Mike, I would have enjoyed visiting with him. Don Lewis and his wife were serious squirrel hunters and were constantly hunting for the ideal .22 rimfire. My Dad is a very similar shooter; Dad is always looking for the ideal .22 rifle.
Don’s comments on .22 pump rifles parallel mine, while the pumps may not be the most accurate rifles in our .22 battery, they are fun! The only comments I do not agree with are his assessment of the accuracy of the Ruger 77/22 bolt action which in my opinion is not a squirrel rifle, “out of the box.”
Don’s thoughts on iron sights are interesting. He coins two terms, “the hunter’s eye” and “the woods eye.” His thoughts on how to see in the woods and in the game fields are interesting.
When reading the chapter on scopes it is obvious Don has hunted and shot a lot. He knows scope construction and he knows what works in the field. His thoughts on Lee Dot reticules are obviously based on experience and he understands the difference between a dot reticule on the target scope and the hunting scope.
Don wrote some good stuff on muzzle loading rifles and anyone just starting out or having trouble with muzzle loading rifles would do well to read these chapters. Dons comments on the Revolution and the shots by the Pennsylvania “Shirt Men” and “Tim Murphy’s” shot is good stuff. Not as in-depth as in Sawyers “Our Rifles” but a good condensed version.
I have not quite finished the book but it has been a good read so far.
Don’s comments on .22 pump rifles parallel mine, while the pumps may not be the most accurate rifles in our .22 battery, they are fun! The only comments I do not agree with are his assessment of the accuracy of the Ruger 77/22 bolt action which in my opinion is not a squirrel rifle, “out of the box.”
Don’s thoughts on iron sights are interesting. He coins two terms, “the hunter’s eye” and “the woods eye.” His thoughts on how to see in the woods and in the game fields are interesting.
When reading the chapter on scopes it is obvious Don has hunted and shot a lot. He knows scope construction and he knows what works in the field. His thoughts on Lee Dot reticules are obviously based on experience and he understands the difference between a dot reticule on the target scope and the hunting scope.
Don wrote some good stuff on muzzle loading rifles and anyone just starting out or having trouble with muzzle loading rifles would do well to read these chapters. Dons comments on the Revolution and the shots by the Pennsylvania “Shirt Men” and “Tim Murphy’s” shot is good stuff. Not as in-depth as in Sawyers “Our Rifles” but a good condensed version.
I have not quite finished the book but it has been a good read so far.
