by Glen Blackwood, RGS & AWS Director of Regional Development – Lower Peninsula/Eastern U.P. of Michigan & Indiana
“Wingshooting: The Art & Science”
by Bryan Bilinski
Fieldsport Press (fieldsportltd.com)
ISBN: 978-0578-48895-0
Hardbound
Retail price: $49.95
On an autumn afternoon, the grouse and woodcock covert’s foliage is in full color. You hear that last “tink” of a dog bell, then silence. The dog holds steady. The bird flushes — whether straight away or toward the treetops doesn’t matter. You fire, but for some reason the bird escapes unscathed.
Why? Bad gun mount? Poor foot position? Distracted focus? Usually you’ll discover the reason by stepping back and revisiting the fundamentals. That’s the subject of Bryan Bilinski’s new book: wingshooting fundamentals.
“Wingshooting: The Art & Science” (2023) is written with wild-bird hunters in mind. Bryan introduced sporting clays to the U.S. from England during his tenure with Orvis, but this book doesn’t focus on breaking midis, but on wild-bird shooting requirements. Bryan owns Fieldsport, a store and wingshooting school in Traverse City, Michigan. He’s worked with thousands of students to their benefit and that of their dogs. He also pens the In the Swing column for The Upland Almanac magazine.
The author’s philosophy follows Robert Churchill’s tried-and-true instinctive method, but this isn’t a modern take on his classic Robert Churchill’s Game Shooting.The author takes the basics of gun fit and mount and hand-eye coordination and elevates these concepts for the modern bird hunter.
The book’s largest section is Wingshooting Methods. Insight and space are devoted not only to the aforementioned concepts but also to stance, posture, eye dominance and focus, as well as physical conditioning and other pertinent topics.
The next section (Lock, Stock and Barrel) discusses the shotgun and examines many facets of smoothbores, not just the age-old discussions of chokes or over-and-unders vs. side-by-sides, but also grips, actions, wood and weight.
The last two sections — Wingshooting Miscellany and Why We Miss — are smaller than the first two but still valuable. There’s a nice foreword by author Tom Huggler and four-color images from Dave Veldman and Dale C. Spartas. Bryan’s also created a companion DVD, a 70-minute advanced video course on the Fieldsport wingshooting method ($39.95).
Now that winter’s set in, with grouse snow roosting and woodcock probing for earthworms in warmer soils, a strong read and comfy chair are in order. “Wingshooting: The Art & Science” will provide pleasure through the cold months and reward you with better shooting next fall and for many seasons to come.
Reviewer’s Note:
I’ve known Bryan Bilinski for more than 40 years. He’s a friend, a colleague, a lover of Labradors, grouse and woodcock and a committed RGS & AWS member and donor. I write this review without influence.
