Metallic Silhouette

Summary

Metallic silhouette shooting is a series of shooting disciplines that involves shooting at steel targets representing animals at varying distances, seeking to knock the metal target over. 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 animals were staked out at varying distances as targets. By 1948, metal cutouts of the animals were used instead of live animals, birthing “siluetas metalicas“. The first metallic silhouette match was held in Mexico City. Because of the sport’s Mexican roots, in the United States the silhouettes are often referred to by terms from several varieties of American Spanish, namely gallina (chicken), javalina (pig), guajalote (turkey), and borrego (ram). The first silhouette range constructed in the United States was in 1967 at Nogales, Arizona. Growth was steady until 1973 when the NRA became involved in the sport. By the mid-1980s it was the fastest growing gun sport in the United States.

 Silhouette Disciplines Offered at FTRPA

• NRA Air Rifle & Air Pistol Silhouette
• Thursday Night Indoor Silhouette

Course of Fire

• Silhouette is typically a 40 shot match. Our outdoor air silhouette program is an 80 shot match.
• Animal silhouettes are grouped in banks of 5. There are two banks for each animal.
  
• Banks must be shot left to right, firing one shot at each steel animal.
• If you knock the animal off the rail, it counts as a hit. If you fail to do this, it’s a miss and you move on to the next animal.
• Targets shot out of order count as a miss.
• You will repeat this for each animal until you complete the course of fire, which should take about 30-40 minutes.
• Distances vary depending on discipline.

Target Distances

Match Facts

Air Gun and Air Rifle Silhouette

• Matches are open to all shooters, including non-members.
• Outdoor air silhouette runs on the 3rd Sunday on the air gun range April, June, August, & October of each year. The match will not be held if it conflicts with Easter.
• Indoor Air Pistol Runs on the Indoor Range 6-9PM on the 1st Monday October through May. Indoor Air Rifle runs on the Indoor Range 3rd Mondays, 6-9PM October through May.
• The fees for the outdoor matches are $10.00 for the first gun, and $15 for two.
• Fees for indoor air pistol matches are $3 for the first gun, and $2 for an additional gun. Air Rifle are $2 per entry.
• Juniors shoot for free at all air silhouette matches.
• 10 in a row pins will be awarded to AAA and Master shooters. 5 and 10 in a row pins will be awarded for AA, A, B and Unclassified shooters. One pin for each animal is the most that will be awarded per match.
• Pre-registration for outdoor air silhouette is available on Practiscore. Walk-ins will be accommodated, but pre-registration is appreciated.

Thursday Indoor Silhouette

• Runs as a Fall/Winter League every Thursday from October to February.
• Registration and sight-in from 6:00-7PM. Match runs from 7-8:30PM.
• Pre-registration is now available on Practiscore. Walk-ins will be accommodated if there is space available.
• Registration is $2 per gun for members, and $5 for non-members.
• Pins will be awarded.

Equipment

Air Gun and Air Rifle Silhouette

• Any air rifle or air pistol that complies with NRA Air Gun silhouette rules.

Thursday Indoor Silhouette

• Any .22LR rifle or pistol, or .177 or .22 caliber air rifle, open or scoped.

Contact

Air Gun and Air Rifle Silhouette

• Contact is via the Air Gun Committee at airguns@ftrpa.com

Thursday Indoor Silhouette

• Contact via email at indoor.silhouette@ftrpa.com
• Pre-Registration available on Practiscore, but we will take walk-ins.