Rifle In America", the edition put out by the NRA with the leather cover and fancy binding. I have other books in that series and they are a pleasure to hold and read.

In spite of my wallet grumbling, thanks for the thread. :D

Jeff
 
Casual reading, practical advice or hardcore history? Believe me, the choice makes a big difference in cover price and availability.

For hardcore historical surveys of particular arms, you want to check out the catalogs of certain publishers. Collector Grade is the front-runner, followed by Mobray Publishing, Wet Dog Publications and Schiffer Publishing (prepare for sticker shock!)

http://www.collectorgrade.com/
https://gunandswordcollector.com/
https://www.wetdogstore.com/
https://www.schifferbooks.com/

For practical information on various firearm topics, try Gun Digest Books, Stackpole Books (mostly older titles now), Krause, Wolfe, and especially Skyhorse Publishing

https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/search-results/?keyword=guns
https://www.gundigeststore.com/
http://www.stackpolebooks.com/
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2016/03/krause-and-gun-digest-books-at-midsouth/
https://www.wolfeoutdoorsports.com/brands/Wolfe-Publishing.html

If I was asked for a good place to start, it would be with the digital collection of Gun Digest. These are bulky in paper form, but having the entire run in PDF form gives you a selection of articles running the gamut of firearm interests. This guy on eBay is offering a pretty good deal on the set at present:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gun-Digest...ions-Digital-Collection-Shooting/391257312518

BTW, a good source for remaindered bargain titles is Edward Hamilton -- I whole-heartedly recommend that everyone here gets on their mailing list: https://www.hamiltonbook.com/

A non-exhaustive list of specific authors I particularly like include Patrick Sweeney, Elmer Keith, Peter Capstick, Julian Hatcher, George Nonte, Jim Corbett, Frank de Haas, Wayne Van Zwoll, Jim Foral, Tom Turpin, Edward Ezell, Maxim Popenker, R.L. Wilson, Bruce Canfield and Peter Kokalis.

Now out of print but still commonly encountered, I also quite like the Firearms Classics Library editions of older titles. Here are some shots from my personal library -- gun books occupy about 40 feet of shelving around my house.

FirearmsClassics.jpg IMG_7924.JPG IMG_7925.JPG
 
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Col. William Brophy wrote the definitive books on the '03 Springfield, Springfield Armory, Krag rifles, Marlin, L.C Smith shotguns and other studies. His big books are well illustrated with archival photos, prints and drawings. and sometimes provide more detailed information than you want. But nothing else on these subjects comes close in terms of quality and quantity..
 
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