As in all of my Small Caliber Book Reviews, I will be covering the book’s area of relevance, its strengths and weaknesses, and whether it is more introductory or advanced.

Shoot To Win is the first book by Top Shot Winner and TFB Writer Chris Cheng, and is intended as an introductory volume for novice shooters. At 256 pages of relatively large print, it is short enough for the quick reader to finish in a couple of hours, and is very accessibly written. The book covers the absolute basics of firearms and shooting, with its three body chapters offering introductions to pistols, rifles, and shotguns, respectively, and peppered with examples taken from Chris’s experiences on Top Shot.

The book, however, does not offer the intermediate or advanced level shooter much; it is definitely geared towards the novice – ideally someone who has never held a gun before in their life. In the spirit of this, it is written without any political or ideological bent, and without using the sort of gun nerd jargon that might confuse a new shooter. Chris alludes to some aspects of gun culture (e.g., caliber wars) in the book, but does not spend much time on these things.

Shoot To Win reads like a gun manual with a broader scope – it is a handbook covering the necessary basics for entering the shooting sports, but not reaching past them. As a bridge between non-shooters and the shooting community, I think it accomplishes its goal: To provide a non-threatening, up-to-date, introduction to the shooting sports as a whole (including “scary” tactical rifles and action shooting sports, which are treated as being just another aspect of the gun world by the author). I would recommend Shoot To Win as a gift for potential new shooters, or as a handbook for the novice who feels a bit overwhelmed.

Chris is currently running a big giveaway to promote the book called #ShootToWin on his Facebook page to promote the book. Head over there to enter and win prizes.

Chris has also offered to give 10 copies away to TFB readers. Fill out the form below and I will pick ten random entries and pass on the details to Chris. Standard Disclaimer: no information will be shared with anyone other than the ten winners’ entries that will be passed onto Chris. All submissions will be deleted after the competition ends.