Jack O’Connor

John Woolf O'Connor (January 22, 1902 – January 20, 1978), known professionally as Jack O'Connor, was an American writer, journalist, and outdoorsman renowned for his expertise on hunting, firearms, and conservation. Born in Nogales, Arizona Territory, he became a leading voice in outdoor literature through his long tenure as firearms editor for Outdoor Life magazine and authorship of numerous books on rifles and big-game hunting.

O'Connor's early life was marked by adventure and hardship; raised near Phoenix, he lied about his age at 15 to join the U.S. Army during World War I but was discharged due to chronic tuberculosis , later serving briefly in the Navy as a hospital corpsman . He pursued higher education across several institutions, earning a bachelor's degree in banking and finance from the University of Arkansas in 1925 and a master's in English and journalism from the University of Missouri in 1927, where he met his wife, Eleanor Barry, whom he married that year. After teaching English and journalism at the University of Arizona —where he became its first journalism professor—O'Connor transitioned to freelance writing in 1934, publishing his debut article in Outdoor Life in 1934 on Arizona's antelope issues.

From 1941 to 1972, O'Connor served as Outdoor Life 's shooting editor, contributing over 200 articles and monthly columns that shaped modern hunting practices and rifle selection, including his influential advocacy for the .270 Winchester cartridge as an ideal all-around big-game round. He authored 16 books, including the seminal The Rifle Book (1949, revised 1964 and 1977), which became a standard reference for hunters, and two autobiographical works detailing his global pursuits of 36 big-game species across four continents. A passionate sheep hunter, he achieved two "grand slams" of North American wild sheep by 1946, becoming only the fifth person to do so, and used his platform to promote ethical hunting , game management, and conservation efforts. After retiring from Outdoor Life , he joined Petersen's Hunting as executive editor until his death from a heart attack aboard the SS Mariposa while returning from Hawaii ; he was survived by three children and seven grandchildren, having resided in Lewiston, Idaho , since 1948. His legacy endures through awards like the 1957 Weatherby Award and induction into the Hunting Hall of Fame in 1974, cementing his status as one of America's most influential gunwriters.

John Woolf O'Connor was born on January 22, 1902, in Nogales, Arizona Territory. His parents divorced when he was five years old, leaving his mother to raise him and his younger sister, Helen, who was two at the time.

O'Connor was primarily raised by his mother, a schoolteacher who never remarried and later retired from Arizona State University. Following the divorce, she moved the family to Tempe, Arizona, where they initially lived in a large tent on her father's property, reflecting the modest circumstances of the era. The family experienced frequent moves during his childhood, primarily within Arizona tied to his mother's teaching positions.

O'Connor's maternal grandfather, James Wiley Woolf, a prominent pioneer and rancher in the American West , played a significant role in his upbringing, providing stability and introducing him to outdoor traditions. Growing up in a rugged, desert environment that O'Connor himself later described as "the last frontier," he developed an independent spirit amid the fading influences of the Old West . This formative setting, combined with his grandfather's ranching background, laid the groundwork for his lifelong affinity for the outdoors.

O'Connor's initial exposure to hunting occurred in the Arizona Territory , where he grew up amid the rugged desert landscapes that shaped his lifelong passion for the outdoors.