Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Rifle Magazines

Yes, and I think it's short sighted to pass on a magazine simply because a writer isn't on staff anymore. You can follow that individual to his next assignment, but I wouldn't write off the publication he left. There are other writers that have something to contribute.

From time to time, we carp about magazines not holding to a higher level of quality. All pubs seem to ebb and flow. In my experience, it's rare that any magazine will hold my interest with every issue. Even my favourite writers will have an article or two that does not interest me. That's life.

Remember when there weren't as many mags around and we didn't have the Internets? We'd impatiently wait for "Jugs and Guns Monthly" to hit the shelves, then be all over it like a kid on a banana split?

These days, we have the luxury of picking and choosing. We're spoiled.

I currently read,

Shooting times,
outdoor life
field and stream,
guns and ammo
american rifleman
gun tests
North American Hunter

While not all of them are strictly gun magazines, they all have articles of interest. I like Craig Boddington.

The real problem is after umpteen years of reading all those gun rags, you wake up one day and realize that you have been reading the same article over and over again for the past 10 years, just in a different suit of clothes...But,I suppose this aplies to about any subject magazine. They have run out of stuff to write and they have to write to the generation coming up..Even at that I am sure that one can glean an article or perhaps two out of every magazine that will catch his interest, but it seems today there is a lot of misinformation out there, especially in the hunting world, mostly formed from what somebody told them or from isolated experiences.

Seeing the same subjects published over and over is a sign that you're aging.

The Internets seems to spread misinformation at mach speed. It's nice to have more sources, but you have to be careful.Years ago, if you said something silly, it took awhile before you were called on it. Now, it spreads at the speed of light.

Because there are new hunters and shooters, the articles have to be repeated. It could be cheaper in the long run not to get a subscription. You might be better off picking and choosing which magazines and issues to buy.

US mags: Rifle, Successful Hunter, Sports Afield.
Canadian mags include:
Alberta Outdoorsmen ( I write a fly tying column there)
Outdoor Edge
Western Sportsman
Canadian Firearms Journal

Plus a bunch of flyfishing/tying mags and a couple of conservation pubs

Everybody should be getting from the National Rifle Association - whether it gets read closely or not.

I've got an almost complete set of Handloader - the very most recent issues are digital and most of Rifle and I find more that's new to me in back issues I read before than current issues - and I'd be inclined to excuse Dave Wolfe and use the name of the current ownership d/b/a. I don't know that Krause is doing as good a job with Gun Digest as was once the case but the glossy all color is nice.

I'm astounded to see no mention of Precision Shooting and also some of the short lived magazines of the past. Likely most folks here are really more into exotic hunting or hunting exotics than true rifle loonies and that will impact reading choices.

My guess is the reason so many of us are weary of gunzines is because we've all read the writtings of Lee24 and now we know all there is to know about everything.

O

My subscriptions are:
Outdoor life
Field and stream,
Guns and Ammo
American Rifleman
Gun Dog
Predator Xtreme

I enjoy them all. I just started getting Predator Xtreme--pretty cool

+1
This goes on in many sporting magazines. I used to subscribe to fly fishing mags but after a few years noted that the articles were recycled over and over again. Yeah I know I'm getting older and some things need to be restated for the sake of the newbies but the new "authors" have very limited experience and even less critical thinking (common sense?) and are printing a lot BS such as you need at least a 300 manglem of some sort to hunt mule deer.

I used to read all 3 Wolf publications but stopped after JB left. There are still a couple of other writers that I like but so far there have just not been many articles that I would fork over cash for. For me, JB's articles were worth the price of the magazine by itself because of how often I could relate to the article. So I have been putting my money into other hobbies and looking for new magazines.

After JB left, started recycling Rifles and Handloader thru the "Reading Room". Almost like the subscription never ran out! I did buy the last Legacy of Leverguns but the new issues just seem to rehash the same topics.

Or you read something and realize the author is telling you the exact opposite of what he wrote 10 years before, without explaining why...

Double Gun Journal
African Hunter
AR
All from Wolfe
G&A
Gun Tests
Gun Digest (ex Gun list)

I quit buying any of them years ago when they went to 5 bucks a copy and then all that was in them was advertisements and pistols. Plus you had to have a 416 rigby with a 22 inch barrel and a $1200.00 scope on it to hunt 90 pound deer.
Just to much BS for me. i have not even looked at a gun magizine for over 15 years. don't miss them either. Hunting and reloading is much better enjoyable time spent.

Another vote for Sports Afield--have had most of the others for years and dropped them one by one except Handloader.