The art of hunting big game in North America

by Jack O'Connor

This is an informative book filled with good advice and a good story line to keep a reader intrested. I feel this is a classic book of outdoor literature. This is a great book for young readers interested in the sport of hunting.

Genres: Outdoors, Nonfiction

418 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Jack O'Connor was best known as a writer for Outdoor Life, magazine, where he served as Shooting Editor for 31 years.

Jack O'Connor taught English at the University of Arizona, and became its first journalism professor. His first love was the outdoors and writing about hunting, firearms, and the natural history of big game animals. As the longtime firearms editor for Outdoor Life magazine, O'Connor hunted and collected trophies throughout the world, and introduced millions of readers to hunting and firearms. O'Connor moved to Lewiston, Idaho in 1948 and he lived there until his death in 1978.

O'Connor was well known among shooters and hunters as a proponent of the .270 Winchester and 7x57mm Mauser (.275 Rigby) cartridges. His knowledge of hunting and shooting was extensive, and he had a firm opinion on everything. He was one of America's greatest hunting and gun writers of the twentieth century.

Jack O'Connor authored over a dozen non-fiction books including "Game in the Desert" "The Rifle Book" "The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns" "The Big Game of North America" "The Art of Hunting Big Game in North America," and "Sheep and Sheep Hunting" He also wrote two western novels, "Conquest," and "Boom Town," and the autobiography of his formative years: "Horse and Buggy West: A Boyhood on the Last Frontier."

According to his son Bradford, in an introduction written for the 2004 book, "The Lost Classics of Jack O'Connor," Jack wrote more than 1200 articles for hunting and fishing magazines, and also wrote romantic novellas and articles for Redbook, Mademoiselle, Reader's Digest, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, the literary magazine Midland, and other magazines popular in the 1930s and 1940s.

Thanks to his education and teaching experience O'Connor's writing skills and style were far above the norm for outdoor magazines. An O'Connor story always taught the reader something about hunting, shooting, or sportsmanship. He had the ability to make the reader feel as if they were right there with him, and he usually closed a hunting story with a bit of humor or an exclamation by one of the characters, leaving the reader eager for more.

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh]

Jack O'Connor writes about hunting large animals in North America. He was an contributor and editor for Outdoor Life magazine way before it became a slick periodical.

[Kiegan Field]

Probably the best book you're going to find on the topic. Much of the practice and information is dated, or, regrettably, pertains to hunting exclusively for a trophy. With a moderate level of discernment and patience for the sentiments of the time it was written, this book will serve you well.

[Craig Schlossin]

I like all of Jack's books.

[Nathan Pitney]

I knew I one day wanted to climb mountains and chase big elk and sheep

[Liquidlasagna]

A wonderfully awesome book in its time

I'll give a list of my preferences, and a general strength chart for people

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My personal list:

22 LR K0.8
204 Ruger K4.4
22-250 Rem K8.0
240 Weatherby K25
257 Weatherby K33
308 Marlin Express K38
6.5x65 RWS K39
303 British K49
270 Weatherby K54
30-06 Springfield K55
7mm Blaser K58
30R Blaser K68
300 Blaser K71
300 H&H K87
300 Weatherby K91
338 Blaser K94
8.5x63 REB K108
375 H&H K129
375 Blaser K136
378 Weatherby K187
416 Remington K192
416 Rigby K225

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Year of Introduction

1887
22 LR K0.8

1889
303 British K49

1906
30-06 Springfield K55

1911
416 Rigby K225

1912
375 H&H K129

1925
300 H&H K87

1943
270 Weatherby K54

1944
257 Weatherby K33
300 Weatherby K91

1953
378 Weatherby K187

1957
22-250 Rem K8.0

1968
240 Weatherby K25

1988
6.5x65 RWS K39

1989
416 Remington K192

1992
30R Blaser K68

2004
204 Ruger K4.4

2007
308 Marlin Express K38

2009
7mm Blaser K58
300 Blaser K71
338 Blaser K94
375 Blaser K136

2010
8.5x63 REB K108