These are my favorite shooting books. Most of them are for pistol shooters. Some are not directly made for shooters but they could have been and are very useful (namely those about sports & performance psychology). Some of the links have affiliate links: if you click on them and buy the book I get a small percentage (you pay the same price). I spend this money to buy more books!
Master Competitive Pistol Shooting
By Ragnar Skanaker, Pontus Olsson and Mathias Navne.
My favorite pistol book. It has a lot of great information about multiple pistol disciplines and it goes straight to the point. It is an modern and good update of the classic Pistol Shooting book written by shooting god Ragnar Skanaker and fellow olympian Laszlo Antal. There is also a German version of the original book: Sportliches Pistolenschießen.
Bullseye Mind: Mental Toughness for Sport Shooting
By Raymond Prior
If I had to choose a single sport shooting psychology book it would be Bullseye Mind. It is very helpful and easy to read. It has insight and practical tips, plus some examples that really come in handy.
You can buy it directly from the author with a 15% discount using the code “BullseyeMind”. Check out my highlights and review, there’s a lot of good information there.
With Winning in Mind
By Lanny Bassham
The first shooting psychology book that I read and the one that has better defined my philosophy of training. Very helpful. There’s also a hard to find French translation: Visez la victoire.
Sports Psychology and Competition: The psyche of the shot
By Heinz Reinkemeier & Gaby Bühlmann
Very helpful to improve your mental game. It also provides pages of training exercises for different areas. If you want a taste of the book, you can read my 10 page summary.
Le tir à la cible: De l’initiation à la compétition
By Jacques Beausergent
A really good book in French. Very helpful and easy to read. Lots of good information and tips.
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Ultimate Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
By W Timothy Gallwey
Not about shooting but great for the inner work as athletes. Plenty of insight that is translatable to pistol shooting.
My favorite quotes from the book.
- Experience precedes technical knowledge.
- Language is not the action, and at best can only hint at the subtlety and complexity contained.
- No teacher is greater than one’s own experience.
- Focus means keeping the mind now & here.
- Most effective way to deepen concentration is to focus on something subtle.
- Natural focus occurs when the mind is interested.
- Let go of need for validation.
A Shot At History : My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold
By Abhinav Bindra and Rohit Brijnath
An entertaining and motivating biography of olympic air rifle champion Abhinav Bindra. It is not a training book.
I’m always looking for more. If you have any suggestions please send them to me 🙂