Silhouette from the bench?

[mattlewis]

I once saw some guys shooting a rimfire match at a local gun club, at the metallic animal targets (chickens, rams, etc), but they were shooting from a bench. From what I've read, rimfire silhouette is off hand.

Can anybody give me more info on this game?

 

[Jeff A]

I shoot Silhouette from the bench at our club matches. We have a class for this and it is known as Varmint Class. It's a blessing for me as I have a bad back and could not tolerate the standing. The Varmint class folks only compete against each other. Our Varmint Class shooters can use a front rest of their choice but no rear rest or bags.

 

[letronshootit]

Go to Ridgway Rifle Club website they have rules for our Pa. club 1,000yd matches. 1,000yd Varmint Benchrest is totally addictive with instant gratification of a hit. Rimfire matches around this VBR are not available yet, there is a large Silhouette following there though.

 

[Lesloan]

One of my gun club's weekly "Old Farts" matches is a benchrest smallbore silhouette match (we shoot this one once a month.) Our targets are swingers, using the standard 1/5 scale silh. targets. Distances are 100-125-150 & 175 yds. Gets pretty challenging, especially on a breezy day.

 

[ewspears]

We shoot Rimfire silhouette from the bench once a month at Eustis Gun Club in Central FL. It is popular and a lot of fun! It's especially good for us "old farts" that aren't steady enough to shoot offhand anymore! Any .22 LR, any front rest, but no rear rest!

 

[mattlewis]

it certainly looks fun. so it's not a nationally sanctioned discipline, just a local phenomenon. thanks for the info!

 

[Jon Leary]

We shoot 22 benchrest silhouette at Birchwood shooting park. 50, 100, 150 and 200 meters. Silhouettes are standard 22 lr size. We have a couple matches per month in the summer.

 

[gkgeiger]

We shoot Rimfire silhouette from the bench once a month at Eustis Gun Club in Central FL. It is popular and a lot of fun! It's especially good for us "old farts" that aren't steady enough to shoot offhand anymore! Any .22 LR, any front rest, but no rear rest!

I didn’t realize it was off the bench, and not off hand. I’ll have to give it a try. Oh, no rear rest, does that mean from the shoulder?

 

[1Merlin]

Copied from our Greenwood Club email notification. Great match!

The match is a 50 round match consisting of:
10 - 1/10 scale chickens at 67 meters
10 - 1/10 scale pigs at 100 meters
10 - 1/10 scale turkeys at 123 meters
10 - 1/10 scale rams at 150 meters
10 - 1/5 scale rams at 200 meters

As in the past, after this match there is the "Winner Take All" match which I have made some revisions to.
To help increase hit percentages, we will be shooting the following silhouettes:

5 - 3/8 scale pigs at 250 meters
5 - 3/8 scale turkeys at 296 meters.
5 - 3/8 scale rams at 306 meters (also identified as 335 yards)

 

[Allen Corneau]

NASSA sanctioned benchrest silhouette is 1/5 scale chickens and 1/10 scale pigs, turkeys, and rams all at 100 meters.

https://nassasilhouette.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NASSA-Rifle-Benchrest-Silhouette-Rules-021125.docx

 

[ArtinNC]

That would be good for some one like me ! LOL LOL -OLD - LOL LOL

 

[boltman13]

The Cedaredge Rod & Gun Club in Colorado has monthly silhouette benchrest matches from April to October and March and November, weather permitting with 22 LR. Chickens at 75 yards, pigs at 100, turkeys at 125, and rams at 150 or 200 depending on past performance. The animals are reset pneumatically and the matches run quickly. It is not unusual to have over 20 shooters at a match.

 

[Tucker 7br]

Been following this and similar threads for awhile. I run a rimfire match that copies the HP Varmint rifle match that I attended several years ago at Palomino Gun Club located north of Reno.

My question for this thread...do you allow sighters, and how many or how long? Please be specific.
I originally allowed sighting in before the match started, but some people camped out at the bench (like for 30 minutes) so I changed to a single 6 minute sight-in period immediately before shooting for score.

Thanks in advance.

Oh yeah, the format is out and back, just like Palomino, instead of left to right. And rotating shooters within each squad on each relay.

 

[7315br]

Been following this and similar threads for awhile. I run a rimfire match that copies the HP Varmint rifle match that I attended several years ago at Palomino Gun Club located north of Reno.

My question for this thread...do you allow sighters, and how many or how long? Please be specific.
I originally allowed sighting in before the match started, but some people camped out at the bench (like for 30 minutes) so I changed to a single 6 minute sight-in period immediately before shooting for score.

Thanks in advance.

Oh yeah, the format is out and back, just like Palomino, instead of left to right. And rotating shooters within each squad on each relay.

I shot this particular .22 Rimfire Varmint Silhouette match this last Saturday at the Palomino (Reno/Sparks) club. It's :10 for all the sighters you want to shoot on round white painted sighter plates including :03 minutes for the (10) record shots. 100 (Bobcat), 125 (Coyote), 150 (Squirrel), 175 (Pig), and 200 yds (Deer). There's four relays of (20) shots each of :03 with :01 for a magazine change, Total record shots for the event is (80) plus sighters. IT HAPPENS FAST...lol! I've only shot this event twice and I'm learning.

I have (3) 10-shot magazines for my Bergara (as any hang-up or flipped out cartridge you won't make the time). The other thing it's very easy to shoot the wrong silhouette (I've done that twice already!!). It's absolutely relevant that you have the elevations "ups" figured out for the rifle. MIL scopes work best.

It's a lot of FUN...but a little nerve racking until you get used to the timing. There's a spotter behind you with a scope that calls hits/misses. This is a new event to the club...but it has a lot of interest. They plan on this event once a month. Like I said...it's a challenge...but FUN!

 

[tominboise]

At our club, we shoot Chickens off hand and Pigs, Turkeys and Rams from prone using wooden cross sticks and no rear bag. We shoot 100 yards one month (40, 50, 75, 100) and 200 yards the next month (50, 100, 150, 200 ). We get 10 minutes for sighters and to shoot the 10 animals. Sighters are unlimited but once you make the move to the first animal, no more sighters.

It's fun.

 

[SteveOak]

I once saw some guys shooting a rimfire match at a local gun club, at the metallic animal targets (chickens, rams, etc), but they were shooting from a bench. From what I've read, rimfire silhouette is off hand.

Can anybody give me more info on this game?

When you get to be 70 you will understand.

Yes, NRA Rifle Silhouette, both High Power and Smallbore, are officially shot in the standing and unsupported position, no slings.

As a means of retaining aging shooters, some clubs allow shooting from a bench but they do not compete against the standing shooters.

Some clubs have adopted their own version of Rifle Silhouette and have never been shooting matches by NRA rules.

A club near me has their own version. Chickens and Pigs are shot standing, Turkeys and Rams are shot prone. You can shoot Turkeys and Rams standing and get a 2 animal credit. Either way winners are determined among all shooters. To make things even more convoluted, in the winter they shoot indoors at 50' with correctly scaled animals. In the summer they shoot outdoors and use Pistol Silhouette targets and shoot at 25, 50, 70 and 100 yards. Whatever works.