What Magazine???

[SharpsShooter]

After subscribing for a number of years, I have let my Shooting Times magazine renewal go unpaid and unwanted. I simply lost interest with the glossy, front to back advertisements that left little to read of an informative nature.

That said, I am looking for suggestions for a replacement. I still get the Rifleman, but it is not much better than ST.

Suggestions anyone?


SS

[Fireball 57]

I guess, I'm partial to [I]Handloader and Rifle Magazines.:drinks: I am having a hard time finding time to read them, though.:)

[versifier]

I enjoy Gun Tests. It's a straightforward no ads magazine that doesn't write kissy-assy reviews to please manufacturers. If a tested gun sucks, they tell you how and why and list the vaccuum pressure:-D . If they like it, they tell you what impressed them about it. They do a lot of apples-to-apples comparisons of similiar offerings within the same price range and also reviews of specific guns when there are no current offerings to compare. Ratings are like school grades used to be: A+ for the best of workmanship and value and on down to F for paperweights. It's the Consumer Reports of the shooting public.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ill agree with Fireball on his recomendations but i sure cant agree with versifier. I dont think gun test magazine is good for anything but paper for the out house.

[BABore]

Ill agree with Fireball on his recomendations but i sure cant agree with versifier. I dont think gun test magazine is good for anything but paper for the out house.

Ditto's on that.

I dropped both Shooting Times and Guns & Ammo several years ago because of all the BS articles they publish. Never heard of Handloader and Rifle Mag's til then. Sure wish I had of.

[Bret4207]

Handloader/Rifle, Single Shot Rifle Journal, Double Gun Journal, Fouling Shot. All good. Most of what I get I can find by scaning through a G+A or ST while my wife grocery shops. I prefer to buy after looking through the mag.

Can't agree on Gun Tests. They adored some dogs and came down on a couple good guns. I took it for a few years and finally dropped it. Others may love it. To each his own. American Gunsmith is another i used to get. But, sent in my $ in june for a 1 year subscription. By November of that year I was getting cancalation notices if I didn't renew. No luck talking to them either. Too bad, I liked it.

For me most mags are a waste of money with the internet being here. I do buy "Shoot" magazine for the old time movie star histories.Thats another mag that never reviewed a gun they didn't love to pieces.

[Boz330]

I enjoy Black Powder Cartridge News from SPG if you are into that which I gather from your Avitar. Also Black Powder Hunting is one I also enjoy. Both are quarterlies.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
I also gave up on F&S, OL, Guns, G&A, & ST a long time ago. NRA mags. were better, for a while, but Handloader, & Rifle were even better.
NOW I SAVE MY MONEY FOR RELOADING COMPONENTS!

[fourarmed]

Bret, I know what you mean about A. Gunsmith. I think they just send everybody a renewal notice every month. After several years, I just remember when I need to renew and toss the letters. It is a useful magazine if you work on a lot of different guns. They are not afraid to tell you how to work on something, which terrifies the hell out of every other gun rag I know of.

[corvette8n]

I get all 3 from Wolf publishing
rifle
handloader
sucessful hunter

[Mallard57]

+1 for Handloader

[felix]

Precision Shooting is by far the best rag out there, and always has been since inception. But, it is not for 90 percent of us on this board. It deals with serious technical stuff that prolly won't get read for the most part, but the rag is getting a little more general purpose over time, slowly but surely. The magazine is even getting into guns that most of us can obtain. ... felix

[AZ-Stew]

Handloader and Rifle are excellent, American Handgunner and Guns aren't too bad. Shooting Times and the NRA magazines have become advertisements interspersed with a few incidental short articles, with a couple of exceptions. ST has a new colum by Dr. Oehler regarding ballistics that is extremely informative, and the NRA's articles on historical firearms are excellent. I'll always get American Rifleman and First Freedom due to the Life Memberships my wife and I have.

I subscribed to Guns and Ammo many years ago, but it seemed that every three years they'd recycle the same articles. I guess that was about the maximum length of time most folks subscribed.

I've subscribed to others over the years, but the ones at the top of this post are the ones I'll stick with.

Regards,

Stew

[45nut]

A couple of my favorite magazines...........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/pistols/webrandall45.jpg

[HORNET]

Gotta agree on Handloader and Rifle ( they're not as good as they used to be, though) and also agree with Fouling Shot but find much better reading on this board than in any of them (and less flat wrong info).:drinks:

[SharpsShooter]

A couple of my favorite magazines...........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/pistols/webrandall45.jpg

I just knew someone would do this post.......:mrgreen:

Good advice fellas I appreciate all the responses.


SS

[Bret4207]

I took Precision Shooting and The Accurate Rifle for a while. Once I realized the Merill Martin type articles were gone I let it go. Benchrest is fine but I was looking for somewhat more practical articles minus the $8000.00 rifles. Same with the AR crowd. I may try them again at some point.

[targetshootr]

I am pissed that G&A still shows up at my door. What a waste of trees. Handloader, Am Handgunner and Guns are much better.

[Jim]

I read Shooting Times, Handloader and American Handgunner. On a side note, I buy every new manual that comes out and I'm constantly looking for new books on internal, external and terminal ballistics or any combination thereof.

[RugerFan]

Guns is a good mag.

Is it just me or has NRA's "The American Hunter" turned into a continual shameless promotion for Barnes bullets? Lately it seems there isn't an issue that doesn't have an article or 2 that gushes over Barnes bullets (accompanied by Barnes ads of course). Talk about kissing up to a sponsor. A complete loss of integrity in my eyes.

[9.3X62AL]

"Handloader" and "Rifle" are among the better ones out there, but as Hornet said they are pale imitations of their condition 15-20 years ago. I think gunrags are going the way of the condor......big ugly birds that thrived in times of larger game carcasses, and only survive today through strident advocacy and artificial environment.

[Uncle Grinch]

Another vote for Rifle & Handloader. Other than Varmint Hunter, I have stopped all my other "Grocery Store" magazines.

Varmint Hunter has very little to do with cast boolits, but they still have some very good technical articles ar times. However, lately, everything has been 17 cal this or 20 cal that. Bout had enough of those BB guns articles.

[Bent Ramrod]

I only subscribe to specialty publications anymore: BPCR News, Single Shot Journal, Remington Society of America Journal. Handloader and Rifle have seen their best days, as far as I'm concerned; as soon as they started putting animals on the covers I knew my subscribing days were numbered. Although I do see a legitimate need to keep up with industry developments, twelve issues a year devoted to them is a little much. Precision Shooting used to be great when it was half the pages it is now and no index (whatever happened to Merrill Martin, anyway?); now it's as product/gimmick oriented as any of them. I dropped it when I could no longer count on getting one interesting article, at least, per issue, on the average.

I think the problem is not in our magazines but in ourselves. For most people, shooting sports are fairly finite: big game hunting, varmint/small game hunting, a shooting/reloading column, a general Q&A column, a little tech lite here and there and an occasional target shooting, minor gunsmithing or antique/historical article is about all the mass audience can handle. Imagine how many people would subscribe to a magazine with articles like our discussion threads. As interesting as they are to us, the publisher couldn't sell enough ads on a base like that to pay for the paper and ink.

I mostly look for old magazines to complete my series, and reread them. Amazing how well the good articles hold their interest, even on the fourth or fifth reading. I wish Broadfoot would come through on their promise to reprint Arms and the Man. I read their Shooting and Fishing series cover to cover.

[Swagerman]

I'm at a point of just letting the subscriptions run out on Shooting Times, Guns&Ammo, American Handgunner and Guns bit the bullet a long time ago with me.

I consider Gun World and the editor Jan Libourel a good friend. But even his publication is getting to wackey with the Tactical Ninja warrior weapons. But once in awhile he really rings the bell with stuff on the older S&W prewar revolvers.

I'm not one that should be talking, in my garage are cardboard boxes of old gun magazines that date back to the early issues 30 years ago.

Jim

[Dale53]

I am an Endowment member of the NRA. I will get the American Rifleman until I die. However, the quality is NOT high. I sure do miss the days of Al Barr and company. I sure wish the Rifleman would go back to being a real gun magazine...

their TV show is pretty good except for the HORRIBLE "music". I can hardly stand to listen to the commentary for the "jarring" background "music" ...

Dale53

[waksupi]

I like Fur, Fish, and Game. And Backwoodsman. I get American Rifleman, as an endowment member. There aren't any magazines out there that hold my attention ll that much.

[MT Gianni]

I second Backwoodsman which is usually a good read. I switch between American Rifleman and American Hunter but neither impresses me a lot. Gianni

[Bob B]

One of the American Rifleman,s writers stated in an article that you did not have to practice as much when using Branes bullets as those bullets would kill.Bob B

[Mallard57]

I get Handloader, but I too miss the ones written in the past. Technically they're not even close to being the same magazine. Another thing that concerns me is that I quit reading Shooting Times many years ago and now all the writers from Shooting Times are writing for Handloader.
What I have considered lately is that Handloader and I think Rifle have offered all there old issues on CD, oh man what a treasure trove all those old Handloaders would be.
Jeff

[Whitespider]

Hey 45nut-
:razz:
How da' ya' get your boolits to be that pretty gold color? :mrgreen:
Mine aways come out lookin' kinda' silvery like. :mrgreen:
[smilie=l:




A couple of my favorite magazines...........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/pistols/webrandall45.jpg

[Swagerman]

45nut, that pistol sure looks like a Randall...is it???

Is it the commander model with the round hammer.

Jim

This is mine in long slide.



http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/44and45/PA110025Randall460X-1.jpg

[45nut]

yeap.. Randall Service C . When I carried it I had it stoked with Blazer FLGC's.

[Pepe Ray]

I'm seeing a lot of complaints about the current crop of gun mags. I agree completely. I reread a large stash of old stuff when I'm not here. Thats why I've offered some of the "old stuff" in a forum auction. Great reading and they(Issue s #1 & #6) are of a rag gone extinct. Right now it looks like No_1 is gonna 'win' them for $20. Oh well, if ya snooze ya loose.
Pepe Ray

[kodiak1]

Handloader and Rifle but they cost me an arm and a leg to get them up here.
I see in the last year they set up an office in Ontario so maybe it will get better.
Get a couple of Canadian mags and actually I think they are pretty good.
Alberta Game Warden and Western Canada Life.
Ken

[EMC45]

Handloader and Rifle are nice. The "grocery store" mags leave a lot to be desired. I usually read them standing at the rack then put them back. I believe it is Shooting Times that has Mike Venturino writing articles on a lot of cast stuff so that's nice, but all the other highspeedlowdragtacticalurbansubduedcoyoteodgreen guns and gear don't do a lot for me.:???:

[Swagerman]

Mike must have had a falling out with ST, he writes for Guns magazine now, and I see some of his stuff in Handloader as well.

45nut, nice Randall you got there, mine is forsale in the classifieds forsale section on this forum.

Jim

[Bret4207]

Ric mentioned 2 of my long time favorites: Fur-Fish-Game and Backwoodsman. Two simple mags of more general interest, but really practical articles. There used to be one called Ridge Runner that was similar, it's gone now I think.

[waksupi]

One of the American Rifleman,s writers stated in an article that you did not have to practice as much when using Branes bullets as those bullets would kill.Bob B


So, he's an idiot!

[Rafsob]

Greetings from a new member.

Anyone have any more info on the Black Powder Hunting mag? Is it a good mag worth my time? If so, I am interested. Thanks.

Handloader today can't hold a candle to the same mag 10 to 15 years ago.

And I am getting tired of Venturino's attitude. Too much of anything (his attitude) is too much. Give me the old time, respectful writers!!!

I do enjoy Guns & Ammo TV program though.

[fourarmed]

Hi Rafsob, welcome to the board.

[Nueces]

Hi, Rafsob, welcome to the table, from an old Guard bum.

Mark

[rugerdude]

My favorite is Handloader. Guns and Handgunner come next, and although I don't feel that they are as good as they once were, I will continue to subscribe to them as long as John Taffin writes for them. To me, he is one of the last of the great gunwriters. ST and G&A have really gone downhill. I REALLY get tired of all the ads for "increasing your sexual prowess" and such. If I need that information, I will go read Playboy or some such. I don't think that kind of ad has a place in a gun mag. Nor do I think that there is any place for the ads showing liquor and guns in the same picture. I have absolutely nothing against ads for various alchohols, but I don't think that they should be mixed with guns. Just doesn't seem to promote safety to me. Now, I will get off my soapbox! :mrgreen: