Anything For A Dollar

[razmuz]

The gun magazines only purpose is to push products. The fat cartridge phase is passing. Their next gimmick is to hawk short barrels. Ever once in a while they switch fron varable scopes to fixed power. Anything to get you to buy. BEWARE.

[8X56MS]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh k

[jl1966]

Razmuz is right. I have always felt that the gun mags try to create and hype things to help the gun industry sell new doodads and gadgets. If we are all honest with ourselves, I believe, we will have to admit that we could do just as well with a .30-06, or a .270, as we can with a SAUM, WSM, RUM or what ever racy cartridge is the new deal of the month. Really, be honest, can any of us shoot well enough to need the extra range beyond the capability of a .30-06. I cant.

[Andy L]

I would be more impressed if they would make some of the more popular wildcats standard rounds. The short fattys are worthless, IMO. The difference in them and the old standards arent worth it.

I would like to see 22-243, 22-284, 6-06, 6.5-06 and a few others made standard.

JMHO

Andy

BTW, on this very board, I got in an argument one time about the short fattys. I said they were a ploy to jumpstart a market and they would pass. It seems as that may have just been the case? More time will tell.

[Ol` Joe]

Hmmmm, and auto magazines push fast cars, archery mags laud the latest and greatest bows, fishing rags hype the new bass boats..........................................
Who`da knew??

[jl1966]

True enough, no one is forced to buy what they dont want. However Razmuz was speaking of the fact that gun mags push the newest thing. You never read in a magazine " This new rifle is a piece of crap, not accurate, and ugly to boot." You may read about a gun everyone thinks would be junk, but isn't, never about how the latest thing from Browning or Remington just ain't all that. The NRA magazines seem to have a little more guts about pointing out the flaws in a given piece of hardware, but mags like Guns, Shooting Times and Guns and Ammo never test a gun that they dont like. Their stock in trade is convincing us that we can't do without a cartridge that is travelling 150fps faster at 500yds than a 30-06. I doubt I will ever have an opportunity to shoot at a deer at 500yds, and if I did I would probably miss, and it would not be because my 30-06 was not going fast enough or my ruger rifle was not accurate enough, it would be because I just cant shoot that good.

[Rocky Raab]

This is actually a huge brouhaha over on another board, with many posters blaming gun writers for not being honest.

Here are the facts: Gun magazines are in business to make money. Virtually all of the money comes from advertising (subscriptions pay for the postage, that's all). The advertising base for the shooting industry is microscopic compared to the auto ndustry, for example. So no gun mag can afford to alienate a big advertiser.

That being the case, if a writer says "Brand X's new WonderWidget is junk," do you think that article will ever see the light of day? Nope. So neither the magazine NOR the writers can change things.

You can, however, read between the lines. If a product never gets reviewed, never gets a mention by a writer, even if the product is advertised, a smart reader should realize WHY. (To spell it out to less-than-smart readers, "If you can't say something good...")

Do gun mags push the latest thing? Hell, yes. If you looked at one at the newsstand and it featured nothing but the Savage 99, Marlin Model 60, the 7x57 Mauser cartridge and a "Me and Joe went Huntin'" piece - would you buy it? Hell, no.

American shooters are addicted to the newest, shiniest, fastest or biggest. Is it the magazine's fault that that's what you want to read about? Nope. Their job is to give you what you want so you'll buy their magazine.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but that other thread on the other board just set me off. You guys are MUCH more understanding and smart.

[denton]

Gun magazines are not in the business of selling gun information to subscribers. They are in the business of selling audiences to advertisers. The articles are only there to create an audience.

[M.T. Pockets]

The days of Elmer Keith & Warren Page are over. Those guys told their opinions and didn't care if they got fired or not. The only modern writer I know that was similar was G. Sitton, but he passed away earlier this year.

[jl1966]

Rocky, actually yes I would buy that magazine with the articles you mentioned! I am not being a smart--- either. I seem to always turn past the articles about the latest new magnum, and read things like the classic test in G&A, or Mike Venturino"s column in ST, but that is just me. I personally think there have been few guns worth having manufactured since the late seventies. I buy very few new guns, handguns being the exception. My current project is a model 11 Remington shotgun. How about a story on the front of G&A about that one.