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Hey everyone, for the past couple of months I have been doing gun and gear reviews for a small blog and had a few questions. First of all, does anyone actually read gun blogs and reviews or do you all just watch YouTube? Second of all and mainly, what do you guys like seeing in a gun review? Fit and finish, performance, flaws, torture testing? What about optics? Fit and finish, mounting, optics clarity, reticle? What should torture tests look like for both optics and red dots?

Thanks for any help. I am wanting to make sure I don't miss a thing and give full reviews!
 
Hey everyone, for the past couple of months I have been doing gun and gear reviews for a small blog and had a few questions. First of all, does anyone actually read gun blogs and reviews or do you all just watch YouTube? Second of all and mainly, what do you guys like seeing in a gun review? Fit and finish, performance, flaws, torture testing? What about optics? Fit and finish, mounting, optics clarity, reticle? What should torture tests look like for both optics and red dots?

Thanks for any help. I am wanting to make sure I don't miss a thing and give full reviews!
And yes we do even a young guy like myself. What kinda firearms and gear? Different demographics want different things. I personally like mechanics and history. And to see the firearm judged in the framework of why it was designed in the first place.
 
What do you mean by real site/ blog with real reviews?
Many of the reviews when I check, seem more like an infomercial than a real, non biased review. Like when Olight has a big sale. Greatest lights ever! Don't seem to ever see a comparison to any other lights later.

I get ppl send products to get reviewed and it may not be in your best interest to talk it down, but I'd love a consumer report style review. Score the product out on whatever scale but keep it consistent to compare products later.
Give me price/value score, performance, overal quality etc. Whatever grading system.

I'm always curious about stuff like range ammo. I tend to stay with what I have tried but curious. How is WWB vs Blazer Brass vs S&B vs Freedom Arms? Do they perform as advertised on the box? Function well etc. If they do, then best price would win for me.
a site that had that type of review would be very usable for me.
Usually what I see is personal preference or descriptions with no or limited data. Things like "it's dirty". Seems under powered. Really? Vs what?
 
First of all, does anyone actually read gun blogs and reviews or do you all just watch YouTube?
About 80% to 90% of my YouTube "viewership" is with my phone in my pocket. Yep, I treat it like podcasts in that I'm not watching the screen, I'm listening while doing other things. Hell, even when I have the video up, I'm usually doing something (dishes, woodworking, gunsmithing, etc, etc.)

But, yea, a good bit of what I listen to is reviews, opinions, and test results of firearms. Because ***I listen*** I prefer channels that take the time to articulate all visuals.

Second of all and mainly, what do you guys like seeing in a gun review? Fit and finish, performance, flaws, torture testing? What about optics? Fit and finish, mounting, optics clarity, reticle? What should torture tests look like for both optics and red dots?

To me, a gun is a tool. I expect it to perform like a tool - meaning that I want to know exactly how much I can abuse it before it no longer serves its purpose. So, fit and finish, flaws, torture testing...yes please!

I've only seen one channel so far that even bothers to do a zeroed in group followed by a "around the world" group to see how well the optic holds zero. This seems like a pretty important feature for a scope...AND VERY FEW CHANNELS ARE DOING IT!

Is that hint enough?

And, like I said, don't just show the results...make sure to verbalize them for those of us that are listening and not watching. There are an absolute TON of channels that survive on listening alone...and it doesn't detract from viewership at all to cater to them.
 
About 80% to 90% of my YouTube "viewership" is with my phone in my pocket. Yep, I treat it like podcasts in that I'm not watching the screen, I'm listening while doing other things. Hell, even when I have the video up, I'm usually doing something (dishes, woodworking, gunsmithing, etc, etc.)

But, yea, a good bit of what I listen to is reviews, opinions, and test results of firearms. Because ***I listen*** I prefer channels that take the time to articulate all visuals.



To me, a gun is a tool. I expect it to perform like a tool - meaning that I want to know exactly how much I can abuse it before it no longer serves its purpose. So, fit and finish, flaws, torture testing...yes please!

I've only seen one channel so far that even bothers to do a zeroed in group followed by a "around the world" group to see how well the optic holds zero. This seems like a pretty important feature for a scope...AND VERY FEW CHANNELS ARE DOING IT!

Is that hint enough?

And, like I said, don't just show the results...make sure to verbalize them for those of us that are listening and not watching. There are an absolute TON of channels that survive on listening alone...and it doesn't detract from viewership at all to cater to them.

That all makes perfect sense and something I will strive to do in my upcoming articles. I will say though that the listening part might be hard because I don't do videos. I just wrote articles. I want to get into videos as I think there is a better viewership in watching vs reading, but I don't do that at the moment.

And when you say an around the world group, do you just mean how consistent the scope tracks and shoot a group, then another 4" to the left, right, and up and left right and down and left right? I'm reviewing a the Sig Tango6T optic that the military uses and I love it so far. Getting ready really test the BDC out to 500 yards, torture it a little bit, and see how well the turrets track.

Also, when I do the torture tests, I have a hard time ABUSING the optics, especially the Tango6T because I'm unsure if Sig is just giving it to me, or if I have to give it back because they never told me. So I don't want to break a scope I can't afford to buy lol. But are you more interested in outright abuse, or more realistic abuse like minor drops or it falls over off a rest?

Thanks for the answers, I want to make sure I'm giving my readers the most thorough review I can with all the information want want and need without any of the unnecessary crap.
 
Never watch the videos. Magazine reviews seem funky 'cause I dont recall one ever being negative. When possible I go with others in the gun community I respect and have laid hands on what I'm interested in.
 
That all makes perfect sense and something I will strive to do in my upcoming articles. I will say though that the listening part might be hard because I don't do videos. I just wrote articles. I want to get into videos as I think there is a better viewership in watching vs reading, but I don't do that at the moment.

And when you say an around the world group, do you just mean how consistent the scope tracks and shoot a group, then another 4" to the left, right, and up and left right and down and left right? I'm reviewing a the Sig Tango6T optic that the military uses and I love it so far. Getting ready really test the BDC out to 500 yards, torture it a little bit, and see how well the turrets track.

Also, when I do the torture tests, I have a hard time ABUSING the optics, especially the Tango6T because I'm unsure if Sig is just giving it to me, or if I have to give it back because they never told me. So I don't want to break a scope I can't afford to buy lol. But are you more interested in outright abuse, or more realistic abuse like minor drops or it falls over off a rest?

Thanks for the answers, I want to make sure I'm giving my readers the most thorough review I can with all the information want want and need without any of the unnecessary crap.

Ah, your comment about YouTube threw me for a loop then. Regarding articles, I prefer to read everything fashioned after research publications (there are very few non-research articles that take this shape): Give a synopsis at the beginning, a TL;DR version, the cliff notes...whatever you want to call it - I should get the gist of the whole article in a paragraph or two. Then dive into the meat of it.

Regarding around the world...yes, this was just my nomenclature for a basic scope tracking test. Use a target with a dot in the middle, another dot some MOA right (let's just say 6), then another dot 6MOA above that, then left 6 MOA, and so on so that you have a square with dots in the middle, the corners, and the midlines and bounce around from dot to dot showing how well the scope tracks to each and then back to center.

Regarding abuse, I'd like to see real world style situations that you don't plan on being in but that do happen and if you do get stuck in them, you want your gear to survive. For example, it's not my intent to go shooting in a dust storm/haboob in Arizona, but they come out of nowhere and I want to know that the scope is going to be okay after being pelted with sand for a bit. Whatever the crappiest real-world scenario is, that's what I like to see tested. Gives me faith in my gear.
 
I've only seen one channel so far that even bothers to do a zeroed in group followed by a "around the world" group to see how well the optic holds zero. This seems like a pretty important feature for a scope...AND VERY FEW CHANNELS ARE DOING IT!

I would definitely think about thermal scope for night hunting. Here is I found an online resource ( url: https://www.аgmglobalvision.com/ ), which can offer a wide spectrum of any night scope and thermal monoculars, whatever rifle you have. Compared few models and chosen the most reliable one, based on good reviews.
 
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I have been having computer problems when I watch You Tube type of gun reviews. (I do realize that YT removed many more things other than just a ton of GUN stuff too.)

I tend to read a LOT online in various subject matters. History, geography, religion, book reviews, national and international news, real estate, financial information, camping/hiking information, knives, guns, etc. I only read off of a computer where I can make the print LARGE or I read a REAL book. I don't read books off of those modern tiny things whatever they call them!

So reading GUN and knife reviews or listening to an online discussion about guns and knives and keeping the RKBA going would interest me. Do you broadcast anything online? I listen to the radio online to various stations across this nation and around the world too.

Do you have a LINK to your website that you can share with people here or send a link to me in a private message?

Thank you and take care!

Cate
 
I have been having computer problems when I watch You Tube type of gun reviews. (I do realize that YT removed many more things other than just a ton of GUN stuff too.)

I tend to read a LOT online in various subject matters. History, geography, religion, book reviews, national and international news, real estate, financial information, camping/hiking information, knives, guns, etc. I only read off of a computer where I can make the print LARGE or I read a REAL book. I don't read books off of those modern tiny things whatever they call them!

So reading GUN and knife reviews or listening to an online discussion about guns and knives and keeping the RKBA going would interest me. Do you broadcast anything online? I listen to the radio online to various stations across this nation and around the world too.

Do you have a LINK to your website that you can share with people here or send a link to me in a private message?

Thank you and take care!

Cate
 
I look for mostly the way Col. Townsland Whelen's sum up went, "Only accurate rifles are interesting" That being #1 priority of accuracy at 25 meters, 50 meters, and 100 meters of testing for both handguns and rifles.

# 2. is of course aesthetic appeal. I like classic and traditional mostly old style type handguns, rifles, and shotguns. John Browning type single shots low wall, all his lever gun designs, Remington Rolling Blocks, Ansley Fox Shotguns, British BEST Boxlocks and sidelock side by side and good Spanish and Turkish repro off the Holland and Holland, and Anson and Deeley patented guns, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Taurus Revolvers, and some classic advanced semi-auto 1911, Glock and even Kel Tec hand guns.

Just bought a Uberti repro Winchester 1894 full 26" octagon barrel 38/55, and a 1899 Savage 250-3000 rifle. Just had peep sights put on both rifles. Used to be a government hunter in New Zealand where I used a U.S. Made, (Savage) British Enfield #4 to hunt deer and all other noxious, imported pest animals that were destroying the native bush. That was an ugly gun, but was a real beaut for the job. My favorite hunting rifle was a Swedish 1896 Mauser in 6.5 X 55 rifle where I shot most everything in Alaska with that. Very pleasant rifle, low recoil and incredibly accurate and low noise.

Always carried a .44 Mag Ruger Super Backhawk while Smokejumping in Alaska (entire career was as a smokejumper) before and after being drafted and spending 68, 69, & 70 in Vietnam as a Marine Infantry Officer. Hated the 1911 as being too loose and not very accurate, but 50 years later had a ghost gun 1911 made with a 6" bull barrel in 9mm, which was incredibly, a favorite right behind my Uberti repro 7.5" Colt Single Action Cav. .45 Long Colt.
 
I like to see highly detailed product reviews with a quick pace. No music. Close ups of the product. I usually read/watch reviews when I want to order something sight unseen from the internet, so every additional detail helps. Torture tests I really don't have a use for as I'm not going to the Ukraine. I do want to know, for example, when I install an optic if the screws are cheap soft metal junk that strips out easy - stuff like that I do want to know. I like to know torque wrench settings and types of tools I might need. I also don't want to see people's dog or girlfriend and I don't need a history lesson ("the PPK was made popular by James Bond") as most us gun nuts are history buffs. I usually find the shortest video I can find. Anything over 5 min is too long.

Just my .02
 

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