Thread: Mike Venturino

Greetings All,
I have just heard that Mike Venturino passed away on the 10th of June. Mike spent most of his life writing about guns and handloading, often in Handloader which I have been reading since 1980. Mike was 75 years old and still writing. I mentioned, in a recent post about my fumbling with the30-40 Krag the usefulness of an article he had written around 15 years ago in making sense of the conflicting jungle of data for that cartridge. Instead of just thinking about it I sent an Email of appreciation to Handloader with a request to pass on my appreciation to Mike. Regrettably a few weeks too late.
Regards Grandpamac.

oh dear how sad

Mike's writings have interested and influenced me.
I am just about to collect my 40-70 and 44-77.
The 44-77 I think directly as a result of Mike's writings on True 44s ( 44-77 is .446" ) and Buffalo rifles

So I went straight to the workshop and I made some expanders to form 44-77, 43 Spanish and 11mm Mauser out of respect

He came to NZ. He was at the Wairarapa pistol club.

Greetings All,
A little more about Mike or Duke as he was often called. Mike was born in early May 1949. He was into firearms from an early age and studied Journalism at Marshal College. He always wanted to be a gun writer but until he came under new management when he married Yvonne in 1978 this was in doubt. Mike was told to sit down at Yvonne's typewriter and get on with it. He wrote full time from 1981. The first article I read of Mikes, Likely written in 1979 was in Handloader and was about loading the .40-82 @akaroa1 please note. In 1986 Mike and Yvonne purchased a small block on which Mike could set up a 300 yard range where they lived until his death. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of Yvonne's input in Mikes writing career. Not only did she get him started in the first place but took over the photography, which he hated, They were married for 47 years. Some of the dates have come from an article Mike wrote for GUNS Magazine in 2021.
Regards Grandpamac.

Sound sort of familiar

I purchased a block in Akaroa 35 years ago
Set up a 100m range out the workshop door, 200 and 300m ranges with proper shooting benches
Not married but with the same long suffering woman for 38 years !
Never published anything unless talking shit on this forum counts ?

I enjoyed his writing a lot. Another good one gone. At least we live to read all his experience and knowledge notably in the black powder world.

Originally Posted by akaroa1

Sound sort of familiar

I purchased a block in Akaroa 35 years ago
Set up a 100m range out the workshop door, 200 and 300m ranges with proper shooting benches
Not married but with the same long suffering woman for 38 years !
Never published anything unless talking shit on this forum counts ?

Similarities with me too.
Born three weeks before Mike. Have both been big boys although me not so much at the moment. Bought a small block in 1992 and have a 100 and 200 metre range (used sparingly to keep neighbours on side). Married to the same woman for over 50 years. Have had a few articles published but have not written anything for a while.