What gun magazine do you all subscribe to or purchase?
Which do you think is the best and why?
Are there any magazines that mainly cover single action revolvers and leverguns or Cowboy action shooting guns?

Only ones i subscribe to other than those that come with my membership, are the Wolfe Publications - Rifle, Handloader and Successful Hunter.

I do like Petersons hunting mag. Other than that rifle handloader and there is one on varmit hunting that I buy off the stand once in a while.

I've alway been a fan of the NRA's American Rifleman.

Most of the others I read when a friend passes them to me. I do like articles by Craig Boddington, but I won't subscribe just for his stories.

I actually like doing story search's on the internet. I can select just the subject I'm interested in.

The only one I get now is the NRA's American Rifleman.
I know what they stand for.
I think most are beholding to their advertizers, and who took them on their last hunting trip.
There is so much available on the internet now for free, that it compares to what cable news has done to the newspapers.

Good Luck

The only two I regularly get are the American Rifleman from my NRA membership, and Muzzle Blasts from my NMLRA membership. Quite often, though, I'll pick up either Rifle or Handloader at a news stand.

American Rifleman is free as a member. I like it much, but think they could apply the money elsewhere as I would be a card carrying member anyway.

I like American Gunsmith too. There are no "glossy" photo shoots or advertising. It is much like this forum to read. Some of the guns that are worked, I have never seen! The techniques used are pretty inovative though.

I still recieve Shooting Times. There has been a big "shuffle" in those that write here. Some have earned my respect, and others have not(yet) done so.
The billing department needs an upgrade. I don't care to recieve a notice a year and a half ahead of time to renew my subscription.

THIS FORUM is at the top of my list!
There is fresh "stuff" everyday. I read here alot! Sometimes I post. It is very interactive.

I also get Iowa Conservationist. That is kind of a local thing.
Cheezywan

SCI's Safari
African Hunter
Magnum
Hatari
Sports Afield

I get American Rifleman like other NRA members, but only subscribe to Rifle and Handloader. They are by far the best at detailed info, IMHO. I also get a Wisconsin Conservation mag because of the type of hunting license I buy, and Wyoming Wildlife News to support home.

Idoc

I was in a Barnes & Noble today and found a magazine called Guns of the Old West. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for! appears to only be 6 issues a year though and its about 80 pages.

Guns; American Handgunner; and American Hunter; and lots on the net (takes a while to sort through the good from the bad).

I get the American Rifleman and Hunter from the NRA. I love both of them. I also subscribe to Shooting Times although my October issue isn't here yet and I usually don't get it until it has been on the local newstands for about 3 weeks!!! Yes, I called them and they can't do squat about it. I pick up Rifle and will probably subscribe. I have gotten quite a few issues of Guns and Ammo but it appears to me (right or wrong) they seem to write about who is advertising with them. I don't know if their reviews are accurate. I mean when is the last time you saw a bad one?

Your Shooting Times mag is probably not delivered until your postman has thoroughly read it! :D

Your Shooting Times mag is probably not delivered until your postman has thoroughly read it! :D

It might not be a bad idea to go to the post office and ask to use the restroom :D ?

Cheezywan

Thanks guys. Now I am going to want to disinfect it when it comes!

Successful Hunter, Rifle, Handloader, 1st Freedom and Outdoor Life for the Pat McManus stories. Les

In order of preference:

Rifle (well, rifles are my #1 interest)
Rifleshooter
Sports Afield (don't subscribe - yet. If I did, there would be nothing of interest at the airports)
Bugle (some real good HUNTING stories in here, rather than the "how-to" stories that seem prevalent in a lot of publications)
Guns & Ammo (always turn to the back page for my dose of "The gunners guru"!)
Successful Hunter
Handloader
Peterson's Hunting
American Rifleman
American Hunter
Guns
Shooting Times

Shooting Times has really lost it's shine lately, and Guns seems to only be able to put a 1911 or other semi-auto pistol on it's cover, and interior is dominated by such articles, but they do have some talented and entertaining writers.

Update - my Shooting Times finally arrived! I guess it made it out of the post office bathroom.

I'd wash my hands after reading it, or toss it into the washing machine first! :D :D

I'd wash my hands after reading it, or toss it into the washing machine first! :D :D

I sprayed it with Lysol first! Let's just hope it comes in on time next month. Wishful thinking, I know.

American Rifleman,Shooting Times, Guns and Ammo mostly for The Gunners Geru, you know Coopers Corner. And Alabama Outdoors, which is pretty sad most of the time! And thanks for mentioning the advertising, as it relates to the reviews !!! Springfield X-D and how many full page adds, and it got voted hand gun of the year! I wonder why? In my 50 something years I havn't seen a product pushed this hard. I bet Gaston Glock is laughing his a-- off at that one.

I certainly didn't care for "Guns and Ammo". Nothing but a vehicle for advertisers.

Hey guys, I have an update. This month I got my Shooting Times only 1 week after it was on the newstands!!! Wow, they are getting better. Either that or my mailman had already read someone else's! I was kind of disappointed with the content this month though. The only article I really liked was on the 336 Marlin which is one of my all time favorites.

I get Rifle, Handloader and Shooting Illustrated (from the NRA, not to be confused with the other SI) and enjoy them all, I also get the PA game news, but that is getting disappointing, I used to love the articles by Don Lewis, but he is pretty much retired now, and most of the articles in the back have become "how-to" puff pieces and the hunting stories up front are being replaced by articles which amount to the game commission patting themselves on the back

Yeah, I'm pretty much limited to Rifle, Handloader, Successful Hunter from Wolfe Publishing. Get the NA Rifleman and NAHunter, but only because I've got lifetime memberships in them. The NAHC has turned pretty much into a bow hunting and vehicle magazine, anymore. That's OK if you care for that sort of thing, but I don't bow hunt and will never buy an ATV, so it's pretty much trash can bound when I get it.

I get "Petersen's RifleShooter" although I wish it did not have as much black tech stuff but more of the traditaional articles.

I get "Petersen's RifleShooter" although I wish it did not have as much black tech stuff but more of the traditaional articles.

They're all trying to cater to the largest audience, but I agree with you about the black rifles....seems there's enough specialty mags out there for that stuff. Sure is better than it used to be though, when we basically had Outdoor Life and Field & Stream, and we had to wade through the fishing articles (I like to fish, but for some reason, I really don't like to read about it) to get to the GOOD gun/hunting stuff!

Guns & Ammo. Al though I'm currently looking into other magazines as well.

I receive:

1. Sports Afield good magazine though a bit thin for the money
2. Sporting Classics good writing, great art
3. Buckmaster's Gunhunter because I write the back-page column
4. American Hunter

I dropped my subscriptions to Guns and Ammo, Bugle, Handloader, and Varmint Hunter. I enjoy Bugle and Handloader but had to cut back on the subscriptions. If I could only receive two it would be #1 and #2 listed above.

My bet is "RIFLE SHOOTER"



Jean P.

Sunday Creek -

Good to see ya posting again -

Don't stay away for so long! :D

Sunday Creek -

Good to see ya posting again -

Don't stay away for so long! :D

I agree, good to see your name on the board! I was just thinking of you and your .375 Big Bore rifle....

Back in the olden days, before digital cameras, I did a lot of photography and kept up a darkroom. I subscribed to Popular Photography and Modern Photography and Darkroom, but one by one, I wound up dropping them because they seemed to repeat themselves on a two to three year cycle. The explanation given was the entry of new people into the hobby as others lost interest and dropped out. The serious people had to really search for publications worth reading and that didn't repeat a topic without having something new to add into the mix.

The popular gun and hunting magazines seem to be about the same. How many .45 vs. 9 mm "shootouts" by dint of specification and range testing do you really want to read? I wound up gradually dropping most of them out of boredom.

The exceptions:

Precision Shooting is the main one I look forward to each month. It is more technical than the popular rags and has some rather individualistic personalities writing for it. It can be an awful lot of fun as well as educational.

I usually give American Gunsmith a good looking over. There are things in it I disagree with or would do differently, but it provides an opportunity to become familiar with the workings of guns I haven’t had the opportunity to handle, and some good tips and tool ideas come out of it from time to time.

Gunweek is what serves as my source for gun politics and miscellaneous industry news and information.

Soldier of Fortune has both technical overviews and some political and investigative reporting at times. It is a good rag for keeping on top of “reality”, though calling it a “gun magazine” would be too limiting and a bit of a misleading. I thought it should get honorable mention here, anyway.

I get Shooting Sports USA, to keep up on competition related information. The Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association has a small publication called Gunsmoke that comes out several times a year. The People’s Rights Organization also has a small newsletter.

I’ve been a Life Member of the NRA for so long, I can’t recall exactly when I transitioned to that status from annual membership. In any event, that gets me the Rifleman. Back before lawyers had scared them out giving details on trigger work and other “gun crank” information, it was a more interesting publication to me. Both the lawyers and the political need to embrace a larger and more general membership have affected the technical quality adversely in my opinion. Reading through issues from the 50’s gives you a clear contrast to today’s version. I expect real “gun cranks” are part of a small and shrinking minority of gun owners these days.

Publications that are gone now that I miss include Tactical Rifle. Maybe more than anything else, I now miss the tan envelopes that used to come from the ranch with Jeff Cooper’s latest missives.

Under the heading of something I let lapse and don’t know why, but that I will take again as soon as I remember to rejoin is the Cast Bullet Association’s publication, the Fouling Shot.

awwwwwwwww, come on folks !! the best Gun Magizine is Small Arms Review http://www.smallarmsreview.com/ check it out !!

The only gun-related magazine that I still get is the "American Rifleman" I do get either Sports Afield" or "Outdoor Life"on an alternating basis because theie promotion prices only apply to 'new ' customersI just dropped "Fouling Shot"because I no longer cast bullets,and "Handloader"because it has become dedicated to the newest and biggest.
Frank

I let my subscriptions lapse on Handloader and Rifle. I have to concur with Kragman71, those 2 magazines are beginning to look more like the other rags than they used too. I'll have to look into Precision Shooting. Probelm is, I can't find a newsstand copy around here to buy an issue and check it out. I should probably bite the bullet (pun intended) and just spring for a subscription.

MikeW

Went nosing around town tonite to see if I could find Precision Shooting. No dice.

I did find an old favorite that I hadn't purchased in quite a while, Fur-Fish-Game. I don't know how well distributed this mag is but I've always enjoyed the trapping and fur handling articles. I don't trap but I've always been interested. There is a lot of good, simple, practical advice in that mag. I'm going to tear out the subscription card and mail it in.

MikeW

I read Muzzleblasts, Handloader, Rifle, American Rifleman, and Soldier Of Fortune. I am interested in Precision Shooting and one of the African hunting mags. I may have to go with one of the Boar hunting rags too. I gave up on the advertising rags long ago. Especially since I was able to get Cooper online. Now that he is gone I may look for similar substitutes. None can completely replace him though. He was unique. One more thing, Shotgun News and Gun List have been part of my occasional diet of reading for many years. Good reading and God bless. Bandito

I get the American Rifleman, I call it a free mag at this point being a life member to the NRA. They try and scare you with their political outlook, which it today's climate is not a bad thing. Some stories I like.

I get Guns and Ammo, but I don't care for it.

I like Guns Magazine and American Handgunner, they have good articles and good writers.

But you know what, after a while they all cover the same subject and are very over-lapping at times.

Im now receiving "Combat Tactic." Its by Guns and Ammo but I think its alot more interesting.
I've really started disliking Guns & Ammo to be honest. Its not that great of a magazine anymore.
The same old stuff everytime. 9mm Vs. 45 and which gun is better for home defense topics like crazy...blows my mind how they'll print really hateful email into their magazine for everyone to read. They need to grow some balls, get sassy and quit getting pounded into the dirt by hate mail everday.

I no longer subscribe to any magazines :D . My last subscription recently ran out. I have yet to see one that wasn't simply thinly disguised advertising copy. Rifle and Handloader were among the last ones to slide down the slippery slope, but based on the last test issues I bought on the news stand, they're getting even worse now. Check the archives, I seem to recall making a similar rant about a year ago or so.

American Rifleman. Muzzleblasts, Muzzleloader, Single Shot Newa, BPCR News, Shooting Times, Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly. Also the web sites and forums. Emery

Just received my copy of the Fouling Shot from the Cast Bullet Association. This is a great little magazine with some very interesting articles from the membership.
The Match results list the loads in detail, powder type and charge, bullet type and alloy, size diameter etc. Along with the rifle, sights score and group size. You can learn a great deal about what works just from the Match results.

There are only 1931 members – compare that to the Beartooth Forum! Still a great group.
This Month there is two good discussions of what works in the .38-55.

Second to the Beartooth Forum the Cast Bullet Association is a pretty good place to hang out. http://www.castbulletassoc.org/forum/

[I like Black Powder Cartridge News, Handloader, Muzzle loader, fur fish and game, Backwoodsman, American Hunter, and Pointing Dog Journal.
I buy SHOOT! magazine for the Cowboy stuff. It's glossy, specific to SASS type events and acessories. Cool mag, but more than I need for a whole year.
Varmint Hunter Magazine is really cool, informative, and a lot of bang for the buck. Nice folks too.
There are several other cowboy mags, such as Wild West, Frontier West, and these are better for the period stories.

I liked the magizines when I was much younger, the big three were great from the first issues I read through the mid-1970s Peterson's Hunting I liked later, Shooting Times and Precision Shooting, handloading for some years and then Gun Tests, the plain white paper book.

I had the NRA mags but agreed to not take then when NRA asked old life members to consider the costs sending the mags. I paid dues since 1987.

Today, I'm a looker through the stacks and buy what I can't finish in the store. Ha!

I really have to step in and recommend The Backwoodsman. None of the advertising. No professional writers. Minimal editing... You'll appreciate how raw this publication is when you get your first one and you see an article with illustrations that were clearly done in less than 5 minutes with a ball point pen on the kitchen table on a chunk of scrap paper --reproduced as submitted. This magazine is written by, for, and about backwoodsmen, as the title suggests. Full of nearly-lost pioneer tips and full length articles on building sod dwellings, root cellars, fish smoking, dugout canoe construction,snaring and processing garfish... topics you've never imagined. There are always articles on muzzleloading, knives, guns, wilderness survival, and living off the grid. Every gap in every margin is filled with gems from Farmers' Almanac and other vintage publications.

You're probably thinking I must work for the magazine or be related to the owner. Nope, I'm just a guy who's excited to have found a magazine that isn't boring or derivative. Check it out at Backwoodsmanmag.com