Shotgun And Shooting Books

The shotgun and shooting books include topics such as bird shooting, gunsmithing and the history of shotguns.

Cyril S Adams & Robert S Braden

Lock Stock And Barrel: Making An English Shotgun And Shooting With Consistency by Cyril S Adams & Robert S Braden (1996) explains the process of making a best-grade English gun from a lump of steel and a walnut tree trunk. The book also gives advice on shooting distance, shot pattern and other technical aspects of shooting.

Richard Akehurst

The World Of Guns by Richard Akehurst (1972) is a general pictorial and textual study, from the invention of gunpowder onwards. The author was a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers in the City of London.

Sporting Guns by Richard Akehurst (1968) traces the development of sporting guns and fowling from the 16th century up to the present day. The various types of guns are described, also their shooting quality and the various gunmakers themselves are discussed. Design, decoration and equipment is also detailed.

Antique Weapons: For Pleasure And Investment by Richard Akehurst (1969). This richly illustrated book gives basic guidance to those interested in collecting antique weapons. The author gives sound advice on where and how to buy, points that affect values and hints on restoration.

John Barsness

Shotguns For Wingshooting by John Barsness (1999) explores the beauty and function of the guns we take afield in pursuit of birds. Expertly mixes detailed information with masterful storytelling to give a real feel for the shotguns and their uses.

Western Skies: Bird Hunting In The Rockies And On The Plains by John Barsness (1994) is a must read for anyone interested in hunting birds in the big sky country.

Hunting The Great Plains by John Barsness (1979) covers hunting a variety of game including whitetail deer, pronghorn, mule deer, ducks, geese and sage grouse.

Bob Brister

Shotgunning: The Art And The Science by Bob Brister (1976). Anyone who has ever shot and missed with a shotgun will profit from Bob Brister's advice. Virtually every shooting problem encountered is covered completely. Photographs, taken literally over the barrel, show how to mount the gun, point and swing through the target with proper forward balance. In-depth studies are presented in easy-to-understand text to help the shotgunner understand and improve all aspects of his shooting.

Moss, Mallards And Mules And Other Hunting And Fishing Stories by Bob Brister (1973) is a collection of twenty-seven short stories on hunting and fishing in the Mississippi Delta region, along the Texas coastline and Gulf Coast.

The Expert's Book Of Upland Bird And Waterfowl Hunting edited by David E Petzal with Bob Brister (1975) includes an essay on 'Dove Hunting' as Bob Brister's contribution to this collection of essays by various authors.

Captain Paul A Curtis

Captain Paul Allan Curtis (1889 - 1943) was an American-born engineer who became a full-time hunter and writer, working at Field & Stream magazine for many years. He was a such an anglophile, hunting in Scotland on numerous trips, he was thought to be British. He served on the French front in World War I and rose to the rank of captain. He joined a Scottish Highlander regiment in World War II and while in training he was affected by poisoned gas. He eventually returned to the US where he committed suicide in 1943.

Sportsmen All by Paul A Curtis (1938) features guns, hunting dogs and good fireside stories.

Guns And Gunning by Paul A Curtis (1934) is all about the different types of rifles, game, duck, deer, moose and others hunting. Also trap, skeet and pistol shooting. Care of firearms. A complete reference on guns and shooting.

Sporting Firearms Of Today In Use by Paul A Curtis (1922)

American Game Shooting by Paul A Curtis (1927) includes how to shoot partridge, grouse, pheasant, woodcock, ducks, birds of shore and marsh, turkeys, crows, geese, deer, moose, caribou, big horn sheep, bears, woodchuck and more.

The Highlander by Paul A Curtis (1937)

George Bird Evans

George Bird Evans (1906 - 1998) was an American author, illustrator, jazz saxophonist and dog breeder. He developed the 'Old Hemlock' line of grouse-hunting setters. Evans wrote 27 upland shooting books based on his shooting journals which began in 1934. He and his wife also jointly wrote five mystery books from 1950 to 1960 using the pen name Brandon Bird.

The Upland Gunners Book: An Anthology by George Evans (1986) is a collection of upland shooting stories by such authors as Schley, Pringle, Betten, Holland, Buckingham, Babcock, Hill, Evans, et al.

The Woodcock Book by George Evans (1986). This second book of the upland gunning set, was the first of George Evan's books to be published by his life long friend, Jim Rikoff.

An Affair With Grouse by George Evans (1982) covers Evans' experiences hunting grouse.

Grouse Along The Tramroad: Shooting Over Four Generations Of Old Hemlock Setters by George Evans (1986) are classic grouse hunting stories.

The Ruffed Grouse Book by George Evans (1977) is a terrific anthology on ruffed grouse compiled and edited by Evans. It is a who's who of grouse writings and it an important book for any grouse hunter's library.

Ronald S Gabriel

American & British 410 Shotguns by Ronald S Gabriel (2003) fills an important gap in the history of sporting guns. From the 410 bore's origins in the latter half of the 19th century to the latest models. In addition to extensive 410 cartridge and ballistic information, all major 410 manufacturers from both the United States and Britain are discussed in great detail.

Diggory Hadoke

Vintage Guns: Collecting, Restoring And Shooting Classic Firearms by Diggory Hadoke (2008) is a beautiful, fully-illustrated volume offering expert advice on collecting guns and restoring them to firing condition - on a reasonable budget. It provides practical tips on buying the right gun for restoration, and gives an honest description of the steps and potential pitfalls on the path to renovation. Written for the shooter rather than the historian or engineer, it covers the subject in a lively, informative manner, always with an eye toward heading to the field. Topics covered include safety, servicing and maintenance, ribs and chokes, sidelocks and boxlocks, proofing, ejectors, ammunition and much more.

Vintage Guns For The Modern Shot by Diggory Hadoke (2007). Rescuing your old shotgun, by an enthusiast. Practical advice on buying the right gun for restoration. Describes the steps and potential pitfalls on the path to renovation so the gun can be used and enjoyed. The author argues that the quality of craftsmanship in many old guns, as well as the sheer pleasure of handling them, makes them superior to the machine-made over/unders of the modern shooting field.

The British Boxlock Gun And Rifle by Diggory Hadoke (2012) details the working history of this hammerless sporting gun.

Hammer Guns: In Theory and Practice by Diggory Hadoke (2016) is a mixture of historical analysis, practical application and personal reflection on the Victorian hammer gun as the finest sporting gun available today, just as it was a century ago. It includes topics on how the guns were devised, crafted and used, how they were perfected and how they work. Modern applications are given equal weight to historical ones, and subjects such as the selection of suitable ammunition, stripping, refurbishing and customizing will prove invaluable to anyone thinking of taking a hammer gun into the field and using it as they would a modern gun.

Steven Dodd Hughes

Double Guns And Custom Gunsmithing by Steven Dodd Hughes (2007). With characteristic flair and expertise, Hughes describes the evolution of the sidelock action and provides a complete guide to gun metal finishes, how they're created, preserved and renewed. Collectors will relish this expert's insights on scrutinizing used double-guns which may even help to avoid buying an expensive wallhanger. Fine gun fans will enjoy discovering how gunsmiths select, form, bend and refinish stocks, as well as alter wood for balance and to achieve a "lively" quality. Hughes gives detailed accounts of customizing American classics. He also provides profiles of state-of-the-art small Italian gunmakers Perugini & Visini and Fratelli Rizzini.

Robin Marshall-Ball

The Sporting Shotgun: A User's Handbook by Robin Marshall-Ball (1981) is an excellent source of basic information on the subject of shotguns and will appeal to enthusiasts who wish who wish to study the history and uses of the sporting gun. Many illustrations and maps showing where game may be found.

Brian P Martin

British Game Shooting by Brian P Martin (1988) covers all aspects of the sport, from choice of gun and gundog and the importance of shooting instruction, to fieldcraft, good sportsmanship and etiquette.

Michael McIntosh

Shotguns And Shooting by Michael McIntosh (1995) is a collection of previously published articles on the technical aspects of shotguns and shooting. The book easily talks readers through a myriad of technials details from chokes to trigger pull weights, from shots size to home loads.

More Shotguns And Shooting by Michael McIntosh (1998) is a sequel to 'Shotguns and Shooting'. McIntosh continues exploring the technical and practical aspects of the shotgun and shooting and covers more on its legend and lore. McIntosh's technical expertise, insights on shooting, personal experiences and wit are pure joy to read.

Shotguns And Shooting Three by Michael McIntosh (2008) covers the earliest firearms to the author's current favourites and from technical discussions of barrels and ejectors to shooting techniques.

The Gun Review Book by Michael McIntosh (1997) discusses both new guns and models commonly available on the secondary market and includes a chapter on best buys.

Best Guns by Michael McIntosh (1989). Nothing is left out of this fine book that covers the world's best shotguns for the upland gunner. Through this book, most of us can view and learn about the best of the best, of which for most of us, our wallets will never reach.

Gamefield Classics by Michael McIntosh (2008). Here you will find a wide range of sporting shotguns and rifles built by an equally wide range of makers. All classics in their own way. Some are pristine examples, others show the signs of much loving use and care. Here you'll find history - of the makers and in some cases of the guns themselves. All have a story to tell. Michael McIntosh relates the stories and Bill Headrick shows the guns, each in his own inimitable way. Here you'll find something unlike any gun book ever published. In words and photos it celebrates sporting guns as never before. Just a few of the makers are Parker, Winchester, Holland & Holland, Rigby, Remington, L C Smith, A H Fox, Griffin & Howe and more.

Come October: Exclusively Woodcock by Michael McIntosh (1991) is an anthology, especially written by those who hold this fine little game bird in the highest regard. The woodcock and woodcock hunting offers the finest of all the wingshooting sports. Join them as they celebrate the mystery and magic of woodcock hunting. 'Come October' looks at the comings and goings of the American woodcock, one of the least-understood game birds, but one that enjoys the support, devotion and love of its followers.

Robert Abbett: Masters Of The Wild by Michael McIntosh (1989) is a collection of this artist's work. Overview of Abbett's work by McIntosh, with commentary on most of the paintings by the artist. Lots of dogs, autumnal hunting and fishing scenes with a few western views.

Desmond Mills and Mike Barnes

Amateur Gunsmithing by Desmond Mills and Mike Barnes (1986) is a step-by-step guide to stripping and cleaning a gun. A detailed sequence of photographs clearly demonstrates how to strip and reassemble both a sidelock and a boxlock shotgun. Includes stock renovation, barrel browning, jointing, general care and storage.

Joseph Nickerson

A Shooting Man's Creed by Sir Joseph Nickerson (1989) who was the finest game shot of his generation. These are his reminiscences of grouse shooting on Wemmergill Moor in Teesdale and in North Yorkshire, pheasant and partridge at Rothwell in Lincolnshire and in Spain and wildfowling on the his private island in the Humber Estuary. A good read, peppered with anecdotes about famous shoots and their guests and Nickerson's thoughts on shooting and game preservation.

Layne Simpson

Shotguns And Shotgunning by Layne Simpson (2003) is an excellent resource for shooters, gun hunters and firearms collectors. This comprehensive guide covers the technical aspects of shotguns, hunting with shotguns and the evolution of shotguns.

John M Taylor (Not Pondoro)

The Shotgun Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Reference Work On All Aspects Of Shotguns And Shotgun Shooting by John Taylor (2000). With over 700 entries, this exhaustive work covers everything you ever wanted to know about shotguns. Cross-referenced with dozens of unusual as well as common terms from both American and British terminology, this book offers a wealth of information to which you will refer again and again.

Shotshells And Ballistics by John Taylor (2002) contains ballistic data out to 70 yards for shotshells from 410-, 28-, 20-, 16-, 12-, and 10-Gauge for over 1,700 different loads.

Colin Willock

The New ABC Of Shooting: A Fully Revised And Updated Guide To Game And Rough Shooting, Pigeon Shooting, Wildfowling, Deer-stalking And Clay Pigeon Shooting by Colin Willock (1994) provides a concise and authoritative guide to all branches of the sport. It contains sections on game shooting, pigeon shooting, wildfowling, stalking, and clay shooting, including information on natural history and, where appropriate, rearing, preservation, plus essential advice about weapons and basic equipment, and an updated summary of the law as it effects shooters, 'The New ABC of Shooting' will prove invaluable to the beginner and expert alike.

The Enormous Zoo: A Profile Of The Uganda National Parks by Colin Willock (1964) is the story of two of the most beautiful and celebrated parks in Africa, the Queen Elizabeth Park in the south of Uganda and Murchison Falls Park in the north, close to the source of the Nile.

Dick Wolff

Parting Shots: A Collection Of Columns From Guns & Ammo Magazine by Dick Wolff (1987). Bird shooting with dogs and fly fishing tales.

Michael Yardley

Clay Pigeon Shooting: A History by Michael Yardley (2005). Beginning with the very first competitive shoots using live pigeons, the development of the glass ball target, the rise of the great trick shooters such as Annie Oakley, the birth of the Olympics, the royal family and clay pigeons, this book charts in detail the history and development of the modern sport of clay pigeon shooting.

Positive Shooting by Michael Yardley (1993) is a logical and well-conceived book on shooting, which is a handbook for the sporting shooter.It is interesting, authoritative and comprehensive in its content.

BASC Guide To Shooting Game by Michael Yardley (2007). Backed by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), this guide explains the traditional game shooting styles of Charles Lancaster, Robert Churchill and Percy Stanbury, as well as a simple new method for shooting game birds that is quick to learn and devastatingly effective. The book begins with a history of game shooting, covers safety in detail and emphasizes how game shooting technique can and should be analyzed by anyone with the desire to improve performance.

The Shotgun: A Shooting Instructor's Handbook by Michael Yardley (2001) is a book that will be advantageous for all shotgunners who would like to improve their shooting technique and safety through a deeper understanding of themselves and their uniquely challenging sport.

Gunfitting: The Quest For Perfection For Shotguns And Rifles by Michael Yardley (1993) is the definitive work on the design and fitting of gunstocks. The latest edition covers rifle fitting, recoil and the making and finishing of a shotgun stock. Immensely useful for both amateurs and professionals alike.