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Shotgunning: The Art and the Science

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In this sought-after masterpiece, Bob Brister, “one of the most respected firearms authorities” in the world (The New York Times), addresses every problem the shotgunner is likely to face, and offers solutions, based on years of tests and study of data, to ensure that shooters can make every shot count. He details selection of guns, loads, chokes, and more for every situation. Brister is bold enough to present his readers with the science of shotgunning. No other book can make this claim. But Brister never forgets the art that makes shooting a sport. Shotgunning is a veritable encyclopedia of the shotgun for the modern shooter and outdoorsman.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1976

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Bob Brister

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Acc13.
73 reviews7 followers
June 28, 2011
Great book.

Lot of detail on shotgun performance and ballistics.

Great section on shotgun fit, and balance/handling characteristics.

Very in depth examination of shot performance (stringing, weather effects, optimal shot and load size to guage, etc.), and forward allowance.
This really helps cut through a lot of the bs that you hear at the range.

Interesting overview on live bird shoots, which is pretty much non-existent here in NE.

Not covered: course setup, technique and stance.

Learned a lot from this book - would highly recommend.
1 review
February 17, 2019
This is a great book; very informative and well written.
The pages are filled with more than you thought you needed to know on shotgun fit, form, and swing, the nuances of patterns from one gauge to the next, through all chokes and shell lengths, through different barrel lengths.
For anyone interested in shooting clays, or live birds, etc, I cannot imagine getting this knowledge without shooting thousands of shells and having a coach alongside, for every shot.
Whatever this book costs, you will make your money back on the cartridges you've conserved, and possibly doctor visits from an ill-fitting gun.

There are some limitations:

It is from 1976.
Any shotgun or ammunition trend or information past that date is not recorded in this otherwise extensive research.

This book hasn't any information on slug shooting, bolt action shotguns, inexpensive break-actions, cowboy-action shooting, or defensive/tactical shotgun use.

The reason I bring that up, is because, although the information I needed was exactly the information the book offered, many people are interested in those areas of shotgunning which were omitted.
It would be a shame to purchase one of the most highly respected shotgun books and not see the content for which you were searching.
They say, "never judge a book by its cover."
That being said, my version had a cover featuring the opened action of an Anson Deely style boxlock.
Given the contents, this book should never be offered with a picture of a Mossberg Shockwave on the cover.
238 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2024
Very detailed and a bit anoraky – and a little outdated. But interesting to see how shotgun shooting has changed.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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