kyska Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) They've excelled themselves this week, my copy is now lining the cat litter tray. How can they be anymore overtly, obviously bias to shooting sports? I know we all have to keep ahead of the game and the likes of BASC others do just that with reasoned intellectual argument. But by god, ST is just dire, they give a chap the letter of the week for responding to a dig at the RSPCA, then (albeit I've not read the article as I got annoyed and the cat has now deposited on it) publish pages of slant on the RSPCA for releasing injured animals back into the wild. Now, the RSPCA has vets, and most vets I work with (I'm an animal professional too) wouldn't give in to pressure to release an animal that isn't likely to survive, but thats by the by, why make scathing public attacks on a charity that does more for animal welfare than most? Don't get me wrong, the RSPCA has its faults, but in this country climate, prosecuting someone for breaking animal welfare laws is 'not in the public interest' AKA it's too expensive, so the RSPCA do it, good on them, no-one else will, so why not. And the article about the 'new scary, uneducated laws' coming in to protect the society from us rabid, sociopathic shooters....have you seen the pic of the young lad with a bolt action firearm of some sort? Young shooters...great but at least make it obvious, he looks about 8. Bad, bad writing, poor foresight and the blatent bias is embarrassing, we'll get nowhere without balanced argument. Last time I buy it, absolute ********, makes us look like school children arguing over a wrap of crack or whatever they do in the playground nowadays. Edited January 12, 2011 by kyska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salopian Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I think that it may be difficult to write an interesting magazine every week, but I do think that ST is dire at the moment. John Humphreys definately needs putting out to grass, I am sick of reading about his invited days out, the salmon that got away or was never seen, how wonderful number one son is, the new freebie from Monks Of Chester, and that just about sums Humph up over the last twenty years.Then we have about a 60 page magazine with 35 pages of adverts. It really is a rag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Dear All, ST have, in the past as many readers will know, had a wee jab at BASC and indeed Mr H has done more than his fair share of BASC bashing over the last 12 months or so...be that as it may... ..but I am not going get too involved with this debate, however I would say that as I know the editor of ST takes a look at this forum from time to time, indeed, he has even taken bits of my posts from this forum and published them in ST, all be it out of context and without taking the time to call me up first to have a chat about what I have posted... ..but be that as it may my point is that as Alastair reads this, then use it to list the issues you have with the mag, I know he welcomes feedback on ST as I do on BASC. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I have not bought Shooting Times for many years now , but it is inevitable that the same subjects crop up season by season related to shooting, game bird rearing vermin control etc. Can anyone else remember when the editor was , "Tower Bird" , aka Noel Sedgwick,I could scarcely wait for the next issue, but then in my late teens I was new to shooting, and shotguns and was eager to extract every last bit of information from the printed page. Of special interest were some of the articles by aged wildfowlers who had pursued their sport in the interwar period, bags of geese and duck from the foreshore which would be difficult to achieve today. Town Gun , Gough Thomas,Geoffrey Boothroyd and others I wonder if they would hold my interest so avidly today? Well they might as the mention of a damascus barreld hammer gun always causes my antennea to go into search mode. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) i subscribed on a whim at one of the game fairs. i dont think i will renew my subscription when its up but only because the content doesnt really interest me. i agree with the above comment about John Humphreys. Edited January 12, 2011 by artschool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I have tried to cancel our subscription at work to the ST when the BASC bashing started and the boring gobby fella made a big deal about handing his BASC card back, however, it was at the same time our local newsagent changed hands and I forgot to chase it up. I digress.... Anyhows, we have had it delivered to work with the Sporting Gun and the Shooting Gazette for the last 4 years and this thread has reminded me that I need to get it binned off and swapped out for the Field, which is something I have been meaning to do for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 makes us look like school children arguing over a wrap of crack or whatever they do in the playground nowadays. that wou8ld be a "Rock" of crack, a wrap of "smack". Take your pick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartB Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Just read ST. Good and bad as usual. Humphreys can be entertaining, but I agree with some of the above comments. I had a conversation on the train this morning over an article in the Sporting gun about the RSPCA and RSPB. Generally agreed that they have lost their way. Seems like they are both too influenced by LACS these days. So interested to learn that both Batchelor (LACS) and Avery (RSPB) are quiting this year. Avery could quite easily slip into LACs without noticing much difference. Great shame. I used to support both RSPB and RSPCA. Never again. I will carry on reading ST regardless as they often come up with something of interest, even if I don't always agree with some of the writers viewpoints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inshallah Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I buy it occasionally in Tescos if there is anything of interest, but it was basically the BASC bashing that put me off subscribing. I almost always agreed with the BASC point of view rather than ST. Spent my money on a BASC subscription instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I quite like ST,but have to admit some of the best characters have gone.I don't always agree with J humphreys but like the way he writes,and 'Biteback' is always worth a read.With it being a weekly I like the fact it's more or less up to date,and for this reason am cancelling 'Sporting Gun' and 'Sporting Shooter',they just repeat what has been in the ST,and then it's mostly repeated in BASC's own magazine! Must admit I'll probably flick through SG each month,just to see if there's anything of interest in.Robin Scott can be quite controversial at times,and I like people who call a spade a spade and aren't afraid to upset those in positions of authority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustem Dave Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Won't be renewing mine either gonna use the money for my boy to join BASC (i'm already a BASC member) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duncan Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) i subscribed on a whim at one of the game fairs. i dont think i will renew my subscription when its up but only because the content doesnt really interest me. i agree with the above comment about John Humphreys. I haven't seen the article kyska mentioned as I haven't bought a copy in the last two weeks but I do echo artschools view to a degree - 'the content doesn't really interest me', or so I thought. I feel that it can be a tad sensationalist in writing style occasionally and I wouldn't buy every issue as my interests aren't as wide as the scope of the mag. When I first bought it, I was only into airgunning and pest control so it wasn't relevant to my particular interest a lot of the time. Then I got into rf shooting and it became more relevant to me, slightly more of the time. Now I'm getting into shotgunning and then into stalking, as time passes I'll buy it more. There are interesting articles in there but a lot that bores me too. Too many adds for the cover price too IMO. I like Nick Fishers page (although I don't fish)so he at least keeps an interest. TBH the articles on stalking in ST are the reason I started looking more into it and plan on taking it up (via DSC's etc). I like the articles on ferreting too - no intention of getting ferrets (I like being able just to clean and lock the rifle away - no cleaning out, feeding, smell, vet fees etc etc) but I find the accounts fascinating - maybe when I retire, who knows? I may become bored of the mag in years to come as seasons come and go and things get repeated ad infinitum, but I've found it useful, and mostly interesting. Over-zealous at times and no doubt sensationalist occasionally but a magazine I enjoy from time to time. This week I bought 'Sporting Gun' though. Oh and some of the Mick Badshott articles are close to genius. Some aren't so hot but the class one make up for it. The Dog cartoon sucks a55 though I'm afraid. Edited January 12, 2011 by The Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenshooter Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) ......... but it was basically the BASC bashing that put me off subscribing. I almost always agreed with the BASC point of view rather than ST. Spent my money on a BASC subscription instead. I no longer buy Shooting Times for similar reasons. I get 4 or 5 mags on subscription but never again the Shooting Times. Unbelievably unreasonable BASC bashing sometimes, IMHO. Didn't some of their ex-editorial staff or columnists get jobs with another countryside organisation? Edited January 12, 2011 by Glenshooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 The Shooting Times is the literary equivalent of Rod Hull`s Emu or Orville the duck. A second rate ventriloquists dummy for the Countryside Misalliance. They can`t even say "GASC" properly when they are slagging it off, which is pretty much their entire raison d`etre. A truly second rate paper with plunging circulation figures. "Now, bend over Alistair, here`s what we want you to say next week... "GASC is ****, GASC is ****. GASC is ****."" " Yes, but BASC actually did very well with the Cumberland situation and has done loads of good stuff recently can`t..." " Now, now Alistair, you must stop thinking for yourself, run along now like a good boy and write what we tell you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I buy the field mag which is excellent in my opinion - havent bought st for a month or so, and will not be again carp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I don't subscribe to mags any more but have probably subscribed to all the monthly fishing and shooting mags at one time or another. The monthlies repeat themselves with absolute monotony, so it would be virtually impossible to write a weekly on a fairly narrow topic that doesn't. I can't comment on the content, the only time I randomly 'read' ST is when we end up at Tescos, I pick it up on the way in and put it back on the rack on the way out, there never seems to enough in there of interest to me to justify buying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 my copy is now lining the cat litter tray. I think what's worse is that you have a pet cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I think what's worse is that you have a pet cat not really because at least his cat poos in a litter tray and not in the neighbours garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushroom Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Never renewed my subscription I find that it has become very pretentious and elitist. Plus I think they should expand on the working animals ie ferrets, gundogs, Lurchers & terriers. Some of us are involved in more than one country pursuit and would like to read more about them. I'm not overly concerned about the RSPCA bashing as we all know thay have made a rod for their own back as has the RSPB. For the record I shoot (yes my gundog is a staffy lol but she can do her job just ask the northern BASC judges), run lurchers, ferret, follow the local hunt and I also introduce local kids who have little or no direction to fieldsports. Why?? because I believe the future of all country pursuits rely not just on getting the next generation involved but teaching them to repsect their quarry and the correct way of doing things. So come on ST help pull all the fieldsports together Kieran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Re: the shooting mags generally, I think we are agreed that they all seem to repeat their articles, commentary and contents ad nauseam. What I don't get is why they all hire the same breed of writer / shooting journo? Surely they could find one or two who were entertaining or mildly amusing? Most of the articles read in monotone. Alright, I don't expect the shooting journos to have massive red shoes, curly wigs, flowers that squirt water and spinning bow ties but they could start with binning off the really dull ones. If you look at the Computing mags and lets face it, "computing" is in itself boring (what makes computing interesting is the internet, shooting forums like this, the Labrokes website and porn), however, if you read a "computing" magazine, they can actually be written in an informative and entertaining fashion. I suppose it's because the techy writers are under retirement age and a wider demographic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Never renewed my subscription I find that it has become very pretentious and elitist. Plus I think they should expand on the working animals ie ferrets, gundogs, Lurchers & terriers. Some of us are involved in more than one country pursuit and would like to read more about them. I'm not overly concerned about the RSPCA bashing as we all know thay have made a rod for their own back as has the RSPB. For the record I shoot (yes my gundog is a staffy lol but she can do her job just ask the northern BASC judges), run lurchers, ferret, follow the local hunt and I also introduce local kids who have little or no direction to fieldsports. Why?? because I believe the future of all country pursuits rely not just on getting the next generation involved but teaching them to repsect their quarry and the correct way of doing things. So come on ST help pull all the fieldsports together Kieran the clue is in its title "Shooting Times" not coursing weekly or ferret fanciers monthly it does indeed have articles on gundogs as they are closely linked to shooting. I get it occasionally but if you are on the net then it doesn't have much new in it. As for the BASC bashing it did over lead and cages etc well I've mixed views on that. At the minimum they got the lead issue out in the open and got BASC to stand up for it rather than the fairly non committed position before. All that said it can get pretty samey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Mung - I do know there's a ST journo registered on PW :yp: Saying that, he's not ever posted anything.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bet he's over 55, comes from an ex-forces, ex-police or ex-gun trade back ground and is about as funny and or entertaining as my dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Perhaps they should swap some staff with other IPC titles and shake things up a bit? PErhaps borrow the features editor from Nuts for a few weeks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I bet he's over 55, comes from an ex-forces, ex-police or ex-gun trade back ground and is about as funny and or entertaining as my dad. No/not sure/had a pint and a laugh and subsequently embarrassed myself by only shooting two pigeons the following day for an article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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