Brought a copy of Sporting Rifle......Oh dear

[Brithunter]

Well whilst in town the other day I wandered into Smiths and took a look at the rack and there was the July 2010 #53 issue. Had a flick through and though Oh well we will give it a go. Now on reflection I wish that I had not wasted the money. The only thing I can really say in it's favour is the quality of a lot of the photos. The last article in this issue was one I wanted to read. Should have done it in the shop in on the 25-06 and Oh deary me. According to the writer the 25-06 uses the same heads as the 250 savage, 257 Weatherby and the .257 roberts. Of course he says Bullet head of which we know there is no such thing. No wonder some new shooters don't know the proper terminology .

Then he is biased towards the 25-06 against the 270 Winchester completly avoiding the fact that the .270 also uses 150 grain bullets. According to him there is only a 130 grain loading

Carr is up to his usual diatribe of advertising in his write ups. I guess we are supposed to be suitably impressed at the prices he pays for his stuff and wonders upon wonders it seem that Carr has discovered that a telescope is useful in stalking on low ground after other species than Reds. I'll wager he is the first to ever do so

And horror amongst horrors the tester on the new Ruger Hawkeye discovered it has a pressure point bedding in the fore stock. Seems he has never heard of this and assummes it was just not relieved enough in production. Luckily he didn't take a rasp or sand paper to it. He also has a quite dig at Ruger for their trigger implying it's not a high quality one or was he implying that unless we swop it out immediaitly upon purchase we are not doing it right not sure on that one. However it was refreshing to see actual precision of grouping reported which was 1 1/2" -2" depending upon the ammunition it was fed. There was a little light glimmering in the distance. A bit of factual reporting. I had to have a lie down with the faint feeling the shock brought on.

Oh well at least I know once again not to buy the magazine. I do try once every year or so to see if it's improved but sadly it's got an awful long way to go.

Sorry Selena you have you work cut out there girl.

 

[thomas]

I gave up buying shooting sports and sporting rifle quite a while ago! Most articles were total dribble with little or no relevance to anything I do; or could afford for that matter!

Trust me, you will learn far more, and read equally as well written (spelling apart...... ha ha) articles on this website!!!

My view only...

ATB

Tom

 

[rodkayak]

The target sports writer has a good series on reloading which is the best bit of the mag, but it is better than Sporting Gun.
Charles Bull self promotional review of shotgun cartridges is rubbish. he does not test them, chrono them, plate them or check the quality of the lead shot or the consistancy of the loadings. He is heralded as an expert but it appears the best thing that he can do is sell shotgun cartridges.
Gun Mart is just a big catalogue & should be free. The shooting Times seems just to be a anti non toxic diatribe. Just MHO

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

I think sporting rifle is finally on the up-turn, more foxing, stalking and less africa and NO bloody catipults.
If a bit of advertising keeps the cover costs lower well thats ok with me.
Apart from a few things which should never have made print (shooting into bushes), its better than No read at all.
Like everything if its not your cup of tea then don't buy it, but to just slate it all the time gets pretty boring. It just makes the same reading on here really, abit like what the magazines critics keep saying about it!!!

 

[Brithunter]

Hmmm Ok John gave it a go and brought a copy will not do again. have a nice day all!

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

I have subscribed to it for about 3 years and have seen good times and some very bad and nearly didn't re-new my subscription.
But having said that I do think its coming around full circle.
Why not write in with your opinions they may take on board some comments or even publish your articles.
You could easily write up your stalks with me using your classic weapons, after all its a little different.
I have quality photos to accompany it.
regards john.

 

[EMcC]

I have had a letter published when CJ was in charge and got a nice bottle of whiskey for it too.
I then wrote an article about a trip to Croatia on driven Boar, complete with photos of the accomodation and the lads and, of course, the bag.
I thought it was better written and illustrated than a similar article written by a well known journo in another magazine that went to Poland on a similar trip.
It wasn't published or even acknowledged but was later told that the agent I had written about was not one of his advertisers so could not expect it to be published.

 

[rooster]

Subscribed and let it lapse because standards had fallen, however bought this months and agree with John it is picking up. Usually find Sporting Shooter is a decent all round read too.

 

[Brithunter]

John I will be writing to them you can be sure but I very much doubt they would like the classic angle. No advertising revenue in that. LOL they probably never heard of Viking Binos and stalking with a 50 year BSA naw can't do that they couldn't hit the side of barn when they were new don't ya know ................................. nope has to be S/S and plastic and cost at least a grand.

if they do print the letter which i doubt and they do offer something like a bottle of whiskey John it's your mate because I don't even like the smell of it.

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

Well I do like it thanks Kevin but the hours I keep now very rarely drink it.
Only when I have a cold or tooth ache(medicinal only).LOL
And I thought they could hit "fuzzywuzzies" at a 1000yrds them old guns.

 

[Grandhubert]

And I thought they could hit "fuzzywuzzies" at a 1000yrds them old guns.

In the 60's?

With a BSA sporting rifle?

I take it you are afflicted both with a cold and toothache as you write this?

 

[Brithunter]

Of course in the 60's ............................................ 1860's of course........................... after all BSA did come into being just to make military arms in 1861. i have not tried them at 1000 yards but have shot 600 yards with a .270 BSA on Century range and Stoney Castle using the Nosler 130 Grain Ballistic Tip and H380 powder.

 

[Muir]

What an interesting take on a shooting magazine. When I come over I'll buy a copy but I can guarantee, it will be the same as all the American rags: boring and ill informed. I can't even look at them anymore here in the States. Every cover is shouting about the newest and best cartridge on the market -usually for some plastic stocked semi-auto. Even when they review "classic" arms (like the one I saw for the 30-40 Krag a few years back) they do it under the advisement that you really wouldn't want to attempt hunting deer with that old cartridge/gun now. Deer are too cagey and tough to kill these days with such an antiquated gun. Now flip the page to the 6 page extravaganza on the new Remington 30 RUM that is the pinnacle of deer cartridges!

Such tripe.~Muir

 

[Blaser243]

I cancelled my subscription some time ago because the magazine had gone from bad to worse, but I did take a look at it in the newsagents the other week and I'd agree that it looks ever so slightly better than it did.

I'm not getting a new subscription yet, but I'll keep my eyes on the situation. I'd dearly love to like the magazine again because in theory it caters for precisely my interests (deer stalking and sporting rifles) but at the moment, I think I might still be embarrassed if one of my friends found a copy in our bathroom.

 

[BuckarooUK]

Couldn't agree more Brithunter. On hols from work at the moment and the wife was dragging me around the shops so bought a copy to try. I should have saved the money for a pint. There is the odd scrap of hope here and there, but i just couldn't ignore the glaring errors and above all the lazy research/writing:

Ruger Renaissance - a very mediocre article. Perhaps watered down to appease the sponsor?
Made to Measure (custom rifle special) - not a bad article at all. Certainly different from the usual dross and there were a few riflesmiths whos work i hadn't seen before. I would have liked to hear their ideas for a good stalking rifle but that's just a personal thing.
Editor's Choice - Bloody Carr at it again. You really must buy this, this, this and of course this! Totally biased and no doubt he'll have another such pile of shite in 6 months time to recommend that we really must buy.
Rape & Roebucks - well what a surprise, there's Carr again and how his day was saved by that expensive piece of kit that we all overlook and are stupid for not using! Now where's that cheque book?
Firearms on the up - promised to be an interesting article which failed for lack of research or supporting information. Rather than settle for a few comments from a BASC spokesman and a Deer Manager, why wasn't there any corresponding comments sought from sources like the Foresty Commission. I for one would like to know how many applications for leases they receive, where competition is highest, etc
Best of British Roe & Outfoxing Cubs - Thank god for Mike Powell and Rob Hawkins. Informative and to the point.
Browning's Belgium - What was the point of this article? If it was to inform us of anything worthwhile concerning Browning and their plant then it failed - all terribly hush, hush and too secret to talk about. If it was to thoroughly describe a good hunt in belgium then it also failed! Shallow and poor article.
A life without lead - with 'Ballistics expert Matt Brammer looks at the practicalities of switching from lead to copper bullets.' No he bloody didn't; he re-hashed one or many of the very similar articles being printed by the press at present. Nothing new to add obviously. Best explained by himself: 'What also remains to be seen is how these bullets perform when they strike their target. I, like most UK shooters, have no experience of them, I have no need to.' Do your homework, you lazy bugger! Barnes and similar bullets have been around for some time. I myself have now moved onto Hornady GMX bullets and there are many more experienced than I. If you can't be bothered or 'have no need to' then don't profess yourself to be an expert. How hard would it have been for him to get some balistics gel or even a pig from the abetoir and test similar bullets. Now that would have been a great ending to a good article which could easily have run to 4-6 pages.
The Calibre Hunter - err maybe Byron Pace should have a good long chat with Laurie Holland or many of the other noteworthy experts.
Shoot Vehicles: 2010 Nissan Navara - Absolutely the worst article in the whole magazine and a complete waste of paper! 'Sporting Rifle's resident motoring expert,' don't make me laugh. Reading the article would lead me to believe that somone dropped the keys in his mitts and told him to drive it around the block. Did he take it off-road, did he load the flatbed with the typical stuff we carry or did he even couple it to a trailer - did he hell! Not a mnetion of whether Nissan have solved their problematic turbo or done anything to improve their attrocious NCAP rating (only 1 star in 2008 with at best 3 stars in the modified version). Is the crappy plastic sump guard gone?.
Well done for noticing that Nissan had attempted to cheat the review by finding the carry box 'filled with over 200kg of gravel and mounted directly over the rear axle,' but did you bother to mention how it handled once you'd removed the weight - did you hell! One wonders why Nissan bothered as they obviously could do no wrong.
Sporting Rifle - send me the keys to your 4x4s and trucks and i'll write you reviews worth printing. Hell i'm even on my hols for the next 6 weeks so 1 per week equals 6 months of reviews for you. Who knows - being an engineer and willing to actually test the vehicles, they may actually appear unbiased and of worth to someone who is likely to spend at least a years salary on my recommendation.

 

[shortshot]

Annoying thing is they put it in polythene bag in an attempt to prevent you reading/perusing copy in the shop. Self defeating cos I for one don't buy if I can't see exactly what the content is first!

 

[flytie]

I am pleased to call Richard Atkins a friend and am sorry to see him go from the magazine. He is a most charming, but irritating, bloke. Turns up at a clay shoot with a new gun every time! Shoots a few, misses a few, works out what's going on and straights the rest. A most informative and helpful bloke. He's as bad (good) with rifles too I bought the magazine to support him. I am not sure if I will carry on? There is very little to compete with it, if someone can produce a better quality, less advert focused glossy I might well be persuaded to buy it.

ft

 

[griff]

Scotsgun has now had to lie down for a while,I did see his mssus running in with the oxygen however, I do hope he recovers.

That should be sent to Selena for a response!

griff

 

[rockingod]

Scotsgun.....................

Well said.......Similar thoughts myself.

That should give Selena some food for thought.

However..........if not 'Sporting Rifle', what others would you all recommend ?

Magazines of this ilk are there to sell sponsored products..if they don't, they don't make money and if they don't make money , they fold very quickly (or would you prefer to spend a tenner for an unsponsored magazine). Just remember that an awful lot of young guys and gals out there got the 'bug' by reading the articles in these magazines which have helped in motivating them into some form of shooting with rifles and helping to understand how things work in the real world. (beats being an old fat lardy on the old king cole and claiming benefits) I caught my bug by reading the 'Shooting Times' back in the early 60's (There weren't any other similar magazines around at the time)

So..........now for the crunch..........YOU ARE NOW THE EDITORS..........what would you publish ?

Instead of constantly knocking it, come up with some sensible suggestions about improving it........at the end of the day any periodical that helps in educating our children and improving our public profile is in my mind......worthy of support !

Rocky

 

[MJ75]

Guys, give Selena a break. She has a job to do. It's a bit rude to mention her like this in my opinion.

You need to remember magazines are about revenue (Adverts more so than subscriptions), not editorial content. Large publishers find a subject of interest and then see how much money they can make from manufactuers, retailers etc. Editorial content is NEVER primary concern. The "You must buy this random piece of "insert suitable expletive here" or you will never shoot another deer again ever articles keep the magazine going.

Rather than slate it,write in to them telling them what you would prefer to see in there.

Best
MJ