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Metallic silhouette shooting is a group of target shooting disciplines that involves shooting at metal cutouts representing game animals at varying distances. Metallic silhouette shooting can be done with air guns, black powder firearms, modern handguns, or modern rifles. The targets used are rams, turkeys, pigs, and chickens, which are cut to different scales and set at certain distances from the shooter depending on the specific discipline.

History

Metallic silhouette is descended from an old Mexican sport, dating back to the early 1900s, where live game animals were staked out at varying distances as targets. By 1948, metal cutouts of the animals were used instead of live animals, and the first metallic silhouette match was held in Mexico City. Because of its Mexican roots, the silhouettes are often referred to by their Spanish names, Gallina (chicken), Javelina (pig), Guajalote (turkey), and Borrego (ram).

Course of fire

Targets are set up in groups of 5 of each kind, with a silhouette's width between targets, laid out at the required distances for the given match. Each group of targets must be shot left to right; if a target is missed then the next shot is taken at the next target. Any target hit out of order is considered a miss. Targets are engaged in order of distance: chickens, pigs, turkeys, rams. The target must be knocked down or pushed off the target stand in order to score a hit; even a shot ricocheting off the ground in front of the target will count if it takes down the correct target. Shooters are allowed to have a spotter with them, who watches where the shots land and advises the shooter on corrections to make.

All disciplines require a minimum of 10 shots at each type of target, for a minimum of 40 shots per match; normal matches are 40, 60, 80, or 120 shots. To score a hit, the target must be knocked off its stand, so each cartridge used must provide sufficient inertia to knock the heavy metal targets over. Scores are recorded as the number of hits per rounds fired, so 30 hits with 40 shots would be a score of 30x40.

In the case of a tie, the shooter with the greater number of hits on the more distant targets wins. If that is not sufficient to break the tie, a tiebreaker round is fired. Tiebreaker rounds consist of shooting strings of 5 or 10 targets of any type out to the maximum range in the category (so it could consist of chickens at the distance at which rams are normally placed). The tied shooters will continue to shoot until one shooter hits more targets than the other, and thus wins the match.

Equipment

Silhouette shooting with modern rifles is split into categories by weight, so that heavier target rifles with bull barrels (see accurize) were not competing against lighter hunting rifles. The basic NRA rifle classes are:

All but the black powder classes allow any type of non-laser sights, and high power telescopic sights are normally used.

NRA pistol

NRA pistol classes are:

IHMSA

IHMSA Handguns are broken down by action type, sights, and caliber:

There are also variations on the technique used in the Unlimited classes:

Target layouts

All rifle shooting is done standing, with the firearm unsupported. The exception to this is black powder rifle; the ranges are the same as large bore rifle, but only chickens must be shot unsupported; all other targets may be shot from any position except a bench, and crossed sticks may be used to support the rifle. Pistol shooting, unless in a designated standing event, can be shot from any unsupported position. Like the any position pistol shooters, standing pistol shooters adopt odd positions in their quest for the most stable possible shooting position. Half scale standing pistol is the most difficult discipline; no one has come close to shooting a perfect 40x40. Standing big bore any sight pistol matches are often tied with perfect scores, and decided by a tiebreaker.

To allow shooting at ranges which may not have space for a full target layout, NRA rules allow the use of reduced scale pigs, turkeys and rams placed at the same distance as chickens. The scale will be reduced proportional to the change in distance, so the targets will cover the same angular distance as they would if set up at full range. Reduced scale matches fired at paper targets are also popular for informal competitions, especially for Internet based matches where the shooters may reside in different countries. These are generally fired with rim fires or airguns.

Targets for large bore use are 1/2" to 3/8" thick steel; small bore targets are 3/16" to 1/4" steel, and airgun targets are 1/8" steel, although some aluminum targets are produced.

Ranges may be measured in yards or meters, but all targets in a match must be set using the same unit of measure, and the shooters must be informed of the unit used. The exception is the new Air Pistol discipline, which is in yards only.