Handloader's Digest 19th Edition

  • Topic Is Locked
  • 482 Views
  • Last Post 12 February 2017
David Reiss posted this 05 February 2017

I and others have posted about this book in a previous thread, but I thought I would add some info to this category in hopes of saving some poor sole from falling victim to this poor excuse for a book.

If you have enjoyed the previous editions as many of us have, the 19th edition brings no joy. It is full of great photos, but fails miserable with it's poor articles. While the previous editions were full of well written articles, with lots of technical data on varied subjects, the 19th edition has only 16 articles. There is just not the variety of writers also. There is one article each by Craig Boddington & Fred Zeglin, the rest are by lesser known authors.

I am not going to waste any more time on this review, simply because it does not warrant it.

In as plain english as I can make it, it is a waste of money, do not buy it, 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
lotech posted this 05 February 2017

I'm pretty sure HANDLOADER'S DIGEST and other GUN DIGEST publications have been sold at least a couple of times to non-gun-oriented publishing businesses. It is doubtful these gun publications are among the most profitable for whoever owns them. #19 is not what many have come to expect from HANDLOADER'S DIGEST. 

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 05 February 2017

Sadly, the common theme today is to publish to the lowest level of writing and research. Use lots of big colorful pictures of nothing important and never any original work not published by another company. What the publishers don't realize is that those people get their “info-mercials” from the internet, not the print media. None of us who buy books and magazines will spend money on useless garbage.

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 06 February 2017

” None of us who buy books and magazines will spend money on useless garbage"

 

The very reason I quit subscribing to any gun rags or buying Gun Digest's years ago. Except for Fur Fish and Game and the Backwoodsman  magazines.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
Ed Harris posted this 07 February 2017

I quit buying any DBI Books after they fired Ken Warner as Editor and Krauss took it over.  Ken Warner is a old friend who first hired me when I got out of the Navy and was looking for work in DC.  After Ken left NRA Publications Division and went to Digest Books after John Amber retired, I did some editing and writing for him and published some articles under my own name, and others under a nom de plume, because had the later management at NRA after the Cincinnati Massacre known I was doing so, I would have been fired...

If you come across any articles by a P.G. Wrighter  (aka The Phantom Gun Writer), that's me.

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
  • wd-30/40
SierraHunter posted this 10 February 2017

You older guys don't know how well you had it, actually having good magazines and publications back in the day. I've read all the older magazines and books I have been able to get my hands on, and they are so much better then any of the things published today.

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 11 February 2017

... was it the writers of the day or was it that we were a less-jaded reader ? .... could TRUE magazine survive today ?? ...  do we get what we demand ? ... pretty scary, i think ...

ken

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 12 February 2017

I have read from learned people that the education system in the US peaked in 1963.A person graduating from High School in 1963 had a better reading ability, math ability and social history knowledge than an Bachelor of Arts graduate in 2013. Having taught night Vocational Education at a local community college for 25 years, it is true. Newspapers are published with the reading comprehension of a 4th grader. The reporter can only write at the 7th grade level. There is a reason “false news” is taking over America. People under the age of 40 are well “socialized” by our school system, but don't know how to discriminate between truth and fiction.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • rayb
GWarden posted this 12 February 2017

One the better current reloading books I have found is “Metallic Cartridge Handloading- pursuit of the perfect cartridge” by Mic McPherson. 425 pages of good info, not a manual full of “fluff". Good info for the person just starting into reloading, and for the very experienced as well. Material on cast bullets.

Bob

Attached Files

Scearcy posted this 12 February 2017

I have cancelled all of my shooting and hunting magazines. I have finally quit getting the new Gun Digests. I thought it was just me!  It is really difficult to get interested in an article that espouses a rifles attributes as magazine capacity, short barrel and tactical appearance.  How many little pistols can I put in my pockets, anyway. I'm sorry but this thread really hits a raw nerve for me.

I talked at length with an enthusiastic young (about 50) man yesterday at the range. He was working on getting his new elk rifle to shoot under 1/2 moa.  It was a light weight used 338 mag  that he had “stolen” at our LGS.  He had it strapped to a lead sled loaded with a 75# weight.  He needed to be able to make a 650 yard shot he said and this rifle should make it easy. He thought I was completely crazy shooting home made bullets in a little 243. I was disappointed with my groups but they were better than his.

Is this the future of shooting sports? I hope not.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
RicinYakima posted this 12 February 2017

That may be the majority of it, but there will always be shooters interested in “precision” shooting and fair chase hunting. Our Junior rifle club has a couple of members I am watching closely. One I have real hopes for after seeing him reading "Backwoodsman" magazine.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch

Topic Is Locked

Close