Over the past few weeks, I’ve been helping a shooter improve his rifle skills. I also loaned him a copy of Jeff Cooper’s The Art Of The Rifle. This inspired me to read through it again. It’s one of those books that should be read by everyone with a rifle. Although it’s not a tactical book, the principles and techniques apply to the defensive use of firearms.

Cooper’s definitive work on rifle use was published in 1997 by Paladin Press. Cooper is probably best known for his work with pistols – he is the father of “The Modern Technique of the Pistol.” His contributions to “the queen of personal weapons” is equally impressive.

“Probably the most serious obstacle to the popular understanding of riflecraft,” Cooper explains in the first chapter, “is the fact that rifle marksmanship is dependent entirely upon individual self-control, and self-control is out of fashion in the Age of the Common Man.”

After discussing the “Why” and “The Instrument” and “Gunhandling,” Cooper gets into the details of “Sighting And Aiming” in the fifth chapter. Here, Cooper compares “open” sights vs. “aperture” sights. “The aperture sight is easier to use and generally obtains more precise results, …,” he advises.

Chapter 7 examines the various firing positions. Prone, of course, is the most stable of all positions. The lower your body, and the more contact points between it and something with additional support, the better your accuracy. Cooper explains the differences between the “military” prone – the body angled at about forty-five degrees behind the rifle - and “Olympic” prone, with the body more in line with the rifle. Also covered are the variations of sitting, “rice paddy prone,” or squatting, kneeling and offhand – both “standing” and “offhand.” My favorite part of this chapter is the section on “jackass positions,” which are variations of the standard positions modified to fit different environments. Chapter 8 covers “The Rest Positions,” and reviews different techniques for bracing for stability.

The Art Of The Rifle also includes chapters on trigger and bolt work, shooting with the sling and breath control – an often-overlooked fundamental, plus other topics. If you’re wanting to improve your rifle skills, this is the book to have. It is available in digital format, but if you’re like me and need a “hard” copy go to Gunsite.

These topics in The Art Of The Rifle also apply to defensive use of firearms -- well beyond working with the long-gun. Accuracy is all about the fundamentals, which are well covered in Cooper’s work. All the high-speed gear and tactics in the world are worthless if you can’t place accurate hits on your target on demand and in a short span of time. The same is true for handguns. While use of firearms varies – hunting, competition, “plinkin’” and defense – the fundamentals apply to every application. The Art Of The Rifle will help you with all forms of shooting.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.