The NRA And Their Magazines

[Dee]

When I reluctantly joined the NRA in order to join the local gun club, the first thing they did was badger me to go for a life membership. Then they told me as a new member, I was going to get a free knife as a gift for joining, along with a free subscription to the magazine of my choice.

When my membership card came my name had been changed from Dan to "Stan". Got that straightened out.

Then my free gift pocket knife came in. A very small made in China piece of junk that I wouldn't give to a hobo. Cheesy isn't a strong enough word.

Now to the magazines. I chose American Hunter.
This months publication consists of 70 pages of BS  32 of which is advertising, while the actual articles are about equipment used on hunts. In other words, a sales pitch.

I read the "Armed Citizen" page and then toss the thing in the trash.

I have buyers remorse after joining the NRA, and regret giving them my money.

Besides, I now have a place to shoot when I go feed cattle.

Well, now I've vented, but it didn't make me feel better. 

[mcbammer]

When I reluctantly joined the NRA in order to join the local gun club, the first thing they did was badger me to go for a life membership. Then they told me as a new member, I was going to get a free knife as a gift for joining, along with a free subscription to the magazine of my choice.

When my membership card came my name had been changed from Dan to "Stan". Got that straightened out.

Then my free gift pocket knife came in. A very small made in China piece of junk that I wouldn't give to a hobo. Cheesy isn't a strong enough word.

Now to the magazines. I chose American Hunter.
This months publication consists of 70 pages of BS  32 of which is advertising, while the actual articles are about equipment used on hunts. In other words, a sales pitch.

I read the "Armed Citizen" page and then toss the thing in the trash.

I have buyers remorse after joining the NRA, and regret giving them my money.

Besides, I now have a place to shoot when I go feed cattle.

Well, now I've vented, but it didn't make me feel better. 

  I havent had a NRA magazine in years , I hear  one of their best  writers Rick Jamison is no longer associated with the Magazine .  Really liked his reloading articles .

[JeffG]

I dug deep for the money to be an NRA life member in the early 80's. It was the only game in town, back then. As time has passed, I see less and less value in that membership.

[Graybeard]

Became a life member back in late 70s or early 80s I guess, cost was $150 at the time. I've told them so many times they'll get no more money from me until LaPierre is fired they've stopped even trying.

I get the American Hunter magazine but it's junk and generally I spend less than 5 minutes with it before tossing it.

GOA is the organization actually doing something these days. The NRA needs new leadership or needs to fold up and go away.

[Land_Owner]

We used to hear about "amici curiae" briefs or straight-out suits at law against everything that encroached on the 2nd Amendment, with increasing Return on Investment for the effort.  They could move elections through candidate endorsement, back States off from entertaining egregious legislation, and rouse the membership to participate in furthering legislation that protected the RKBA. 

Since commencing their compromising efforts, a 'bad deal' for everyone, the RKBA and law-abiding citizens have increasingly become targets.   Their formerly commanding voice has gone silent.  Every month's magazine articles are the same, i.e., it's the last day of Pompei for the RKBA, Left is bad, Right is good - Send More Money - blah, blah, blah. 

I was a Lifer before the internal train wreck.  I'll be a Lifer after (if ever) the engines are put back online.  In the meantime, while righting cars and restoring track, I am astonished at the corrosion of the infrastructure. 

Yes, I vote, but it doesn't do any good...

[ironglow]

My lkast renewal was 5 years ago.  It was for 5 years, an dmy last one..   I'm getting loads of mail, and even receive an American Hunter magazine a couple days ago, but I am not biting !

  I have been watching the NRA, concerning the ugly New York "Safe" law, pushed through by Cuomo at an early morning meeting..
   It would be a great test case to kill such efforts by other states, but I see no fight from the NRA.

  The magazine choices..  Rifleman or Hunter..

  I have been getting the Hunter for the last 5 years..and often just trash it ! Why?  It simply doesn't fit my idea of hunting.  Much of it is dedicated to hunts most of us will never participate in.

  I won't soon be paying the fortune for a full, luxury hunt for Cape Buffalo in Africa, or a Red stag in New Zealand, or a polar bear in Canada.  ...And I will pass on the caviar and wine.  

    I can relate better to squirrel hunting in a nearby beech copse, or deer hunting in the Appalachain foothills.

    Fur-Fish-Game, I can better relate to.

[pastorp]

I use my NRA magazine to line the trash can. I agree, not much worth reading anymore. In any of the outdoor magazines. Most advertising trying to sell stuff.

[gene_225]

My first wife got me a life membership back in the 60s, mostly to save money over the long haul. Now I just read the armed citizen and pitch then pitch it.

[oldandslow]

I'll stay a member to continue as a local gun club member. Without the NRA we would have no club and membership is a requirement. Otherwise it would be a considerably longer drive to BLM land where I would have no facilities  at all. I kind of like the shades and benches in the pistol bays and the concrete floor, shooting benches, and cover over the rifle range unlike dirt and vegetation, most of which has stickers, for my other option. There used to be caliche pits on state land but most of those have been bull dozed to make the area more attractive, to the cows and critters I suppose. It's hard to understand how creating a bare area of rocks and dirt around three time as large as the pit that was covered makes an area more attractive.

I get no mail or emails from the NRA as I requested not to and they have honored that request for many years. I have to say I am disappointed at the lack of legal action taken during the last several years against those that would restrict our 2A rights. I just see their magazines following the trend of others, mostly paid ads and short articles with little information. That is the trend with all "entertainment" media now. It is geared toward those with short attention spans and to maximize profits from ads. I miss the magazines of old including American Rifleman that had in depth feature articles that appealed to the average outdoor person. If not for the NRA a magazine would never be opened by me today and it requires little time to absorb.

[BUGEYE]

Been a lifer since circa 1980 and no I don't hunt elk, caribou, or mountain sheep.
And I'm never invited to the lavish parties the NRA gives for politicians.

I subscribe to Fur-fish-game, Backwoodsman, and American frontiersman.
Those, along with American hunter are stacked up to take to the grandson of my mechanic when I get a oil change or something.

[DDZ]

Never joined as a life member, but had joined yearly since the 70's.  I haven't renewed for the last couple of years and I won't until they clean house. I agree the magazines had become rags. over the years. 

[Dee]

Been a lifer since circa 1980 and no I don't hunt elk, caribou, or mountain sheep.
And I'm never invited to the lavish parties the NRA gives for politicians.

I subscribe to Fur-fish-game, Backwoodsman, and American frontiersman.
Those, along with American hunter are stacked up to take to the grandson of my mechanic when I get a oil change or something.

I used to subscribe to all three of those. Was Backwoodsman quarterly.

[gene_225]

Backwoodsman is bi-mothly.

[BUGEYE]

Backwoodsman is bi-mothly.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[ironglow]

I pick up Backwoodsman upon occasion, when I see it at Tractor Supply !

[Dee]

I may resubscribe to those 2.

[orerancher]

Used to  Subscribe to just about every Gun Mag. Out There....Now the Only Ones I Get are "Handloader" and "Rifle"...And They Ain't as Good as The Used to Be...

[pastorp]

Nothing is as good as it used to be….. including most of us over the hill gang members, er GBO members.

[Dee]

Nothing is as good as it used to be….. including most of us over the hill gang members, er GBO members.

Amen to that.

[30calflash]

 Currently an associate member so no magazine, got tired of the push on all the new guns and gear. Not much interesting in most of the articles.

 A co worker got a mag from them America's first Freedom or something like that. It had some decent short useful stories but a lot of ads still.

 F-F-G was a good magazine, haven't had it in a decade. One of the few that almost all the stories were good, even if it didn't pertain to your area or type of hunting or fishing.