Reading list for shooters

[ASA]

Hi folks,
my question is: What do you consider a "must-read" for shooters.

I am asking because: Quite recently I expanded on our homepage the content for trainers with a page containing literature for shooters (presently 17 books, collected with the help from the guys of a german forum). But, since Germany is a small pond in a huge world, I am interested to know what the international community here considers a must-read for shooters.
(From the german amazon I got a list of 39 titles, whereas an amazon.com search for "sport shooting" provides a list of 2600+ titles - a bit overwhelming for me to evaluate..)

Here you find the address: http://www.svlondorf1969.de/Trainer.html (contains links to Englisch sites as well - for the book list follow the link for "Literaturempfehlung")

Thank you in advance
Axel

[patchett]

Good day Axel
"With Winning in Mind' by Lannie Bassham is good as an overview but
is shy on methods for applying mental techniques.
Two that I have acquired recently
"Ways of the Rifle" by Buhlmann/Reinkemeier/Eckhardt excellent technical
manual but shy on mental training.
"Mental Training in Shooting" by Jeppesen/Pensgaard excellent mental
training manual with application techniques.

I couldn't find an English link on your website ??
Cheers
Andrew Patchett

[ASA]

Good evening/morning Andrew,

thanks for your answer.
The reason for the difficult-to-find links on the trainer page is probably that the description in German decribes links to English sites for example this one:

In "DOWN-UNDER" findet man die Site Pistol-Australia mit Übersichtsartikeln zum Thema "Coaching". Die Artikel behandeln die Themen Haltungsübungen, mentales Training, Trainingsprogramm, etc. Klicken Sie dazu bitte HIER.

. This would translate into:
In down under you find the site "pistol australia" with articles on coaching, mental training etc. HERE http://www.pistol.org.au/Coaching/Articles.php

cheers
Axel

[ASA]

Following the last post from Andrew I have just seen that another one of the books from Reinkemeier/Bühlmann (both are well-respected and well-known trainers here in Germany) has been published in English:

"Air-Rifle Shooting. Technic - 3 Position - Trace analysing - Coaches - Training"

A book that apparently has not been translated yet is:

"Die Psyche des Schusses. Ein Lehr- und Übungsbuch zur Psychologie des Wettkampfes. Mit einer Entspannungs-CD und ausführlichem Trainingsprogramm (Gebundene Ausgabe)"

A possible title could be:
"The soul of the shot. A teaching and training book on the psychology of competition. Includes a CD about relaxation and complete training program"
I do not have it, but comments are:"Wow, excellent material", etc.

best regards
Axel

[Old Shooter]

I've been collecting books and articles on shooting for some years now. The following is a list of items I either have in my collection (*), or have been suggested by others. The list covers the gammit from smallbore, to high-power/full-bore, to history of the sport. Since I have only a little soldier German and Spanish, the list is restricted to items in English.

Possible Reading List for Shooting

Books

* Anderson, Gary L.; Marksmanship

* Anderson, Gary L. (Editor); Highpower Match Rifle Shooting, (Clinic Transcript), Volume I, Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1980.

* Anderson, Gary L. (Editor); Highpower Match Rifle Shooting, (Clinic Transcript), Volume II, Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1981

* Antal, Dr. Laslo; Competitive Pistol Shooting. West Yorkshire: EP Publishing Ltd., 1983.

Antal, Laslo and Skanaker, Ragnar; Pistol Shooting. Liverpool England: published by authors, 1985.

* Baker, Ezekiel; Remarks on Rifle Guns; 1823.

* Bassham, Lanny R.; With Winning in Mind; BookPartners, Inc., 1995.

* Buhlman, Gaby; Reinhenmilier, Heinz; Eckhardt, Maik; and Murray, Bill; Ways of the Rifle, MEC, 2002

* Buhlman, Gaby; Reinhenmilier, Heinz; Eckhardt, Maik; Kulla, Claudia; and Linn, Uwe; Air Rifle Shooting, MEC, 2004

Chandler, John.; The Target Gun book of Pistol Coaching. Worcs: Peterson Publishing Company Ltd., 1983.

Coaching Association of Canada. National Coaching Certification Program: Coaching Theory Level 1 Canada: Coaching Association of Canada, 1988.

Coaching Association of Canada. National Coaching Certification Program: Coaching Theory Level 2 Canada: Coaching Association of Canada, 1988.

* Constantine, Randolph; Modern Highpower Competition: From Beginner to Master, Precision Shooting, 1998.

Cratty B. and Danek M.; Psychology and the Superior Athlete. Ontario: McMillan and McMillan.

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly and Susan A. Jackson; Flow in Sports. Windsor: Human Kinetics, 1999.

DiCicco, Tony and Colleen Hacker, PhD. and Charles Salzberg; Catch Them Being Good. London, England: Penguin Group, 2002.

Domey, Richard L.; Mental Training for Shooting for Success, 2nd Ed. Pullman, Washington: College Hill Communications, 1989.

Enos, Brian, Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals

* Farrow, W. Milton; How I Became a Crack Shot.

* Feamster, John; Black Magic: The Ultra Accurate AR-15; Precision Shooting, 1998.

* Freeland, Albin; Uncle Al, The Life and Times of Inventor/Marksman Albin Freeland. Rock Island, Illinois: Quest Publishing, 1982.

Freeman, P.C.; Modern Pistol Shooting. London: Faber and Faber, 1968.

* Freeman, P.C.; Target Pistol Shooting: Eliminating the Variables. London: Faber and Faber, 1981.

Freidman, W.H.; Altered States of Awareness. San Francisco: Scientific American Publication.

Gallwey, Timothy W.; The Inner Game of Tennis. New York: Random House, 1974.

Gallwey, Timothy W.; Inner Tennis, Playing the Game. New York: Random House, 1976.

Garfield, Charles A.; Peak Performance, Mental Training Techniques of the World's Greatest Athletes. New York: Warner Books, 1984.

* Hebard, Gil; The Pistol Shooter's Treasury

* Herrigel, Eugen; Zen in the Art of Archery. New York: Vintage Books, 1999.

* Hickey, Bob; Mental Training. Eagle River, Alaska: University of Alaska Chugiak - Eagle River College Center, 1979; Eagle River, Alaska: Totem Shooters Supplies, 1979 (rev. ed.)

* Hickey, Bob; and Sievers, Art; Successful Pistol Shooting, SPP Books, 1996.

Hill, Napoleon; Think and Grow Rich. New York: Fawcett Crest.

Hinchliffe, K.B.; Target Pistol Shooting. London: David and Charles, 1981.

* Hoff, Feliks. Kyodo: The Way of the Bow. London: Shambhala Publishing Limited, 2002.

* Klinger, Bernd; Rifle Shooting as a Sport: Vol. 1; Basic Principles, Positions and Techniques. London: Kaye & Ward Ltd., 1978 (English translation 1980)

* Klinger, Bernd; Rifle Shooting as a Sport: Vol. 2; Training and Competition. London: Kaye & Ward Ltd., 1979. (English translation 1981.)

Krilling, William; Shooting for Gold. distributed by the author

Kushner, Kenneth; One Arrow, One Life: Zen, Archery, Enlightenment. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000.

Landers, Daniel M., and Hunt, Karen J.; Shooting Sports Research, U.S. National Rifle Association, 1988.

Langlois, Jocelyn (Technical Director) and A.R. Todd (Technical Consultant). National Coaching Certification Program: Clay Target Shooting, Level 1 Technical Coaching Manual. Gloucester, Canada: Shooting Federation of Canada, 1994.

Langlois, Jocelyn (Technical Director) and A.R. Todd (Technical Consultant). National Coaching Certification Program: Pistol Shooting, Level 1 Technical Coaching Manual. Gloucester, Canada: Shooting Federation of Canada, 1992.

Langlois, Jocelyn (Technical Director) and A.R. Todd (Technical Consultant). National Coaching Certification Program: Pistol Shooting, Level 2 Technical Coaching Manual. Gloucester, Canada: Shooting Federation of Canada, 1991.

* Leathdale, Frank and Paul Leatherdale; Successful Pistol Shooting. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press, 1995.

* Leong, Edward; A Beginner’s Guide to Master Grade Shooting; Wild and Woolley, Australia, 1993.

Maltz, Maxwell; Psychocybernetics. New York: Pocket Books, 1960.

* Mann, F.W.; The Bullet's Flight, 1909.

Merkin G. and Hoffman M.; Sports Medicine. Canada: Little Brown and Company.

* Miller, Linda; and Cunningham, Keith; The Dream Team, MilCun Marksmanship, 2003.

* Miller, Linda; and Cunningham, Keith; Favorite Stories on Attitude, MilCun Marksmanship, 2002.

* Miller, Linda; and Cunningham, Keith; Favorite Stories from a Professional Perspective, MilCun Marksmanship, 2004.

* Miller, Linda; and Cunningham, Keith; Favorite Stories on Winning, MilCun Marksmanship, 2003.

Moran, Aidan P.; The Psychology of Concentration in Sports Performers: A Cognitive Analysis. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press, 1996.

Murphy, Joseph; The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1963.

National Rifle Association; The Basics of Pistol Shooting. Fairfax: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1991.

Nideffer, Robert M.; The Inner Athlete: Mind Plus Muscle for Winning.

Orlick, Terry; In Pursuit of Excellence. Windsor: Human Kinetics, 2000.

* Owens, James R.; Reading the Wind and Coaching Techniques, JAFEICA Publishing, 1996.

* Owens, James R.; Sight Alignment, Trigger Control, and the Big Lie, JAFEICA Publishing, 1996.

* Page, Warren; The Accurate Rifle. New York: Winchester Press, 1973.

* Parish, David; and Anthony, John; Target Rifle Shooting, EP Publishing, Great Britain, 1981.

* Parish, David; Successful Rifle Shooting, Crowood Press, Great Britain, 1991.

Peale, Norman V.; Positive Imaging. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982. (religious slant).

Porter, Kay; The Mental Athlete. Windsor: Human Kinetics, 2003.

* Precision Shooting (1990-9); The Highpower Shooting Primer, 2000.

* Pullum, William C. and Hanenkrat, Frank T.; Successful Shooting. Washington, D.C.: National Rifle Association, 1981.

* Pullum, William C. and Hanenkrat, Frank T.; Position Rifle Shooting. New York: Winchester Press, 1973.

* Reinkemeier, Heinz; On the Training of Shooters, Vols. I and II, 1993.

* Ross, Ellen (Editor); Highpower Match Rifle Shooting, (Clinic Transcript), Volume III Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1985

* Ross, Ellen (Editor); Smallbore Prone Rifle Shooting, (Clinic Transcript), Volume 1, Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1982.

* Ross, Ellen (Editor); Smallbore Prone Rifle Shooting, (Clinic Transcript), Volume 2, Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1983.

Ross, Ellen (Editor) Three Gun Bullseye Pistol Shooting. (Clinic Transcript), Volume 7; U.S. National Rifle Association, 1987.

Rotella, Dr. Bob, with Bob Cullen; The Golfer's Mind. New York, New York: Free Press, 2004.

Ruis, Steve, and Stevenson, Claudia; Precision Archery

* Sato, Hiroaki; The Sword and The Mind, Overlook Press, 1986.

Sogen, Omori; An Introduction to Zen Training. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2001.

* Standl, Hans; Pistol Shooting as a Sport. Translation by Anita Pennington. London: Kaye and Ward, 1979.

Suinn, Richard M.; Seven Steps to Peak Performance: The Mental Training Manual for Athletes. Toronto: Hans Huber Publishers, 1986.

* Taylor, Mark H.; Rifle and Pistol Shooting: Winning with the Mental Edge, MMC Enterprises, 1999.

Todd, A.R. (Technical Director). National Coaching Certification Program: Rifle Shooting, Level 1 Technical Coaching Manual. Gloucester, Canada: Shooting Federation of Canada, 1984.

* Tubb, David; Highpower Rifle, Zediker, 1993.

* Tubb, David; The Rifle Shooter, Zediker, 2003.

* United States Army Marksmanship Unit; Advanced Pistol Guide.

* United States Army Marksmanship Unit; The Marksmanship Instructors' and Coaches' Guide.

* U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit; International Rifle Marksmanship Guide.

* U.S. Women's International Rifle Organization; Schiessportschule Dialogues I. Tempe, Az.: Reliable Reproductions Inc.

Waitley, Dennis; The Psychology of Winning. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1979.

Walter, John; The Airgun Book. Harrisburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 1981.

* Yur'Yev, A. A.; Competitive Shooting. Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1985. (English translation edited by Gary Anderson).

* Zediker, Glen D.; Handloading for Competition; Zediker, 2001.

* Zediker, Glen D.; The Competitive AR15: The Mouse That Roared; Zediker, 1998.


Articles

* Daniels, Frank; "Do The Eyes Have It?," American Rifleman, March 1981, pp. 38-39, 79.

Etzel, Edward; "Physical Fitness, The Key to Improved Performance on the Firing Line," American Marksman, August 1979, pp 12-13.

* Etzel, Edward and Riesterer, Uve; "Air Rifle Shooting," American Rifleman, May 1982, pp. 46-47, 76.

* Kalinichenko, N.; "How Soviets View Aiming Problems," American Rifleman, September 1970, pp. 40-43.

Keyes, Michael J.; "Weight Lifting for the Pistol Shooter," American Marksman, January 1981, pp. 4-6.

* Keyes, Michael J.; "Shooter's Elbow," American Marksman, May 1980, pp. 10-11.

* Nygord, Don; "Winning is in the Mind," American Marksman, December 1979, pp. 36-37.

* Pullum, William C.; "Mental Training," American Marksman, November 1979, pp. 36-38.

* Stidworthy, George; "Reading the Wind," Rifle, March-April 1981. illustrations, May-June 1981.

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit; "Match Pressure," American Marksman, February 1979, pp. 10-11, 24, 26. (excerpt from International Skeet and Trap Guide)

* Vande Zande, Ernest J.; "How to Plan to Win," American Rifleman, April 1982, pp. 42-43, 78-80.

* Vande Zande, Ernest J.; "Prone to Win," American Rifleman, April 1981, pp. 26-27, 74-75.

Shoot Well!

[ASA]

Hello Old Shooter,

quite an impressive list that you have collected over the years. Thank you very much for your answer.

I would like to add a section of non-german literature as well on our literature page. I imagine the audience nodding approvingly at your list. However, mere 2 answers seem to be too few to compile such a list (and claim its validity).
Thus: could I get some more postings?
I have to admit that my language abilities are just German, English and French. But surely literature exists in other languages as well?

With my (and my keyboard's) limitations in mind...if you have recommended literature in Kanji or Klingon,.. I would kindly ask you to add to your recommendation an English translation.

Thank you so far

Axel

[2650 Plus]

I can recommend Captain Paul B. Westons "Pistol Shooting Today"written in the 1920/30 time frane. He refered to trigger control as "wishing the shot off." The discription of sight allignment was consistant with current thinking, but I can't remember if he shot with a bent arm or not. I'm sure its long out of print but maybe e-bay? Good shooting Bill Horton

[ASA]

Good morning 2650 plus,

I did not find the mentioned book in a shop specialized on antquarian books (with supposedly 100 Million books available..). I did find however an author Paul B Weston having written on police matters, for example this one:

Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives (ISBN: 0131932284)
Paul B. Weston;Kenneth M. Wells

He published apparently in the 70s and 80s. I would believe its not the same author?

The only author so far whose works are still available (amazon.com and *.de) after a couple of decades seems to be Mr. Herrigel and his "zen in the art of archery" published in the 60s.

Shooting books have a long way to go until these books reach the age of a still available classic one about fishing: Izaak Waltons "the complete angler" some 350 years old..

best regards
Axel

[Fred Mannis]

Axel,
The Weston book is available: http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cf ... ng*buyused

http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cf ... ting*title

His Handbook was published in 1968 and is presumably an update on the earlier "Pistol Shooting Today" suggested by Mr Horton.

[DiscoStu]

As a shooter always keen to improve skills via knowledge, I have been very frustrated at the lack of literature readily available (shooting in Australia has become non-Politically Correct), so I went online to some book stores.

I have receintly found that 'US Army Marksmanship Training Unit 2002, The Advanced Pistol Marksmanship Manual' to be an excellent source, although I'm still reading it. It appears to be a reproduction of an older text (it was first typed- old school style).

I've been involved in military rifle shooting for a while, and come to the conclusion that if you learn how to shoot pistols well, it will improve your rifle shooting. I think that there are some things in rifles that you can fudge, or are not as critical, however pistols are unforgiving- if you fudge a technique (or multiple), you will find out very quickly!

So, whether a rifle or pistol shooter, this text goes to great detail to not just explain what techniques to use (for training and practicing), but also an in-depth why this is so. Example- we know the sight alignment must be correct and steady at the moment of release, but this text goes into great medical detail of the different muscles and bones- how they work, their advantages and limitations. I therefore find that an indepth knowledge of the skills via self-teaching translates to:
1. A better understanding of what to do and why;
2. Improved skills and scores;
3. More enjoyment of the sport; and
4. Each of these points feed-off (and multiply) each other.

However, I also think that it's important to spice-up your readings with something less theoretical and more fun, such as online forums, pistol magazines, war novels / documentries and life-experience texts, like:
1. Target Talk;
2. Australian and New Zealand Handgun;
3. American Handgunner; and
4. Jim Cirillo 1996, Guns, Bullets and Gunfights- Lessons and Tales from a Modern-Day Gunfighter.

But most importantly, read whatever really interests you, seek more of the same, and don't stop reading and learning- or boredom can set in which can lead to many disasterous consequences.

Regards

[Guest]

The Shooting Cookbook by Alan Ball and Nikolay Koterlitzov is excellent. It is filled with drills and good basic info for developing precision shooting. It is the dovetail to Bashams books. Ball's book is very heavy on drills and light on metal theory. www.aball-ypi.com. There are chapters about position, set up, and tecnique too. A great book.

[edster99]

The Shooting Cookbook by Alan Ball and Nikolay Koterlitzov is excellent. It is filled with drills and good basic info for developing precision shooting. It is the dovetail to Bashams books. Ball's book is very heavy on drills and light on metal theory. www.aball-ypi.com. There are chapters about position, set up, and tecnique too. A great book.

hi i tried going there but it asked me to log on - any ideas of a username and password?

cheers

Ed

[Kevin6Q]

Here is the address that worked when I tested it:

http://www.aball-ypi.com/shootind.htm .

Sorry for not logging in last post. It was by me.

[bryan]

anyone know where I can get this book?
Yur'Yev, A. A.; Competitive Shooting. Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Rifle Association, 1985. (English translation edited by Gary Anderson).

is it still in print? is it on pdf somewhere?

thanks

[Richard H]

No longer in print unfortunately but you can still pick them up on Amazon.

[RobStubbs]

No longer in print unfortunately but you can still pick them up on Amazon.

Or one of the well known internet auction sites !

Rob.