By David E. Petzal

The inherent weakness in just about all mil-dot scopes and range-calculating systems is that in the moments before you shoot you have to either remember something or figure something out, and in those moments, the brains of most hunters turn into salt water taffy. When the metal is about to meet the meat, only the most cold-blooded and experienced of us can calculate and then squeeze the trigger.

But not if you have a Burris Eliminator.

By Philip Bourjaily

The Smith & Wesson factory in Springfield, Mass., lies right on the way from the Hartford, CT, airport to Amherst College where my older son is a senior. Gordon and I stopped over to tour the factory in August as I was taking him back to school. I only wish I had thought of this three years ago when he was a freshman.

By David E. Petzal

Back in the 1970s, Grits Gresham transcended the outdoor-writing biz by appearing in a series of Miller Lite beer commercials, such as the one below, with celebrities from other sports. He became recognizable literally around the world.

In October, 1978, I went hunting with him in Botswana, and Grits acquired all sorts of souvenirs which, because many of them were long and sharp, he could not pack. So when we boarded our flight home at Jan Smuts Airport in Johannsesburg, he was carrying two spears, a couple of real, headbusting clubs, and a set of Bushman bows and arrows.

By David E. Petzal

The MK II BTVS is a radical-looking .22LR bolt-action that’s one of the most accurate factory .22s* I’ve ever used. Its stock is laminated, thumbhole, with six ventilation ports and two sling swivel studs in the fore-end. All the metal is stainless steel. The barrel is 21 inches long, 1-16 twist, and medium-heavy (.800 at the muzzle). Weight is 7. 5 pounds and the Accu-Trigger on my rifle breaks at 2 pounds 8 ounces. It feeds from a five-shot magazine and fit and finish are excellent.