Is silhouette dying?

[siloet56]

Is silhouette dying? I am in central Michigan originally from central Iowa...Back in Iowa 10 years ago silhouette shooting completely dried up.. Now in Michigan when I go to a match it is the same old shooters.... We went from 35-40 shooters on a regular day to currently 5-6 shooters... I dont see any young people at all.. What are we going to do to sustain this wonderful sport...How do we revitalize our sport? WHAT CAN WE DO?

[cslcAl]

56, Silhouette will only die if we let it. This is not an easy game and it takes a special individual to partisipate in this sport and stay involved in it. It is not something that advertising will draw a lot of interest. What it really take to be sucessful is recrutement from existing shooters. The problem is a lot of shooters don't want to be bothered. The other problem is getting new blood to help run matches. Most clubs have had the same few people running things for many years, and it gets old after a while. When they eventually have had enough if no one steps up, no more matches. I personally have been involved in some kind of match duties for most of my almost 30 yr. career. Currently I run the Cowboy program at CSLC and we have 25-30 matches a year. We shoot every Tues. night and you don't get any breaks. I do get a little tired of it especially near the end of the season, but I have a lot of really good helpers and all of our shooters will pitch in and help anytime. I have found that it is a year round commitment to run a sucessful program. There are many, many aspects to having a good match than just showing up the day of. If any one is really worried about the health of silhouette ask yourself what have " I " done to help. You don't have to be a match director, but just do something to help, but the best thing you can do is introduce new shooters to the sport. Especially kids or young people. Could someone please help me off my soap box! Thanks, Al Foust

[Innocent]

Your soap box is fine Al, keep it up. I know the feeling of match director for life of the director ( or the range in some cases).

Mary

[.22-5-40]

Hello, everyone. Sometimes the shooting sports can be it's own worst enemy. Back in the 80's, high-power club suggested a .22 rimfire match. Only targets they had were the .22 pistol silhouette. The only rifle I had that had decent sights & enough weight was a customized Australian martini cadet action re-barreled with a Rem. Matchmaster barrel, custom stock. Sights were appature rear..no clicks..I had die-maker at work precision engrave graduations on slide, blade front. My first match, I was able to hit over 1/2 of targets..got a few rams. I had no off-hand experience before, & even though targets were larger than NRA std., it was still difficult enough..It seems there were a few who did better, but no one cleaned all 40..even the scope users. I was hooked! Couldn't wait until next match. The I got news letter..The NRA got wind of our little match, and said it was not sanctioned..must have the regular NRA silhouette targets. Well that did it for me, I couldn't afford a special rimfire just for this type of shooting..and the sporting class wasn't around yet. Fast forward about 20 odd years..Same club..By now, my taste in firearms has changed, still interested in single-shots, but the schuetzen variety. So give club a call..Tell them I have an old Ballard match rifle, over 100 years old, palm rest.(which I said could be removed), and schuetzen hooked butt. ".. Oh you wouldn't be able to compete with that type of buttplate!..It would give you an advantage!" LOL, any modern rifle on the line would probably shoot circles around this old girl..Besides, I would probably be using an old Lyman external adjusted scope..or the original vernier tang & globe front! I did locate a club that is much closer to me, & when asked..they told me "Shoot what ya bring!" Now I just wonder if you could intice more new shooters into the game if by using the larger .22 pistol silhouette targets..and opening it up to any type rifle..having a seperate class of course..plus, the schuetzen type shooting is going by the wayside here in Mi., there are alot of good off-hand shooters who would give this sport a try if they were able to use irons..and those little NRA ones are a bit much for 50+ old shooters.
Just a thought?

[siloet56]

Thx to all for your thoughts and the time it took to write it down....All this has got me thinking...Would it matter if we shot at a circle instead of a silhouette? Just hear me out for a second. eg.. just for the sake of conversation lets say the chicken from nose to tail is 1 1/2 inches... Cut an 1 1/2 circle... if the pig is 3 inches from nose to tail then just cut a 3 inch circle... might allow the shooters to pick up a few extra points along the way... Just thinking out loud here... what does anyone else think???
Thx again

[.22-5-40]

Hello, siloet56. I have been reading about the small bore silhouette side matches at the big BPCR silhouette matches at Ratone, etc. These are shot off X sticks just like the big guns..I am not sure about the chickens though. Anyway, I think they are shooting out to 200, maybe 300yds. Sounds like a blast! I have had this idea lurking in the back of my head for quite a few years..never mentioned to anyone till now: What if you were to have a 'Stand"..As in Buffalo hunting? It could be modeled on Hunters Pistol..say 10 buffalo silhouettes..large enough to be shot with irons at 200yds..or even 100m. These would be placed at varying distances..all unknown to shooters..and in various positions..slightly facing away, uphill, downhill, or facing slightly towards shooters...mix e'm up just like real animal herd. Shooter would have so much time to down as many as possible..Now If this wouldn't draw the kids in..I don't know what would..could have iron & scope class..and forget about that exposed hammer B.S. anything goes..even bolts..Winchester had their Hotchkiss .45-70 back then didn't they? I think it would be a hoot!

[GTKF]

At Colonial R&PC, we run both SB and SB Cowboy Rifle. When I run SBCB matches I run a "fun class" and invite new shooters and anyone interested in shooting any .22 rifle and sight combination. This allows new shooters to gain some confidence.

[Daddio!]

I only started shooting smallbore silhouette last summer but from what I'm hearing from the seasoned veterans at two different clubs is that the attendance at these matches is way down from what it was years ago. I don't understand it, it's a great game and the expense is pretty low compared to some of the other shooting disciplines. The matches at my local club used to be sanctioned and it's my understanding that they generally had a much better turnout then what we see today. For whatever reason they stopped sanctioning the matches and now they only hold 4 matches a year and they're run as "shoot what you bring" but otherwise they use the same basic NRA rules and procedures. It doesn't seem to make a difference whether or not the matches are "shoot what you bring" or not since all the competitors on the line are using rifles that would fall into either NRA standard or hunter class anyway. I may shoot a rifle at our last club match next weekend that doesn't meet the standard class rules (just barely) due to the stock being .050 wider than what would fall within the NRA rules but if it works well for me I'll consider modifying it or restocking it to meet the NRA rules.
FWIW, I would rather shoot an official sanctioned match even if it means that I have to pay a little higher match fee. Unfortunately, the closest NRA sanctioned matches are an hour and fifteen minutes drive away and with gas prices etc the way they are it's not always easy for me to do so on a tight budget but I try to make as many of those sanctioned matches as I can. My goal is to make it into master class someday and to me it's important to do it officially under the NRA rules. I guess it shouldn't matter if I shoot sanctioned matches or not. Being able to shoot master class scores (or AAA, AA, etc) is the same whether they're official or not right? But it does matter to me that I do it officially under the NRA rules. So, I'll continue drive 70 miles one way to shoot the sanctioned matches and I'll also do my best to recruit new shooters but it's not easy around this area. With the way things are going I certainly hope that there is silhouette shooting in this area long enough for me to continue doing something that I've come to enjoy so much for years to come. Only time will tell I guess.

[TXCharlie]

Nice to see 7 BNG's (Brand New Guy's), shot our "fun match" yesterday. Keep it safe, simple and fun. Do not overwhelm them with too much information or demands. Give them ammo, loan equipment and help them find success hitting targets. Encourage them to try different loaner equipment before they rush out to buy something, how many of us would have benefited from this…
The real work comes from all existing shooters and clubs:
1. Scheduling matches
2. Match directors and assistants setting up and accomplishing well run matches
3. Introduction to the various silhouette games, and other local clubs (other opportunities)
4. Leading each shooter with correct and safe firearms handling. Much easier to learn the correct way then break bad habits. WE MUST BE THE CORRECT EXAMPLE.
5. Use the KISS method; we do not like things that are not easy to follow… Why would a BNG want to return if our sport is not understandable?
6. Get contact information. Communication with a visitor might encourage them to return.

Thanks to all that showed up for the match at HCRPC yesterday, please come back.
C-Ya,
Charlie

[Jerry G]

I have been hearing that question since the late 80s. Yet, I go to matches in town where they never shot before and quite often I see new and young faces at the matches.

I think all we need to do is keep up the friendly aditude at matches and run a FAIR match for all.

[boats]

Our club we have the same shooters every month Smallbore is set by range capacity at 16 and that's the typical number. High power is dropping to under 6 avarage. Seems guys give it a try then gravatate to the afternoon Club match after that's not run under NRA rules.

Way I see it is Silhouette is a difficult game and it takes top equipment to compete. With no class for entry level rifles like we used to have with Hunter class the barrier to entry is just too high for the average guy.

Our club matches iron sight, rim fire one weekend center fire another, lever and single shot, with bring what you have rules on Swingers are real popular and keep growing. Guy shows up with a full on scope sighted bolt match rifle welcome him to the match, but class it as non conforming, post the score, no prize money.

Wonder what would happen if we started a true factory rifle class, like Hunter used to be. Be easier for new guys to gear up. All sorts of new CLA shooters at our club too, they can get a Marlin into competiton for way less than a Silhouette rifle.

Boats

[CZforlife]

Circles in my opinion would be borring.

[Jerry G]

Boats, you might hook a few if you shot larger targets and put some limits on scopes. Years ago, in Canada they would not allow turret adjustments after the sight-in for the hunter rifle. I also think they had a 10x limit on the hunter scopes. I don't know if it would work or not but it might be worth a try. It sure wouldn't take much to set it up and give it a whirl.

[CZforlife]

Yah, but it wouldn't be fair at all for the people who have invested their money according to the ways the rules are now. Do you really know how few people use scopes under probaly 15x in you big matches! I shot on 40x power for the nationals and the all of a sudden I'd be limited to ten? I'd probably quit the sport if such a ludicrous idea was proposed and passed! Just my opinion though.

[potterboy1]

Here are my two cents. I have been shooting silhouettes for about 8 years now. When I began attendance was high almost two full lines (16 per line) but now it is down to 3-5 shooters a week. My explanation is that shooting disciplines are cyclic right now Cowboy, IDPA, and CMP are the "popular" flavors. I have competed in many different shooting sports (IDPA, archery, PPC, sporter rifle, and CMP) and I have seen the same thing for all of them at first they are popular and then attendance wains but it is up to the clubs, and their members, to keep the leagues going no matter the participation because the shooters will come back. As shooters get bored with the game they are shooting they will look for something else and if they never shot silhouettes they may give it a try. I personally am not in favor of changing the NRA rules because the game is simple enough (4 animals at 4 distances) granted it is much harder to do. It is great if the clubs want to tweak the way they shoot but there does need to be a "standard" way of running the game. As shooters and club members it is up to us to help drum up newbies. Things like weekend free trial shoots were equipment is provided so people can give it a try and more advertising at local shops and at other ranges.
There 2-cents.