Remember Skeeter????

[abunaitoo]

Us old timers will remember when Shooting Times magazines were good reading.
Great writers, great articles.
My first stop in a new issue was always Skeeter Skelton.
His stories were the high light of the magazine.
I have both of his books (worth a small fortune these days)
A couple of magazines by him (worth a bigger fortune)
They just don't make writers like him anymore.

[Bazoo]

I came about after all the good writers done started pushing up daisies. I didn't know skeeter wrote any books.

[Three44s]

Just about every time I look at a can of Unique, I think of Skeeter!

Three44s

[clum553946]

“Good Friends,
Good Guns,
Good Whiskey!”

[Randy Bohannon]

John Wooters was my rifle guy for a long time when I started handloading .

[Bazoo]

I've read some Wooters in old magazines. I think he put out a plea for a particular winchester 88 several times. If it wasn't Wooters was one of the others of his ilk. I don't remember the caliber or serial number, just that it as an 88.

[Shawlerbrook]

Yes, Skeeter, Wooters, Bob Milek, Jamison. I has subscriptions in the 70’s &80’s and read it cover to cover, over and over.

[smithnframe]

The current Shooting Times is a far cry from what it once was! Skeeters column and articles were always my first stop. I also liked a writer named Frank Petrini.

[Don Purcell]

The current Shooting Times is a far cry from what it once was! Skeeters column and articles were always my first stop. I also liked a writer named Frank Petrini.

Agreed. Used to buy Shooting Times regularly back in the '70s and early '80s but haven't bought one in almost decades. Yes, I remember and liked Petrini's articles also. Guns and Ammo is also just a shell of it's former self. Was fortunate to have met and talked with Skeeter and the conversation was .44 Specials.

[memtb]

Yes.....Skeeter was definitely one of the great ones. Like yourself, Shooting Times was my must have magazine.....my only gun magazine! memtb

[memtb]

Just about every time I look at a can of Unique, I think of Skeeter!

Three44s

Three44’s, Didn’t Skeeter write about leaving Unique (it may have been 2400) in his powder measure overnight (maybe a few days, can’t remember), then getting some unexplained pressure issues? Sorry about the details questions......it’s been a while! memtb

[contender1]

As a young man,, I used to get as many of the old shooting magazines as I could. I'd read a lot of the stuff,, re-read things,, and study as much as I could.
Skeeter & Shooting Times was by far my favorite. His banter with Bill Jordan, his Tales from the Rio Grande, Me & Joe, along with all the normal stuff was as good as it ever got.
And his books,, (The one mentioned above,) as well as "Hipshots & Hoglegs" or the one published after his death (in 1988) "I remember Skeeter" by Sally Skelton, are among my prized books. And the magazine styled books as well.
I was fortunate enough to meet Skeeter back in 1981,, at the SHOT Show. I have a picture of him. I wish I'd gotten him to sign something for me,, but just meeting with him,, and enjoying his soft spoken, gentlemanly manners was a treasure.
I also have a small item, that used to belong to him, and I treasure it as well.

Yep,, Skeeter was a big influence to this budding handgun hunter.

I did find that Sheriff Jim Wilson & his writings,, while different,, made me feel as if he and Skeeter may have been kinfolk. Jim can spin a good tale as well, along with his knowledge of firearms. I have been able to get to know Jim more than I was able to with Skeeter. And to sit & swap tales with Jim,, always leaves me feeling as if I have had a sit-down with a kindred soul of Skeeter's. I have told Jim this a few times too.

And as time passed for me as a youngster,, I found that many of the gun magazines were not as desired as ST when Skeeter was writing for them. Skeeter was about the best in my opinion.

[Thunder Stick]

Yep, Skeeter was my favorite in the old ST magazines. Bob Milek was my favorite in G&A and is responsible for me owning a .257 Roberts. But today, I can tolerate Shooting Times but not G&A at all.

[vernm]

I too, would wait for the Shooting Times to see what Skeeter was up too. In one issue he told about an understanding surgeon who repaired his wife's
knees and took one of his pistols as payment.

Years later an orthopedic surgeon move into my neighborhood in Oklahoma. I found out he was a shooter and we became friends. One day he brought out a six inch stainless Python. The custom grips had the initials SS in gold.

He even let me shoot it.

[MUSTANG]

Through the years of reading Skeeter's articles; always loved the "Jug Johnson" stories (Betting they were written in the months where he could not get a good gun test completed - or no good handgun ideas came to mind. Found the following that will give those who were never able to read his articles an idea of the humor in the "Jug Johnson" articles through his years of writing:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editor..._200812/100169

The Jug Johnson Saga
On a fateful day in 1975, Skeeter's response to this letter began the entangled web of correspondence with the annoying, irrepressible, and always entertaining Jug Johnson. Their "friendship" went on for years. Here's how it all started. --The editors
By Skeeter Skelton

Over the years, Jug Johnson had some strange questions and some wild money-making schemes that he felt compelled to run by Skeeter. Topics included everything from handloading to rattlesnake wrangling.
General Delivery
Persimmon Gap, Tex.
Jan. 12, 1975

Mr. Skeeter Skelton
c/o Shooting Times
News Plaza
Peoria, Ill.


Deer Skeeter:
They save old copies of Shootin' Times for me down at the Ranch Barber Shop, and I been readin' the stuff you write about sixshooters and about half of it makes sense. I don't like the stories with a lot of numbers in them.


I was workin' in the cinnabar mines over at Terlinguas, and my Uncle Rat Thomas died and left me his section of land with that old adobe house on it, so I quit my job and moved in. Uncle Rat, he thought a right smart of his sixshooters, and they are all mine now, I guess.

I got to make a livin' and I'm goin' to stock this place with heifers and sell the fat ones and keep some for mother cows. Rawjaw Wheeler, he's a trucker, says he can get me a real good deal at the sale in Montgomery, Ala., so I mortgaged this place for the cash and told him to bring me a truck load.


But that ain't why I'm writin' to you. It's about these guns. There must be 40 of them. While my heifers are out there just makin' me money, I'm goin' to have lots of time to shoot. I got Rat's reloadin' machine--it's a Pacific or RCBS or C&H or Star or one of them.


I been readin' pieces about loadin' shells and I reckon I can do that. But I want you to tell me what to put in the shells. I got bullet casters and it looks like everything else.

I don't want to bother you too much, so let's start with just a few like the two kinds of .45, .44 Magna, .41 Magna, .357 Magna, .41 Long, .38 WCF (what does that mean?), .455, .38 S&W, .32 WCF (don't know what that means, either), .38 Special, .38 Super, .380, .32 ACP (?), .22 Magna, and .22 Long Rifle. Can you use rifle shells in the .22 pistol?

They's a whole bunch more guns here, but I'll write about them later. Just tell me what to put in these.

Also I seen where you wrote a story on holsters, and I would like to buy holsters for these guns. I lost the story, so where did you get the holsters and how much did they cost?

Also don't like the handles on any of these guns and want new handles. Where can I get them?

I wanted to ask you about somethin' else, but here comes Rawjaw's truck and I better help him unload. Looks like I'm finely in the cow business.

Answer soon.

Yours truly,
Clyde Johnson
(they call me Jug)

Peoria, Ill.
May 5, 1975

Mr. Clyde Johnson
General Delivery
Persimmon Gap, Tex.

Dear Mr. Johnson:
Many thanks for your interesting and detailed letter, and please forgive the long but unavoidable delay in my response to it. My writing activities leave only a small amount of time to handle correspondence, and I am hopelessly behind.

But let's get to your inquiry about handloading. It would appear that your uncle's handgun collection is quite extensive. Each of the calibers you mention does, of course, require a different powder charge and sometimes a different primer (Large Pistol or Small Pistol). Weights of powder charges will vary according to the type of powder used, the weight and diameter of the bullet to be loaded, the muzzle velocity desired, and the caliber being loaded.

You will find it an invaluable aid to acquire one of the excellent loading manuals published by Speer Inc., Lyman Products, Sierra Bullets, Hornady Bullets, and others. Their addresses accompany their advertisements in Shooting Times. If, after having read a good reloading manual, you still have specific questions, I would like to refer you to my old friend, John Wootters. John is our handloading editor and a real expert. Just tell him that Skeeter sent you. I know how pleased he will be.

As for the holsters, you were not very specific as to which attracted your interest. There are any number of good holster makers, including Allen's Saddlery, Silver City, N.M.; Bianchi, Temecula, Calif.; Don Hume Leather Goods, Miami, Okla.; George Lawrence Co., Portland, Ore.; Roy's Custom Leather, Magnolia, Ark.; S.D. Myres, El Paso, Tex.; and Safariland, Monrovia, Calif. Write for their catalogs and prices.

You did not stipulate whether you wished to change the stocks on your handguns because you didn't like their appearance or because they don't fit your hand. For cosmetic changes, there are several firms that can supply replacement stocks of ivory, staghorn, and mother-of-pearl. For custom-fitted stocks, write to companies like Herrett's Stocks, Twin Falls, Idaho; Mustang Grips, Temecula, Calif.; or Dave Wayland, Corte Madera, Calif.

My congratulations on your inheritance, and I hope you prosper in the ranching business.

Best wishes.
Skeeter Skelton

[scattershot]

Yeah, I couldn’t wait for the new ST to come out each month. Skeeter Skelton was probably my favorite gun writer of all time. I had both of his books, but gave them away. Sure wish I had them back now.

[abunaitoo]

I'm always on the look out for "I remember Skeeter"
Should have gotten one when it came out.
Someday.

[rockshooter]

Another writer from the 1930 era was Lucian Carey. His character was JM Pyne, a takeoff on HM Pope, barrel maker. I was able to find a collection of his shooting stories.
Loren

[EDG]

I was too poor as a kid for a subscription to a gun magazine so I got caught up each month in the barber shop.

[Cargo]

This thread made me SMILE. I need to buy some more books. There are still a few good writers but it's just not the same.