Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting 2021 smallbore silhouette nationals

You never really read much about silhouette here on the CF. Not sure why as it’s likely the shooting game that most prepares you for hunting that most of us do.

I’ve been a semi-casual smallbore silhouette shooter for several years after abandoning a short lived time at high-power. A couple years ago dragged CF User Roof (Joe R) into it and upgraded my equipment. I only shoot one match a month (Atglen PA) but it’s a fun well-run match. Joe also shoots the matches once a month at Fairfax Rod and Gun and he has swingers in his range at home so he can actually practice. I kinda rely on the once a month and shooting my air rifle.

Regardless of my “A” shooter classification, Joe and I decided to go shoot the nationals in Ridgeway PA last weekend.

Summary? A great time! About 140 shooters and you have not met a more friendly and helpful crowd. Usually it’s a bit larger than that but teams from Canada, South Africa, Australia and I‘m sure some domestic folks didn’t make it and there was only one team from Mexico. The shoot was three-ish days. Practice match Saturday and matches on Su/Mon/Tuesday.

One of ten racks of guns - When they post the equipment survey I'll link it but I suspect 90% Anschutz (I'm shooting a 1712) and 75% + Leupold scopes.



Ridgeway the town – We stayed at a local hotel but had been warned there’s not much there. We found the complete opposite – Lovely town. It had numerous restaurants (and a brewery) and people and the Clarion River runs through town. Frankly, I’d be very happy to live there.



Ridgeway the range (http://www.ridgwayrifleclub.com) itself is a spectacular facility. We were shooting on the 100 yard dedicated smallbore silhouette range (10 positions for each animal) but they have several others including a 1000 yards. The metal swingers are there all the time including the big white buffalo @ 1000 yards. For $45 a year it’s worth it if we even go up a couple times a year so we may join. World class facility in lovely country and the town loves having it.

The 1000 yard range



Lots of interesting conversations with folks. One in particular was with a well-known Master class shooter who was on the NRA silhouette committee before the NRA disbanded it. His feeling is the NRA is at a major crossroads and the only reasons they won’t get rid of the entire competitive program is (1) Ego/politics/control (2) the money it brings in. Silhouette is low on the money side and he thinks that it’s only a matter of time before either a new organization stands up to run silhouette or someone like CMP takes it over.

I did manage to shoot well enough to pick up a 3rd in Hunter A one day after a tie so shooting it out with the 4th place finisher.

Thanks for the writeup. Hopefully next year it won't interfere with our local Schuetzen match so I can join you and Joe.

Good post Allen , that sums it up pretty well.
I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack for AA. I guess the pressure got to me and just couldn’t hold it steady as I do at our local matches.

I am a AA shooter in both classes of small bore and high power.

At state or national matches you need to score in to the next higher class to take any awards. Competition is really tuff.

Nothing better than being beaten by a 12 year old girl!

Pugs that is one great article. And Reba nothing better than knowing youth are up & coming.

75% Leupolds???? THE HORROR

Yep and they have zero respect for us older shooters. Can't they cut us a break now and then?

Full results are here - drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UF02RlC2tKhIjiCjdkWX-d1HImduhRZ3?usp=sharing

Yea, I had a younger shooter once tell me, "this is easy just put the cross hairs on it"

Good stuff, thanks for posting.

Brandon Green said in a class "place your sights in the center of the target and press the trigger to the rear without disturbing the sight picture and you too can be a National Champion".

Ridgway's one place I have not shot small-bore at. Always really enjoyed Winnsboro Louisiana the Southern Nationals when McLemore ran it. I guess maybe he still does? Just scaled back. That small bore game and the high-power to a lot of times, when women will kick your ass. I mean look at Cathy she's legendary.

Brings back fond memories when I lived where various forms of rifle silhouette were popular. Unfortunately, it petered out in many venues and the targets ended up on the scrap heap. I don't claim to understand it; just the psychology of the rise and fall of popularity and fads. Of course these days in many places various forms of tactical shooting, mock gunfighting, have taken over and dominate the shooting scene. That's the case where I live now.

My son's club and others in the eastern Nebraska area still seem to have some active silhouette programs, maybe even a renaissance of sorts.

Anyhow, glad to see there are folks still participating and supporting this great shooting sport. Maybe someday I'll again get to pull the trigger on the steel critters.

We had 26 shooters at Atglen PA yesterday but they combine several disciplines and there were only seven of us shooting traditional smallbore. The bulk are shooting bencherest (same smallbore targets out to 200 yards) and we have a growing group shooting smallbore pistol. Still fun.

Sport about gone
Smallbore handgun was popular in my area and surrounding for a while.
Some big bore if ya drove a ways.

All - These are the results from the equipment survey we all filled out. No surprises. Those damn Leupolds are useless and never adjust properly.

I have the results of the high-power and lever but I think I'll put those in a different thread.

I shot rimfire and high powder Silhouette for many years when I lived in calif. and since moving to So Dakota there isn't any silhouette in this state that I can find, sure miss it even still have my 20 power Leupold with 1/8th dot just waiting to go back on the Anschutz rifle that now shoots gophers

I have shot BR, "F" class, and High Power any sight matches as well as all kinds of informal competitions. I have had more enjoyment shooting metallic silhouette than any other; though my success has not been all that great (I am AA across the board but may have been bumped up to triple a in one class where I will never win again!). I am a rebel in that I shoot all Winchester; both rimfire and high power. I also use only one Leupold scope; the rest are Weavers. It does appear that maturity may not be a positive trait in this sport!
Our Canadian Nationals have been on hold for two years because the Canadian government has made it too difficult for foreign shooters to cross the border to attend. Hopefully this will change at some point. GD

Silo shooting is one of the toughest games out there!
No wonder it's not popular!

Great shooting!!!!