I am relatively new to trap shooting. This book was just a compendium of useless ideas that clutter the brain and degrade shooting. It astounded me that a subject as inherently simple as trap shooting could be so massively over-complicated in such a fashion.

Do not buy the book. It is a waste of money and time.

There are mixed reviews and this is a preliminary critique as I have not read the book entirely. I will have a look at Costas points particularly, when I do so.

We all know there is a learning curve in trap shooting as in everything else. In the interests of helping someone or one's self much advice and criticism is given by shooters better than the shooter. What really bother's me is the relying of a bird being consistent...what is it with this sport which demands that the target be predictable...is that sport?

When I watch AA's I see basic faults which poise them on the edge of failure ..and I see them miss shots and I wondered why....??

They shoot better than I do and hold cups, pots, certificates, medallions and sponsorships ..but there is something beyond that level, beyond Olympic levels ..elusive, barely touched, not comprehended.

Perhaps like show jumping where one sees for the most part a sack of potatoes with arms and legs sawing on the reins and misdirecting the horse, they are hopeless jumpers in reality which doesn't say much for the lower grades of jumpers.......or shooters if a comparison is made.

The top levels at any individual sport are not the top at all but simply the best at what is called "the correct way". Trap shooting may be the same..the top guys are the tops at a certain system....thus the variables plaguing the new chum.

Immediately I got into this Russel book I realised this is an intellectual writing. This author is not a mantra chanting expert at dummy sucking but the possessor of a mind which understands the reality, passes through the looking glass and returns intact.

I recognise the book's systems and the approaches which I have worked out through hard experience ...but much more as well but which lies ahead of me. Ridiculed for shooting full /extra full,I see this author comprehends precisely why I do.

There is much comment about the gun "it's a gun and not a rifle"...but in actual fact most hits are almost misses!!...accidental hits. One can shoot a rifle two eyes open...the trick is to have the brain know what part of what is seen is the critical point for squeezing the trigger.

To drive one's self to shoot a narrow diameter, through full/extra full choking and shoot spot on..is the absolute level which beats just "a hit". In general even champions will say ..you are an idiot...use 3/4-1/2, scores are what is important and of course they are but there is a dimension beyond scores which come from seconds and "almost missed"..in my view, rarely understood.

Imagine if you or the best were shooting a .22 at the bird...how many experts and world champions would hit it? Extrapolate that..if one can shoot a narrow pattern to powder the birds time after time after time then that person s an accurate shooter. Shooting is essentially based on foot positon when it comes to consistancy...like all base mounted guns a predictable swivel is essential.

I really cannot comprehend how top shooters expect targets to be consistent, that's robot minded stuff. A recent report on an Irish competition referred to an erratic bird causing a champion to miss. In my view an expert shooter isn't one who has memorised every which way,and hits the bird so long as it is in the approved path but the shooter who is truly free and follows the bird wherever it goes.

I look forward to having the books delivered so that I can peruse the interesting mind of the writer at my leisure. One should read a paragraph at a time then lean back, close one's eyes and digest and visualise the material. One then needs to assimilate the information in one's shooting.

Nothing is less productive that experts who don't understand human response, the effect of the unconscious on the shooter, but expect one to follow a pattern they promote....it may get top results but it isn't becoming a top shooter.

There are so many variables. The sox are too tight, the clown alongg side you sights his broken gun at your target, shoes are not comfortable, variable,sunlight has one's graded glasses going beserk, eyesight plays tricks...and so on...the author has answers, in fact he is, to repeat myself, an intellectual writer.

As breathing is a problem for me I work on that...it makes a huge difference. The author knows it. Reducing the field of vision by squinting my left eye makes a huge difference..the author knows it. Visualising the hit is not so simple as one can be distracted...so it has to happen before the concentration exclusion of thinking about it..thinking about it is "static". The author knows it.

Of course many will not understand where his head goes but that is their sad loss. Verbose??(verbage is mentioned whatever that is..!??) ...well, any teacher worth two bob knows one reinforces and then explores, reinforces, reinforces, checks the response..then explores further when the class is ready to move forward.

In my view this book and its companion "Precision Shooting" have no choice but to be good because of the writer's intellectual and thus realistic co-ordination and timing, allowing some things to be training and others to be "unconscious responses". He allows hi readers to learn to grasp the merging of the shooter with the whole field.

Like the late JD Wilton, the brilliant Australian horse trainer,the author will be misunderstood by most people, the so called "racing experts" simply because "they don't get it"...but that has nothing to do with the correctness of the method.

In part that is very understandable as there is so much inconsistency ineducation, the initial education which introduces the brain to new thoughts.Lie JD Wilton he may not become worth hhis value but his legacy will be valued in gold bars...by a few.

Any way, use a system to realise the value of this soft covered jewel.Read the book in small doses if you feel resistant to intellect and to its reality, you can then either accept of reject the report.

So much hogwash is directed at the amateur shooter that reality sounds bizarre..but people genuinely try to help a person out.!!

One day there may be better books on shooting ..I accept that...but right now, these two books, Precision Shooting and are the "ants pants", but not now..

I also accept the criticism about diagrams being at the rear of a book..truly that is a pain in the neck but better than having it one page away rather than havng the text and photos interlaced..or to have detailed "fold outs".

In general reference books are edited by moderately competent people and perhaps cost was a factor...though that is no excuse in my mind to have a reader runnng all over a book to get continuity.

On the other hand illustrations can be a distraction to continuity of written concepts. Somewhere in there the publishers ought to have the decency to have blank pages scattered among photos or two sided illustrations rather than giving the reader a seemingly eternal search for information sustinence and security concerning the subject.

It's not so very hard to merge one's self in with the author but it does require the setting aside of prejudice and ingrained thinking.If you let this book absorb you the rest will follow.

When I read the book fully I'll give a proper review....however at this early stage, I highly recommend it...cheers Tony

Nothing special in this or his other book. I have been trapshooting for a couple of years and really didnt find anything in either of the authors books that I haven't already learned just from shooting or other books that are out there. I looked on the ATA website to see the authors averages but could not find a listing for him so it kind of makes me wonder just how much actual experience the author has. To me that is important as there are a lot of opinions from the author in the book that are hopefully backed by experience and not just someones own personal theories. I would recommend spending your money getting lessons/books from an accomplished, well known shooter rather than on this book.

This book is by far the best how to book I have ever
read. It has more info on attitude that I have ever come
across. Should be read by everyone that has anything
to do with sports!

This book was over the top, I wish it had more pictures to show a shooter what it could look like and I wish it had more info about the 27 yard line shoots but I see James has put that in another book. I give this book a 6 and if the scale went to 10 I would give it a 10, a lot of shooters should read this.
Thanks James,
Bubba

This book was over the top, I wish it had more pictures to show a shooter what it could look like and I wish it had more info about the 27 yard line shoots but I see James has put that in another book. I give this book a 6 and if the scale went to 10 I would give it a 10, a lot of shooters should read this.
Thanks James,
Bubba

The lessons to learn in this book are monumental. If you don't improve your shooting give it up! The tips given are so great and so many it is impossible to acquire them in just a few outings. But, after every shoot a re-reading will out your faults to correct.

I'm a new shooter but an avid reader. This book is so poorly written I could not, after several attempts, get past the first few pages. It repeats itself so often it is very, very difficult to read. If you're a new shooter, look elswhere.

Trapshooting Secrets by James Russell is a must read for all trap shooters. It covers the fundamentals with clarity and good accompanying illustrations. If the shooter will read and incorporate the lessons contained, his scores will certainly reach new highs.

Very useful book with a lot of great trap shooting tips. Good book for beginners and people who have been shooting trap for awhile. Lots of drawling's and diagrams with good detail explaining what the author is trying to teach you.

I purchased this book for a gift for my husband. He has found some good and useful information in this book. He really likes it.

I purchased this book for a gift for my husband. He has found some good and useful information in this book. He really likes it.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Trap shooting secrets and Precision Shooting - The Trapshooters Bible by James Russell to anyone who wants to be a TOP-GUN precision shooter. You may be a average or above average shooter now but after you read these books you will shot like a professional and win like a professional.

I agree with previous reviews on this text and found it to be effective in making an immediate difference to my scores and confidence on the line.My husband and I introduce new shooters to the sport and spend our Sundays helping people get started - the advice contained rang a few bells of recognition and added some new tunes to our coaching repoitoire. It is good to have our Practice Methods confirmed in Print. I would highly recommend this literature for shooters who are open minded enough to benefit.

Outstanding book! While reading I recognised several things I was doing that was causing lost targets. The sections on concentration techniques and target aquisition have definitely helped my game, and by following his advice, my handicap average jumped from 21 at the 16 to 24, and from 19 at the 25 to 22. His practice tips for both home and field, if followed, will help anyone improve thier game. The guys at the range asked me how I made the jump, and well, I'm not telling them!

The author repeats himself over an over to the point of nausea. The diagrams are not straight forward and at times difficult to follow. The first few chapters, I had to keep checking if I was still on the previous page read, because of the exact same sentences on each page. Overall, not a good book. Too repititous and written extremely poorly. Would not waste my money on it if I had previewed the book. Recommend if you are serious about trap shooting, look for another reference.

The author definately has a lot of tips, but the general layout of the book is poor. There is a lot of repetition, so both the content and price could be cut by half. It would have been better to see the Illustrations in their relevant chapters.
There are also places where the author contradict previous statements in his book. I think it is after all this still worth the time reading the book, try out suggestions, and you will surely still learn something you did not know.

As a relative newcomer to the sport of trapshooting I've tried to read and digest as much as possible. I've found this book to be one of the least valuable and would suggest books by Midgalski, Chris Christian, and others instead. Russell's book presents a plethora of information, much of which is confusing, sometimes contradictory, poorly written,and somewhat messianic in tone. The graphics are mediochre, as is the print quality in this vanity publication. I gave this book a good read, after which my scores dropped dramatically. The assault of verbage left my brain reeling, undermining my confidence with the feeling that I was doing nothing right.. I put the book away, went back to the basics of gun hold, foot position, follow through, etc, rebuilt my confidence, and brought my scores back up. This book needs severe editing for information quality, punctuation, sentence structure, and graphics. Let the buyer beware.

This book has some good information, but it is very hard to get through, references to diagrams are in the text with out any clue as to where the diagrams are, and enough already with all the words of wisdom, and biblical references.
There are paragrahs, but it is like reading one big run on sentence. For [PRICE] we should be getting a more polished easier to read copy. I am not convinced it was a wise purchase.

bought the e book version so cumberson to try to follow text and diagrams as yourhunt for them and pages your supposed to use as refernce on range cant be printed out not up to the medium at all. thumbs down

This is a great book, but wordy. Book could be 25% shorter if author got rid of meaningless platitudes.
The author IS VERY WELL INFORMED and a great teacher. He does share info that we can all use, regardless of expertise level.
As I said above, this one's a keeper. Read it over and over and concentrate on one lesson at a time, as the author suggests.
I will get his second book(Precision Trapshooting), actually written before this one, very soon.

This book contains a tremendous amount of good information, all of which cannot be retained in one reading. I have highlighted it as I would a textbook for later review. That's the good news.
The bad news is, without highlighting, the book is hard to deal with due to platitudes and cliches scattered throughout. His valuable advice could be conveyed in half the space and he sorely needs an editor.
On balance, I'm glad I bought the book and intend to get his other one (Precision Shooting)

I have seen my average as a new shooter go from 24/50 to 40/50 in just a few short weeks by using the methods in this book. I also have used the tips on Mr. Russell's website. I highly recommend his books. I haven't yet read Precision Shooting yet but I expect it to be as good as this one.

While this book offers many sound trapshooting points, they come amidst a sea of personal opinion, Christian evangelizing, and the marketing of other books. This book is self-published and begs for professional editing. There are countless glowing spelling and grammatical errors. If one were to eliminate the redundancy and material not related to the subject, this rather expensive book would barely reach 100 pages. And, as if the contents were all his original ideas, he offers no bibliographic reference for any of the opinions, facts, or conclusions, even though many are contrary to conventional trapshooting wisdom and instruction. While Russell is quick to point out that the book is only useful if kept constantly on hand during practice and competition, he also sells it as an e-book that cannot be printed. All things considered, I have to seriously question the accuracy of the material and the validity of Mr. Russell�s opinions.

I have read many books on trap shooting through the years. Trap Shooting Secrets is a little windy but is the best detailed book on trapshooting I have ever read. It discusses important areas of trapshooting never discussed in any other book. Mental training at its best and more important things then just hitting the tarket. My hat is off to James Russell

I'm a beginner at shooting trap, but even at that level there are a lot of very helpful ideas in this book. The problem for the reader is finding them, and working through them! This book is dying for a book editor's touch. Here's why I say that:

1. Maybe I missed the overall structure, but the sequence of the material seems almost random. Lots of good ideas, but they're not organized in a way which helps learning them.

2. The illustrations and figures are all placed in the back, in one chapter. It's a real pain to have to stop reading the text and refer to a different location in the book. Again, this detracts from the book's value as a learning tool, because you can't view the illustrations in their context.

3. ARGGH! What's with all the misspellings and grammatical errors? Worst of all, the chronic use of apostrophes to make plural nouns. ARGGH!

Is it worth buying? Yes--but it would be vastly improved with a thorough editing.

This book is aimed at the sort of person who likes great depth of subject matter. Everything is covered in great detail, and this excellent book is only marred by poor layout, spelling, and grammar. In all anyone reading this book should be able to glean fresh insight into the game.

This book is really geared for the trap shooter who "seriously" wants to raise his or her score averages. The author goes into all aspects of trap shooting; proper stance, equipment, mental attitude, dealing with competition and physical endurance. As a trap shooter for over 27 years, I applied a few of the writers recommendations and my score improved immediately.

Daro Handy - ATA & PITA Hall of Fame shooter, top-gun professional trapshooter for over 45-years. Here's what he has to say about the books.

"There is a lot of constructive information in Trap Shooting Secrets and Precision Shooting - The Trapshooter's Bible. The concepts in these two books are strongly presented, understandable and easily applied. If you would like to step into the world where professional trapshooter's reside, these books can reveal valuable technical information to improve your shooting. And, in conjunction with a qualified shooting instructor, these two books should give the trapshooter a high measure of success." Daro Handy

PHIL KINER "I have reviewed both of James Russell's new trapshooting books--I found them to be full of useful trapshooting tips. These books will be an excellent addition to every trapshooter's library." Phil Kiner

Olymic shooter's know just how valuable James Russell's trap shooting books truly are. Luca Scribani Rossi is a top-gun Olympic Medallist and a twice World Champion shotgun clay target shooter. Here's what he has to say...

"I strongly recommend shotgun competition shooters to read both, Trap Shooting Secrets, and Precision Shooting - The Trapshooter's Bible. If you read these books you simply can't go wrong. Just follow the steps outlined and you'll leap ahead in the ranking of any competition you'll attend." That's my recommendation. Luca Scribani Rossi