End of informative reloading periodical

[NVcurmudgeon]

I quit Handloader and Rifle in the late nineties when they went real big on color photos and real little on words. Recently I have found two good reasons to buy both of the Wolfe publications- Mike Venturino and the "buycott" in support of Arizona. In fact I cancelled Shooting Times and followed Mike to Wolfe. Mike does his own research, has a well-spattered casting area unlike most writers who always have pictures of pristine lead pots, and is honest. Notice that whenever his interests and subjects of articles change he has to sell guns to buy what he needs. Now there's one writer who is not on the gun factory gravy train.

[sergeant69]

since mike is on the board here and may actually tune in to this station once in awhile, i have a question. WHENS THE DAMN BOOK COMING OUT?? i expect an autographed copy for waiting so long! i too get a little tired of his obsession w/the antique boolit squirters, but the entertainment value makes up for it.

[The10mmKid]

snip

Dishwasher safe guns , gotta love that, never heard it put that way.

Rick

Yep, Dishwasher safe.



'da Kid

[EchoSixMike]

I've always used any shooting publication as a simple baseline for what I load. Most of the stuff I do(other than cookie cutter practice ammo) is wildcats and specialty ammo anyways, which has always been best supported by dedicated experts in the field, not writers.

Besides, NRA Highpower and Long Range stuff is a small enough field where you know all the experts, and after some experience, they know you. There's few problems or interests that can't be resolved with a phone call.

The gun rags are advertising, and I use them to see if anything being produced might actually be worth something. Combined with going to SHOT every year, I get a pretty good idea of what's going to be worthwhile and what's going to flop.

Some times, things just strike enough of a fancy that I do them anyways, in spite of knowing they'll probably fail, stuff like 9x23 or 6.8mm SPC(still hope). S/F.....Ken M

[Bret4207]

I've PM'd with Mike a little here and he seems like a decent guy. I just wish he'd go even more tech in his articles.

Handloader and Rifle are shadows of their past glory. Ken Waters, Al Miller, George Nonte, Rick Jamison, Jim Carmichael and a host of others used to write some real good and meaty articles. I don't think we'll ever see another Ken Waters, not ever. Cripes, they used to have Harvey Donaldson! You don't get much higher up in the "Legendary Shooter" arena than that. But they also used to have Dave Wolfe, Neal Knox and Ken Howell running things. Those days are gone. The only things keeping me buying Handloader are Brian Pearce and the occasional article by one of the other "Staff" writers that interests me. I mean, for God's sake, they employ Clair Reese, the best example of a "hack" I've seen. Might as well get David Fortier and Maj Gen Commandant Boddington (USMCR) to write their tripe as have Reese on board.

Okay Bret, calm down, your breakfast is getting soggy...

[nighthunter]

I just look at the pictures anyways.............

I believe you are thinking of a different magazine 82nd.

[sergeant69]

I believe you are thinking of a different magazine 82nd.

does it have "bunnies" on it?

[oldhickory]

For me it's gotten almost to the point where Mike V's articles, (and some from Brian Pierce) are about the only reason I still subscribe. If Mike can bring more articles of interest to the magazine, then by all means he belongs on staff!

Recently I went through about 20yrs. of "Hand Loader" looking for some .30WCF loads for jacketed bullets, (I have my cast boolit load). In all those magazines I found a grand total of 2, a sensable one written by Brian Pierce, and another by some-one else showing loads for super preimium bullets and powders that I never see in gun shops around here. When I buy jacketed bullets, I tend to buy Winchester Power Points in bulk, they work! I could care less what the latest $30.00 per 50 super preimium wonder bullet does, or how it does it. I like Mike's articles on casting and rifle and Brian's writing on loads for hand guns. I never get tired of reading about the old standards and working man's loads.

I think it's a good thing that Mike's now on staff, I just hope it doesn't detract from his writing.

[1Shirt]

10 ga sounds like a guy that I would like to have a cup of coffee with, jawbone awhile, and get to know.
1Shirt!

[44man]

I like Mike! We have had words in the past but he is a good man and knows a lot. I always read his stuff, but sadly he does not go into depth enough working with one gun or caliber to find what works best.
I did like the 50-70 article and it will be of use to us. It is more in line with what I like to read instead of showing 20 guns with no specifics or a bunch of full auto stuff.
I don't blame Mike, I blame the rags that are filled with nothing but ads anymore. Read about a bullet and the last page is a huge ad.
It used to take days to probe through Handloader and I would write on the cover so I could find stuff easy but now I can finish the rag in 10 minutes without learning a single thing new.
I feel they brought Mike on board to increase failing sales, after all, the rag was for hand loaders but not anymore.
There are a lot of good gun writers out there but they are hindered by rag profits over information. Too many writers are forced to push products that pay the best to the rag. Yes, those products enter into every article somewhere with glossy pictures and some mention and if you notice, not a single bad word about a product is allowed.
I have to agree with Bret 100%, he says it best. The best thing I ever bought was Ken Waters Pet Loads books, we will never see anything like it again.

[EchoSixMike]

Addendum:

I used to read Ross Seyfrieds' stuff, he used to have interesting cast bullet articles, along with the British classic stuff that was interesting just for it's detail alone. S/F......Ken M

[jlchucker]

Whenever Mike posts here I read his stuff with interest. I've got his book Shooting Leverguns of the Old West and refer to it quite a bit, even though I've little interest in Cowboy Shooting. IMO he knows these old guns and their ammo and is worth paying attention to. As for gun magazines, I used to subscribe to several. Now, I subscribe to none. This website and a couple of others satisfy my interests completely.

[cheese1566]

I've always enjoyed reading Mike's articles and really appreciate his fondness to living in the Midwest in Montana. Plus his passion for casting and milsurp rifles.

I just the magazines would include Lee molds in the mix...

[alamogunr]

As I posted earlier, I read every article and column, so obviously, I am not as advanced as most here. I recently received offers of very cheap subscriptions to the slick general appeal gun magazines so I subscribed for one year. I read them at the small exercise facility I use to control my diabetes. Twenty to thirty minutes on a stationary bike used to leave me completely brain dead. Now I can occupy my mind with some light reading and keep up with the "latest and greatest" developments in gun related products. I also leave them there for others.

John
W.TN

[Green Frog]

Let's get one thing on the table. Mass distribution magazines are for mass sales and consumption. This means that their very reason for existence is to sell to the largest possible range of readers and advertisers possible and that this will be the overarching consideration in planning and filling the pages each issue.

If you are interested in a specialty magazine (like the old Handloader once was) you need to seek out specialty publishers usually associated with specialty groups. I would suggest Precision Shooting, Black Powder Cartridge News, and the member mags for Cast Bullet Association, the American Single Shot Rifle Association, and others of that ilk. You will become frustrated with the time between these and the fact that even they don't have as much "new" information as you want as you become more knowledgeable about the subject. That's life, and I guess we just have to deal with it!

Froggie

PS As to the writing of MV, I enjoy some of his stuff and skim through other things he writes. Like anybody else I know, sometimes we agree and sometimes we don't. His presence on an editorial staff certainly wouldn't discourage me from reading this or any other mag. JMHO, YYMV. GF

[castshooter-too]

I miss Charles Benke
He was the 6.5 cal. guru and the reason I bought my first swedish mauser.
I have since graduated to cast for all of my 6.5's and stick to this forum for informative
reading.Cast is where it's at.
Bruce

[Rocky Raab]

Uh-oh. It's all over now. The decline has steepened to freefall ...

After a long lapse, I have an article coming out soon in Handloader. Worse, it's about plated bullets!

(Relax, guys. I'm more of a "hobby" gun writer; I don't make even a fraction of my living at it. Just love to do it, is all. I've never met Mike, although I caught a glimpse of him at SHOT once. I'm not enamored of "The WWII Guns of Wherethehellistan" either, but apparently lots of people are. Magazines shouldn't ignore ANY audience - YOU might be one. If you find an article that doesn't appeal to you - by any writer - try this trick: turn the page.)

[HeavyMetal]

First lets talk about "suibscriptions"!

I stopped "sub's" so many years ago I can't remember. Why?

Because it Irked the living snot out of me that the mag always hit the newsstand a week and a half before it found it's way into my mail box!

I stopped buying G&A in the early 70's because they didn't have a clue and still don't.

I stopped buying Shooting Times when Skeeter died. With all due respect to Bart he isn't his dad and nothing else in that mag was worth reading.

American Handgunner?? Nice potography but just like the bunny mag why should I look at something I will never have or can afford to buy!

Handloader really gone down hill in the past 4 years really like the fact when you call and ask about manuscript formating they tell you they are booked with articles for the next 5
years please stop sending stuff. I've never sent then anything by the way!

I look at Handloader in the book store, IF it has something Ii buy it if not it gets left in the store.

Somebody at Wolfe needs to wake up and realize it as stale as month old bread!

[cajun shooter]

I myself have a lot of respect for Mike V. I just renewed my only magazine which is guns because of Mike's input. Most of us here grew up in the best of times when it came to gun writers and we are spoiled. How could you read anything written by Skeeter, Keith, or all the others posted above and put it down. Those men are gone and will never be replaced. I think Mike is in that family of writers as he is honest and got to where he is at through hard work. I don't care for his new found love of writing about WW11 weapons but that is him being honest about his likes and dislikes. I am jealous of the fact that he moved to where he wanted to live and made it work. I wanted to go to Colorado in 1980 but all the towns that I wanted to live in (SMALL) could not pay me enough as cop to survive. The ones that could were just like the one I was trying to leave. How many other writers take time to drop in on our fourm?

[44man]

Notice that Mike does not "dominate" this site. He is like the rest of us but I wish he would be more involved because I love to jabber with him if he can put up with an old grouch.
Unlike other sites that have a "KING" of the hill and everyone trips all over themselves to side with the king even if he is wrong.
It is so much more important to be a normal person when you discuss things and just express your opinions, but even more important, listen to all other opinions.
Banter among us is correct and informing, it is why we come here.
I got in trouble with him about the appearance of pushing products and apologized when I would have been better off getting angry with the rags. Mike has to work for a living. He taught me that he is a good man, a normal man and feels no need to be the "king".