It’s fun to shoot steel silhouettes. Many people find the “instant gratification,” of tearing down steel more enjoyable than shooting paper. This website was actually created because the founder enjoyed shooting silhouette matches of 600 yards steel in Southern California. He built a 6mmBR rifle, and started AccurateShooter.com. Today’s video showcase shows a variety of silhouette shooting techniques. There are two main silhouette styles, the smallbore and centerfire, which can be shot from a standing location. Eric Mietenkorte is one of the top silhouette shooters in the world. He shows you how to shoot silhouette standing. We also show varmint silhouette matches from prone and from the bench. 600-yard silhouette matches by the Editor were shot initially from prone (F class style), then later from a seat on a bench. Both formats were enjoyable. We also have a cool video from New Zealand that shows handgun silhouette matches at a lush range in Kiwi country. Handgun shooters are prone in a reclined, forward-facing prone position. Shooting metallic silhouettes from a prone or sitting position is challenging, but it’s fun. The sound of steel clattering and the tipping of a metal silhouette is “instant gratification”.
Photo taken at the 2022 Spindeltop Smallbore Silhouette Championship, Golden Triangle Gun Club in Beaumont, TX. Metallic Silhouette — Mexican Import
Silhouette shooting was introduced to the United States from Mexico in 1960. It is believed that the sport originated in Pancho Villa’s 1914 shooting contests. The sport quickly spread throughout Mexico after the Mexican Revolution. Siluetas Metalicas uses steel silhouettes that look like game animals. There are chickens at the front, followed by rows of turkeys, pigs, and rams. Because “Siluetas Metalicas” was originally a Mexican sport it is not uncommon to hear the targets called Gallina (chicken), Javelina (“pig”), Guajalote (“turkey”) and Borrego (“ram”). These animals are shot at different distances depending on the discipline, but they are always placed in the same order. Click HERE to view the NRA Rifle Silhouette Guidelines.
Photo taken at the 2022 Spindeltop Smallbore Silhouette Championship. Silhouette Champion Eric Mietenkorte shares his skills in this next video. “Consistency, it’s key!” You should have a consistent, solid stance that is repeatable. This will allow you to aim naturally. You should not adjust your feet if you don’t feel like you’re falling on target. Erich explains his aiming technique: “Pick a spot on your target and aim for it. Don’t hesitate to take the shot if you are on target. It’s easy for a great shot to become a bad one. Follow through and keep the trigger back. Have fun! Beautiful Rosebud Silhouette Range, Alberta, Canada. This video was made at the Rosebud Silhouette and Benchrest Club, Alberta, Canada. This video teaches you how to use both the smallbore Metallic Silhouette Rifle and centerfire (High Power) rifles. It also demonstrates equipment and matches. As you can see, these challenging and fun sports can be shot all year. Texas Varmint Benchrest Silhouette This 48-minute video by Shooting USA TV features long-range varmint silhouette contests in Texas, the Lone Star State. These matches are a lot of fun and we have been to them on the West Coast. This sport combines the accuracy of benchrest competition with fun of destroying critter targets. These silhouettes are smaller than standard ones, so it can be quite challenging to hit them at 300 yards or beyond.
John Scoutten, host of this episode, competes with his 6.5 Creedmoor PRS gun. At 385 meters, 1-MOA Coyotes presented plenty of challenge for him. This Texas match saw most shooters use premium front rests and benchrest-grade rifles. Monthly Varmint Silhouette Bench/prone matches are held at the Pala Range in Southern California. Prone shooters compete with bench shooters. At each of five yardages, ten steel “critter” targets are set: 200m – Field Mice (“pikas”); 300m – Crows; 385m- Ground Squirrels. 500m Jack Rabbits. 600 yards – Prairie Dogs. Competitors shoot 50 targets at five different distances, with 10 each, alternately. You might start at 500m, then go 200m next, then 600 yards, etc. The target distances are mixed to increase the challenge. Speed Silhouette from Rimfire Bench Fast and exciting, the Speed Silhouette competition takes place on a time clock. 16 shots are taken by competitors from 30-60 yards. The timer stops when the shooter has successfully knocked down their final target. This event is fun to shoot and even more fun to watch live as the results are revealed within seconds of each relay start. New Zealand Handgun Metallic Silhouette New Zealand’s beautiful islands make it an ideal location for a silhouette match. This video shows a silhouette match of handguns with targets at different distances. The competitors sat in a special position on the ground with their handguns (mostly revolvers), aligned on one side of their legs. Silhouette Shooting Scoring Methods This video is from the Metallic Silhouette Shooters Society. It explains the basics of rimfire and centerfire silhouette matches. The video then explains how silhouette matches are scored using the shooting strings. Although the system is binary (knock down vs. hit), there are details such as when a plate hits but doesn’t drop. CLICK HERE to see a second MSSS video, which explains how silhouette shooting works and lists the equipment needed.
