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Handloader magazine... I'm trying to like this rag
- Thread starter 1stmar
- Start date
1stmar,
It doesn't matter to you what Tim or the editor think are reasonable expectations. If it doesn't tell you enough of what you want to know, for you the magazine is not worth paying for. But I do think the reason you find it inadequate is at least partly that you are a victim of your own growing expertise. I've had that happen to me in several areas of interest in the past.
Here's an example of what I mean: Back before digital cameras, I was a photo buff. I built a temperature regulated darkroom into my basement. I read everything technical I could find on the subject; Ansel Adams' works in particular. By the time we sold that house, I was even compounding my own print developers from scratch to help control print contrast more exactly.
Well, when I first started learning about that stuff, I subscribed to what were then the major photo rags. Popular Photography, Darkroom, and others that don't exist anymore. But eventually I stopped taking any of them. It wasn't because I didn't have more to learn. It was because I'd noticed I was skipping more and more articles in every issue. These were articles that contained things I already knew or knew how to approach better or had technical reasons to disagree with. There was also a pattern to this. I observed that about every three years the same topics were recycled, with little if any added information. Just a different author and different example photos. So, eventually I found I was getting too little for my money.
Because most beginners become enthusiasts for a short time before their interests change, they mostly don't stay the course. So there are always many more beginners than there are experienced folk for a publication to appeal to. It's like all those freshman college classes that have fifty to 200 students, compared to senior courses that have only a handful of students. If the professor's income depended on the average number of students in his classes, he'd be financially motivated to spend all his effort teaching freshmen. That's the situation a lot of these publications are in. They require mass appeal to survive.
Now, if you ask why they don't have a "tech corner" column for folks who already have a basic grasp of what's going on, I think the answer is that few advertisers will pay to have ads in pages attract a limited number of eyeballs. They may also fear scaring people off with technical complexity. I don't really know anything about market research, but I'm sure it has been done on this kind of subject.
The bottom line is, for shooters staying the course, these days we mostly have books and the Internet. Popular magazines are mostly AWOL as far as most folks with some real time-in are concerned. The only exception is the one Tony Z mentioned, of using the advertising to inform you. I do find myself behind the curve on occassion because of not seeing those.
Another exception exists in industry publications. EDN (Electronics Design News), for example. They pay $1500-$2000 for an article, though you have to prove your credentials to write one, and be prepared to cite your sources and back up your calculations, and you have to write on a subject they assign (probably to coordinate with advertising). The subject matter is geared toward engineers actively doing product design, and who will specify the advertiser's component products be used in their designs. So there's big advertising money, even though the publication has a limited circulation.
Reynolds357,
It is not uncommon for a company to send articles to a writer to test. It is common practice, since it is afterward a used article, that the writer is given the opportunity to purchase it, probably at a discount. So if you ask your friend, I think it's likely he is buying the guns in question. The one exception that comes to mind is if the gun company sponsors him in some way, in which case they could get a tax write-off from making the donation.
It doesn't matter to you what Tim or the editor think are reasonable expectations. If it doesn't tell you enough of what you want to know, for you the magazine is not worth paying for. But I do think the reason you find it inadequate is at least partly that you are a victim of your own growing expertise. I've had that happen to me in several areas of interest in the past.
Here's an example of what I mean: Back before digital cameras, I was a photo buff. I built a temperature regulated darkroom into my basement. I read everything technical I could find on the subject; Ansel Adams' works in particular. By the time we sold that house, I was even compounding my own print developers from scratch to help control print contrast more exactly.
Well, when I first started learning about that stuff, I subscribed to what were then the major photo rags. Popular Photography, Darkroom, and others that don't exist anymore. But eventually I stopped taking any of them. It wasn't because I didn't have more to learn. It was because I'd noticed I was skipping more and more articles in every issue. These were articles that contained things I already knew or knew how to approach better or had technical reasons to disagree with. There was also a pattern to this. I observed that about every three years the same topics were recycled, with little if any added information. Just a different author and different example photos. So, eventually I found I was getting too little for my money.
Because most beginners become enthusiasts for a short time before their interests change, they mostly don't stay the course. So there are always many more beginners than there are experienced folk for a publication to appeal to. It's like all those freshman college classes that have fifty to 200 students, compared to senior courses that have only a handful of students. If the professor's income depended on the average number of students in his classes, he'd be financially motivated to spend all his effort teaching freshmen. That's the situation a lot of these publications are in. They require mass appeal to survive.
Now, if you ask why they don't have a "tech corner" column for folks who already have a basic grasp of what's going on, I think the answer is that few advertisers will pay to have ads in pages attract a limited number of eyeballs. They may also fear scaring people off with technical complexity. I don't really know anything about market research, but I'm sure it has been done on this kind of subject.
The bottom line is, for shooters staying the course, these days we mostly have books and the Internet. Popular magazines are mostly AWOL as far as most folks with some real time-in are concerned. The only exception is the one Tony Z mentioned, of using the advertising to inform you. I do find myself behind the curve on occassion because of not seeing those.
Another exception exists in industry publications. EDN (Electronics Design News), for example. They pay $1500-$2000 for an article, though you have to prove your credentials to write one, and be prepared to cite your sources and back up your calculations, and you have to write on a subject they assign (probably to coordinate with advertising). The subject matter is geared toward engineers actively doing product design, and who will specify the advertiser's component products be used in their designs. So there's big advertising money, even though the publication has a limited circulation.
Reynolds357,
It is not uncommon for a company to send articles to a writer to test. It is common practice, since it is afterward a used article, that the writer is given the opportunity to purchase it, probably at a discount. So if you ask your friend, I think it's likely he is buying the guns in question. The one exception that comes to mind is if the gun company sponsors him in some way, in which case they could get a tax write-off from making the donation.
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I still buy Handloader when it comes out every other month. I read them, and then recycle them by giving them to my shooting buddy who is also a loader.
He then ships them off to other shooters/loaders. I think 4-5 people read each issue.
If anything catches my fancy, I scan the article in to save it.
I even like the ads, which is unusual for me since I usually despise commercials on TV or radio and even other magazines.
But each issue is smaller, like most other print magazines. The Net is killing off print media.
He then ships them off to other shooters/loaders. I think 4-5 people read each issue.
If anything catches my fancy, I scan the article in to save it.
I even like the ads, which is unusual for me since I usually despise commercials on TV or radio and even other magazines.
But each issue is smaller, like most other print magazines. The Net is killing off print media.
Unclenick that's an accurate observation and no doubt the reason I stopped subscribing to golf magazines and more traditional gun mags. And to be honest this is at least the third article I have seen on the "new" powders that missed the mark IMO. Perhaps I have misunderstood the intention of why these powders became. But, if I am not wrong, it was reduced copper and temp stability, regardless of the length of the article, I don't think it was unreasonable to expect one of these items to be addressed even if it is tangentally or very high level. The author spent considerable time demonstrating the velocity loss across a range of cartridges. At least 5 at my recollection. While velocity is important there was no claim (to my knowledge) by imr that these powders would provide better velocity. If it was a deep dive on the article this is something worth detailing, but if you are oh going to address the product at a high level shouldn't it be with the products biggest advantage, the reason people are even considering the product?
I posted much earlier in this thread, but I'm expanding my opinion! I subscribe to Handloader, Rifle & <<American>> Hunter (all Wolfe publications). Why? I wonder each time I write the check (for all three, price is around $49/year). In thinking this through, maybe it is my loyalty going back to when I started subscribing (late 70's).
I also have Ken Water's "Pet Loads" and another book of his letters to the editors. Maybe I still have a glimmer that the old days will resurrect. I also used to subscribe to "Shooting Times", but I gave that one up after a few years (early to mid 80's), and even after picking up a couple of issues from the newsstand, cannot resurrect any value at all in that mag.
Back to Wolfe Publishing, the paper is cheaper and the mags are thinner, but in each mag, I always find at least one article of redeeming qualities, and along with the ads, the magazines have a top shelf location in my favorite reading spot (oh and by the way, the ink runs so don't try it no matter how disgusted anyone feels).
I also have Ken Water's "Pet Loads" and another book of his letters to the editors. Maybe I still have a glimmer that the old days will resurrect. I also used to subscribe to "Shooting Times", but I gave that one up after a few years (early to mid 80's), and even after picking up a couple of issues from the newsstand, cannot resurrect any value at all in that mag.
Back to Wolfe Publishing, the paper is cheaper and the mags are thinner, but in each mag, I always find at least one article of redeeming qualities, and along with the ads, the magazines have a top shelf location in my favorite reading spot (oh and by the way, the ink runs so don't try it no matter how disgusted anyone feels).
There are only 6 issues a year for handloader and rifle. I subscribe to both. I will probably renew at least handloader because like you I usually find something worth reading. Shouldn't be hard to find content 6x a year. There is an article on 357/44 Bain (I believe that was the cartridge), I will never reload for it, I will never have a tc contender or whatever they were testing with but I'll read it on the hopes that I may garner something from it, maybe something new to me for reloading or even for shooting. Maybe, maybe not. But by in large I agree most of the articles are not applicable to what I am looking for. I'm ok with that but my expectations are that at least 1 article has value. For me, my hope was with this article, it had relevance to something I was/am considering. Unfortunately I will have to find relevance in another article and hope that they revisit this powder. In the end I get 6 mags a year if 2 of the 6 don't have value, it's not worth keeping. 1/3 just ain't worth it.
In my last post I gave the wrong name for the Wolfe hunting magazine: it is "Successful Hunter" and not "American Hunter" (which is the NRA hunting mag.).
For those that enjoy reading printed material, may I offer the suggestion of searching Amazon for used titles. Many times books, etc. are available for pennies on the dollar (though I doubt you will find "Pet loads"!).
For those that enjoy reading printed material, may I offer the suggestion of searching Amazon for used titles. Many times books, etc. are available for pennies on the dollar (though I doubt you will find "Pet loads"!).
No magazine subscriptions any more.
The only magazines I get now are the Rifleman and Am. Hunter with the life memberships to the NRA.
I used to get The Rifle, Handloader, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Sailing, Cruising World and more. Now we don't even get a newspaper.
This internet and news TV and radio supplant them.
The local paper is not printed there anymore but in another city for the few who still get it. The building is for sale.
The only magazines I get now are the Rifleman and Am. Hunter with the life memberships to the NRA.
I used to get The Rifle, Handloader, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Sailing, Cruising World and more. Now we don't even get a newspaper.
This internet and news TV and radio supplant them.
The local paper is not printed there anymore but in another city for the few who still get it. The building is for sale.
I really enjoyed Handloader for several years, but now that I have a lot more experience and all the cartridges I shoot have 'pet loads' for them, it doesn't hold the same value as it once did. I do have a subscription to it (the only magazine that I subscribe to), but I probably won't renew and will go back to just buying one that has an article that interests me. This last magazine, for example, had nothing of interest in it. I usually photocopy the articles that are of interest (put in my binder) and then don't keep the mags around as they just take up space. FYI, We don't get the news paper either.
Location: North Central Pennsyltucky
Posts: 136
In my last post I gave the wrong name for the Wolfe hunting magazine: it is "Successful Hunter" and not "American Hunter" (which is the NRA hunting mag.).
For those that enjoy reading printed material, may I offer the suggestion of searching Amazon for used titles. Many times books, etc. are available for pennies on the dollar (though I doubt you will find "Pet loads"!).
======================================================================
If you can find them, P.O. Ackley's two volume set:
"handbook for shooter's and reloader's" is hard to beat.
Posts: 136
In my last post I gave the wrong name for the Wolfe hunting magazine: it is "Successful Hunter" and not "American Hunter" (which is the NRA hunting mag.).
For those that enjoy reading printed material, may I offer the suggestion of searching Amazon for used titles. Many times books, etc. are available for pennies on the dollar (though I doubt you will find "Pet loads"!).
======================================================================
If you can find them, P.O. Ackley's two volume set:
"handbook for shooter's and reloader's" is hard to beat.