Marksman Reveals All the Secrets in New Book "1 & Done":

A Book Review by Mason Travers

I guess if you were gonna sign up for a literary lesson on shooting, there would be no better instructor right now than Bwana Moja. Every time I see Marc Watts, "Mr. One Shot", in a magazine someone seems to be touting his latest world class hunting accomplishment. Sports Afield did a recent writeup on his #2 SCI Mountain Nyala, bannered with the headline "King of the Mountain." Was that a reference to him or the animal species? When you`re hot you`re hot and let`s just say Bwana Moja is on fire right now!

A complimentary review copy of his new book arrived in the mail with the polite instructions, "Mason please critique. Regards, Bwana Moja." So I began reading. Foreword by Gerard Miller. WOW! A very distinguished no holds barred PH and I have his book too. Danny McCallum described Gerard as the best natural hunter of this era. Gerard describes Marc this way. "A true hunter and as a marksman I must say he{Marc} stands far out in a class of his own. Who better to write this book than Mr. One Shot himself?" Now that`s impressive given the credentials held by Gerard Miller. A man of his stature doesn`t dole praise out lightly to anyone.

Throughout "1 & Done", step by step Marc breaks it down regarding his keys to making a perfect shot every time. The proper way to breath, anticipating the shot, visualizing the shot, comfort zoning, focusing, trigger pull and execution. He takes us through his practice routines and I mean he practices for everything in the field. The marksman is like a poker player, who`s mindful of every possible card combination in the deck. His mental awareness in the field is such that he contemplates every possible shooting scenario, every possible presentation from the animal. "By doing the thinking before it happens, you eliminate the process of figuring out what to do if it happens. That`s sometimes four of five seconds of precious reaction time, and by then it`s often too late," says the author. "Instead of thinking how to react, I just react. It looks instinctive a lot of times on my DVD`s, but I can guarantee you it`s all thought out beforehand."

I got to thinking, this stuff really isn`t rocket science what he`s teaching---that with a little physical and mental training maybe I wouldn`t have missed that leopard in Zambia two years ago. Moja where was this book two years ago!

"It`s not rocket science! You just have to remember to leave the switch turned on, but for all the reasons outlined in this book many hunters carry on with the switch turned off," Marc says. He`s managed to breakdown the art of shooting to a science, and it`s a pleasant science lesson. But as scientific as it all sounds Marc makes it very practical. I for one am guilty of many of the mistakes he says shooters make; shooting too high, flinching and peeking above my scope simultaneously as I pull the trigger. At one point in the read I walked over to my safe, pulled out my .375 H & H and shouldered it, looking at myself in the mirror.

"Rifle shooting is not an instinctive form of behavior," says Marc. "Many hunters take shots on the assumption that it`s as simple as pointing the gun and shooting, but it`s not. That`s why so many people miss."

Very true and it would be my guess that far too many of us spend way too much time on proper bullets, gadgets, rangefinders, binos etc.

"All those things are important components to successful hunting," Marc says. "But the most important investment one can make is learning the tendencies of one`s rifle and learning how to shoot it."

Bwana Moja is one of the best modern day hunters simply put, because he wants it more than most. He literally never stops thinking about making the shot, is full of confidence and is in top physical condition.

"For me the shot begins long before I even pull the trigger," Moja says.

The proof is in the evidence and Marc`s formula works. His remarkable trophies don`t just magically appear in front of Marc. He hunts them down and makes the most of every opportunity.

"I do miss", says Marc. "But so far I`ve avoided screwing up on anything major. And when I do miss I use it as a learning tool."

Marc holds a distinction not enjoyed by anyone else in the hunting world. He has taken a Lord Derby eland and a mountain nyala that both rank in the top five SCI of their respective species. It`s a remarkable feat given the difficulty level just of harvesting one of those animals, let alone one of each in the top five. I did manage to take a Lord Derby in Cameroon some years ago, but Marc has one that is almost 15 inches longer than mine!

The author wrote extensively about his Lord Derby hunt in his first book "The Royal Showdown. " His latest book seems to serve as his tribute to the Ethiopia mountain nyala hunt. The manuscript is highlighted by numerous anecdotes from his Ethiopia trip along with spectacular photos of his number two mountain nyala.

Overall it`s more like a self-help guide to improving your shooting skills, with not much technical jargon, and that`s what will ultimately drive sells of the book. Bwana Moja doesn`t offer any advice on shot placement, guns or scopes. He stays within his realm of expertise. That is training the hunter to become better with the gear and understanding the realities of shooting which allows one to anticipate what can go wrong and what they need to do for things to go right.

Regardless of your hunting experience there's something in this book for you. Before I had even finished reading it I felt I had become a better shooter and hunter. Every detail is covered, every facet of a spot and stalk and every possible tip to improve one's accuracy. It's mind-blowing-the mental shooting edge this man has. Bwana Moja has got it all figured out and marvelously he presents it. He's living proof that what he says works. It might be a long time before I ever miss a shot again. The hunting world needed this book, especially from this man.