Cowboy Lever and Pistol Silhouette Matches
Siluetas Metalicas, a sport in which steel silhouettes in the shape of game animals are used as targets, was introduced into the United States from Mexico in the 1960’s. The sport has evolved from high power rifle to include the pistol. The metal targets are shaped in the forms of chicken (gallina), wild boar (javelina), turkey (guajalote), and desert ram (borrego). The objective is to hit and knock down each animal target. Each downed target is scored as one point.
Courses of fire
On match days, multiple 40-shot matches, 10 shots at each type of animal, are fired on Range 1. It is generally not necessary to show up at the beginning of the match in order to secure a firing time. A single 40-shot match takes about an hour to fire. The matches are precision-fire matches completed in 5-shot strings in a maximum permitted time of 2 minutes. Open-sight pistols may be used in any of the scoped categories of fire if desired.
Types of Matches and dates
Silhouette League---Tuesday evenings at 5/6 pm during daylight savings time depending on the month. This is an NRA type Smallbore Cowboy Lever Action or Hunter’s Pistol Match fired with .22 caliber ammunition only, usually twice through, from standing. Rifles are tube fed smallbore semi-automatic, pump, or lever action rifles. No bolt action or clip fed rifles may be used. For pistols, open sights or scopes are permitted. Typical shooters fire Ruger or S&W autoloaders, Contenders, and a range of revolvers. The course of fire begins at 40 yds on 1/2 size chickens and ends at 100 yds on 1/2 size rams. Pigs at 50 yards are considered the easiest targets, with a “sure hit” area measuring about 5 inches top to bottom.
Cowboy Lever Action/Pistol Silhouette Match--3d Saturday beginning at 9AM
Typically over 20 possible courses of fire, with firing positions opening up about every 15 minutes.
Big Bore NRA Cowboy Lever Action Rifle and IHMSA Pistol matches begin on full-size chickens at 50 yards and end on full-size rams at 200 yards. Chickens at 50 yards are considered the easiest targets, with a “sure hit” area measuring about 5 inches top to bottom. Cowboy Lever Action Rifles use open, receiver, or tang sights , and are fired from standing position only. For pistols, both open sight and scope categories are available, in both standing and freestyle categories. Freestyle is any safe position in which the gun is supported only by the body with no artificial support and does not touch the ground or ground mat. Permitted equipment varies depending on the match, but open-sight magnum revolvers may be entered in all courses of fire. Typical competitors fire magnum revolvers , Contenders chambered for 0.24 to 0.36 caliber hunting rounds, or bolt action handguns in the .24-.30 caliber range. There is also a 1/2 course of fire at the same distances for which hunting rounds in the .22 to .24 caliber range would be suitable. Sighter targets are available and may be fired on prior to shooting for record. Heavy loads are generally required to reliably down the rams, which weigh 60 pounds. However, permissible loads are limited to those which do not cause excessive target damage.
NRA Pistol Cartridge Cowboy Lever Action Rifle and IHMSA Field Pistol matches begin at 40 yds on 1/2 size chickens and ends at 100 yds on 1/2 size rams. Pigs at 50 yards are considered the easiest targets, with a “sure hit” area measuring about 5 inches top to bottom. Both rifles and pistols typically fire straight-walled centerfire pistol calibers, and certain other authorized calibers, such as the .22 Hornet, or .22 caliber rimfires chambered in .22 long rifle or .22 magnum. Magnum calibers are not necessary to down the targets, but may generally be used. Cowboy Lever Action Rifles use open, receiver, or tang sights , while for pistols, both open sight and scope categories are available. Both rifles and pistols are fired from standing position only.
NRA Smallbore Silhouette Rifle and IHMSA Smallbore Pistol matches utilize only .22 Long Rifle ammunition. NRA Smallbore Silhouette Rifles fire on 1/2 scale targets while IHMSA Pistols fire on 3/8 scale targets. The IHMSA Pistol course of fire begins on 3/8 sized chickens at 25 yards and ends on 3/8 sized rams at 100 yards. The NRA Smallbore Silhouette Rifle course is the same except that the chickens are 1/2 size and set at 40 yards. Overall, the easiest targets are probably the pigs at 50 yards, which have a “sure hit” area measuring about 4 inches top to bottom. Rifles may use open, receiver, or tang sights while pistols have both open sight and scope categories, in both standing and freestyle categories. Typical rifle equipment includes vintage pump or lever action .22 rifles, and typical pistol shooters fire Contenders or high-quality revolvers, and sometimes autoloaders.
Contact: Randy Parker
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Phone: 713 906 7674
Small Bore Silhouette Matches
Range 3 - Rimfire Range
General information:
There are two categories for smallbore rifle silhouette, standard and hunting. For hunting most any rifle that will make the 81/2# limit with scope would be legal with a few exception, check the rules below for a better understanding of the standard rifle. I have included a summery of the rules.
The following information is published to help new shooters get familiar with silhouette rifle rules. NRA's permission was obtained to publish this information. For Rule books contact:
NRA'S Silhouette Department
11250 Waples
Mill Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
3.1 High power Silhouette Rifle-
A rifle, 6mm or larger caliber, meeting the following specifications:
(a) Maximum weight 10 pounds, 2 ounces, including sights.
(b) Any sights, telescopic or metallic may be used. Scopes may not be more than 2 inches above the rifle as measured from the top of the receiver to the underside of the scope tube, nor may the scope be offset from the top center line of the receiver. Any sighting device programmed to activate the firing mechanisms is prohibited.
(c) Any trigger not subject to accidental discharge. Triggers which function on release are not permitted. In the event of accidental discharge, the Range officer shall require trigger adjustment or eplacement of the rifle.
(d) Stock: The stock must be traditionally styled and may not be bent and/or twisted so as to deviate from conventional configurations such as factory rifle stocks or silhouette stocks as manufactured by Fajen, McMillan, H-S Precision, and others. The forend, including the trigger guard mounts and screws, shall not exceed 2¼ inches wide and 2¼ inches deep measured from the centerline of the bore. Magazines do not have to conform to stock measurements but those that extend below the stock line may not be used as support as per Rule 3.1 (h) and 3.14. The forend shall extend a minimum of 8
inches forward of the forward edge of the receiver ring. The comb shall not extend above the centerline of the bore, but Monte Carlo roll may rise ½ inch on the off side. The toe of the stock including buttplate or recoil pad shall be no more than 7 inches below the centerline of the bore. Buttplate or recoil pad may not extend below the lower line of the stock.
(e) Attachments which do not cause any portion of the rifle to exceed the weight or dimensions as listed herein are permitted provided they do not extend past the end of the barrel. Sighting devices are not considered "attachments".
(f) Trigger guard must be present and may not vary from conventional configuration for the purpose of providing added thumb or palm support and shall be no deeper than 1 5/16 inches below the bottom line of the forend (Note: T/C Contender Carbines and Ruger Single Shot rifles are exempt, provided the additional depth of the trigger guard is not used as palm or thumb support.)
(g) The barrel may be no longer than 30 inches including any sleeve or attachment, as measured from the face of the closed bolt to the end of the barrel.
(h) Exceptions: U. S. Rifle caliber .30 M1, M14 and M1A. these rifles only may exceed the weight limit. Telescopic sights are not permitted. The magazine of the M1A or M14 may not be used as
a palm rest. 3.1.1 High Power Hunting Silhouette Rifle- A hunting style rifle, 6 mm or larger caliber, with conventional sporting/hunting rifle stock as found on catalog model Winchester, Savage, Ruger, Remington and other hunting rifles. Non-bolt-action single-shot rifles must have separate buttstock and forend. All other types of rifle must be repeating types and fired by loading all cartridges from magazines into rifle chambers. All magazines must be loaded to factory capacity, not to exceed five rounds. Magazines not capable of holding five cartridges may be reloaded as required. No cartridges may be loaded into chamber without first having been inserted in magazine. Exception: In shoot-off situation, single cartridge loading will be required. It is the intent of the Rule to describe a common
hunting rifle that is built by major arms manufactures and readily available to the general public over the counter. The only alterations to the rifle that will be allowed are epoxy bedding, the installation of a Boss-CR and the addition of a recoil pad that may be adjusted for length of pull only, and must be of the same dimensions as the original butt plate. Custom-made rifles are prohibited.
The rifle shall meet the following specifications:
(a)The rifle must be or have been a catalog item readily available to the general public. Questionable rifles must be submitted for review and ruling as to acceptance by the Silhouette Committee at their annual meeting prior to the Championship in which the rifle will be allowed to compete. It shall be the competitor's responsibility to provide any documentation which may be required to establish that a Hunting Rifle conforms to these Rules.
(b) Maximum weight 9 pounds, including sights.
(c) Any sights, Telescopic or metallic, may be used. Scopes may not be more than 1 ½ inches above the rifle, as measured from top of receiver to underside of scope tube, nor may the scope be offset from the centerline of the bore. Any sighting device programmed to activate the firing mechanism is prohibited.
(d) Trigger may be adjusted but not replaced with custom trigger. Trigger pull of no less than 2 pounds. Set triggers are not allowed. In the event of accidental discharge, Range Officer shall require trigger adjustment or replacement of the rifle. Rifle must be equipped.
Contact: Pat Steiger
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Phone: 713.408.0664