I played the game for close 20 years. Drover gave you great advice. Only thing I saw above I really disagree with....10 or 12 is not enough . I liked a dot when shooting offhand much better than just crosshairs....and not a tiny one. I like .5 for silhoutte.6.5 to 20 or 8.5 to 25 would be my advice.
High Power Metallic Silhouette
- Thread starter jbhotrod
- Start date
bobm
Silver $$ Contributor
Dusty, do you have any experiences to back up that claim?
While silhouette shooting interest is in decline for other reasons, I know of no instances where new shooters are discouraged or turned away. There are numerous venues around the country still running matches in all disciplines of rifle silhouette. I attend many of them.
I am the MD for HP silhouette at my club. We still run a year round monthly match. Our shooter numbers have steadily decreased over the last two decades. But not from rejecting or turning away new shooter interest. This is without any doubt the hardest to master rifle shooting sport. Few these days are willing to put in the time and resources to become good offhand rifle shooters. I have had many new shooters come out and give it a try but are quickly discouraged and do not return.
I get about two calls a month from new club members asking what silhouette shooting is about. I am very enthusiastic describing the format and how much fun the game is. Just as soon as I mention the game is fired from the standing offhand position, there is a pause in the conversation. "Oh, well thanks for your help, that is not what I thought it was about. I could not possibly shoot standing up" Phone call over, lost another one.
I now have some new regular shooters to fill the void COVID has created in my regular match attendance. These are some senior club members with the latest long range rifles and big ass scopes. I am more than happy to let them knock over the metal animals from the benches off rests and bipods. Us younger and stronger guys even go reset the heavy rams for them.
All future phone calls showing interest in rifle silhouette shooting will be told they can shoot at the animals from the bench or prone position. This may lead to them wanting to try it standing up. I will never discourage an interested shooter.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Yes i do.
point a new shooter to a good spot to find a match. The standard answer is steel chickens. Steel chickens is a labyrynth of dead ends and inside jokes.
At our club we have a BR class for kids from 8 to 12 or so and wean them off when they get older. Our club executive are all relatively young and we work at recruiting new shooters. The great thing about silhouette is that the equipment race is optional. I regret that I didn't start shooting it a lot sooner when I had good eyes and a steady hand! As I travel to various matches, I meet up with a lot of shooters who seem to travel a circuit. They are AA shooters and will likely never step up but the occasional good day or good relay makes it worthwhile for them. I'm kind of in that group, if I'm honest. I build a new rifle from time to time because that is what I do. Just like building a new rifle for the bighorn ram I will probably never shoot.
Every shooting discipline experiences declines in attendance, it seems. I watched "F" class and Benchrest do the same thing from time to time. When I go to a prone match, I am frequently one of the youngest shooters and I'm 71. Plainly, numbers are going to drop at the same rate that we do.
I sometimes wonder if it might be beneficial to introduce other positions, like sitting, into the mix, with shoot-offs from off-hand to break ties. It might be possible to attract more shooters if the task was a little less difficult to start with.
One other point, I find silhouette much more difficult than bullseye shooting. If I'm shooting at bulleye target and don't score a "10", I get a consolation score, like an eight or a seven. If I'm shooting at a turkey and don't get a ten (a hit), I don't get squat. This leads to the difficulty in pulling the trigger. "We're afraid to miss", one fellow competitor says. Well, I shouldn't be afraid; I do it all the time! WH
Every shooting discipline experiences declines in attendance, it seems. I watched "F" class and Benchrest do the same thing from time to time. When I go to a prone match, I am frequently one of the youngest shooters and I'm 71. Plainly, numbers are going to drop at the same rate that we do.
I sometimes wonder if it might be beneficial to introduce other positions, like sitting, into the mix, with shoot-offs from off-hand to break ties. It might be possible to attract more shooters if the task was a little less difficult to start with.
One other point, I find silhouette much more difficult than bullseye shooting. If I'm shooting at bulleye target and don't score a "10", I get a consolation score, like an eight or a seven. If I'm shooting at a turkey and don't get a ten (a hit), I don't get squat. This leads to the difficulty in pulling the trigger. "We're afraid to miss", one fellow competitor says. Well, I shouldn't be afraid; I do it all the time! WH
Dusty I have to disagree with you very strongly. I was very involved with both Hi Power and Rim fire Shiloutte. Both the NRA versions and IMSHA. I shot in multiple State And National Championships. There were multiple very active clubs in my area. There is one left. Several of them that I was very knowledgeable about shut down for the exact same reason.It is also the reason I have seen other shooting games and clubs go away. Number one by far is: When whoever is the driving force has been worn out or perhaps has had to step away for other reasons, no one has stepped up to take over. Lots of talk , little action. Within clubs and within different disciplines disagreement become toxic. What benefit has there been since the IBS, the NSBRA, and GBA become competing factions. I have never seen a concerted effort to push new shooters away, but just the opposite. Sounds like some other disciplines trying to down play one that was very popular for awhile. Perhaps you should learn about the popularity of the Long Range Shiloutte matches at the Ridgeway Rifle And Pistol Club in Pa.They can handle around 170 shooters a match and turn down numerous shooters each month. We need to support each other and not think our discipline is the only one that counts. I see lots of competing disciplines moving past our game of benchrest, sad to say. Competitive shooters are such a small group we need to be supportive, not jealous.
Aero
Gold $$ Contributor
Bob, I can give you an example of a potential new shooter being more or less run off by the guy running the match, but it was IHMSA and we all know about pistol shooters.................................
Am I senior enough to shoot off the bench and have any rams I might topple be reset by the younger and stronger guys?
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
I shoot silhouette locally some. I cant find matches to go to. Maybe you could point me to a list of matches within a few hundred miles of little rock? Maybe since everybody recommends steel chickens for info they could start a thread with a list of matches and some contact info.
Dusty, wish I could help. I think Ridgeway Pa is a bit more than you might want to travel. Although......You might get a Varmint Benchrest Match in and a regular offhand Shiloutte match in consecutive weekends. Check out Ridgeway Rifle Club. My offhand days are gone. Occasionally I will shoot a bit on paper at hundred yards offhand and wonder how did it get so bad, lol. The VBR Match, crows at 850, the worlds skinnest groundhogs at 900, bobcat at 950, and coyote at 1000yds is a great challange. I would think the NRA might provide a list of Shiloutte matches in your area.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
You should get a 1/3 scale smallbore match going. We get quite a few show up in normal times. We let the kids under 16 shoot off a bench. Shoot the 1/3 scale targets off the same rails as the smallbore
For anyone who enjoys benchrest it would be hard to beat Central Pa. Within a 2 hour drive April thru Sept and into October I can pretty much shoot a match every Sat and one every Sunday. If I expand that to 3 hour drive.......just more matches than you can attend. 30 min from my house is a 1000 yd range. Moving out from that are multiple groundhogs matches plus a UBR style match. I have more matches almost than I have weekends or matches. There is even a Tuesday ground hog match in case a guy gets withdrawal during the week.Yesterday we shot a bench match in Western Pa during a snow squall. We are good up here, but we could use a bit of your southern heat. I just thought ff something. None of these matches are involved in any national organization.Just guys that like accurate rifles and competition.
bobm
Silver $$ Contributor
You are too young and a decent enough offhand shooter to qualify for the bench! I've seen you pick up two rams at a time before, too. Plan on shooting some more with us this year. And bring Mr. J with you.
Last edited:
Yes, I know this is an old thread but thought I would share my experience when first starting shooting centerfire which was metallic silhouette. It was in the previous century and most people were using Remington 700 actions in .308 or 7mm08 and heavy or varmint barrels or Winchester 70 and a few had pre-64 actions.
Length of barrel was usually around 24" (+-) with Leopold or Weaver T-10 to T-16 scopes.
The .308 shooters usually loaded Sierra HPBT 168 gr. to about 2,550 fps using some where around 40-41 grains of IMR 4895 or 41-42 grains IMR 4064.
Back then my financial situation was limited so bought a Winchester 670 in .243 and put a Weaver T-10 on top. It was all off the shelf the action, barrel, birch stock that tipped the scales at about 7 pounds.
Loaded Sierra 85 gr. HPBT for chickens, pigs and turkeys and Speer 105 gr. SFB for the rams using a Lee loader. Had no problem with any of them going down if I hit them including rams.
That was a long time ago and things have changed.
Length of barrel was usually around 24" (+-) with Leopold or Weaver T-10 to T-16 scopes.
The .308 shooters usually loaded Sierra HPBT 168 gr. to about 2,550 fps using some where around 40-41 grains of IMR 4895 or 41-42 grains IMR 4064.
Back then my financial situation was limited so bought a Winchester 670 in .243 and put a Weaver T-10 on top. It was all off the shelf the action, barrel, birch stock that tipped the scales at about 7 pounds.
Loaded Sierra 85 gr. HPBT for chickens, pigs and turkeys and Speer 105 gr. SFB for the rams using a Lee loader. Had no problem with any of them going down if I hit them including rams.
That was a long time ago and things have changed.
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
As a teen in 1981 I went to McDonald in western Pa and shot a SB match. My cousin sent me out there with his 40x Custom Sporter and a Leupold, maybe a 24x? There were too many guys and I was the lone "second relay". talk about pressure! They dropped the timer for me, knowing I was new, though I was getting real close to done most of the time when it went off. I shot 28 my fisrt time out and ran 9 turkeys. I had never shot competition style ever. I loved it and still have that score card.
I was never flush enough to keep at it. However, that day earned me the 40X in an inheritance (yet claimed thank the lord) and it changed my life. I became a full on rifle loony and guns found their way into very part of my life. Even made my living teaching fellow cops. Now I am ashamed to admit I wobble like a drunk duck offhand as I fell into the "benchrest crowd" approach. But there is a great deal of good memories from the few matches I was ever able to attend.
My suggestion for getting people involved? Bring them out to a non-match shoot and let them whale away with a low recoil rifle. Let them sit. Let them stand. Coach them. Then bring them to a match and let them see guys do it well. I was hooked the first time I saw my heroes of the day knocking off rams at 500 meters. I guess I just had enough ego to think "I know I can do that!" and I did.
I was never flush enough to keep at it. However, that day earned me the 40X in an inheritance (yet claimed thank the lord) and it changed my life. I became a full on rifle loony and guns found their way into very part of my life. Even made my living teaching fellow cops. Now I am ashamed to admit I wobble like a drunk duck offhand as I fell into the "benchrest crowd" approach. But there is a great deal of good memories from the few matches I was ever able to attend.
My suggestion for getting people involved? Bring them out to a non-match shoot and let them whale away with a low recoil rifle. Let them sit. Let them stand. Coach them. Then bring them to a match and let them see guys do it well. I was hooked the first time I saw my heroes of the day knocking off rams at 500 meters. I guess I just had enough ego to think "I know I can do that!" and I did.
Old Navy
Gold $$ Contributor
Yes!
My brother and I just went and watched a state match. The national champion for standard was there but they were shooting hunter class. He was still amazing to watch. The range is out in the middle of nowhere and they have a match every month except in hunting season. Lots of 6mm stuff. There were some locals there that were very good as well. To my untrained eye, a lot of the rifles looked just like off the shelf but I’m sure they weren’t. Biggest take away was to start in the rim fire to get the basics down.
Would have to agree with fatelvis, it does seem a long way off to shoot offhand. In retrospect I think that when you go to a match (at least for me it was) and first see the distances, there is a moment or two of guffaws and thoughts of 'You Want Me To Shoot How Far At What Size Target...Really'?
The initial impression of the 'Glass is Half Empty" syndrome slowly changes to the 'Glass is Half Full' when you see the other shooters start 'clanging' targets and they fall over. Then the thoughts drift to something like 'My GOD it can be done' and 'well if that shooter can do it why can't I?
Since the bar is raised by accomplished shooters one's own 'Peter Principal' also has the potential to raise.
Following my start in Metallic Silhouette I ventured into Across or over the Course target shooting and found the 200yd Slow Fire stage to not be the bane that seemed to cripple so many fellow shooters. To me, maybe I likened it to shooting at chickens during my Metallic Silhouette years.
Those years were filled with many fond memories and great shooters who were willing to share their advice and they were a tolerant bunch. If a range or group of shooters are not welcoming to new shooters then they are not worth your time to socialize with.
You can use 'off the shelf' stuff like I did and have a great time. Once you get on the firing point and start to concentrate you may find your mind just starts to shut out all the ancillary distractions and you get in the 'zone'. At least that's what I noticed.
The initial impression of the 'Glass is Half Empty" syndrome slowly changes to the 'Glass is Half Full' when you see the other shooters start 'clanging' targets and they fall over. Then the thoughts drift to something like 'My GOD it can be done' and 'well if that shooter can do it why can't I?
Since the bar is raised by accomplished shooters one's own 'Peter Principal' also has the potential to raise.
Following my start in Metallic Silhouette I ventured into Across or over the Course target shooting and found the 200yd Slow Fire stage to not be the bane that seemed to cripple so many fellow shooters. To me, maybe I likened it to shooting at chickens during my Metallic Silhouette years.
Those years were filled with many fond memories and great shooters who were willing to share their advice and they were a tolerant bunch. If a range or group of shooters are not welcoming to new shooters then they are not worth your time to socialize with.
You can use 'off the shelf' stuff like I did and have a great time. Once you get on the firing point and start to concentrate you may find your mind just starts to shut out all the ancillary distractions and you get in the 'zone'. At least that's what I noticed.
Last edited:
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
I remember sitting in a groundhog pasture with my cousin and his best friend. The owner of the farm came out and asked where they were shooting to. My cousin told him, and it included ranges to 500 yards. H
The farmer was incredulous. No way he said. A little while later a groundhog appeared. If memory serves it was in the 350 yard area. My cousin had a little tripod rest with his rifle on it, for prone. He turned to his buddy (both weekly sillouette shooters) and said "easy or hard way Ed?" Ed said, "I'll shoot him the easy way. He stood up and well, you can guess the rest! The farmer walked away muttering and in awe.
that memory has given me the "maybe I can do this if i work at it" attitude many times. It served well when I started shooting a pistol for deer, and when I shot skeet with a 12, then moved to a 410. "I'll do it the easy way!"
The farmer was incredulous. No way he said. A little while later a groundhog appeared. If memory serves it was in the 350 yard area. My cousin had a little tripod rest with his rifle on it, for prone. He turned to his buddy (both weekly sillouette shooters) and said "easy or hard way Ed?" Ed said, "I'll shoot him the easy way. He stood up and well, you can guess the rest! The farmer walked away muttering and in awe.
that memory has given me the "maybe I can do this if i work at it" attitude many times. It served well when I started shooting a pistol for deer, and when I shot skeet with a 12, then moved to a 410. "I'll do it the easy way!"
Metallic Silhouette is, sadly, a dying sport. PRS killed it.
Mostly Savage 10/110 platform. My primary is in a Nesika Bay stock with a 24x T24 scope on it in ultra high rings with a Hart barrel. I run 130's for CPT and 154's or 168's for the rams. Velocities are not impressive but it knocks the steel down. Can be a little soft on really heavy rams.
I like it. A lot of others have shifted to stuff like 250sav and 6xc but the line at a match is about as diverse in chambering and equipment as it gets and probably half the people will often change setup from year to year.
A .223rem will take down chickens and sometimes pigs but it'll peter out by the turkeys. 6BR and 6.5BR are just about the bee's knees for overall performance. With a 6.5BR you run 108's at CPT and 130's at the rams and you're probably not going to ring many.
That's not how the game is framed and I don't know many people that think this way about their MS kit. It's a working man's game meant to be done with common hunting rifles in hunter class and with rifles not too much different in standard gun. Don't money race it. It's a skill game, pure and simple.
When I started I had a wobble over 2-3 animals wide. Now I can pretty well stay on the steel with my hold.
If people would lose this mindset and just try it they'd find out that it's not that hard and we'd have a country full of just stunning riflemen. It really gets my dander up because guys like @fatelvis are selling themselves short to a level that's really frustrating for me to see. Stop it. You're better than that.
I've shot at a PRS match from offhand using my MS rifle; while ignoring the time restriction since I was just trolling some pro PRS shooters. That was after about 4 years of MS experience had honed my skills nicely. When my mentor was introduced to me it was because I was the "extreme long range gun guy" at work and I was a pretty well accomplished competition shooter in a number of sports by then. He asked about how I shoot and I told him and he said, "oh, a belly crawler." and I said, "yep." He described shooting 200-500m offhand and the rules and I thought, "Wow! There's a guy that can shoot a rifle." and I went to my first match, the state championships as it would happen to be. I did not score dead last, I was 2nd to last but I did hit targets and sometimes I would be dead steady over one and that told me that I could be dead steady over all of them if I learned how and built the needed muscular endurance and strength. For me to aim to any distance against a 3moa target from offhand isn't now a guaranteed hit but for whatever that 3moa target is, it's definitely nervous making time.
It took me 2 years to go from utter beginner to winning state championships in my class. You can too.
As far as Dusty's complaint. Never one time in my life have I ever been treated like I wasn't welcome at a match of any shooting sport. It's sad that that happened to you.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.