Australian Shooter

Australian Shooter is an Australian monthly magazine published as the official publication of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA). Its subject matter is centered on recreational and competitive shooting, hunting, firearms, shooting accessories, clubs, and the broader interests of the Australian sporting-shooting community. The publication serves both as a member communication channel for the SSAA and as a specialist consumer magazine for readers interested in firearms, field sports, competition, technical knowledge, and shooting history. The title originated in 1948, when Australian Shooter was used for the SSAA's member newsletter. The publication subsequently adopted the name Australian Shooters' Journal, which it retained for several decades. In 1999, newly appointed managing editor Tim Bannister received approval from the SSAA National Board to restore the original Australian Shooter name. The change connected the modern magazine with the organization's earlier newsletter while giving the title a more direct and recognizable identity. Over time, Australian Shooter developed from an association newsletter into a substantial national specialist publication. Its editorial mix includes firearm and accessory reviews, technical explanations, historical features, practical how-to material, competition results, member letters, shooting and hunting news, merchandise information, and profiles of SSAA clubs and members. The magazine also carries advertising from firearms-industry businesses, reflecting its position within Australia's shooting-sports and hunting marketplace. The publication's audience includes recreational shooters, competitive participants, hunters, firearm enthusiasts, club members, and readers seeking information about safe and technically informed shooting practices. Its content combines service journalism with association communication: product evaluations and instructional material sit alongside reports on competitions, member activities, club life, and issues relevant to the SSAA community. It has also used interviews and profiles to connect shooting with wider Australian sporting and popular culture, featuring figures such as Olympic shooter Russell Mark, cricketer Glenn McGrath, singer Shannon Noll, boxer Kostya Tszyu, and country musicians Kasey Chambers and Lee Kernaghan. Australian Shooter has reported strong reach for a specialist publication. In 2007 it became one of the early Australian magazines of its circulation category to be printed entirely on 100 percent recycled paper. Its audited circulation was reported as exceeding 100,000 readers in 2008, while readership was reported at more than 180,000 per month in 2016. These figures indicate the magazine's importance as a national communication and advertising platform within the Australian shooting community, although they do not represent corporate sales or revenue. The title remains associated with the SSAA and continues to function as a monthly publication. Its long editorial history, recurring technical and product-review coverage, and close connection to shooting clubs distinguish it from general-interest outdoor magazines and from firearms manufacturers' own marketing publications.

Australian Shooter began in 1948 as the member newsletter of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia. The title was later changed to Australian Shooters' Journal, a name that remained in use until the end of the twentieth century. In 1999, managing editor Tim Bannister obtained approval from the SSAA National Board to return the publication to its original Australian Shooter name. This restoration marked a deliberate link between the established association publication and its historical identity. The publication expanded beyond the role of a basic newsletter as the SSAA and Australia's recreational shooting community grew. It became a monthly magazine aimed at a broad readership of club shooters, competitors, hunters, and firearms enthusiasts. Its editorial scope includes product reviews, technical material, historical research, instructional articles, member correspondence, competition results, news, merchandise, and profiles of SSAA clubs and individual members. The magazine also provides a regular outlet for firearms-industry advertising. Its editorial format combines specialist journalism with association communication. Practical and technical content helps readers understand equipment and shooting methods, while competition and club coverage supports the social and organizational life of the SSAA. Interviews and profiles have also featured prominent Australian sportspeople, entertainers, and public figures associated with shooting, hunting, sport, or outdoor culture. Examples cited in the publication's reference material include Olympic shooter Russell Mark, mine-collapse survivor Todd Russell, cricketer Glenn McGrath, singer Shannon Noll, artist Adam Cullen, boxer Kostya Tszyu, singers Kasey Chambers and Lee Kernaghan, and other public personalities. Australian Shooter also developed a notable environmental publishing practice. In 2007 it became one of the first Australian magazines within its circulation range to be printed on 100 percent recycled paper. The title was reported to have an audited circulation of more than 100,000 readers in 2008. By 2016, reported monthly readership had risen above 180,000. These figures describe audience reach rather than revenue and demonstrate the magazine's significance as a specialist national publication. The editor's office has passed through a long succession of personnel. Gordon Nelis edited the magazine from 1971 to 1973, followed by Heinz H Raz, Janice Vertue as sub-editor, Rod Marvell, John Horgan, John Downing, and Keith Tidswell. Tim Bannister became managing editor in 1999 and later served as chief editor. Kaye Jenkins held the editor role from 2013 to 2017. Jennifer Martens was chief of staff and acted as editor during the later period, while Thomas Cook served as associate editor from 2018 and Allan Blane as managing editor. The reference material identifies Bannister in a chief-editor role through November 2023 and identifies Martens as acting editor in mid-2024; current overall editorial leadership is therefore not fully clear from the available material. Australian Shooter remains an active monthly SSAA publication focused on sport shooting, hunting, firearms, and the interests of the Australian shooting community.

1. 2016Reported monthly readership above 180,000

   Reported readership exceeded 180,000 per month.

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2. 2008Reported audited circulation above 100,000

   Reference material reported audited circulation of more than 100,000 readers.

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3. 2007Transition to 100 percent recycled paper

   The magazine became an early Australian publication in its circulation category to use entirely recycled paper.

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4. 1999Original title restored

   With approval from the SSAA National Board, managing editor Tim Bannister changed the name back to Australian Shooter.

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5. 1948Launch as an SSAA member newsletter

   Australian Shooter was established as the original name of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia's member newsletter.

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6. Renamed Australian Shooters' Journal

   The publication adopted the Australian Shooters' Journal title for much of its history before reverting to Australian Shooter.

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A national specialist shooting and hunting magazine that combines SSAA member communication with practical, technical, historical, competitive, and product-focused coverage.

• Australian ShooterMonthly specialist magazine1948

  The core publication is a monthly magazine for SSAA members and the wider Australian shooting and hunting audience. It combines firearm and accessory reviews with technical explanations, historical articles, practical how-to features, competition results, news, member letters, merchandise information, and profiles of clubs and participants. Its content addresses recreational shooters, competitive shooters, hunters, and readers interested in firearms and shooting culture.

• 2007Adopt 100 percent recycled paperStrategy

  The magazine operated as a national specialist publication with substantial print distribution.

  What changed. Australian Shooter moved to paper made entirely from recycled material.

  Aftermath. It was described as one of the first Australian magazines of its circulation category to adopt the format.

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• 1999Restore the Australian Shooter titleStrategy

  The SSAA publication had operated for decades under the Australian Shooters' Journal name after beginning as Australian Shooter.

  What changed. Following approval from the SSAA National Board, managing editor Tim Bannister changed the name back to Australian Shooter.

  Aftermath. The restored name became the continuing identity of the monthly SSAA publication.

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• 2016Monthly readership reported above 180,000

  The publication's reported monthly readership exceeded 180,000, underscoring its reach within Australia's shooting community.

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• 2008Audited readership exceeds 100,000

  Australian Shooter was reported to have an audited circulation of more than 100,000 readers.

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• 2007Australian Shooter adopts fully recycled paper

  The magazine became one of the early Australian publications of its circulation category to use paper made entirely from recycled material.

  Other
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1. Australian Shooter