Handloader and why I hate them.

[Kevin Rohrer]

The problem with Handloader (besides that it has been dumbed down), is that it is getting stale. The mag is the same writers (real and imagined), writing the same articles based on the same material. You can only regurgitate the same material so many times. Accepting outside articles would change that.

I'll state this a second time: if you want good, detailed, eclectic reloading articles, subscribe to Varmint Hunter Magazine. It come out 4 or 6 times a year (can't remember which) and has lots of hard info. When I am researching a new caliber, I goto their back issues first before digging thru Handloader. Varmint Hunter is more likely to have the info, and it will be more in-depth.

[dmize]

I for one am glad that I read Handloader and used to read Rifle,IF it wasnt for them I would have had no idea that most of todays critters and especially out west have evolved int having armor plating. Heck I read a lot of old magazines where people killed the mighty buffalo with muzzle loaders and even bows,nowdays it seems if a person doesnt have a Super Magnum of at least 3 sumthing and using solid copper or the magic bonded creations,your a fool considering suicide.
Oh and the thing that caused me to stop buying Rifle,was a article by Barnsess on why it was important to buy proper cleaning patches,he wrote the same article in a couple of magazines. Never mention about buying bulk diaper flannel and cutting to fit.
As fo AR does anybody else remember back int the 70's reading articles by Finn Aagard? I remember reading in depth article by him using cast boolits in Africa and pictures of his testing. Those days are long gone.

[gabe123]

I still remember when I first found out that someone actually published a magazine about reloading. I had walked into Bain and Davis gun shop in San Gabriel and was perusing the rack looking for a book from my favorite writer at the time, George Nonte. I bought the magazine and have been a subscriber ever since. This was in 1979. I keep the subscription so I don't miss out on the introduction of any new must have gadgets.

The guys I really miss are Bob Milek and Ross Seyfried. If there was a book that had all of their published articles in it, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I've been a reader since issue-1. Add Dean Grennell, Townsend Whelen, Elmer Keith, PO Ackley, and Finn Aagard.

[Piedmont]

As fo AR does anybody else remember back int the 70's reading articles by Finn Aagard? I remember reading in depth article by him using cast boolits in Africa and pictures of his testing. Those days are long gone.

This is what I hate about the internet. I read more fecal material about what Keith, Cooper, Skeeter, Whelan did and wrote than I can stand. The worst part is all the guys perhaps accepting as fact what some annonymous guy at a computer writes.

No, I don't remember Finn Aagard using cast bullets in Africa and it being written up in the AR. I DO remember George Martin doing that.

A couple of weeks ago on here one of our sages (laughs) mentioned a little-known fact that Elmer Keith actually used harder bullets than most think. Yeah, 1-16 which is softer than air cooled clip-on wheel weights . Strike up another one for revisionist history. Of course the sage likes hard bullets so he just makes Elmer agree with HIM.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The new issue of Handloader just came on Thursday. It has an article on bullet hardness by John Haviland. It contained not one iota of useful info with the possible exception of using Johnsons paste wax for lube. He used the same 3 Keith moulds we all have, and did nothing different and in fact missed many of the common techniques we commonly do here.

This article is from a guy who actually knows what he is talking about to a certain extent. However in this case he is outside his area of expertise. It is also written on a third grade level, and not for the more informed reader.

There is more info on bullet hardness, fit and all things related in one or two threads on this forum. The article was pure "gurg! "

If Brian Pearce had written the article it probably would have been of some use. However he has covered this subject in several issues in the past so they have someone else do the article.

I showed him one of my Mihec 44's with the pent HP when at the SHOT Show he was genuinely impressed. He had heard of Mihec but never seen any of his moulds, I gave him the website. Why they haven't done a article on the mould makers associated with this site is beyond me. Venturino did and article on
Custom Moulds a while back but none of them were from anyone we use, and all of them save one could be bought from Midway USA! NO brass either, such a pity!

Have you guys noticed, they haven't done an article on the Ruger Gunsite Carbine yet? Everyone else has. The editor lives very close to Gunsite,,, if I was him I'd be there once a week keeping up with whats actually happening.

AS stated above Same writers over and over and all of them write for other mags as well, which you would pretty much have to do to make a living. But,,, at the end of the day,,, no new blood equals death, and that's a fact!

Randy

[Piedmont]

I was looking for an article from a year ago that Mike Venturino did on loading for three pocket pistols, a .32 ACP FN, a .380 Walther, and a PA-63 Hungarian in 9x18 Mak. Plenty of cast bullet loads, but he didn't slug a single barrel and gave us his old saw about using Linotype because it feeds well. (Actually he just has a big stash of it and uses two alloys for his casting.)

So in general it was pretty disappointing. The frustrating part is he knows better and could have produced better work that might teach some of his readers how to go about loading cast for a new pistol.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Have you guys noticed, they haven't done an article on the Ruger Gunsite Carbine yet?

Weapon reviews have no business in this magazine. But loading for carbines does.

Did Rifle ever do one? Am guessing Wolf purposely ignores Gunsite.

DVC

[W.R.Buchanan]

Kevin: I agree with not having weapons reviews in that magazine but we both know they do it from time to time.

Also I was actually referring to the fact that they haven't done one in Rifle either as the 2 mags are comnnected at the hip so to speak.

Brian Pearce told me that the article had been assigned to someone but he didn't know who. That was last Feb.

I would love to submit one but I already know they would send it back unread. I sent a comment on one of the articles in the Mauser rifle issue last year. I just wanted Scoville to read it for his own information as it was about my Mauser .22, the one Mauser rifle they overlooked in that issue of the magazine. I stated in the letter that this was not for publishing

His wife sent it back to me with a rejection notice. They didn't even read it.

I have sent multiple letters to various contributors of that magazine. The only one I have ever gotten a reply from was John Barsness, and he replys promptly with a usable response.

I have received no reply from RonSpomer, Charles Petty, John Haviland, Stan Trzoniec.

In the latest issue there is and article on the 6mm Remington by Trzoniec.

He states that Remington brought out the .244Rem with a 1/10 twist barrel when Winchester used a 1/12 barrel, as a result the .244 never took hold.

Well I have known the correct version of this story since I was 12 years old and read it in Outdoor Life mag by Jack O'Connor.

The .243 's had 1/9 twist barrels from the start and would stabilize 100 gr bullets. The .244 came out wth a 1/12 barrel and wouldn't stabilize anything well above 85 gr. It was designed to target the varmint hunter, and it couldn't bridge the gap between varmint rifle and deer rifle.

Remington killed the .244 and reintroduced it as the 6MM Rem with a 1/9 barrel, but it never achieved the popularity of .243, as the .243 was too far ahead.

Why this got by amazes me, as it is such Common Knowledge in the industry I thought everyone knew it.

I've known it for 50 years! My first high power rifle was a .243 for this exact reason.

Randy

[Kevin Rohrer]

I have also been working on an article and would have loved to get it published in Handloader. I will be submitting it to Varmint Hunter instead.

I can think of so many ideas for fresh articles for that magazine, but it is useless to mention them to the "leadership" there. They are clueless as to what readers want or need, and apparently have no interest in providing it.

And for the record, I hope this thread continues until Handloader wises up, or they go belly-up.

[LUBEDUDE]

His wife sent it back to me with a rejection notice. They didn't even read it.

I have sent multiple letters to various contributors of that magazine. The only one I have ever gotten a reply from was John Barsness, and he replys promptly with a usable response.

I have received no reply from RonSpomer, Charles Petty, John Haviland, Stan Trzoniec.
Randy

When subscribers and readers go to the trouble actually write a letter and send it in and then it is not even read; what an insult! That magazine is sure to suffer anemia as well as the big headed writers.

[Shiloh]

HA!

You can get over 20 years of every article on CD from Mother Earth News for $40.

$20 for the first 10 years, and $20 for the second, and the quality is very good too...

What kind if reloading data is in Mother Earth News??

Shiloh

[leadman]

Do you remember when MV was on here quite a bit? Think it was him that asked for the numbers of top punches that fit Lee molds.
Haven't heard much from MV lately.
The list of top punches is in the back of the new Lyman Cast Bullet manual. Guess who worked on that?

[bbqncigars]

I am surprised that no one mentioned Jeff Cooper as an admired writer. Also Bill Jordan, a genuine pistolero of some note. As far as gun magazines go, none of the current ones hold any interest for me. Wow, an issue exploring 9mm vs. 45acp? Is it that time of the year already? SHEESH!!


Wayne

[Kevin Rohrer]

They weren't mentioned because they never wrote for Handloader.

DVC

[Willee]

The great thing about electronic digital media is that it is easily copied and reproduced.

Now if someone were to buy that CD and make copies available to a few chosen friends at a much more reasonable cost everyone would be happy ... except Handloader Magazine.

That is the risk they take when their digital media is overpriced to the point of ridiculous ... and probably why it is so high priced to start with.

Anybody want to get on my chosen friend list? ... ...

Willee