Who has produced the best introductory book or for pistol shooting, I have just purchased a P229sct having given up clay shooting....and not sure which is the way to go.

Plan on shooting about 200 rounds per month.

Am joining a local pistol members only club with 50yd indoor range and outdoor...they also do idpa and uspsa.

What suggestions?

Not sure about a book but go hear and download Bruce's dry fire package.

http://graygunstraining.com/8.html

Watch this video about proper grip by Todd Jarrett.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4584332856867071363

While there is alot more to pistol shooting them these two thing if you can master your grip and trigger control you will be way ahead of the game. Start with the basics.

Gabe SuarezTactical Pistol Marksmanship

Suarez is Jeff Cooper's protege and the book includes a number of good drills, equipment recomendations and tactics for concealed carry. I use the 13 round qualifier-type CoF every time I go to the range.

Look up Saul Kirsch and Brian Enos if you're into the "Game"

I just finished taking the instructors course for NRA basic pistol. I would highly recommend taking the basic pistol course if there is one in your area. It's a 10 or 11 hr. class that covers the basics of safety, positions, technique, breathing etc. It includes live fire with instructors who would be more than happy to help you with your technique.

Check out Andy Stanford's Surgical Speed Shooting. It covers the basics and much more in a readable and practical way.

quote:

Originally posted by southerncomforthemi:
Who has produced the best introductory book or for pistol shooting, I have just purchased a P229sct having given up clay shooting....and not sure which is the way to go.

Plan on shooting about 200 rounds per month.

Am joining a local pistol members only club with 50yd indoor range and outdoor...they also do idpa and uspsa.

What suggestions?

Plan on a lot more shooting then 200 rounds per month.

quote:

Originally posted by ShackleMeNot:
Check out Andy Stanford's Surgical Speed Shooting. It covers the basics and much more in a readable and practical way.

I agree. I'm about half way through it and even though I consider myself to be an advanced shooter, I'm learning from it. It doesn't hurt of course that it also validates many of the beliefs and methods I've developed on my own.

Brian Enos' Practical Shooting Beyond Fundamentals is another book I can recommend even though it's not a typical "how-to" work. As the person who recommended it to me put it, some of the content might even be described as the "Zen of Shooting."

Much of the book is aimed at competition shooters, but it's not pure gaming, and fast, accurate hits are also important for defensive shooting. I don't consider it to be introductory-level material, but it won't hurt anyone and many of the topics discussed are good to learn even at the beginning of shooter development.

This one is good too:
Shooting from Within: A Guide to Maximum Performance
by J. Michael Plaxco

I'm a big fan of Ayoob. He's very prolific... I'm sure he has a title (or at least an article) that would be helpful.

So many good books. I just wanted to tag this thread.

Thanks for all the responses.

I have Saul Kirsch's book. He has put out two actually. Then I have Steve Andersen's two dry fire books.

I might have cracked open all 3 books maybe... maybe just once.

But I have heard they are good books, anyway.

Looking back on things now, if I were to call a set of skills the "basics": it would include:

1. grip
2. trigger control
3. sight(s) alignment
4. stance
5. the draw
6. reloading (inserting a fresh mag in the gun)

Methinks that some of these skills are better taught in person, or at least through video.

There are some things worth trying to buddy-buddy up with someone more in the know.

Yeah, I have heard that Brian Enos's book is too Zen like and that if you are just starting out in pistol shooting a lot of the info can be over your head. I have also heard that it takes him 4 pages to describe how to draw your gun from a holster.

I bought the books I haven't read (yet?) from Brian Enos's store, however:

http://www.brianenos.com/store/books.html

oh yeah, and then there's his forum too:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/

It's a wealth of information.

Every now and then, some of the screennames that you see here you will also see posting over there too.