Silhouette Rifle Rules Changes - 2018

[cedestech]

In case anyone is unaware, Highpower Rifle, Highpower Hunting Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, Smallbore Hunting Rifle, Open Air Rifle, Target Air Rifle and Sporter Air Rifle Silhouette all allow scopes. They are all lots of fun and very challenging. Feel free to come shoot!

Dustin

I just heard that from someone else a hour or so ago.... odd....

"but the animals are so small..."

[JohnHenry]

Craig, why don't you send your letter to Aaron Farmer, the Deputy Director of the Silhouette Dept at the NRA?
I would be interested in his response.
Aso, I think we should have a listing of the Silhouette Committee members with their addresses.

[lijeboy]

Thanks Jeanne,
I've read through the document, but not studied it yet, but have a question.

The document states "• 19.17.1 Reclassification During a Pistol Match - ...." emphasis mine
That section used to be titles "Reclassification During a Registered Match -" emphasis mine
Does that mean if you "breakout" during any other match besides a Pistol Match, you don't move up like you used to?
I'm guessing they made an error here! Besides, doesn't even hold Nationals for Pistol anymore, do they?
I'll check into it an report back.

ShootingStar
Greg

I also caught those two statements that are seemingly mistakes, but I did not draft this, nor did I have anything to do with drafting it, rather, was simply sharing it with the shooting community for their information. I "assume" it's an error, but we all know what happens when one assumes ....

I apologize for the delayed response. Your post almost got lost in the brouhaha.

[DavidABQ]

In the future, before perpetuating rumors, please feel free to contact me.

Maybe it is me but doesn't that negate the whole concept of perpetuating rumors?

[lijeboy]

Craig, why don't you send your letter to Aaron Farmer, the Deputy Director of the Silhouette Dept at the NRA?
I would be interested in his response.
Aso, I think we should have a listing of the Silhouette Committee members with their addresses.

Jim:

Direct your questions/comments/concerns of the Silhouette Committee to Silhouette Department. Correspondence will be reviewed and addressed by the committee members.

Jeanne

[BrentD]

Michael, I have suggested scopes before, and got no support for some reason. Not sure why people would not like to let others shoot that can't do it with irons any more. Looking at BPCR shows that is can easily be done at no harm to the ironsight crowd. Just more shooting for more people. Meanwhile I sure don't notice much in the way of bickering at Raton. Maybe you need to hang out with us, or at least someone else.

Dustin, if we wanted to shoot bolt rifles, we would. Some probably do. Personally, not interested. At all. Happy to hear that others like it however.

[dustinflint]

Dustin, if we wanted to shoot bolt rifles, we would. Some probably do. Personally, not interested. At all. Happy to hear that others like it however.

You can put a scope on a lever rifle and shoot it, or on an automatic, or a pump, low-wall, high-wall, whatever. Doesn't have to be a bolt gun. You can use any sight you like. You can have lenses all over the place.

Seems like it's exactly what you've been asking for.

Dustin

[BrentD]

Thanks for your "help" Dustin. But no thanks.

[cedestech]

Dustin, if we wanted to shoot bolt rifles, we would. Some probably do. Personally, not interested. At all. Happy to hear that others like it however.

You can put a scope on a lever rifle and shoot it, or on an automatic, or a pump, low-wall, high-wall, whatever. Doesn't have to be a bolt gun. You can use any sight you like. You can have lenses all over the place.

Seems like it's exactly what you've been asking for.

Dustin

[dscak1]

I believe that any potential rule changes or proposed changes in the manner in which silhouette matches are conducted should be publicly identified by the Silhouette Department prior to the annual meeting of the Silhouette Committee. This would permit any interested shooter(s) to comment on the proposed changes and give the committee members the opportunity to access the opinions of the supported community prior to voting. Additionally, it would, perhaps, limit the surprises like the one recently published. It is my opinion that the first test for any proposed change should be how does this change benefit the shooters. If that cannot be clearly demonstrated, then there must be other overriding reasons to effect the change, ie, safety, legal requirements, etc.

I believe there should have been no issue regarding the use of lenses in the rear sight of a lever action silhouette rifle at the 2018 National Championship. The official program clearly stated, "Corrective lenses are allowed only in the rear sight." However, when I arrived at the range to check my rifles in, I was advised there had been an issue with the lens in the rear sight of a competitor's rifle. During discussions with another shooter who shoots with a lens in his rear sight, he advised that, although his rifle had already been certified, he had decided not to shoot with the lens in order to avoid any potential protest. I decided, with the shooter's knowledge, to protest his sight with the lens, as I had intended to shoot all three of my rifles with lenses on the tang sights. I believed a jury decision would resolve any remaining issue(s) regarding th use of the lens in the rear sight. To this end I prepared, paid for and filed the protest. While the shooter was aware of my actions, I prepared and filed the protest. Any inference the silhouette committee or others may have drawn from believing a shooter protested his own firearm is and was simply in error.

A corrective lens in the rear sight of a lever action silhouette rifle is used to provide the shooter with a clearer front sight image. Lever action silhouette requires the shooter see both the front sight and the target. While I agree this can be accomplished with eye glasses, it is not normally the optimum perscription for an individual who must wear glasses. Instead, it requires a compromise, allowing one to see both the front sight and the target. The necessitates a knowledgable and cooperative optometrist to identify a perscription that is optomised for a specific barrel length. I have chosen to go this route. However, not everyone has access to an optometrist who is willing to assist them, and not everyone can afford a pair of glasses for each firearm he/she chooses to shoot competitively. A lens is simply a cheaper, more readily available alternative.

As, I'm sure has become apparent, I am not in favor of the rule change disallowing the use of lenses in the rear sight. It is my intention to address this to the Silhouette Department and the Silhouette Committee, requesting they rescend the change and again permit the use of lenses in the rear sight of lever action silhouette rifles. I strongly encourage any other shooter with an opinion on this issue, either for or against lenses in rear sights to make their opinion known to the Silhouette Department and the Silhouette Committee. Dan Cates

[snaketail2]

FWIW
I started with the basic Williams rear sight aperture and won my class ever so often. Then tried Tang sight, then a Merit adjustable aperture and various size apertures...my scores showed that I was not doing as well as before.
This year I'm going back to a standard aperture and a fiber optic bead in the front slot. In practice it is showing me I never should have changed.

I have a .5 diopter rose colored lens in a Merit adjustable sight...yes, I can see the front sight AND the target clearly, buy my score don't show any improvement. But these are not allowed now and I'm going back to basics.

While I may not shoot any better, I don't expect to shoot any worse. "You can't buy a good score."

Way back in 1988 I was in Raton the Hunter's Pistol Nationals. I took a poster off the wall about "Lever Action Silhouette". The rules were: round or flat nose ammo, "full-heal cowboy boots" and buckhorn sights. We tried Lever Action Silhouette at our club in Dallas - went OK, but I recall that not many rams fell with buckhorn sights.

So, If the rule committee wants to go back to basics... it should include the cowboy boots too.

Michael

PS: Still not going to Raton

[cedestech]

My wife shoots straight Buckhorn, she is up to AAA. If she would sort of kind of practice, she would easily shoot master scores. It’s actually a good side picture, just not fine enough adjustment.

[squinty_shooter]

Just to keep this post regarding the NRA changes, I still am listed as unclassified in 2 guns and no listing in the other. And no SB listings at all. I guess I will resend all my wife's and my scorebook pages while I can see them without a lens.
Kimbal

[DavidABQ]

I just heard that from someone else a hour or so ago.... odd....

"but the animals are so small..."

They look a lot larger through a scope!

[DavidABQ]

Dustin, if we wanted to shoot bolt rifles, we would. Some probably do. Personally, not interested. At all. Happy to hear that others like it however.

You can put a scope on a lever rifle and shoot it, or on an automatic, or a pump, low-wall, high-wall, whatever. Doesn't have to be a bolt gun. You can use any sight you like. You can have lenses all over the place.


Seems like it's exactly what you've been asking for.

Dustin