BOOK, GUNS, HUNTING, AND SHOOTING. WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN 60 YEARS, BY BILL WILSON

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

"An ordinary gun book wouldn’t satisfy Bill Wilson. In these pages you’ll find what many others lack: technical info beyond the basics on rifles, handguns and cartridges, hunting savvy earned in game fields world-wide, shooting tips from a truly accomplished marksman. Founding Wilson Combat in 1977, Bill posted top scores in several shooting disciplines. Hunts took him to 10 countries and on 31 safaris. He now builds carriage- class 1911 pistols and AR-15 rifles in his Berryville, Arkansas factory, and bolt rifles under the New Ultralight Arms shingle. He designed the .300 HAM’R and tweaked barrels to tap the potential of other cartridges. The Rockchucker press and .38 Special handloads of his youth gave way to benches bristling with high-tech tools. Trials with his own Lehigh Defense bullets and others on his 1,200-yard range scuttle common myths re: fragmenting and penetration.

Bill writes directly, but as readily owns opinion. It’s well-informed. How do cup-and-core and solid-copper bullets react to various seating depths? Bill burned lots of powder finding out. Why does he zero at 150 yards and limit pokes at animals to 350? Thousands of shots at game, from hogs to Africa’s most formidable, sealed that habit. He favors short-action cartridges like the .308 in hunting rifles, and scopes of modest weight. With a Ruger Redhawk revolver he downed a buffalo. Daily, he usually holsters a lightweight 4-inch 1911; but Colt Pythons and early S&W K- and N-frames still catch his eye. While he insists accuracy mustn’t yield to speed, his 7-yard handgun drills humble experts. So do 4-inch rifle targets engaged from field positions 75 to 150 yards off. Bill doesn’t just talk shooting; he lives it almost every day. Sifting into one book all that’s interesting, useful and unerringly true about handguns, rifles, cartridges, handloading, hunting and shooting is a daunting task. Bill Wilson has done that as well as anyone I know. His efforts will make you smarter."

-Wayne van Zwoll

"In these days of social media "influencers" and self-styled "celebrities," it's a breath of fresh air to read someone who not only knows what he's talking about...but has been
there and done that! We know Bill Wilson as a legendary competitive shooter, with titles in more disciplines than most of us can name. And, at Wilson Combat, as one of America's most successful and prolific custom gunmakers. The Bill Wilson most of us don't know, and the Bill Wilson we will meet in GUNS, SHOOTING AND HUNTING What I've Learned in 60 Years is Bill Wilson, the constant, driven, and dedicated "gun guy," the lifelong passionate hunter, the patient and painstaking handloader...and a man who loves his family, his dogs, his land, and his life.

Maybe it's his upbringing in the backwoods of Arkansas, perhaps combined with his amazing lifelong experience, but you'll find what he has learned in 60 years of messing with guns, shooting and hunting is mostly common sense, so uncommon today...and so useful.

My late friend Bill Bynum, good writer and great hunter, similarly from the hills of Tennessee, used to say, "We need more hunters writing...and fewer writers hunting." He would have loved this book, as do I. Bill Wilson and I are the same age, so maybe it dates me when I say that I agree with 99.9 percent of what he has to say. I hope you do, too, but even if you disagree, you're going to find some valuable takeaways in his story."

-Craig Boddington

"Wilson's latest book provides insights that you won't find anywhere else. It's like a campfire chat with one of America's most experienced firearm makers. Perfect for new and experienced firearm enthusiasts, Wilson's latest book is brimming with knowledge gained through six decades of gun making, competitive shooting, and worldwide hunting. It's a must-read for all firearm enthusiasts. 

Bill Wilson is a legend in the firearms world, and his latest book provides practical insight for every hunter and shooter. It should be required reading for all firearm enthusiasts. Every gun owner should clear space on their bookshelf for Wilson's latest book. It's filled with personal experiences and practical insights gained through 60 years at the range and in the field. 

No book on firearms covers such a wide range of topics so thoroughly, and with Wilson's vast experience as a competitive shooter, gun maker, and hunter he offers practical insights that are invaluable to every firearm owner. This is what we all wanted - a deep dive into a wide range if firearm topics with one of the shooting world's most successful and experienced professionals. You'll learn something new on every page." 

-Brad Fitzpatrick, Writer Outdoor Sportsman Group

"Bill Wilson's new book, like Bill himself, covers the waterfront of firearms. A champion shooter, vastly experienced hunter, and designer/manufacturer of acclaimed pistols and
rifles, he gives voice-of-experience advice on virtually every element in the world of the gun. A most useful read!"
 
-Massad Ayoob

“Guns, Shooting and Hunting” is like being tossed the keys to one of Bill Wilson’s performance cars and encouraged to merge into the fast lane of his incredible life.

There is more to the man than 50 years of firearm design and manufacturing, and this book offers that insight.  Hunter. Shooter. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Collector. Designer. Competitor. Prepper. Leader. Husband. Father. Mentor. Friend. “Guns, Shooting and Hunting” provides a glimpse into the life and mindset of one of the most interesting men, offering education while entertaining your soul. Join the circle that includes those of us who have had the privilege of knowing him by reading this insightful, informative book that spans decades and several subjects."

-Eric R. Poole, Editor-in-Chief, Guns & Ammo

"Elmer Keith’s Hell I was There, Cooper’s Another Country, and Townsend Whelen’s Mr. Rifleman were all fantastic autobiographical-like looks about the lives of real honest to God gun guys. With Guns, Shooting and Hunting, Bill Wilson has added to that list of iconic books. It provides an in depth account at what a life of living with guns is really like, and it’s packed with advice that’s valuable to shooters, hunters, handloaders, and collectors.
 
Elmer Keith, Ed McGivern, Jeff Cooper, and Towsend Whelen all gave us books that were autobiographical-like looks at the lives of real honest to God gun guys. With Guns, Shooting and Hunting, Bill Wilson has given us another one, and it’s an honest straightforward look at what living a life with guns is really like. The book details Bill’s hunting history from Arkansas to Africa, his shooting life from revolvers to AR15's, and it’s packed with advice and lessons from someone who is worth listening to.
 
There is a short list of folks I call when I need serious advice about guns, shooting, handloading or hunting. Bill Wilson is near the top of that list because I know what he’ll tell me will be based on experience as opposed to conjecture. His new book, Guns, Shooting and Hunting details many of his experiences and shares his valuable knowledge on all those topics. You can trust Bill’s advice, because he has spent his life, living with—as opposed to playing with—guns.
 
My definition of a “gun guy” is someone who has lived their life with guns as opposed to sometimes playing with them. History will remember names like John Moses Browning, Jeff Cooper, and Finn Aagaard, because of their gun guy lives and the stories and advice they’ve given us. Because of his new book, Guns, Hunting and Shooting, you can add Bill Wilson to that iconic list. He has left footprints on ranges all over the world while competing, and from Arkansas to Africa while hunting, and he has worked the handle on a reloading press likely more times than you’ve pulled a trigger. You’ll enjoy his story, and you’ll learn some things along the way."

-Richard Mann, Shooting Editor Field and Stream

Specifications:

• " 9.25" x 6" Hardcover
• 12 Chapters
•  234 Pages
• 352 Photos
• Printed in the USA

Chapter List:

1. The Early Days
2. Competition Handgun and Shooting Basics
3. Hunting Experiences and Tips
4. Hog Hunting 101
5. Bullet and Caliber Selection for Hunting and Self-Defense
6. 300 HAM'R - The Little Cartridge That Could
7. Shooting for Fun and Favorite Guns
8. Gun Collecting
9. Handloading
10. How I Maintain My Personal Guns and General Tips
11. Being Prepared
12. The Life of a "Gun Guy"