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Long Range Shooting Handbook: Complete Beginner's Guide to Long Range Shooting
A portion of this book's proceeds will be donated to two military the Special Operation Warrior Foundation and the Sua Sponte Foundation.
This book is the complete beginner's guide to long range shooting written in simple every-day language so that it's easy to follow. Included are personal tips and best advice from the author's years of special operations sniper schooling and experience, and as a sniper instructor.
This is the preliminary book to help you understand fundamental concepts such as MOA vs Mils and external ballistics, that can be like a trusted resource at the range.
If you are a brand new shooter, this book will walk you through the basics, help you make decisions on rifles, optics, and gear, and start you out with a solid foundation that will give you confidence as a new long range shooter. If you are an experienced shooter, this guide will be a resource and reference covering the principles and theory of long range shooting.
Learning to shoot long range isn’t that difficult!
Once you understand the basics, you can start to master your technique and you’ll be hitting targets in no time.
The author has a series of online instructional videos known for their ability to take seemingly complex areas of long range shooting and breaking them down so that they're easy to understand. This book was motivated by the feedback from those videos.
The handbook is broken down into three main
What it is/How it works, Fundamentals, and How to use it. "What it is/How it works" covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles.
"Fundamentals" covers the theory of long range shooting.
"How to use it" gives you practical advice on how to implement what you've learned so far to make you a long range shooter.
This book is the complete beginner's guide to long range shooting written in simple every-day language so that it's easy to follow. Included are personal tips and best advice from the author's years of special operations sniper schooling and experience, and as a sniper instructor.
This is the preliminary book to help you understand fundamental concepts such as MOA vs Mils and external ballistics, that can be like a trusted resource at the range.
If you are a brand new shooter, this book will walk you through the basics, help you make decisions on rifles, optics, and gear, and start you out with a solid foundation that will give you confidence as a new long range shooter. If you are an experienced shooter, this guide will be a resource and reference covering the principles and theory of long range shooting.
Learning to shoot long range isn’t that difficult!
Once you understand the basics, you can start to master your technique and you’ll be hitting targets in no time.
The author has a series of online instructional videos known for their ability to take seemingly complex areas of long range shooting and breaking them down so that they're easy to understand. This book was motivated by the feedback from those videos.
The handbook is broken down into three main
What it is/How it works, Fundamentals, and How to use it. "What it is/How it works" covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles.
"Fundamentals" covers the theory of long range shooting.
"How to use it" gives you practical advice on how to implement what you've learned so far to make you a long range shooter.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2016
1058 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Ryan M. Cleckner
6 books19 followersRyan Cleckner is a former Army Ranger sniper and instructor with the 1st Ranger Battalion of the US Army. He is currently a constitutional law and firearms attorney, an adjunct university professor, founder of Gun University and Rocket FFL, as well as the author of the Long Range Shooting Handbook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 23, 2020
Great starter book - says simply what others, in my opinion, try to add complexity to unnecessarily to gatekeep the hobby. MOA, MIL, etc are all fairly easy concepts. Reading wind, elevation, weather, etc. are explained well. Would serve any new bolt-action shooter to read through a few chapters before going out and ingraining bad habits. Recommended!
January 7, 2020
Accessible, informative, and no-nonsense.
February 15, 2021
Easy too read , great book for shooter and hunter.
Ryan Cleckner has a gift for teaching!!!
Ryan Cleckner has a gift for teaching!!!
April 23, 2022
Excellent introduction, and then some. Really breaks down the whole shooting match, covering every aspect that a beginner needs to know, and then some. I can highly recommend this to anyone who wants to start target shooting as a sport.
November 24, 2023
Useful information for all beginning and aspiring PRS competitors. Straight to the point and well organized.
March 23, 2022
Great book for those learning how to shoot beyond 200 yards
I have been in the Army for 35 years. I shot infrequently, but recently jumped into shooting rifles at longer ranges as a hobby. Learning what is important, extracting the important points of focus will help you start to improve. Setting up your equipment,.spending money, time, and energy on the important aspects of rifle setup and supporting equipment is a key learning point in this book. You will get a foundation to start the work to become a better shooter. This book will enable your practice and empower improvement, providing you a reference for when range time isn't producing desired results.
Follow his advice, read the whole book and then return to chapters that require more study. There is math involved, so having the points of reference for calculating environmental and ballistic effect will require more study on my part to internalize and implement. I will be using this book forever, glad this was my first introduction to long range shooting.
I have been in the Army for 35 years. I shot infrequently, but recently jumped into shooting rifles at longer ranges as a hobby. Learning what is important, extracting the important points of focus will help you start to improve. Setting up your equipment,.spending money, time, and energy on the important aspects of rifle setup and supporting equipment is a key learning point in this book. You will get a foundation to start the work to become a better shooter. This book will enable your practice and empower improvement, providing you a reference for when range time isn't producing desired results.
Follow his advice, read the whole book and then return to chapters that require more study. There is math involved, so having the points of reference for calculating environmental and ballistic effect will require more study on my part to internalize and implement. I will be using this book forever, glad this was my first introduction to long range shooting.
July 18, 2025
This book is detailed insightful rich with information handbook consisting about the finer aspects of long range rifling.
Interestingly if the reader is smart enough he/she can surely pick a lot of learnings for pistol shooting.
This is a master piece handbook for all long range lovers and aim takers whose life major stresses include and not limited to (calculation of wind, (lol) right equipment, ammo lot, accessories etc).
Ryan is lucid enough to explain the fundamentals in details and the best part is instead of fast forwarding (if you are on a video./app) you can directly flip to your pages of choice.
A keeper & must to have book plus he also has a you tube channel by the name NSSF whereby he gives practical direction and breaks old myths. Indeed More power to him.
The book can be completed in 15/20 days reading at ease and the English used is not arcane so easy to understand !!
Interestingly if the reader is smart enough he/she can surely pick a lot of learnings for pistol shooting.
This is a master piece handbook for all long range lovers and aim takers whose life major stresses include and not limited to (calculation of wind, (lol) right equipment, ammo lot, accessories etc).
Ryan is lucid enough to explain the fundamentals in details and the best part is instead of fast forwarding (if you are on a video./app) you can directly flip to your pages of choice.
A keeper & must to have book plus he also has a you tube channel by the name NSSF whereby he gives practical direction and breaks old myths. Indeed More power to him.
The book can be completed in 15/20 days reading at ease and the English used is not arcane so easy to understand !!
March 21, 2019
This is a well-written book for the beginning long-range shooter with valuable information for any rifle shooter. I am a competitive shooter in the sport of lever-action metallic silhouette, and found lots of good information here, presented in a concise and sometimes humorous way - not the usual dry stuff you find in books of this nature. Even though my sport only requires shooting to 200 meters, the information here will likely help me to improve my shooting. This book is something rare for me: a keeper that will go on my shelf of books devoted to marksmanship and which I will recommend to my fellow teammates and competitors. It's one any rifle enthusiast should own and read over and over.
January 14, 2018
Fundamentals, no hype
The author doesn't offer any secret sauce, no "shoot like a (fill in the blank)" inducement, no promise of any sort. This book emphasizes and explains fundamental techniques that one must master to shoot well; he continually stresses how the shooter is the weakest point in the chain.
I'm one of those who scrutinizes every instructor to ensure I feel they're qualified to teach me (i.e. is it worth the money) - it's obvious the author is a top notch instructor.
The author doesn't offer any secret sauce, no "shoot like a (fill in the blank)" inducement, no promise of any sort. This book emphasizes and explains fundamental techniques that one must master to shoot well; he continually stresses how the shooter is the weakest point in the chain.
I'm one of those who scrutinizes every instructor to ensure I feel they're qualified to teach me (i.e. is it worth the money) - it's obvious the author is a top notch instructor.
September 27, 2024
Great instruction explained in a way that is easily digestible. This book was fantastic, and is a perfect companion to starting your journey into long range shooting.
I was skeptical at first because trying to learn a hands on skill via textbook can often be very frustrating. But Clekner has a wonderful way of writing out potentially complex ideas and making it easy to understand via his book.
I suspect this is a book that people re read and take with them to the range as they learn the basics of long range shooting.
I was skeptical at first because trying to learn a hands on skill via textbook can often be very frustrating. But Clekner has a wonderful way of writing out potentially complex ideas and making it easy to understand via his book.
I suspect this is a book that people re read and take with them to the range as they learn the basics of long range shooting.
June 13, 2021
An excellent book if you are contemplating precision rifle shooting over long range. I knew nothing about rifle shooting, let alone long range shooting, and this book was a wonderful way to prepare for a week long course. After I get some more experience, I intend to read it again.
Its an instructional book that is easy enough to read. Its educational, not entertaining, but it is good to read things that teach you.
Its an instructional book that is easy enough to read. Its educational, not entertaining, but it is good to read things that teach you.
January 21, 2022
This is an excellent resource for the person who wants to be a better shooter. The author writes just like he talks (see https://www.youtube.com/c/RyanCleckner). Very clear and enjoyable to read.
Technically, I'm not done with the book because it's somewhat of a reference book, and I'll refer to it when needed. But I'm telling GoodReads that I'm done because I have a goal of 12 books this year and I want this to count.
Technically, I'm not done with the book because it's somewhat of a reference book, and I'll refer to it when needed. But I'm telling GoodReads that I'm done because I have a goal of 12 books this year and I want this to count.
July 28, 2024
My favorite precision shooting book. Ryan Cleckner has a gift for sharing information that works for a lot of readers' knowledge levels without confounding them or talking down to them. He talks about theory and how it applies to practice, so you feel like you get the whole picture. It may be a beginner's book, but you'll feel happy to have read it if you're interested in long-range shooting, particularly between 400 and 900 yards.
August 20, 2017
I found this book to be extremely well written and practical. As a beginning shooter, the book taught me things that my more "experienced" shooting friends could never explain. All too often I find that those experienced in shooting never really understand themselves well enough to teach. I found this book exactly the opposite and a excellent starting point for me. Awaiting the second book!
December 21, 2021
Best Intro to Long Range Shooting
Ryan Cleckner has written an outstanding, easy to follow, and common sense book on the subject. His years of experience in shooting long range have given him insight few of us will ever have. Reading this book will no doubt improve most shooters accuracy.
Ryan Cleckner has written an outstanding, easy to follow, and common sense book on the subject. His years of experience in shooting long range have given him insight few of us will ever have. Reading this book will no doubt improve most shooters accuracy.
December 2, 2024
Good information
This book is well written and contains a lot of useful information. Ryan states to read it through completely and then go through it again, I totally agree and did.
The book keeps you engaged while presenting good information in a way that makes it easy to understand.
Highly recommend.
This book is well written and contains a lot of useful information. Ryan states to read it through completely and then go through it again, I totally agree and did.
The book keeps you engaged while presenting good information in a way that makes it easy to understand.
Highly recommend.
November 10, 2017
Good Basics
Lots of good usable info for long range shooting. Looking forward to improving accuracy next outing. Way more info and calculations than I'll probably ever need but good beginner's info
Lots of good usable info for long range shooting. Looking forward to improving accuracy next outing. Way more info and calculations than I'll probably ever need but good beginner's info
March 19, 2019
Good pointers
Picked up some new information, an old dog can always learn some new tricks.
Ryan Cleckner knows his subject & relays it in a straight forward & easy to understand manner.
Picked up some new information, an old dog can always learn some new tricks.
Ryan Cleckner knows his subject & relays it in a straight forward & easy to understand manner.
August 18, 2019
Awesome refresher
I shoot precision rifles for a living, it’s always nice to get a refresher on basic things. I do wish I could find the advanced book/I look forward to when it comes out.
I shoot precision rifles for a living, it’s always nice to get a refresher on basic things. I do wish I could find the advanced book/I look forward to when it comes out.
April 28, 2020
Excellent book for the beginner or even seasoned precision shooter.
Excellent book for the beginner or even seasoned precision shooter. Covers all the topics needed to open up the precision shooting sport to new shooters.
Excellent book for the beginner or even seasoned precision shooter. Covers all the topics needed to open up the precision shooting sport to new shooters.
November 27, 2021
Ryan Cleckner provides an outstanding “A to Z” manual for the beginner and seasoned shooter. His no-nonsense style and “I’ve tried it and didn’t like it” add a dose of humility and realism especially given his background. Well done.
December 5, 2021
If you are new or intermediate level shooter, there is no better book than this. It has practical, need to know knowledge. Almost like a cheat sheet. You will save lots of hours wasted doing stuff wrong way, if you happen to read this book first.
March 8, 2022
Very easy to read and definitely taught me quite a bit. This is one of those resources that will be referenced multiple times until made muscle memory. Fingers crossed that Mr. Cleckner publishes the Advanced edition making this a series.
January 19, 2023
Solid and practical world class advice
If you are smart enough to pay attention you will be able to get world class and experienced advice from someone who trains marksman for a living.
If you are smart enough to pay attention you will be able to get world class and experienced advice from someone who trains marksman for a living.
February 24, 2023
A good introductory book
The book delivers what it promises - an introduction to precision shooting. A really thorough, and broad introduction, despite the short format. Improvement opportunities - adjudtments for wind.
The book delivers what it promises - an introduction to precision shooting. A really thorough, and broad introduction, despite the short format. Improvement opportunities - adjudtments for wind.
April 22, 2018
Great source of info
Will definitely need to read this one again as it does cover quite a bit of info. Well worth the read though.
Will definitely need to read this one again as it does cover quite a bit of info. Well worth the read though.
June 27, 2018
For all shooters
Great solid book that really emphasizes on fundamentals...and you can never go wrong with hitting fundamentals over again even if you are an experienced shooter.
Great solid book that really emphasizes on fundamentals...and you can never go wrong with hitting fundamentals over again even if you are an experienced shooter.
December 3, 2018
Great book! Covers everything you need to understand long range shooting, including equipment and techniques.
January 1, 2020
Great book for beginners
Easy to understand
Good topics
Dosen't get to complicated
Good points to review
Like how you can use it like a textbook
Easy to understand
Good topics
Dosen't get to complicated
Good points to review
Like how you can use it like a textbook
February 10, 2020
Plenty of important info. a must read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews