Col. Cooper leaves politics out of it, which is refreshing. Rifles are amoral, inanimate objects entirely dependent on the purposes of the shooter.

The prohibitionist will rave against such a book, for "teaching snipers" or some such. Ignore them. Mastering shooting requires mastering ones self, and self control is beyond the awareness of prohibitionists.


An important work   September 29, 2002
 22 out of 24 found this review helpful

" Pick up a rifle- a really good rifle- and if you know how to use it well, you change instantly from a mouse to a man.." writes the good Colonel.

Its disappointing how few books there are on the most basic principles of marksmanship, and how to use a rifle efficently. There is lots of pelf written for people who fancy themselves as Green Beret Snipers, but very little indeed on the most basic principles of marksmenship. And there is this book.

Anyone who uses a rifle will benefit from this book. A begineer could not get a better teacher. A person familier with rifles will get enough information to progress to expert. And an expert will still learn enough to make the book worthwhile, or at the very least be able to enjoy Col. Coopers unique writing style. A Parent wishing to teach their daughter or son how to shoot would be well served with this as a gift for them.

There are 20 chapters covering safety (nice to see), firing positions, breathing, rests and so on. The Colonel does not usually go into much depth in the WHY of things- keep your barrel off the rest as it affects trajectery , without launching into a long discourse on barrel harmonics. Despite being reasonably brief there is a lot to comprehend and practice, so you will be dealving into it for some time.

The only gripes I have is some- but not all- of the ample illustrations are a tad over and under exposed so they are not as clear as one would like. This is common, alas, with Paladin books. Generally the photos are good and the dust cover is handsome.

Most highly recommended.


A superb giftbook for game bird hunters   August 11, 2002
 1 out of 23 found this review helpful

The World's Greatest Wingshooting Destinations by Chris Dorsey (editor-in-chief of "Sports Afield", American's oldest outdoor magazine, and co-host of the "Sports Afield on Assignment" television series) is a marvelously presented, global tour of truly grand sporting locations ranging from Argentina and the Czech Republic, to Denmark and Zimbabwe. Filled from cover-to-cover with the truly beautiful, full color photography of Penny Meakin, and packed with advice, tips, experiences and more for fowl hunters everywhere, The World's Greatest Wingshooting Destinations is a superb giftbook for game bird hunters and a welcome addition to any personal or professional hunting and travel guide reference collection.


Excellent reading   June 20, 2000
 14 out of 24 found this review helpful

This book is excellent reading. I recommend it to anyone who wants to improve his or her rifle skills. My only quibble with Cooper's presentation is his dismissal of the .223 Remington round and the semi-automatic rifles that favor this caliber. I must respectfully disagree with him here. Apply Cooper's principles to the modern .223 rifle, and you will be well ahead of the game.


Clear, concise, to the point- a precious volume   March 3, 2000
 40 out of 46 found this review helpful

The Art of the Rifle is the Kernighan-Richie of rifle shooting -the students and users of C language will understand me... This short volume, in its 97 pages of text, covers all the essentials of rifle shooting. It can be enjoyed word by word, and needs to be read several times before all substance has been extracted. Each area of discussion is fully covered in its critical aspects, and one often encounters penetrating observations from the author's long practical experience or analytical depth.

This book is one of these small gems of which you only wish that they could be made longer! In this case, it needs a companion volume which can discuss at great length the very many aspects of less than critical importance, yet still useful to discuss and understand, which can make you a better shot. My only regret is that the author does not provide this aspect as well. As it is, I fully recommend this book to novice and experienced shooters alike. You will read it quickly, enjoy it thoroughly, and get back to it often.