Outdoor Life gun writer's career is circling the drain

[jdwilson44]

I have been following this on a gun related forum I frequent - read Zumbo's column here:

http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2007/02/assault_rifles_.html

and then read the comments below.

Saw this originally show up on this forum:

http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=16656

[BigAl]

The guy is a jerk ! I met him one time in Sacramento at the Sportsman Show a number of years ago . He was hawking his cook books for some outrageous amount . He had always been one of my favorite writers until that day . I mentioned to him that I lived very close to a friend of his he had mentioned many times in his column at Outdoor Life . General Chuck Yeager who had also been in my business many times .
Zumbo looked me square in the eye and said " Are you going to buy my cook book or just talk "
I was done ever respecting him again and would not walk across the street to piss on the jerk if his guts were on fire . Let him burn . He deserves it and OL will do much better without him .
His stories are a "made up joke" . Most hunters never have a chance to hunt the private ranches he hunts on for free .

A 12 year old kid could kill Elk, hunting his style .Where someone drives the private Elk herd passed you . Thats not hunting !!!
I am willing to bet money ,I could "out hunt" Jim Zumbo on his best day and my worst .

[Melensdad]

I always enjoyed reading Wiley Clapp and Finn Agagguard (sp?).

[Big Dog]

Sure has spurred a wonderful internet flood .............:thumb:

He's doomed to the unemployment line without clarification, an apology and retraction!

[dzalphakilo]

He's doomed to the unemployment line without clarification, an apology and retraction!

Looks like he made an apology.

I happen to agree with the guy. If you need a semiautomatic rifle for hunting, you shouldn't be hunting (bird hunting exlcuded). That said, I realize in some states (mine inlcuded), it is legal to hunt with a semiautomatic rifle (limitation on the rounds in the mag, at least here). To each his own, but to crucify the guy for stating what he thinks....

He gets paid to write, If you don't write what people agree with, they stop reading and then perhaps you don't write anymore due to lack of sales.

[Big Dog]

It all come downs to the right of gun ownership (no matter what kind) and the reason for his bombardment. BTW...... I have no such weapons!

[dzalphakilo]

It all come downs to the right of gun ownership (no matter what kind) and the reason for his bombardment. BTW...... I have no such weapons!

I do, and I refuse to hunt with them. Yes, that is my choice, and those that do hunt with them do have thier choice as well (sorry, if you can't hit what your aiming at, and put it down with one round, you have no reason to be out in the woods). But to crucify the guy for his comments? I'm sure some other writers have felt the same way, but perhaps they realize they better not say anything due to whats happening now.

[Melensdad]

I don't understand why I can't hunt with a semi-auto?

My little Ruger 10/22 is a great squirrel and rabbit gun. Ruger also makes a very handy 44 Magnum carbine (I can't recall the model #) that is a semi-automatic rifle. It is a great deer rifle.

Winchester and Remington both make/made semi-auto rifles for hunting. So do several of the foreign based arms makers.

Why should I not be able to benefit from the lower recoil that the semi-auto guns offer? What if I just like the balance of the gun better?

[Big Dog]

Looks like he made an apology.


Could you reference (link) that for me?

[dzalphakilo]

Bob, point taken, and my fault for not clarifying that "semiauto" is not the only factor/variable in determining what gun, at least in my opinion, makes you a decent hunter who thinks about his or her sport and the way it is percieved by others (and to some extent, at least to myself, that does matter) or a Rambo wannabe who can't hit jack squat (on note, I realize that there are some very well built, accurate AR's on the market).

As well, small, fast moving game with a .22 rimfire is one thing, "sneaking" out 30 rounds of .223 for deer is another (I've know guys here in N.C to say the heck with it, lets go with the "full mag" just for fun). I've also known hunters to take shots out to 500 yards with thier SKS's down here. Personally, shooting a 100 lb plus animal at 500 yards with a 7.62x39 bullet is irresponsible, again, only my opinion. However, these are the type of guys, again, at least in my opinion, who give hunting a "bad name".

However, will anyone here disagree with the statement that Mr. Stoner did not have bunny rabbits, deer or squirrels in mind when he went to his drawing board?

[mak2]

When ever anyone says assualt rifle or AR or AK it seems to me it is usually becasue they are scary looking, espically the media types that dont know a rifle from a shotgun. In Indiana we can only have 3 rounds in our 12 ga. I dont think it is as sporting to have a 30 round mag adn open fire on a deer, but to not allow the rifle because of the style is kinda silly. I dont follow the terrorist thing. There are so many AK's in hte world. Doesnt the money go to teh manufacturer and gun dealers?

[dzalphakilo]

Could you reference (link) that for me?

Just so you know, if it were anyone else but you...

http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2007/02/i_was_wrong_big.html

Please note, I do consider myself somewhat of an avid hunter, and do consider myself "pro gun". That said, if you've never tried bow hunting, try it, you'll be amazed.

[Big Dog]

Just so you know, if it were anyone else but you...

http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2007/02/i_was_wrong_big.html


What a pal, thanks!

BTW......... even in retort he's getting hammered ............:smileywac

[BigAl]

I also did not mention anything about the rifle he mentioned .I don't feel I ever need a assult AR15 or a M1 rifle in my collection .That's my personal choice . I have many semi auto's though . I don't like the guy because of my run in with him 20 years ago . He's still a jerk . And now he's paying the price . Whats that saying .... "What goes around ,comes around "

[Dargo]

I suppose he wouldn't like me using an AR50 on my property for those 500 yard shots. :thumb: Trust me, if I were to hit any animal in North America at 500 yards with the BMG .50 it isn't going to suffer. Actually, surprisingly enough, I don't hunt. What's on the receiving end of my shots are targets or metal plates that ring when hit. Having said that, I do have a huge amount of deer on my property as well as a considerable population of wild turkeys. From what I'm told, it's a real challange to hunt the wild turkeys. I dunno though. When they are sitting in that giant nest up in my trees, I don't see how hard it would to be to blast them right out of their roost. :tiphat: :gun2:

Still, I find it enjoyable to see how far out I can be accurate with my Remington 700's chambered in 7mm mag, .338 ultra mag, and .300 Winchester mag. I don't know why, but that darn 7mm mag seems to punish the shooter more than the others. It doesn't make sense, but it does. Either way, I have some very accurate AR "sniper" rifles that are chambered in .308. I see no reason why they wouldn't be acceptable to use for hunting.

[jdwilson44]

I don't think the guy is getting hammered for his "don't hunt with a semi-auto" comments - he is getting hammered for his referring to an AR or AK military pattern rifle as a "terrorist weapon" comments.

For whatever this is worth there are a lot of people out there who own firearms and do not hunt (myself included). There seems to be a growing trend among so called "sportsmen" - meaning hunters, to denigrate those of us who own military pattern weapons such as AR's , AK's, M1 carbines, FAL's, etc.

If you read thru the comments on his blog you will see that he is being attacked for somehow coming to the erroneous conclusion that the 2nd amendment somehow protects hunting but not the civilian ownership of military pattern firearms - when the truth is the exact opposite.

Hunting is not something most people "need" to do anymore. I suppose you could argue that we don't "need" a well regulated civilian militia anymore either - until such time that you do. As far as I am concerned I am glad this guy has gotten thrown under the bus - and is getting backed over again - and again - and again. The consensus on a couple of the gun related forums I check out is that this guy deserves to be buried. Remington has apparently already pulled all sponsorship from him and retracted any affiliation with the guy.

Let's hope this serves as a lesson to those who screw with 2nd amendment rights. :gun2: :oops: :batterUp:

[dzalphakilo]

I have some very accurate AR "sniper" rifles that are chambered in .308. I see no reason why they wouldn't be acceptable to use for hunting.

I agree, bottom line it's more of a personal decision.

You mentioned .308 in semi auto. Have a couple myself in that round in semiauto, however, on a personal choice, if I can't hit what I'm aiming at, and kill said target with one shot (four legged animal), it deserves better than needing a quick follow up shot if you can't do it with the first shot (again, only my opinion and we all know what they are like).

Sporting chance? With some people, I don't know why instead of buying the weapon they just don't go "cheap" on the gun and go to some "game ranch" and have the animal come up to shoot it at close range, then mount the head on the wall.

Funny, when I did use a gun for hunting, my "stay put" gun for larger animals was actually a "black rifle" all the way around :D Anyone care to guess what model?

Once you go to a bow, you realize what "real" hunting is.

[dzalphakilo]

is not something most people "need" to do anymore.

Again, personal opinion.

Hunting has nothing to do with the firearm. It has everything to do with being in your enviroment.

[dzalphakilo]

Intersting, can no longer find the links.

Gun magazines are in business for one thing, to sell guns. I have no doubt that they would sell themselves out in a heartbeat if the money were right.

Love all the write ups on Cooper now that he's dead.

[jdwilson44]

Outdoor Life pulled down all of the links I believe. I have not checked back there in a couple of days. There was a thread on AR15.com detailing all of the sponsors that were divesting themselves of this guy.

While I do feel a little bit sorry for the guy and what is happening to him the consensus seems to be that he was throwing AR15 owners under the bus with his "terrorist" comments. Ever since the Democrats gained back a bunch of seats in Congress a lot of gun owners seem to be just waiting for the shoe to drop and another "assault weapons" ban to get instituted. Therefore comments like what Zumbo made are not appreciated AT ALL in light of the fact that it just gives the anti gun crowd another feather to stick in their cap. The best case explanation for this whole thing is that he was tired and did not engage his brain before he started typing - since he is a professional writer that excuse sounds like BS to me. The worst case explanation is that what he wrote is the way he actually feels - which seems to be the assumption most of the people going after him are going with - so under that premise he deserves what he is getting in my opinion.

The last thing gun owners need is another person attacking the right to bear arms. People like Zumbo seem to think that they will gain favor with the gun control crowd by selling out people who own military pattern rifles and handguns. In this sense they are just as bad as the gun control crowd because they obviously don't understand and/or don't care about the intent of the 2nd amendment - which has nothing to do with hunting.

[bczoom]

Well, Outdoor life fired him.
http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/columnists/article/0,19912,1592623,00.html

So did the NRA.
http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/Releases.aspx?ID=8952

[jdwilson44]

Well, Outdoor life fired him.
http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/columnists/article/0,19912,1592623,00.html

So did the NRA.
http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/Releases.aspx?ID=8952

I think that pretty much completes the list.

He lost his Outdoor Life column.

He lost the TV show.

Gerber Knives (sponsor) dumped him.

DPMS (sponsor) dumped him.

Remington firearms (sponsor) dumped him.

Cabelas (sponsor) dumped him.

High Country spices (sponsor) dumped him.

Plus I believe there were a few other sponsors that dumped him.



Behold the power of the internet beeatch.

:tiphat:

[dzalphakilo]

It would be ironic if he went and bought an AR and climbed a water tower :gun1: :hide:

Panther Arms sponsored him!? The guy really had to be an idiot to write that article.

[mak2]

Maybe he was just trying to get unemployment? Gotta get fired for that.

[Big Dog]

Maybe he was just trying to get unemployment? Gotta get fired for that.

Not really, you have to prove you were fired unjustly! Unemployment is primarily for layoff!

[mak2]

O oh well, I have always tried to avoid that, jsut trying to be funny.

[Big Dog]

O oh well, I have always tried to avoid that, jsut trying to be funny.

No problem! Then he did a good job at getting UE ......... :yum: