Handloader Magazine online version/Wolfe Publishing

[RicinYakima]

Me too, Hawk, me too. If you can get an old style "MS Word" program, you can copy and paste one article at a time and save it as a picture. New Word for Office 365 will not let you save off the site.

 

[Bret4207]

Part of the reason I prefer paper or a CD is specifically because things can disappear into the ether. I realize the byte has put the bite on print, but there are still people, like me, willing to pay for a paper copy of a decent magazine. I was never a big fan of the newspaper and don't feel too sorry for the demise of that form of information, but books and magazines, yeah, I like 'em.

 

[Bret4207]

I got a bit chastised on another forum for posting my views of magazine writing in general from a business viewpoint. Unfortunately, I upset Ken Howell a bit, but he responded like the true gentleman he truly was, as did John Barsness. It started out in a thread complaining about Handloader & Rifle mags going (slightly) over 50% advertising compared to actual articles and information a few times. Yes, I really did go through a few issues and figure the rough column space taken up by paid ads, versus articles. I've since decided that I don't need to be that analytical. There's some things I just don't need to know.

I corresponded with Ken Howell and Kenneth L. Walters some years back. Both we're gentlemen and explained my errors to me in terms both reasonable and reasoned. I wish then both well and that men of their caliber were still running rags like Handloader.

 

[oscarflytyer]

THIS: "My objection is they charged me for the renewal without notifying me of the changes to the terms of the subscription."

That is EXACTLY what I told them. And, that you don't make such a major change like they did without some forewarning to long time customers. HD kid seemed not to care a hoot about what I thought. no real surprise I guess...

 

[Rick H]

Way back in College in the late 60's......took a journalism class. It was an eye opener. Prof had us add up the column inches of a certain auto magazine that always named the "Car of the Year". You know, their expert writers and analysts would decide on the outstanding automotive product of that year. Son of a gun if you couldn't predict with 100% accuracy what car company's auto would win by who had the most inches of paid advertising in the rag magazine for the 6 months prior to the "Award".

 

[RicinYakima]

Yep, that is why Dave Scovill discouraged me from tying to write for commercial publication 25 years ago. He was right, I much more enjoy writing for the two club magazines and the Historical Society.

 

[Rick]

I would imagine that magazines work the same as newspapers. With newspapers the income from subscriptions and news stand sales about cover the cost of printing. All other income is from advertising and advertising rates are based on the circulation and number of papers sold every week. The higher the subscriptions the higher the advertising rates. That's why they get upset and offer reduced rates for a period of time when you call to cancel, they need the number of subscriptions up to keep the advertising rates up.

 

[Bret4207]

Way back in College in the late 60's......took a journalism class. It was an eye opener. Prof had us add up the column inches of a certain auto magazine that always named the "Car of the Year". You know, their expert writers and analysts would decide on the outstanding automotive product of that year. Son of a gun if you couldn't predict with 100% accuracy what car company's auto would win by who had the most inches of paid advertising in the rag magazine for the 6 months prior to the "Award".

There was an article in a gun book of some type I read year ago, might have been an old Gun Digest from back when John Amber was editor. Anyway, the premise was that you had 3 big name gun writers offering suggestions to a hunter who was asking what was the best big game rifle. IIRC they had Jack O'Connor, Elmer Keith and Warren Page, so you know it back in the 60's. O'Connor would start saying why the 270 was best, then Elmer would chime in and recommend a 375H+H and then Warren would add his 2 cents about the trajectory and striking energy of the 7x61 Sharpe and Hart or something and then Jack would begin again and then Elmer and so on. This went on for quite a spell with the hunter asking the occasional question to keep the conversation flowing. So after a few pages of Jack touting the 270, Elmer telling about a hunt he was on with a 333 OKH back in 19 and 36 and Warren discussing the relative merits of the spitzer vs semi-spitzer out of the 1-9.875 twist in a 264 Winchester Mag the hunter is finally asked what type of big game he'll be after. He then lets on that, "I'm out to win the Weatherby Trophy." Instantly all 3 gun writers say in unison, " USE A 300 WEATHERBY!!!!!"

Point taken!

 

[oscarflytyer]

Way back in College in the late 60's......took a journalism class. It was an eye opener. Prof had us add up the column inches of a certain auto magazine that always named the "Car of the Year". You know, their expert writers and analysts would decide on the outstanding automotive product of that year. Son of a gun if you couldn't predict with 100% accuracy what car company's auto would win by who had the most inches of paid advertising in the rag magazine for the 6 months prior to the "Award".

Follow the Money 101! Sad, but true.

 

[RicinYakima]

Bret, that article was written by Jack LaChuck (sp?), IIRC, and did appear in a Gun Digest. Shooting Times, Guns and Ammo and Outdoor Life were all making money out the yelling going on over that 10 year period. John Amber decided to "poke a stick" at all three. Controversy sells papers and that makes money! Ric

 

[oscarflytyer]

Writer I miss - Bob Milek and his articles on the 30 and 357 Herretts! It is purely because of him and his articles that I now - finally - own a Contender, AND barrels in both 30 and 357 Herrett!

 

[Bret4207]

Used to be a lot of good gun writers that actually went out and did field research. Then there are the Layne Simpsons and Craig Boddintons, or the dress up and play soldier guys, that just try to sell a story.

 

[Hawk]

My wife uped my subscript to Shooting Times. I was going to cancel it.
Got the latest issue a couple of days ago.
Every article was a fluff piece selling the merits of whatever product the article was about. Not a single article that I considered "in depth reporting" or instructive.

 

[358156 hp]

Most magazine articles are thinly disguised sales brochures. Most magazine writers are simply there to write advertising copy. The really, really good ones are there to sell the magazine. In This way, the cycle continues indefinitely.

ETA: And some writers are there simply to piss me off. Club magazines are much better than the general news stand variety.

 

[telebasher]

from what I've seen, all the tv hosts and the majority of gun writers are pimps ! They could care less if they enlighten you or teach but just get you to purchase their sponsors products. I resent the H--l out of it !

 

[Dale53]

Here I thought the problem was me! This is disheartening to hear! If they don't immediately change this, I am going to drop my subscription. I bought my iPad a couple or three years ago mostly to carry my collection of gun magazines on it. If I can't download them, and view them as a magazine, then I have NO interest (ZERO interest) in subscribing. I have been a subscriber (hard copy for years) since they started.

I have become a fan of Brian Pearce in the past few years. I am not one to knock all of the magazines even tho' they do NOT offer what we were used to in the past. The American Rifleman is a perfect example. It is practically worthless for real practical shooting information and has become nothing but a political organ. I am a Life Member (Benefactor) of the NRA and a strong supporter, but the magazine doesn't do what it used to do, that's for sure.,

At any rate, I guess I'll be calling Wolfe Publishing tomorrow. It is NOT going to be pretty...

I am a member of the Cast Bullet Ass'n and a contributor to The Fouling Shot. That will continue.

FWIW,
Dale53

 

[Bret4207]

Agree on Brian Pearce and a couple others Dale. There are people trying out there, but not like in the old days I guess. The Rifleman is kay from a historical point but the writers they have are nothing like they used have. Last issue they didn't even have a reloading article! One guy wrote most of the articles.

 

[KeithB]

It's been years since I bought a gun comic book. And while I'm a Life member of the NRA I haven't received a printed mag from them in many many years. Opted to stop getting them when the mag became an over-the-top right wing political rag and not a magazine devoted to guns and shooting. I don't subscribe to left wing magazines to get my science and I won't subscribe to right wing magazines under the disguise of dispensing a little shooting/hunting/loading info.

There are many things that have changed because of the economics of the internet. Book, magazine and newspaper publishing have been effected the most. I can remember when engineering and architectural firms would buy new Sweet's catalogs - volume after volume filled with virtually every manufactured building product on the market that year. Shelf after shelf of books at a cost of thousands of dollars every year. And of course what wanna be upscale family in the middle class '60s didn't own a colorfully printed encyclopedia of some sort?

Talent goes where the money flows and right now it's not flowing very well for printed or even online for-profit gun rags.

 

[Bret4207]

No to get political, but I've failed to ever understand how gun rights are right or left wing. It mystifies me how anyone can see things that way. So, I just let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[358156 hp]

"The Fouling Shot" is the only magazine that get delivered to my home. I buy everything else at the grocery store on a merit basis.

Handloader & Rifle used to be written at a much higher technical level than it is now. There is some good stuff still printed there, but there's also a lot of unsubstantial fluff there.