The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting What type of gun magazene articles would you like to see?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Moderator |
Let's try and start a positive thread. While we may occasionally like to complain about what we read  what is it we'd like to see?Personally, if it is a hunting article, I want something well written, something that makes me feel like I'm there, get excited, etc. More historic articles would also be nice, there are many older guns that us younger scribes have likely never heard of. | ||
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| one of us |
I second that motion. I too like to read an article that makes me feel like I'm there with the author. Probably why I enjoyed Rourk, O Connor and Elmer Keith so much, you could easily visualize the situation. My other requirement is that if its an article of a technical nature suchas one on a specific cartridge, weapons system ,etc........that it is thorough and correct. I used to buy the grocery store gun rags as the cover mentioned an article on say the .25-06 Rem. You read it and its all fluff with a few quotes from the factory ammunition fact sheets. When you were done with the article you knew little more than when you started other than the fact that you were now minus the purchase price of the worthless magazine. Probably why I like Reloader and Rifle mag's so much, very thorough. Personally I am really starting to find John Barsness's articles very appealing of late. He is amusing to read, has common sense values and is thorough on the technical end. Plus he doesn't appear to be a whore to the major companies like a few others. Seyfried is another favorite, though he seldom if ever writes about much of anything I own or will ever own. But his articles on Howdah pistols, 30" barreled bench rifles at 1000 yds, or .577 Nito doubles are still fun to read and very informative. Good thread......... FN | |||
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| Moderator |
Frank, I totally agree with you. My main complaint as of late, going on better of 5 years, is I haven't read a hunting story that excited me. I still think they can use the latest and greatest gear, and make the hunt sound exciting, if they are a good writer. I love Ruark, technically there is nothing much of merrit, but oh what a read! Most of the hunting stories folks relay on these forumns are more exciting then what the gun rags dish out. | |||
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| one of us |
I agree with what all of you say. I will add that it is also nice to read articles about the guns we already have, specially on how to get the most from them. But then, I am not interested whatsoever on rushing to the store to by another rifle that shoots the same bullets just because "a lower and wider powder column burns more efficiently" and BS like that. I prefer to explore the wide ballistics range of whatever gun I use; after all, I already know it works for the game I hunt. Articles that help new hunters and shooters are always good. [This message has been edited by Ray, Alaska (edited 12-29-2001).] | |||
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| one of us |
I would like to see more articles about specific hunts that the writers go on. Grizzly in Alaska, Elk in Montana, etc. Something that I can just sit back and enjoy. I personally have had enough of the "how to hunt..." articles as they most often are hard to apply to areas that I hunt. TTS | |||
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| Moderator |
TRUTHFUL technical reviews; hunting articles which are not biased due to the writer receiving the hunt for free (or at least a disclaimer up front stating that the hunt was free or discounted); hunting articles that give price details as of the time the hunt was taken; but the items I'd most like to see are the retirement notices of Sundra, Rees, and Mike Venturino (among others). George ------------------ | |||
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Moderator |
Nowadays I only seem to like the "me and joe" style articles. I am sick to death of how to articles, and product reviews with no substance. All I want anymore is a good hunting story, with a lot of detail on the experience, the terrain and the equipment they used worked in. I get a lot more out of this site, than any twelve subscriptions, and I am not looking around ads to get to the meat. | |||
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| <Sparkman375> |
I want more stories that involve taking kids hunting....from the kids perspective! Stories that would be interesting for kids to read. I'm techno-'d out after 30 years of product endorsements and how-to wisdom. Its time to get back to basics, and some simple entertainment value....Sparkman | ||
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| <X-Ring> |
Well for all the reasons listed above and some others I have not had a sub to any gun or hunting mags for over three years now. Shooting Times was the last to go.I liked Sheriff Jim Wilson's Gun Smoke, and Mike Venturino's writeings. I would still be getting it today but they sent me new bills for two year subs, every six months! I got tired of arguing with them about money. Anyway I miss the good old writers that made you feel you where there in camp with them. Some of those guys are so good at there craft. You could almost smell the camp fire and feel the cold breeze blowing up the back of your coat as you warmed your self over a good cup of cowboy coffee, and swapped stories of the days hunt.Man you could smell the venison cooking over the grill. The writers now days don't give you that feeling. It's more like Well So and So. called and asked if we would care to join him and Joe Blow the CEO of Big shooter hunting goods on a all exspence paid trip to hunt African picmy musk ox on the plans of the North Dakota Tudra. These stories now days are more commersails than hunting stories. I miss the old boys of my youth.Roark Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton, Bill Jordon Bob Milik! Pretty short list, but not as short as the list of guys I would read today. X-Ring AKA Scooter ------------------ If your living like there is no HELL, you better be right! | ||
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| <allen day> |
I'd like to see more hunting adventure stories, such as in the old "Outdoor Life" format of some forty years ago: You know - the type that taught technique as well as entertained. Something with soul as well as substance. Elgin Gates's "Guns" magazine articles from the early 1960's were excellent examples of superb outdoor writing, as was a recent article by Ross Seyfried on Alaskan brownbear hunting. Actually, Jim Carmichel's all too infrequet contemporary hunting stories in ODL are some of the very, very best ever written, and these should set the modern standard if there's any truth or justice extent in the field of contemporary outdoor literature. I'd like to see far less of these breathless, rave product reviews (how Remington's "wonderful" Etronix rifle shoots seemingly unheard of 1.5" groups, for example) and less "how-to" articles that are comprised mostly of translucent plastic, but carry little real flavor. AD | ||
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| one of us |
I'm fed up with them This vs That articals! I'd rather read why each should be used, based on their own merits, not compared to other's merits. Concerning hunting... no manufacture's pimping allowed! I want an honest hunt, based on what the hunter decided to use himself, not what he was given for free to pimp out. I want to hear about where and what game was hunted, as chosen by the hunter, not was was given him for free, just so he can write an advertisement disguised as an artical. I enjoy Handloader and Rifle magazines most, with Ross Seyfried and Phil Shoemaker doing the writing. ~~~Suluuq | |||
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| <333-OKH> |
Articles like "Ken Waters' Favorite Rifles" in Rifle Magazine, historical articles on the use and mystique of the older firearm, it would be nice for someone to do a series on the icons of our passion. Every month [or two if in Rifle] a well researched look at Colonels Whelen & Askins, Elmer Keith, Jack O'Connor, Ned Roberts, P.O. Ackley, Bill Weaver, Hervey Lovell, General Hatcher. This could be a project to take a decade. In my meager collection of old gun magazines is a two parter on the guns of Col. Whelen written after his death. Sure is fun to reread every now and again. He was partial to Springfields [no surprise]. Can't imagine the gun comics of today bothering with such a noncommercial venture, and Rifle might not even have the resources to devote to it. Of course there are plenty of books on most of these gents, finding them and affording them is another story; if you know they existed, which most new comers to shooting do not. Ah, the dreams which we dream when stuck in town working. ------------------ | ||
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One of Us |
Id like to see a LOT more dedication to the preservation of our beloved sport of hunting. NOT commercialization though! Whats being done not just to maintain our game preserves but to EXPAND them. Unfortunatly it appears to me that things are moving in the oppisite direction. Out here in Utah they have began construction of the "legacy highway". It runs right through one of our biggest wetlands in the state and my former favorite bird hunting grounds!! | |||
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| one of us |
I'd like to see more tests to help settle the issues we debate all the time -- e.g., the recent American Rifleman pieces on which action type is fastest and on bullet deflection in brush. There are a lot of things in the gun world that are conventional wisdom based on old, flawed tests, and even more based on "Uncle Leroy sez." | |||
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| <1LoneWolf> |
I like to see articles on: "Mistakes" that lead to successful hunts, included along with the ever so many "brilliant tactical hunts" that got the huge rack. More than anything, I'd like ballistic articles. "Lethal effects" of "various" bullet types on specific game animals. Say how a Hornady SP reacted vs how a Trophy Bonded Bear Claw reacted on the same animal. | ||
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| <MontanaMarine> |
Mostly, wound channel and penetration comparisons gathered from controlled testing that removes the variables of live animal kills Arguing the abilities of one cartridge over another is fun but never clearly defines the advantage or disadvantage of anything. Controlled ballistic testing and reporting can. Usually we argue about comparative ability of cartridges and bullets based on hunting experiences. While these experiences provide useful insight, they are fairly subjective and full of variables that make true comparison nearly impossible. I would like to see wound ballistics compared to wound ballistics in controlled testing using something like ballistic gelatin with spaced hardened plates of glass, wood, metal, or other hard objects placed in the gelatin that will test and compare bullet integrity, penetration, and wound cavity at velocities from 1400-4000 fps Volumes of this kind of information exists for handgun cartridges and ammo. But I have never seen anything much for hunting cartridges and their ammo. MM | ||
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| Moderator |
I'd like to see reprints of all the Keith and O'Connor columns from the 1960s. With a few columns from Warren page thrown in as well! | |||
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| <Boltgun> |
I would like to see a new "Wildcats" book come out with some of the newer cartridges. One of my favorite reference books. Todd | ||
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one of us |
Paul H, Good thread. Articles that I would like to see are: Biographies of the old hunters (Elmer Keith, Jack O'Connor, Jim Corbett etc.) Reprints of articles from people like Skeeter Skelton, Elmer Keith, etc. How computers help hunters and resources on the internet for hunters & shooters. More articles on kids hunting and their first experiences.
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| <ovis> |
I'd really like to see a return to some real literature, stories that you can envision being there. Gray's Sporting Journal, while not as good as it once was, is still, overall, lightyears ahead of the competition, IMHO, when looking for a good read from cover to cover. Joe | ||
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| one of us |
Many have touched on it, and I'll repeat it for emphasis- the one thing that really torques me off, and could be improved is some just plain honest evaluations/reviews of the equipment that comes up all too often and is all too often BS. Why, in an issue not too long ago, a rifle from I believe, David Miller, was tested and lauded for the great 1.5" groups with specially prepared ammo from the factory. Now, is that BS or what? Who in their right mind pays $14,000 for a rifle that shoots 1.5" groups with "specially prepared" ammo? If that wasn't the most obvious example of pimping an expensive POS, I'm not sure what is! I honestly believe that honest evaluations in the rags would do much to cause the manufacturers to get their heads out of their asses and start concentrating on the quality they are capable of. Heaven knows we are paying enough for their goods these days. I'd also like to see more hunting stories that sound like hunters wrote them. More and more, the stories sound like some writer trying to beat a deadline or a writer who had to decide if he was going hunting that weekend of taking the kids to the latest ski resort. I would love to have stories like the old style writers used to write- I want to smell the sage, hear the leaves crackle under my feet, jump out of my skin when a blue grouse takes off at my feet. Have the new writers lost the ability to convey all this part of the hunt in search of technical anecdotes? | |||
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| <phurley> |
I like an article that tells the story of the hunt, and includes the details of rifle, scope, chambering, cartridges, including full load information if the hunter is using reloads. I am a hunter that reloads everything I shoot. I receive as much satisfaction out of using my own ammo as anything, because I have spent many hours and shooting sessions to get to the point of aiming at the animal. Actually analyzing the damage of the bullet after the taking of the animal is the completion of the hunt. From load workup to final steps of the hunt and return home, that is what I like to read. I hate to read an entire article and the hunter never mentions the rifle, load, scope, etc. I think that is why I liked O'Connor so much, he told you all the facts, from giddy-up to go. Good shooting. ------------------ | ||
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one of us |
I enjoy prowling used book stores and using book search engines for books written by the "old timers" about shooting and hunting. Wolfe Publishing has done quite a bit by bringing out reprints of a lot of quality stuff from the past. It is especially great to read what Elmer said, as compared to what others reported he said. By the way, I looked over the American Rifleman comparison of action types and speed of operation. I found the methodology to be flawed by the firearms and calibers selected (those they had available), and the range in capability of the shooters. There are too many uncontrolled variables to give confidence in the results. To cut those variables down, there are some things which should have been done. I would have started by having all the rifles chambered for one cartridge, say the .308 Win with one load. Next I would have used only one type of sight for all the rifles; for example the same 4X scope on each. Next I would have taken all the hardware to Gunsite and had the shooters just finishing the 270 rifle class shoot the rifles. From my lab experience they did not do enough experimental planning before blasting away. American Rifleman does not have an email path to the editor, so I did not bother to actually write a letter! <---humor jim dodd ------------------ | |||
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| <MontanaMarine> |
Sheister, I agree, When I read articles giving laudatory comments to the Remington 710, I wanted to puke my guts out. MM | ||
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| one of us |
quote:
I actually crunched some numbers (had a long plane flight in August right after the issue came out) to see how the tests would have come out if the two "iffy" shooters' results were excluded--i.e., the shooter who couldn't hit the target regularly under pressure, and the one who got good hits but took 20 seconds or more per shot with each action type. I can't find the envelope I scratched my "findings" on but IIRC if you drop those two out and use only the results from the more typical shooters, the lever-action moves up a notch or two. I also think the use of the red dot sight on one of the lever guns threw things off -- I know the first time I tried to shoot a dot sight, I jerked the trigger horribly trying to get off a shot while that dot danced across the right place. Looking at recent issues, I notice that American Hunter runs e-mails as letters to the editor but I don't see any in the Rifleman. So I think you should type your thoughts as if it were an e-mail, then print the page and drop it in a mailbox to them -- just pretend it's an e-mail and don't look at the stamp. :-) John | |||
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| one of us |
I just got my first issue of North American Hunter. I am a newbie at this stuff, so it may have been "fluff" to a lot of you, but one thing that really made the first issue worth most of the year's subscription was the game being hunted. Hogs. Turkeys. Bobcats. Coyotes. Varmints and fur-bearers. And they weren't just about killing a little gopher from 3 miles away, there was actual commentary about the effect of bullets on the pelts, which is the first time I've seen such a thing. Heck, even the dime-a-dozen deer articles never mention how to utilize anything other than the occasional recipe for some venison barbecue (be sure to see the full page ad on the sauce used and the grill used I am so sick of deer hunting articles. And Exotics that I will never be able to afford. And northern game that never comes down to a decently warm climate like Texas in the summer | |||
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| one of us |
And I would like some real prose, in the nature of those hunting stories you guys are fond of, about the various handgun sports. Just like a good writer can make you feel like you are there at the campsite, he or she could also make you feel like you are at the local IDPA match, or IHMSA, or long range pistol, or cowboy action shoot, or benchrest comp, etc etc. And maybe teach a newby all about it, and offer tidbits for the experienced to learn from. | |||
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| one of us |
Now see what you did? Got me started! I do not want to see any more of the following: Why the 40 S&W is a magical entity Why the 480 Ruger is a magical entity like the 40 S&W, but for revolvers Why whitetails are the best thing since the 40 S&W and sliced bread, and all other hunting pales The new crop of full-auto submachineguns (now chambered in 40 S&W} Whitetail hunting with battle rifles Why you need the latest $5,000 custom self defense semi-auto (in 40 S&W or 45 ACP only) that is too expensive and picky to carry around on a daily basis Why revolvers are no longer worth owning (Unless they are in 480 Ruger) How to make obscure, subjective and incomplete data support the "one-shot-stop" ability of any caliber as long as 90% of our advertisers chamber for that cartridge Whitetail hunting scents to replace those old scents you bought last month Why the 45ACP needs a Polymer frame and a European manufacturer to enable it to outperform the 40 S&W This months photo shoot of the canned 30 minute hunt provided by an advertiser who offers you the chance to see the droppings of an exotic for less than your annual mortgage payment (Unless you do like we did, and use the complimentary 480 Ruger, but we are professionals) Exotic, unfirable, expensive collectible antiques that you'll never be able to afford, much less happen to see at the gun show Why the polymer frame high-cap semi-auto you buy today will be the last pistol you'll ever need How to convert your 480 Ruger to polymer frame hi-cap semi-auto by contacting one of the custom shops that advertise with us How to hunt whitetail with a polymer frame concealed carry compact semi-auto How punishing the sinister 10mm is compared to the magical 40 S&W, and how gentle the 480 Ruger is to these same writers (I guess the 10mm is on par with the 454 casull?) A list of calibers that we claim are obsolete because none of our advertisers chamber for them How to hunt rabbits with a 480 Ruger Sorry, I couldn't stop | |||
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| one of us |
I'd like to read a ficitonal account of a bull session around the campfire with the participants being Jack O'Connor, Elemer Keith, Warren Page, Jim Carmichael, Craig Boddington, John Jobson and Charles Askins, Jr. | |||
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| one of us |
I would like to see more in depth comparatives of bullet performance. Something like a Mr. Gary Sciuccetti published on a Handloaders issue, about 30 caliber bullets. Montero | |||
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| one of us |
I too am concerned about the quality of the articles. The tests often are done without concern for scientific tecnique. The samples they use for tests are often much too small for a real sample. They also often seem they are more concerned with meeting a deadline than accurate complete information. Once you get into them you realize they are only partly disguised infomercials. Now for what I want to see. More complete data on reloading. If it is a given caliber, test out what it will do with many different loads and bullets. Not just one or two. If about hunting in foreign lands, give us maps, contacts, possible complications etc. If about hunting a given species, give us the details, What the spoor looks like, habits, likes and dislikes of the animals. The problems are that we need people writing that don't mind doing the research first. If the articles are on a given hunt the author went on, I want to know what he was thinking as he went through the hunt. How he figured out where old mossy horns took his dinner etc. Good hunting and reading about hunting. "D" | |||
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Canuck
Former because theyve already ruined it.. I get the feeling that Utah is not the only place this sort of thing is happening.
)
