This book is an American classic and should be in every shotgunner's library regardless if the reader is a competitive clay shooter, a waterfowl hunter, or an upland bird hunter. This work is very strong on shotgun ballistics and does a very effective job of debunking folklore and myths regarding the capabilities of shotguns and their cartridges. Bob Brister, who sadly passed away in June 2005, was extremely qualified to write this book. He was the shooting editor of FIELD & STREAM magazine for many years and one of the finest all-around shotgunners in the world. Brister was blessed with a very remarkable sense of eye-hand coordination and won many clay and live-pigeon shooting tournaments. Visitors to his home were often in awe at the sheer number to trophies he had won over the years. It is not unusual for respected gun writers of today (Alex Brandt, John Barsness, John Taylor, Michael McIntosh, and, I believe, Tom Roster) to mention Brister and/or this book in their columns or in their own books -- deservedly and properly so.

SHOTGUNNING: THE ART AND THE SCIENCE gives the reader a concise but thorough, factual, and realistic look at shotguns and shooting that is written in language that is easy for a non-technical person to understand. For this book, Brister patterned thousands of loads to try to get to the bottom of what really does work and what doesn't in regards to shotgun shooting. Brister did this, in large part, with a fourteen foot patterning board pulled by car (driven by his devoted wife Sandy), and he clearly demonstrated the effect of shot stringing. (Brister showed that on a fast-moving target the pellets at the front of the shot string can have a significantly different impact point than those at the back at various yardages.)

One thing that needs to be remembered is that Bob Brister wrote this book in 1975 (it was published by Winchester Press the following year) and some of the shotgun loads he used are no longer manufactured but he did speak about steel shot which is important today to many shooters. It is too bad that in the thirty years after the initial publication of this book and his passing that Brister did not do a revised, follow-up second edition to reflect the new loads that have since come on the market (the various non-toxic loads in particular) as well as new shotgun barrel technology and chokes. Still, SHOTGUNNING: THE ART AND THE SCIENCE more than holds up to the test of time! Its conclusions and points have not diminished at all and should be part of the knowledge base of every serious shotgun shooter. As such, I highly recommend this book to all. (Note: I did see the so-called second/revised edition of this book at a local bookstore. From what I can tell, it is merely a reprint and not a very good one at that -- the print and pictures and not as sharp and clear as the original. I would opt for a first edition, used copy if I were a purchaser today.)

If you are serious about shotgun sports, this book is a necessity. The book is as close as a scientific approach to shotguns as one will find. Read it and immunize yourself to many myths and urban legends.

The art and science is based on 1976 data. In buying the second addition I actually expected an update, copyright 2008. What I received is a reprinting of the original not a new edition. Until recently there were used copies at under $8 dollars. Keep looking for a reasonably priced used copy, it will have exactly the same text and pictures. The publisher of this "edition" has lost all creditibility.

That said, much of the 1976 data still holds true. You will find extensive testing concerning shot string, pattern density, and the relationship between shot speed (FPS) and penetration at typical shooting distances. Reading this book will probably change some of your beliefs about what makes an effective load. I have reread the original several times and enjoyed and learned from it each time.

One point of caution, Brister describes the use of common flour as a buffer to improve pattern density. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT FOLLOW THIS SUGGESTION. There are now much better buffers. Flour will draw moisture, may lock into a solid mass, and may create extreme pressures potentially blowing your barrel.

This book is a great book containing lots of useful information. I would recommend this book to beginners and advanced shooters alike.

This book is a great book containing lots of useful information. I would recommend this book to beginners and advanced shooters alike.