I have found it a big help to practice/train with paper targets, particularly if you havn't done a lot of offhand shooting with a rimfire, it gives you much better feedback on your performance as you can see, and keep a record if you like, of where your shots actually went.
Most shooters know when they fire a crook shot, the paper target will tells you just how bad it was, stops you fooling yourself into thinking "I only just missed" when in fact it was nowhere near where you thought it was.
It will also give you a better picture of where your group is forming on the target for establishing a true zero setting, bearing in mind that it is also quite easy if you get a couple of shots together to unconsiously continue to shoot a group rather than shooting in the middle of the target.

Shooting at paper targets with the animals on them is excellent advice.
Take a look at the bullet marks on the animals in the "Steel Chickens" logo at the top left of this page. I'm considering the possibility that these are near-ideal aiming points and are in fact the points I try to aim at (with the exception of the chicken which I try to center a little more.) For instance, under the pig's hump and over the front leg is a "bigger" impact area than the center of the body. Favoring the breast of the turkey gives you much more elevation area because the target tapers so rapidly toward the tail.
Is that too much thinking? I don't think so because we have to learn to shoot at a point, not the "whole animal." Feedback appreciated.

AJJ, that is interesting, I was wondering why the dots on the animals in the logo were where they are. I must admit that in my brain it doesn't make sense, as you would think your focal point should be where there is the most surface area around the focal point for movement when breaking the shot or for wiggle coming off the shot. The two birds dots are very close to the edge of the animal. Am I missing something here? Should there be an accounting of the tails that naturally draws your eye to the tip of the tail and the head for the birds?

Kevin

Personally I shoot Center Mass...

I believe those dot represent Heart shots on those animals and represent "Terminal Kill Shots".

Here is the target that I use for practicing when I can actually find time to do it. I got this target from Dave Imas, and it's scaled to be shot at 50yds. It shows the different apparent sizes of the targets to the shooter, and also shows the spot to aim at that will give the most probability of a hit given a normal margin of error.

Smallbore Silhouette Practice Target

I just go down to Kinko's with this on a USB drive, CD, disk, etc. and have them print me a bunch out on white card stock. The little circles on the side are for sighting in and then I shoot five shots at each animal. I'm using this target to learn to shoot at a spot instead of the target. I concentrate on one spot and try to make the shot break as the dot reaches that spot instead of watching the dot and trying to break the shot when the dot's somewhere on the animal. Just a warning on this, though, if it's the first time you've practiced for silhouette at paper targets it can be a harsh experience. As was mentioned above, the paper doesn't lie to keep from hurting your feelings. If you do it right and punch all five shots through the spot, though, you have it right there on paper as proof and it's really an ego booster.

Jason,

Freaking Fantastic...That's exactly what I've been looking for!!!! Thank you very much....

The thanks should go to Dave Imas for that target. I just made a PDF of it so I could pass it along a little more easily.

I'm probably trying to compensate for inadequate technique with my aiming points. The chicken and pig look good. The turkey looks just a skosh low and tailside. (A "skosh" is not very much.) If I used that aiming point, I'd have even more low misses than I do already. Maybe I should learn to follow-through. And when I broke a little high I'd be slipping them just over the back on a line just behind the rear edge of the leg. The ram looks a bit tailside but I'm probably hoping the horns and front leg will catch some screwups. I do realize that planning for screwups is not the way to go. However, the trigger just seems easier to break on the ram's shoulder. Some days. YMMV.
The asymetrical shapes and variety of shapes of the targets is just ONE factor making this the most challenging of the shooting sports. OK, that's two factors.

I knew I could rely on you Alston. Actually I am just happy if I break the trigger anywhere on the animal at this point. I do not pay alot of attn to wind yet as I am mainly still working on my hold, stance etc. I still can not call all my shots. I typically know when I am going to miss. I try to focus on the center of the animal and watch the result through the scope. I am very pleased when I actually see the animal fall while my dot is still on target, especially the turkeys and rams, I almost pee my pants. We deal with alot of wind here on the colorado eastern plains and I hope to pay more attn to the wind this year. Last year I shot when the wind was blowing so hard that your body movement was so bad all you could do was a drive by on the animals. There was no way of holding on the animal and I weigh 250lbs. My weight may have helped me that day.

Kevin

Go for the 10/22 in Silhouette, you have a lot of great info here. Also if you go to rimfirecentral those guys can advise on smoothing triggers, modify bolt release to be easy, and replace rear pin in receiver with a
recoil buffer to stop the metal on metal contact.
Only five in a row pin I ever got was with a stock 10-22 Ruger
Good Luck

The spots are where they are because most people are a little steadier vertically than they are horizontally. There's more area a little lower on the turkey and a little higher on the chicken. For the pigs, the hump and front leg make the shoulder the best aiming point since the head is part of the main area. For the ram, it's just center mass because the head/horns are fairly detached from the main body so main body area is the area that gives the best probability of a hit. All of this is nothing more than being a little more aware of where to pick a spot on the animal. When you're shooting, only the single spot matters. On these paper targets, pick the white "10" as your spot since there are no paint flecks or chips like on real targets. Once you've fired five to ten of these paper targets' worth of shots, you'll be able to see where your most common misses are and can adjust where to pick your spots to maximize your own hits. No matter where you pick the spot, your focus should be to hit the spot you pick, not just trying to hit somewhere on the animal.

Tim, welcome to Steel Chickens, hope all of us can help. I currently shoot a 10/22 in standard class and its heavilly modified, the only thing ruger is the receiver. I put a Bell & Carlson Anshutz stock with a Kidd barrel and Kidd trigger group, with a volquartsen bolt, and a 6x24 sightron scope(set to 24 power) it probably costs more than a bolt gun with all the mods I did but I wanted to shoot a 10/22 in silhouette to challange myself (not that this sport isnt hard enough allready) but I actually like to shoot it more than my bolt gun used for hunter class. You do have to be aware of the recoil and the follow through but once you get used to it its pretty fun to shoot. One thing you do need to do is to put something to block the ejected shell from hitting your fellow shooter in the ear, nothing like a hot casing going down you shirt. I use the top from a brick and tape it to the reciever and put a bend in it so the casings get ejeceted downward instead of outward. I too have gotten a five in row with my 10/22 and yet to get one with my bolt action, I quess I need to practice with my bolt a little more. Hope you have fun shooting, I do.

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all the great info and Shakes, thanks for the welcome.

Is there an official rule on the ejected brass or is it one of the cursory "Unwritten rules"? (I was actually planning on using it to my advantage

Tim:
I'm not sure if you saw my thread below or not. If you are interested, there is a SB Silhouette match at the StLouis Benchrest club next Sunday (March 4th I believe). Bring your Ruger, a scope, and come out for a good time.
There is a pretty active group there, ranging from beginners to Master class shooters, and they are always willing to help a new competitor. You should be able to get sight settings before the match starts, and have your first match completed by lunchtime.
They usually shoot two 40-shot matches, and the range opens at 8:00 a.m.

Steve.