What's up with PS? part two

goodgrouper

goodgrouper

tryingtobeabettergrouper
I started a thread about the PS covers some time back as some might remember. I told of how I cancelled my sub due to the serious lack of "precision rifles" on the covers. For the past year and a half or more, we have had 19th century muzzleloaders and other antiques on the cover of a magazine that is supposed to deal with cutting edge precision rifles.

Well, I just sent in for my two allowed official screamer patches for the 2008 year and when they got here today, I was not surprised at what was on them. You'd think that the patches would have something to do with guns embroidered on them, but you would be wrong. It is a weightlifter holding up a dumbell! Seems PS no longer cares about precision and I think it's time someone lets them know that they are screwing up a good thing!
 
Patches

They need to learn a little more Chinese so as to get that order right when ordering those patches.

Some weight lifting tournament is probably wondering about what Rifles have to do with lifting weights.:D..........jackie
 
I know...

I know. But, when I look through some of the back issues from the early and mid-eighties and compare them to todays issues, I have to admit there are few precision rifle or benchrest articles submitted anymore. I think the editor is doing the best he can to keep the magazine alive.

When I also look at the more commercial mags out there on firearms, Precision Shooting is still far and away the best magazine regarding our sport.

Sign of the times,
Virg:rolleyes:
 
So Mr. 'grouper just what is the name of YOUR Terrific New Magazine that's going to put PS out of business?? When will we see it??

If you don't like PS go to the super market and pick up a copy of "Babes and Bullets"
LOTS of big pictures and no numbers or long words to confuse you.
 
Goodgrouper

In my opinion Precison Shooting is the only true rifle accuracy publication. Though I get other rifle magazines, I truly love to see it arrive in the mailbox.

I had hoped another book on the line of The Benchrest Shooting Primer would come along.

Tony Carpenter
 
Hi y'all,
Just starting BR in SE MI.
I was up a WWCCA this weekend. Seems Joe and Lowell, thought the "Benchrest Primer", needed an update.
Wow, I thought I was reading the latest and greatest.:eek:
:mad:
I have recently finished reading the "Primer". Second time. and Ordered a 2 yr sub. of PS.:D
Them old guns are nice to look at.:)
But, that is yesterday.
Heard the editor is like J. McCain. Gotta get his wife to do emails, er something of the sort.
Just having fun.
Good book and good mag. Well, sorta. I guess there is a wide customer base.
I wonder, how much Dick Wright, paid to get his name in the book....:D
 
jackie schmidt said:
They need to learn a little more Chinese so as to get that order right when ordering those patches.

Some weight lifting tournament is probably wondering about what Rifles have to do with lifting weights.:D..........jackie
Click to expand...

I'll bet you're right Jackie!:D
 
karls42 said:
So Mr. 'grouper just what is the name of YOUR Terrific New Magazine that's going to put PS out of business?? When will we see it??

If you don't like PS go to the super market and pick up a copy of "Babes and Bullets"
LOTS of big pictures and no numbers or long words to confuse you.
Click to expand...


Did I slap your mother or something!? Sheesh. Who tinkled in your Cheerios this morning?

I never said that PS wasn't a good magazine. It is still the best one out there. It is simply not as good as it once was and simple fixes could make it so much better. I would simply have loved to see some innovation on the covers to better describe what the magazine is all about. Why couldn't we have had Shelly's Tinker Toy on the cover a month before he died instead of some rusty old antique that is probably not even capable of firing anymore?

By the way, how good are the babes in the "babes and bullets" mag?;)
 
Tony C said:
Goodgrouper

In my opinion Precison Shooting is the only true rifle accuracy publication. Though I get other rifle magazines, I truly love to see it arrive in the mailbox.

I had hoped another book on the line of The Benchrest Shooting Primer would come along.

Tony Carpenter
Click to expand...

I agree. It is still a publication worth it's paper. Just wish more care was taken to maintain it's splendor.
 
Hmmmmm.....

Well this is not the first time I have seen this discussion about a magazine, but I always find the comments interesting.

I just recently moved over to Precision Shooting from Small Caliber News, where I was writing their Rimfire Department. It was alot of work, but I enjoyed it, and really it was a small quarterly publication and low pressure.

When I moved over to PS, I told Dave that my goal is to develop the rimfire side of the magazine with a wide variety of rimfire based articles, all dealing with accuracy. Since PS is monthly, it's been alot of work to keep up.

I spend alot of time developing new stories and projects, and trying to show some variety and not just focus on benchrest. There is "Precision Shooting" in other shooting sports like Silhouette, Olympic 3P, Prone, and some of the new Rimfire Tactical events.

But, even with all the stuff happening in rimfire, it's hard to keep turning the crank and producing ground-breaking articles every month. It's the nature of a small and focused magazine. Even so, like others have stated, it's way beyond what we see in Guns and Ammo, and the others.

So, yeah there are some issues that are not stellar, but there will be some that are.

I know I'm a rimfire guy on the centerfire side of the forum, but I will be adding in some new stuff that was not being covered before.

s.
 
The recent issue with the American Gothic cover is an AWESOME issue! There has never been a more informative nor interesting issue in my time, back to '89.

PS bashers just need to get a life. It's a great magazine.

KUDO's to Brennan and KUDO's to all who still write for and support this fine magazine instead of pissing and moaning about "lack of substance".


rant off :D


al
 
I know this issue has been addressed and I'll agree with GG. After four years I let my subscription lapse and miss the ad's more than articles dedicated to obscure rifles or riflemen. I bought a box of dated PS magazines and believe the content to be more informative. I would like a reason to renew but it's just not there.
 
Steve..

steve b. said:
Hmmmmm.....

Well this is not the first time I have seen this discussion about a magazine, but I always find the comments interesting.

I just recently moved over to Precision Shooting from Small Caliber News, where I was writing their Rimfire Department. It was alot of work, but I enjoyed it, and really it was a small quarterly publication and low pressure.

When I moved over to PS, I told Dave that my goal is to develop the rimfire side of the magazine with a wide variety of rimfire based articles, all dealing with accuracy. Since PS is monthly, it's been alot of work to keep up.

I spend alot of time developing new stories and projects, and trying to show some variety and not just focus on benchrest. There is "Precision Shooting" in other shooting sports like Silhouette, Olympic 3P, Prone, and some of the new Rimfire Tactical events.

But, even with all the stuff happening in rimfire, it's hard to keep turning the crank and producing ground-breaking articles every month. It's the nature of a small and focused magazine. Even so, like others have stated, it's way beyond what we see in Guns and Ammo, and the others.

So, yeah there are some issues that are not stellar, but there will be some that are.

I know I'm a rimfire guy on the centerfire side of the forum, but I will be adding in some new stuff that was not being covered before.

s.
Click to expand...

what intrigues me is that many who shoot just benchrest (group and/or score) don't think of precision shooting existing outside of their chosen game. It's got to be frustrating to Brennan. I have always enjoyed the magazine and still do. --Greg
 
The P.S. Mags of yore----

Were definately more precision shooting oriented than those of today. Dont know where they started slipping but not as much BR info as used to be.
 
This topic seems to cycle through discussion occasionally. Consider the market in which PS magazine competes today:

Rapid information available via the net.
E-books, E-mags and videos.
Not to mention, the real time technical stuff you can get from people in the "know" on forums just like this.

All things considered, they seem to be the best at what they are, and what they do.

Just opinion, Mike

BTW, I can't dispute your observation that PS writes alot about historical, military and front loading rifles; I pass over those sort of articles.
 
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The Editor stated - -

at an IBS "Winter Meeting" several years ago that PS was meant to interest a "Wantabe". He says that there are a lot more of them than people like us so that is why he does what he does. There are those of us who would rather see just match results from all over the country with an equipment list compared to those who are history buffs who realy do care who is buried in Grant's Tomb. I joined NBRSA again this year and found that they have a better magazine than they did the last time I was a member. I like what they have even though I don't participate in their events.

I like the articles on High Power shooting and Rimfire related things but I have no interest in old rifles or the historical things. I thought the article this month on the bullet comparison was good but it might have been more interesting if the bullets had been fired from a rail gun.

I would not buy the magazine if it wasn't part of my IBS membership. I like the odd article but more months go by where I simply peruse it and don't read any of the articles than months I can say it is good. I have said it was good for a couple of issues in recent times but only a couple.

The way a lot of peole deal with the criticism of the mag is to challenge the person complaining to write articles. Those doing so assume that we all are writers and are capable of writing; sort of like the demand now-a-day that everyone WILL get a degree from college, rather or not they are capable.
 
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Yes,

Writing is not for everyone, and you can quickly see some articles printed that would have better be left out, but you have to work with what you got!

Dave B. has been great to work with, and he does not tell me what to write, so any faults in my articles are all my own, not Dave's. He has the crazy job of pulling the whole magazine together, and counts on the writers doing their job. So, I guess my point is that you really can't blanket the whole magazine, but rather focus on a writer.

As for precision shooting as a whole, BR is a big part, but we really need some variety on the topic. So, as I said before, there will be alot more Olympic, Prone, 3P, Tactical, and even some Biathlon stuff in there (real athletes and equipment).

Also an area that needs more work are the interviews and company spotlights. There are some amazing people in this industry, and most go unnoticed by the mass of shooters. I was at the Shot Show, talking with a few Tactical Action / Tactical Rifle shooters (about 15 in this group) who had no idea who Allan Hall was. They also did not know what the acronym "PPC" was or where it came from. We all know that info, and some of it has been printed in PS, but I feel we still need to capture interviews and historical parts of precision shooting on a regular basis. You will see lots more of that in my rimfire area.

Finally, comments to the editor. If you like a writer or topic, let the editor know. Same if you don't. Take 5 mintues and write a letter, not a phone call or e-mail, but a letter. Invest some time; it will help.

As a young writer, I'm in this for the long-haul, and I take this stuff seriously. If you have some ideas or comments on rimfire related items, send me an e-mail and I will discuss it with you and possibly chase down an article on the topic. But if you guys and gals don't communicate your interests to to the writers, then it's not gonna be easy to guess as to what you want to read.

I do appreciate everyone's support for PS, and I look forward to the future of PS; I think it will be a good one.
 
MichaelB

Michaelb makes a valid point. Precision shooting is suffering from the same malady that plagues print communication from major News Papers to special interest magazines. That being, there is such a wealth of information at ones fingertips, on such Forums as this.

I get Precision Shooting because it comes with my IBS membership. I glance through the articles, but rarely find much that I am not already familiar with. It is sort of like the articles in other special interest magazines. For instance, in Hot Rod, how many article in the past decade have started with the title, "how to get more out of your Small Block Chevy", or "blue printing".

There is another thing in play as well. When you read an article in a Magazine, how many times have you thought, "this guys full of cr-p". Untill the letters to the Editor come in, there are multitudes out there that might be lead down a road they should not take.

On Forums such as this, ideas that have no merit are quickly challeged. We try to cut through the pile of "in my opinion" and get facts out to shooters that are proven in the dicsipline that they will be used in.

The Internet is hear to stay, we might as well get used to it. In the beginning, it was billed as "the Information Hyway". It has certainly lived up to that monikor.........jackie
 
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