Donna James of Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia writes:
RE: Rick Smith dog seminars – I recently attended the inaugural Rick Smith Seminar at Balliang East in Victoria, Australia. It was wonderful to meet both Rick and his wife and spend the weekend discovering the difference that understanding the canine mind can make.

I personally was mistaking my dogs' leaning and pawing habits as loving! I now know better and, much to his chagrin, Ringo is becoming much easier to handle and I can tell, is looking to me for direction rather than demanding attention. He is beginning to acknowledge me as his pack leader and I intend to spend as much time as it takes each day, using the Silent Command System to train the best gundogs my Vizslas can be.

It was almost comical to see the look on my dog's face when refusing to jump into the truck, I produced the correction rope. He looked as if to say, "Oh #&@#, she's brought it home." The figure-8 string is the best tool yet – it's a simple, quick and effective method to correct unacceptable behavior, and Ringo only has to see it to stop growling now.

I only hope that Rick returns to Australia to do more seminars and I'm very happy to have been able to share in this one.

Kyle Tolbert of Oneonta, AL writes:
I love the site but would like to see more updates.

Marion McMasters of Saint Johns, Fla. writes:
RE: Union Firearms – Have Union Arms pump action shotgun...seems 90% plus...all functions seem to be working...have not attempted to fire as is rusted ...but seems solid enough...appears to be missing a metal plate (sliding?) from the right rear of the receiver...possibly a dust/dirt cover ?...need to replace the screws which hold the wood forearm grip to the magazine tube...stock is broken below or at the bottom of the wrist of the stock...could use help/advice/ parts source to get this old timer in complete, working condition...thank you

Don Shull of Henderson, TN writes:
RE: Union Firearms – I have shot my grandfather's 16-gauge Union Firearms pump gun, maybe a couple of boxes, for skeet and doves. I had to make a new stock and replace some missing screws. Fun.

Henry Cummings of Phoenix, AZ writes:
RE: Pointer from Korea – Hi, Hank here, one of the many volunteers who gave their time and love to Dakota while she was here. I just want to say thanks so much for taking her in, and giving her the life she deserves.

All the best from Osan Air Base, Korea.

Chuck D'Arcy-Clarke of Fresno, CA writes:
RE: Pointer from Korea – I'm so glad that the transport worked out and that she arrived safely. Hope to see her sometime at Hastings in a test or something. Can't put in too much here, as I have a large furry grey houseguest right now that I have to keep an eye on till he gets picked up. He's in transit to a home in the Bay Area somewhere. I kept the NorCal GSP folks apprised of what transpired with her, also.

Noelle M. Scala of Arlington, TX writes:
RE: Pointer from Korea – I am so glad to see Dakota doing great. She was always a sweet dog and I was so happy to hear that she was going home to the states. Thank you so much for giving her that chance.

Ivan Jordan writes:
I just want to ask how Tom Knapp and Patrick Flanigan and other shooters, when they shoot the plate box and make it fly into the air, what do they do to make the box fly? Please, someone who knows, tell us.

Chris Kolbenschlag of Irvine, California writes:
Re: Winchester Model 120 – I inherited, amongst others, a Model 120 and just shot it for the first time this weekend at the range. Having never fired a shotgun before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. After blowing thru a box of target loads, I couldn't agree more with your assessment.

Jim Crowley of Bloomington, Ill. writes:
Re: ruffed grouse series – Great story and Jay Kumar is a riot! Would enjoy reading more of his hunting stories. Informative about the equiptment used, coupled with a humorist twist. Jay if you want to come to Illinois to goose hunt, hook up with John J. and you guys are welcome in a blind with me anytime!

Kenneth Segura of New Iberia, La. writes:
I love quail hunting because of the dog work. I couild leave the shotgun home and just enjoy the dog work.

James A. Buck of Chattanooga Tenn. writes:
I have followed your BassFan site for a long time and just stumbled onto the shotgun sight. I would like to make a suggestion to you – add to your site some info and articles on dog training as well as field trial and hunt test info for both the American Kennel Club and Hunting Retreiver Club, and even the new Super Retriever Series.

ShotgunFan says: We plan to do just that. Watch for a lot more sporting dog-related articles on ShotgunFan in the near future.

Antti Kantola of Muhos, Finland writes:
Re: Winchester Model 120 – Nice shotgun. I have the same Winchester that you have and I like it very much for duck hunting and rabbit hunting.

Chad Arthur Norman of Wikieup, Ariz. writes:
Re: Winchester Model 120 – This is a great gun I have owned for about 6 months now. ( paid a $100 for it and I will never get rid of it or think about another gun.

Mark Perry of Zebulon,NC writes:
In my 49 years on God's green earth, I have not missed an opening day of dove season in 42 years.

Arlette Hennessey of Coolidge, AZ writes:
Having hosted three foundation seminars here in Arizona and also one intermediate seminar, I cannot say enough about Rick Smith's Silent Command System seminar. For the person who is just starting out to gain a direction to use, to a seasoned handler, to trainer alike, there is plenty to watch, see and learn and to hone skills and open doors to even being better with dogs.

What a great article of what a person will experience in the seminar throughout the weekend, and trust me when I say there is a whole bunch more.

Pete McNeely of Grayslake, Ill. writes:
I have owned and operated a Winchester Model 120 for about 21 years and they are very dependable shotguns. I purchased mine from Smoke and Gun in Waukegan, Ill. in 1986 for the upcoming deer season. I bought it to replace my Remington 870, which was picky as to what brands of shells it would eject.

The 1200 was the successor to the model 12 in 1964; however by 1981 the 1300 was the successor to the 1200 and the Model 120 was made between the changeover in model numbers. They are exactly the same gun as the model 1200 and a lot of the old 1200 parts were used in making the 120.

The 28-inch vent-ribbed barrel was a standard barrel for the 120, although most were sold as combos that came with a smoothbore slug barrel with rifled sights. They were made as an entry-level gun aimed at mostly military and police sales. The 120 I own has been flawless – I have taken more deer than the number of years I have had it.
I sold an 870 in order to buy it because the 870 had a problem with different types of shells. Some would work perfectly and some were horrible in the 870. I have never had a jam in my 120 and it ejects perfectly.

The Winchester 120 is the fastest pump I have ever seen and works well with every brand of shell I've ever tried. I have used it in snow and rain and even carried it out of a muddy field or two and when I got home I cleaned it and it still looks great. Many of my friends have switched to the 1300 after trying the 120 out. I love mine and would never trade it away. However, I have considered buying a 20-gauge for small birds.

Jon Blecha of Omaha, Nebraska writes:
Really sorry to hear that Dez and Dash are ending their TV show. It was probably the most classy hunting show that was currently on the air. Dez had the same class as Curt Gowdy. More than any other show, it gave one the real insight of what hunting is all about.

Richard Schneider of Kansas City, Missouri writes:
I have a few suggestions for the (website). Here is a little background first: A big election is coming in less than a year. If we (gun owners) elect the wrong folks, you magazine writers will soon have two choices, join a "terrorist" group and write something called "Illegal Weapons and How to Use Them" or get a job working for "Nina's Knitting News." There are lots of people running for office who want more than anything to outlaw our guns and take them away. History tells us that there are 10 steps to disarming a free society, and we (the U.S. of A.) are up to the last few steps.

Okay, enough background. Suggestion 1 is that you dedicate a page or two every month to pro-gun organizations. List all of them and their contact information. Have a few lines for each to tell what their goals are. "We must all hang together, or we will all hang separately," so to speak. We can't be letting the government confiscate someone's gun because "There's no need for ugly black guns like that" or "Nobody needs a gun that big" or whatever. If they confiscate one gun, that just brings your guns one step closer to the top of their list. We need to get all the people who have an interest in our hobby to vote.

Also, we need to bring new people into our hobbies. Tell your readers to take someone to the range who has never gone before. Teach someone to handle a gun and shoot – that could be your child, your kids Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop, your girlfriend or boyfriend, someone you work with, anyone. Take someone hunting, show them the out of doors. Show them our side, then ask them to vote if they are old enough to do so. Make sure they are registered to vote.

The people who believe in the Second Amendment need to vote to keep it, or it will be destroyed. Remind people that Patrick Henry didn't say "Your wish is my command. Let me be your humble servant." Nope, not even close. He said, "Give me liberty or give me death." At this point we don't have to risk our lives like he did, but if we want to be free we have to stand up and vote for our freedom.

Vote for those who will support the Second Amendment. Tell the readers that whether they are gun collectors, competitors, hunters, interested in self-defense or whatever, if they don't vote for our freedoms, the right to bear arms may cease to exist. They will need a new hobby. Perhaps those hunters would rather stay home and play checkers or clean out the garage instead of dragging that heavy old rifle through the woods? Perhaps the competitors would be happier playing video games? Perhaps those who feel they need a gun to protect themselves, their families or their property would do just as well with a Louisville Slugger? If that isn't so, they must get out and vote to protect their
Constitutional rights.

(The) second suggestion is that your (website) should focus on things that Joe or Joan Average can afford. Articles about expensive guns and accessories are cool. A safari to Africa or some other expensive hunt is cool, but I'd be much more interested in a detailed article on how to do a good trigger job on a Model 70, a 700 Remington or a Weatherby Vanguard. Or perhaps you could tell me how to accurize an SKS. Write an article that explains in detail how I can check the penetration and expansion of my handloads. Tell me how much the maximum power loads affect the life of my gun.

How about more info on affordable setups for a chronograph or Piezoelectric pressure gauge? What .44 mag loads work best for deer? What holsters are best for concealed carry and why? And get to the basics and explain it in detail.

I can understand that perhaps the 'coolest' toys are very expensive, but if you want to interest the average reader, it might be best to have articles about things that pertain to his/her life. I'll compare this to a popular automotive magazine that some years back got in the mode of being a showcase for very expensive hotrods. They alienated their readers and circulation dropped. When they came back to basics and printed articles about stuff that the average reader could afford, the circulation went up like a rocket.

There are a couple good reasons to try to increase the subscriber base. One, it is job security for you. Two, we need everybody with an interest in guns to be aware of how critical this next election is. So, I'd
suggest that, as much as possible you get back to the basics. Explain things to the newbie in the sport. We (your readers) are not all experts, and we're not all wealthy. Talk to us.

Scott Matthews of Carthage, NC writes:
I really enjoyed Mr. Johnson's article on Mr. Tom Knapp. I'm trying to follow the steps of this great exhibition shooter, but they're pretty big steps!

Anyways, enjoyed the article, and your awesome website. Keep up the good work!