Opinion: Hook-And-Bullets

Classic “hook-and-bullet” titles such as Field & Stream have graced magazine racks for more than a hundred years, successfully cultivating readerships in the million+ range. Author David Petersen explores the wrinkled genre, operating along what he points to as a “triad of how-to, where-to and product hype.” Although The Drake does not make the cut, Gray’s Sporting Journal, which eschews how-to, is cited as the classiest of the bunch. 

“Browse any of the Big Three or their plentiful competitors, and you’ll see monthly columns on how to improve your skills in hunting, fishing, shooting, boating, woodcraft and more. Gadget-related columns carry such straightforward titles as “New Gear Review” and “Vehicles,” and either directly or indirectly complement the ads that consume roughly 50 percent of all healthy commercial prints.

“To their credit, the Big Three also carry regular coverage of conservation and ethics issues. The opinions and information expressed in these columns, features and print-bites, however, vary tremendously in insight and accuracy. Even so, it’s more than is offered by most other magazine genres, which find it commercially convenient to ignore issues that could cost them income.”

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