Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Compare and contrast - American Hunter then and now

Nothing stays the same but a Campfire buddy recently gave me a big stack of vintage American Hunters from the mid-70s (as well as some Gun Facts magazines from the 68-70 which were the only years I think it was published.)

It's fascinating reading and some stats to compare my March issue of AH with the April 77 issue. Some stats

Pages - today 72 / then 66
Pages of Ads - today 27 full pages / then 1 outfitters page and Winchester on the back cover.
Articles - today 6 full length / then 16 articles
Average feature article length - today 3 pages / then 5-6 pages



The writing then was very good, as is some of it today, but they covered some much more diverse aspects of the sport and included falconry, some light and not so light gun smithing and small and large game.

Some of the articles I found a little suspicious in their validity but those were the days and the scopes.



It was interesting time for sure and it's clear that for some things prices have risen out of proportion to inflation (this would be about $10k in todays dollars and still a heck of a deal!)



The election issue for 76 was interesting with letters from Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter addressing the issues of the day. It was crystal clear, even then, that the Democrats were all about gun control in the name of false safety although the demon of the day was the "Saturday Night Special" and not the EBR.

We live today with some great writing and magazines and as someone who subscribes to 1/2 a dozen I don't think the medium is dead but it is interesting to look back and see where our roots came from.

$2495 = $10k in 2017

That trip for those animals would run you north of 30K today (trophy feed for buffalo and Sable will run you north of ten K alone).

The price list as "from"

So that price is the rock bottom starting price that I doubt contains any trophy fees

"all inclusive". My uncle hunted lion in 1972 and paid 150.00 for a trophy fee...

Pages of Ads - today 27 full pages / then 1 outfitters page and Winchester on the back cover.
Articles - today 6 full length / then 16 articles
Average feature article length - today 3 pages / then 5-6 pages

This is why I've let all of my magazine subscriptions elapse. I understand the why's and wherefore's of it but that doesn't get my money.

There doesn't seem to be any meat any more, just appetizers that leave you wanting more. Even with good writers these days you read an article and it feels like you're right in the middle of it when

No but it includes airfare from NY and a lot of other things a package today doesn't seem to include. Still a bargain, although there are some very good relative bargains today too.

Just thought it an interesting bit of history.

Magazines have become a case of the tail wagging the dog, especially hunting magazines! There are fewer and fewer hunters Willing to pay $$ for info they can get for free on forums like this, the magazine owners had to cut somewhere and since there were advertisers willing to pay more than the subscribers, guess what got cut ?

You can't just let them live off the land?

Were 270's OK back then?

They were already gay, but still in the closet.

Most periodicals are mere shadows of what they were 35 years ago, not just the gun and hunting mags.

They were all the rage. I think that generation spawned this generation of snowflakes. I see cause and affect.

He killed his lion and sable with a Model 70 in 270 with old fashioned Winchester Silvertips..

The more they are hated, the more I like them.

I don't take anything but Handloader. You can find any info online now.