Are old hunting and gun books obsolete?
Is the digital age the end all to paper books? We have heard it before. Sometimes we have done it ourselves. Why not just Google it?
We think not.
What happens when the internet fails at answering our hunting and gun questions? We need our collection of much loved outdoors books from a past time to give us what we need.
Here are the best five reasons why we need vintage hunting and gun books in our lives.
1. Information from the source
Why Google what some Joe Blow thought about any given rifle caliber? You can have the experts' reference books right in your very hands and find out much more.
Read about Jack O'Connor's guns in his own words, and not copied over the internet by an unknown source. Read Jim Carmichel's "Book Of The Rifle" or some other vintage gun book, and they will teach you more than any quick internet search could.
2. Step back in time
As gun lovers, we almost all enjoy vintage firearms from years ago. Want to learn more about them? Pick up old Guns & Ammo Magazines at a yard sale and settle in; they're always a good read.
The self-defense tactics and weapons of yesterday are quite eye-opening. It was different before the days of Glock pistols. As a gun collector, I love to view gun values in the old Shooter's Bible, and it always makes me wish I could go back in time. That old Ruger .44 Magnum autoloading hunting rifle for big game hunting went for cheap back then. Or how about that Remington Model 11 Shotgun? Nowadays, they're a pretty penny.
3. Rest your eyes from the smart phone
Color photos or black and white vintage sporting literature is a great way to relax. Take a break from the digital age and learn like our outdoor predecessors did, from great books.
4. Learn lost knowledge
As an outdoor writer I rely heavily on my vast collection of old outdoor sporting books for research. Pull up a chair to the campfire and grab one. You might just learn something new.
5. Pay respects to the great writers of yesterday
Theodore Roosevelt is an American legend in the hunting and conservation community. To this day we can read his very words about his adventures and imagine being there. Leave North America by reading Capstick's "Death In The Long Grass." This great book takes us to darkest Africa where man eaters roam in a different time. It certainly is a must-have.
Many of the new books on the market may have a great amount of knowledge, much like the great outdoor writers of the past. But it just doesn't quite compare to the books of yesteryear.
Do you like articles about the outdoors? Click here to view more articles by Eric Nestor. You can follow him @ericthewoodsman on Twitter, The Classic Woodsman on Facebook, and @theclassicwoodsman on Instagram. You can view more Nestor Photography photos at Nestor Photography.
NEXT: FIREARM REVIEW: HENRY REPEATING ARMS BIG BOY COLOR CASE HARDENED LEVER ACTION RIFLE
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