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Precision Pistol Shooting. By Bruce Martindale 


Review by Richard Evans



Bruce Martindale has written a book (~100 pages) on pistol shooting that provides new insights about acknowledged information concerning pistol shooting technique as well as new insights on previously ignored technique questions. He also provides a lot of info on how to succeed in competition and it isn’t all shooting.
 
Bruce admits that he was once a total failure at the sport of pistol shooting.  He is now a Master class Bullseye competitor and often finished top 10 in the Olympic Trials and International championships. This admission immediately tells the reader that pistol technique can be acquired and that it is not attainable by only a select few of naturally talented people.  You can read Gil Hebard’s well regarded A Pistol Shooter’s Treasury, and if you can decipher what these master shooters are saying, you can prosper.  But, if you are like me, a beginner, and you attempt to follow the advice of Bill Blankenship or Harry Reeves you will likely be sorely disappointed in your results.  
 
One of the many new concepts Bruce presents in his book is to distinguish “walking” from “running” as they apply to pistol shooting.  Reading Bill Blankenship is not only reading an account of shooting technique by one of the greatest precision pistol (bullseye) competitors, it is reading an account of high speed running.  This material was unintelligible to me even though I tried to apply his ideas for ten years.
 
Bruce provides the necessary information about the biomechanics of shooting regarding the details of stance, grip, triggering, etc in a way which is intelligible to anyone.  He presents his 6-step shot process with details on each step particularly on grip, trigger, and what most shooters need to focus on to succeed. Brian Zins perhaps the only shooter who has excelled more than Blankenship in bullseye shooting, loves to tell shooters in his clinics that all you have to do “is pick up the gun, shoot, and put it down.” He does this to accomplish two goals – one, is to show you what a true master shooter can do, and two to tell you, the learner what you cannot do. 
 
A good example of what Bruce does can be found in his discussion of “pointing and pulling”. The idea that pointing and pulling must occur simultaneously as opposed to serially can be found in many discussions of pistol shooting.  
Referring to Brian Zins again, he is great at emphasizing this notion and demonstrates on some NRA videos why these must occur simultaneously. Bruce reverses the process and focusses on the trigger pull with “good enough” sights and goes one step further and explains that trying to get a perfect hold on the target  or even trying to get the 10 you see is a loser every time with the occasional exception that can be attributed to the law of averages.
 
He also provides mental techniques, training tips, equipment and ammo comments and simplifies what you need to do to succeed at and enjoy this sport at any level 
 
Perhaps this book should be considered A Pistol Shooter’s Treasury revisited” With the greatest takeaways of learning to walk, and how to really point and pull

I cannot thank Bruce enough for writing this book. It is wonderful I highly recommend it. I have been having problems lately and think this has wonderful insights on grip and stance which is an afterthought in most texts.

Just got this book from Bruce. I read it in one sitting.
It's well put together and an easy read.
Lots of great information in there. I'm going to start applying a lot of it right now.
I've highlighted many passages for future reference and I will be reading it again.
I highly recommend it.
I'm also going to refer my team mates. I'm sure they will find it helpful.
Thanks Bruce!
Dany

bruce martindale wrote: P)ease remember PayPal isn't your friend.

Meaning WRT firearms?  Will they refuse to process if it says "pistol shooting" in the message?  (I didn't type that, just asking."

Correct but worse, they cancel your account and maybe even keep your money.

Really enjoyed the book.

Thoughtful and well written, highly recommend.

hammerli wrote:I am 69 yrs old and had stopped shooting pistol many years ago. I have started again and have been struggling to get decent scores in competition. I got Bruce's book last week and read some of it and went and did some Dry firing based on Bruce's thoughts. Shot my first Centre Fire precision this morning and my heart was racing, I was anxious and shaking. I shot 49, 48 and 47 for the first three series. ( let us not talk about the others) but the score was respectable. I owe this to Bruce. So thank you Bruce and I suggest that every serious pistol shooter reads this and implements what Bruce has to say.

The story continues. I was having a lot of difficulty in shooting Air pistol. I put it down to my lack of fitness, cataract surgery and many other irrelevant factors. After a few weeks into the book and practising what I read in Bruce's book I shot some incredible targets yesterday. All I can say is that not only have I rediscovered pistol shooting but also the intense joy of shooting well. Being able to implement what I visualise. THANK YOU BRUCE.

So there is a part in the Epic, Mahabharata, where a young  Eklavya chances upon the Kauravas and Pandavas, from Princley families being taught archery by the great master Dronacharya.

Since Eklavya could not learn from Dronacharya he made a statue of Drona from the mud where Drona had stood and practised in front of this statue. The tale goes on to say that Eklavya became the greatest archer in the land.
Today in India, the Dronacharya Award is given to the most outstanding sports coach.

I think of Bruce as Drona under whose watchful photo I will practise my shooting.

BTW Suma Shirur, one of India's most outstanding Air rifle shooters was just awarded the title of Dronacharya for training a set of world champions in Air rifle

A bit of Indian history, while at the OTC for a Master's camp and Winter Airgun meet, l watched Abinov Bindra shoot a perfect 600 in Air Rifle

I read the first 2/3 of the book twice in late November, and proceeded to a few dry fire sessions and one actual range trip.  I am really a raw beginner, despite having been a gun owner and casual shooter for MANY years, and several things in the book about trigger and grip seemed helpful to me already.  I'm more hopeful now that with plenty of work on these fundamentals, I may actually improve somewhat!  Well worth ten bucks!

I guess I should actually finish the last third of the book now...