Rifle Silhouette has evolved over 50 years, first with High Power and then adding Smallbore, Air Rifle and finally Lever Action disciplines over the lifespan of our sport.
Evolution of all shooting sports has accelerated over the last 10-15 years as new firearms, associated products and firearms technology has evolved. Therefore, it is important that our Rifle Silhouette sport must continue to evolve as well to attract both new and younger shooters. We must also accommodate our older Silhouette shooter community by offering them new challenges that can keep them involved and engaged.
A NASSA Primary Objective will be the promotion of “shooter-tested” new Rifle Silhouette disciplines that complement our current courses of fire. The desired result will be the growth of match attendance that is critical to keeping Rifle Silhouette viable. This also means bigger prize tables as sponsors are more willing to donate prizes. More prizes in turn keeps growing more match attendance.
In line with NASSA’s Charter, our Mission is to assist in petitioning the North American sanctioning bodies to establish new Rifle Silhouette disciplines. Please look over the various new Rifle Silhouette disciplines listed below being developed in some of our NASSA Regions!
Have some new Rifle Silhouette disciplines you are developing at your gun club? CONTACT US below so we can share your efforts with our NASSA membership.
Sporting Rifle Silhouette
Remember the name Sporting Rifle (Open Sights) Silhouette. It probably doesn’t mean anything to most of you, although is an extremely popular Smallbore Rifle Silhouette discipline in the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. Open sights are usually attached to the front and rear barrel rather than on the action and are sometimes referred to as leaf sights.
Long-time Silhouette shooter Tony Tello has seen how popular this discipline is at many shooting ranges south of the border. He does not doubt for a minute that this new discipline is going to be just as popular here in the USA. Taking the initiative, Tony Tello talked with Jim Luke who runs the Western Nationals Lever Action Championships at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Jim has agreed to let Tony run a Sporting Rifle Match the day before the Western Nationals on July 3rd, 2023.
There are many benefits to introducing the Sporting Rifle (Open Sights) discipline to the USA and Canada. This would include lower rifle costs, lower Silhouette rifle weight to benefit juniors and women as well as encouraging more club match participation.
Tony Tello wants the Raton match to be fun and free of controversy regarding match rules, so they will be simple and easy to enforce. The goal is opening up new discipline to lots of folks already owning common sporting rifles. Shoot by the rule of the day, have a great time, plink away that simple old .22lr and have fun.
Sporting Rifle Proposed Rules:
- Rifles – The rifle requires the use of an unaltered Sporting Rifle (.22lr) with open sights as it came from the factory (MAJOR MANUFACTURER only) and no one of a kind rifles. All types of rifles can be used including single shot, bolt action, lever action, pump action and semi-auto. Not allowed: custom rifles, target rifles, bull barrels, thumb hole stocks and other items used in target/match rifle competition.
- Sights – Open sights are usually attached to the barrel, rather than the action. If the open sight attaches to the action’s groves, it must be a sporting (hunting) rifle with an open sight installed originally at the factory. An example of typical sporting rifle open sights (sometime called leaf sights) are shown below on a CZ 457.
- Ammo – No restrictions on the type of .22lr ammo. If you want to use K-Mart ammo or Midas+, it does not matter.
- Targets – Targets are going to be the same targets used in Hunters Pistol and SB Lever Action which are half size shot at 40, 50, 75 and 100 meters.
- Firing Line Commands – The firing time allowed will be 30 seconds to load and 2 minutes to fire 5 rounds and then repeat if you are shooting alongside Lever Action Silhouette shooters. If you are shooting alongside Smallbore Rifle Silhouette shooters, then the time allowed would be 15 seconds to load and 2.5 minutes to fire 5 rounds.
- Shooter Classifications – Shooters will use their SB Lever Action Rifle Silhouette for classifications. If you do not have a classification in SB Lever Action, you will shoot unclassified and will be placed in a class depending on the first score fired.
- Clothing – Shooting vest or no shooting vest, it is up to you. If you do wear a vest, do not wear it tight, especially the heavy canvas and leather ones. We will have the 4″ PVC pipe available for the shooters to check their own vests. For any protests, the JURY will render a decision to disqualify (or not) the protested shooter.
- Range Equipment – Shooters can use spotting scopes, binoculars or the naked eye. We do not care as long as you have fun!
If you would like to join Tony to help introduce Sporting Rifle Silhouette north of the Mexico/USA border, contact Tony Tello on the email address tony.tello at gmail.com. Tony is also on Facebook at TONY TELLO and has more than one Facebook account dedicated to the promotion of Rifle Silhouette.
For More Information on Sporting Rifle Silhouette, see Tony Tello’s post in the NASSA Regional Updates link below:
Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette
Louisiana & Texas, in the NASSA US South Central Region, is the epicenter for Air Rifle Silhouette in North America. With the increase in popularity and technical advancement of air guns, Air Rifle Silhouette is set for a resurgence and is a high priority for NASSA to promote this discipline in more NASSA Regions.
At the 2022 Shamrock Silhouette Air Rifle Championships, Match Director Dustin Flint introduced Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette as a new discipline. Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette was shot on the same relays as the Air Rifle Silhouette shooters using the 2 1/2 minute time limit per five-shots intervals.
The benefit of this new discipline is that we can fill more relays and overall match attendance is increased. It is also a great “gateway discipline” to introduce both new and younger shooters as well as offer some of our older senior shooters a challenging alternative.
The Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette rules are simple and mesh well with Air Rifle Silhouette rules:
Air Rifle Benchrest Rules:
- Benchrest Air Rifle Silhouette is shot off the bench at steel chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams set at 50 yards.
- The targets are all scaled to the size of a 1/10 scale chicken.
- Any shot that causes the correct target to fall over or fall off the rail is scored a hit and all other are scored as misses.
- Rifle are required to meet the specifications set forth in the NRA Silhouette Rul;e Book for Open Air Rifle.
- Each rifle must pass certification before it may be shot in competition. Rifles are limited to no greater than 20 foot-pounds of energy to minimize target damage.
- The front rest may either be a bag, bipod, or traditional “benchrest rest” and the rest must be forward enough that the rifle cannot sit fully supported on the rest if the shooter is not holding the rifle. The rifle may not be clamped into the rest.
- No rear bag/rest is allowed. The rear of the rifle must be supported by the shooter’s shoulder.
- No part of the rifle may touch the bench. The shooter’s hand/elbow, etc. may rest on the bench.
- The non-shooting hand may not support the rifle in any way behind the trigger guard.
Have any questions or comments about this new Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette discipline? Reach out to us on the CONTACT US link below!
Air Rifle Field Target Silhouette
Louisiana also has a strong program in Air Rifle Field Target. Since the Bayou Airgun Club located in Baton Rouge, LA has both Field Target and Air Rifle Silhouette, Dustin Flint and the Louisiana Silhouette Rifle Team have created Air Rifle Field Target Silhouette to increase shooter attendance at their Air Rifle Silhouette Championship Matches. It is thus far exclusive to this club.
Along with increasing Air Rifle Silhouette Match attendance, companies such as Air Guns of Arizona, Pyramid Air and Utah Airguns are now enticed to attend as well as they currently do with Field Target Championship Matches at this same range. Such a Championship Match with this type of vendor attendance could create a festive atmosphere with new technologies on display to further drive interest in Air Rifle Silhouette.
At the 2022 Shamrock Silhouette Air Rifle Championships, Match Director Dustin Flint offered Air Rifle Field Target Silhouette, as well as Benchrest Silhouette for shooters to choose from. Air Rifle Field Target Silhouette is also shot on the same relays as the Air Rifle Silhouette shooters using the 2/ 1/2 minutes time limit per five-shots intervals. Course of fire is 10 chickens at 20 yds, 10 pigs at 30 yds, 10 turkeys at 36 yds and 10 rams at 45 yds with the same time limits.
The Air Rifle Field Target rules, just like Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette, are simple and mesh well with Air Rifle Silhouette rules:
Air Rifle Field Target Silhouette Rules:
- The equipment rules are exactly the same as the various types of Field Target Equipment Rules. If your rifle and equipment are legal for whatever class of Field Target you shoot, it is legal for Field Target Silhouette. However, all rifle are limited to no greater than 20 foot-pounds of energy to minimize target damage.
- Chickens and pigs are both forced-position. The chickens must be shot KNEELING; the pigs must be shot STANDING; and the turkeys and rams must be shot FREESTYLE.
- Scoring is the same as regular Silhouette.
Have any questions or comments about this new Air Rifle Field Target Silhouette discipline? Reach out to us on the CONTACT US link below!
Smallbore Rifle Benchrest Silhouette
The motivation for starting up Smallbore Rifle Benchrest Silhouette is the same rationale as Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette described above. We can fill more relays and overall match attendance is increased and is a great “gateway discipline” to introduce both new and younger shooters as well as offer some of our older senior shooters a challenging alternative.
The Louisiana Silhouette Rifle Team and Bayou Rifles out of Houston are testing this new discipline during their Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Matches. Smallbore Rifle Benchrest Silhouette is shot on the same relays as the Smallbore Rifle Silhouette shooters using the 2 1/2 minute time limit per five-shots intervals.
Course of fire is 10 chickens, 10 pigs, 10 turkeys, and 10 rams all shot at 100 meters with the same time limits. Targets sizes are 1/5 scale chicken, 1/10 scale pig, 1/10 scale turkey and 1/10 scale ram. When all these animals are put out at 100 meters, they are all proportionally the same relative size with the turkey once again being the most difficult one to hit!
Smallbore Benchrest Rifle Rules (Similar to Air Rifle Benchrest Silhouette):
- Smallbore Rifle Benchrest Silhouette is shot off the bench at steel chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams all set at 100 meters.
- The targets sizes are 1/15 scale chicken, 1/10 scale pig, 1/10 scale turkey and 1/10 scale ram.
- Any shot that causes the correct target to fall over or fall off the rail is scored a hit and all other are scored as misses.
- Rifle are required to meet the specifications set forth in the NRA Silhouette Rule Book for Smallbore Standard Rifle.
- Each rifle must pass certification before it may be shot in competition.
- The front rest may either be a bag, bipod, or traditional “benchrest rest” and the rest must be forward enough that the rifle cannot sit fully supported on the rest if the shooter is not holding the rifle. The rifle may not be clamped into the rest.
- No rear bag/rest is allowed. The rear of the rifle must be supported by the shooter’s shoulder.
- No part of the rifle may touch the bench. The shooter’s hand/elbow, etc. may rest on the bench.
- The non-shooting hand may not support the rifle in any way behind the trigger guard.
Have any questions or comments about this new Smallbore Rifle Benchrest Silhouette discipline? Reach out to us on the CONTACT US link below!
Half-Course High Power Rifle Silhouette
Many shooters participating in multiple Rifle Silhouette disciplines say that High Power Silhouette is the most challenging and rewarding of them all. Knocking down a ram at 500 meters is simply exhilarating!
To support NASSA High Power Silhouette initiatives, the NASSA USA South Central Region has initiated plans to increase High Power Matches attendance in Texas and Louisiana. The Fusilier Complex out of Arnaudville, LA, assisted by Dustin Flint, is in the process of building a new HP Silhouette Range to add a Championship Match as well as club matches to the area. A proposal to build another High Power Range at Bayou Rifles, Inc. out of Houston is also being prepared for consideration.
At the Fusilier Complex (Arnaudville, LA), Bayou Rifles (Houston, TX) and the Golden Triangle Gun Club (Beaumont, TX), planning is underway for Highpower Silhouette ranges to be built to also accommodate Half-Course High Power Silhouette Matches. This would entail shooting full-scale chickens and half-scale turkeys at 200 meters (or yards), as well as full-scale pigs and half-scale rams at 300 meters (or yards). Shooting 1/2 scale animals at shorter distances may be nothing new for some clubs across Canada, Mexico and the USA, but the intent in the NASSA USA South Central Regions is to turn this into a formal silhouette discipline available in other NASSA Regions.
The benefits of this new Half-Scale High Power Silhouette to increase participation are:
- Many existing ranges that have a 300 yard range can accommodate this discipline, thus dramatically increasing the possibilities of new ranges opening up.
- Entry level rifles at a lower cost can compete out to 300 meters.
- If A-500 steel targets are used, calibers such as .223 could be used to reduce reloading costs and increase the number of shooters that could participate.
- Opens up the use of tactical rifles such as AR-15s to attract new shooters to our sport. This is a cheap way to get into this sport and reverses one the the major impediments to participate.
We are still in the process of working out the details and will post new updates as we progress through our development process.
Have any questions or comments about this new Half-Course High Power Rifle Silhouette discipline? Reach out to us on the CONTACT US link below!