Maybe High Power Isn't For Me?

[c4p6t7r188]

Has anyone ever asked themselves if High Power just isn't for them? I found myself asking that this weekend...I LOVE silhouette and want to shoot it any chance I get in whatever form it may be.

This weekend at the Sierra Classic I shot for the first time the full scale range; 200-500m and I was thrilled, but I shot my worst matches ever and in the end I was miserable with myself and my rife, I knew I was just wasting ammo for the sake of finishing.

To anyone that has experience shooting high power rifles often, I really value your input because I don't know which factor could be having the most impact or if it's all of them. I don't hunt...I just like shooting silhouette, so my experience with a variety of calibers is extremely thin.

I'm shooting 7mm-08 with a boyds stock. I feel like the stock doesn't fit me well, every time I pull the trigger it pinches the middle section of my finger and was bleeding this weekend. I was using my finger tip and I guess due to recoil while pulling? I have zero issue with the shoulder recoil, but I'm not sure if it's a flinch, distance, or poor rifle fit, but I would take every shot when I thought I was NEAR an animal, not on!
EDIT: Just to elaborate on the boyds stock...it's very boxy and not in a good way like a 80/90's German car. The corner edges and gaps around the magazine made it very uncomfortable to shoot in multiple positions because the recoil would just grind against my hand.

In the end I just kept thinking...maybe high power just isn't for me. There are a variety of calibers and it's hard and expensive just to jump in to one, you can't know after shooting 5 rounds of someone else's rifle. I'm also not a good hands on person and 6br seems unreachable ie: gunsmiths, but anything that comes from the factory seems reasonable, so I'm not sure if I should just aim towards a .260...243 or 6.5 creed. Also, besides shooting 22lr I LOVE shooting 357 magnum, is there a similar feel for high power?

Maybe high power isn't for me?

[thauglor]

HP silhouette is the hardest of the silhouette, exactly for the reasons you are writing about and experiencing. Your HP matches will not go as well as SB, you need to practice with HP to get good at it. And your first SB match did not exactly go super well either, but you practiced and got better at it. Same will happen with HP. If you are shooting when you are near the animal it is because of the recoil, you are subconsciously afraid of it. One match will not help you get through this

A new stock will help, but so will filling those gaps that are pinching you with epoxy and smoothing them over if you want a chepaer route. I don't see why 6br is an issue, you can get nut barrels you can install yourself, and the regular 6br is one of most accurate cartridges out there

[c4p6t7r188]

HP silhouette is the hardest of the silhouette, exactly for the reasons you are writing about and experiencing. Your HP matches will not go as well as SB, you need to practice with HP to get good at it. And your first SB match did not exactly go super well either, but you practiced and got better at it. Same will happen with HP. If you are shooting when you are near the animal it is because of the recoil, you are subconsciously afraid of it. One match will not help you get through this

A new stock will help, but so will filling those gaps that are pinching you with epoxy and smoothing them over if you want a chepaer route. I don't see why 6br is an issue, you can get nut barrels you can install yourself, and the regular 6br is one of most accurate cartridges out there

So...I'm an idiot and a introvert. Silhouette is what gets me outdoors. It seems like every shooter knows their way around things etc, I can't just google 6br rifle and buy a tikka or savage. My experience with VA Gunsmiths is horrible and it's downhill from there.

But thank you, it means a lot to know this is a constant learning experience, it seems to be that way in lever action too haha...people say it's a struggle at first until you fine tune it.

[frankmako]

You are not going to shoot well and/or have fun if your stock/rifle does not fit. Get a factory stock for your rifle. A used factory stock is easy to find and does not cost much. You don't have to run the 7-08 fast to get the job done.

[JohnHenry]

If I was shooting a rifle that pinched my fingers every time I shot and made me bleed, I wouldn't shoot well either. Each shot you are thinking negative thoughts about the pain you will experience. That's no fun!

As others have said, get a rifle stock that fits you. Wooster or Pharr. They can help you end this misery.

As thauglor said, highpower is the most difficult rifle silhouette sport. Make it as easy as possible for yourself with a good fitting rifle.

[375Short]

I am new to HP as well. I have shot one match weekend and consistently posted the worst scores I have ever shot. It was fun! I came home and got to work fixing some of the more obvious flaws like to much recoil (for my taste) and better stock fit. I left the range with plenty of room for improvement and enthusiasm to do better next time.

It’s sounding like an echo but your stock shouldn’t make you bleed and the recoil of a full house 7mm-08 isn’t needed. If you’re looking for an off the shelf cartridge that will work most of the time the 6.5 Grendel wouldn’t be a bad low recoil option. I haven’t done any homework to see if an off the shelf rifle is offered in that choice that would be close to suitable for HP silhouette.

Don’t give up, keep looking for the answers that suit your needs. Copy someone else’s rifle that feels good to you then fine tune your own around that blueprint.

It seems the “been humbled” by Highpower club has plenty of members. Our for sure two.

[Porpoise]

I too, suck at high-power and smallbore. No one told me that if you haven't got any talent you will never be any good, it took me thousands of rounds of practice to find that out for myself, and I'm still at it haha. I shoot OK lever high-power and smallbore, I think anyone with normal capabilities can get decent at those with enough practice

[Joaquin B]

Like with anything else, getting good at HP silhouette requires work and practice.

My first scores in Small Bore silhouette were below 10 and over the years, I've progressed to AAA class. I have not progressed beyond that, because I also shoot 3-gun, skeet, archery and lever rifle, and one really has to focus on 1 or 2 things to become an expert. Also, my real passion is hunting. I shoot silhouette and the shotgun sports to keep my hunting skills honed.

My first scores shooting Standard High Power silhouette (after I had been shooting small bore for a couple of years) were in the low teens and it took me a good while to get to AA class. I am still stuck there. My lowest score was a 3 (shooting in AA) and my highest a 28. I've progressed to AAA in HP Hunter, with my lowest score being a 14 an my highest a 28.

Someone mentioned that HP silhouette is the toughest of the silhouette disciplines, but I disagree. HP silhouette is the toughest of ALL rifle disciplines, in my humble opinion.

There is a reason silhouette shooting is also called "Humility 101". It takes many years of practice, some talent, good wind conditions and a little luck to become a Master class shooter.

Remember: Like with golf and any other sport involving skill, YOU ARE SHOOTING TO HAVE FUN AND TO LEARN AND EVOLVE. None of us started as an expert and some are better than others and we ALL have good and bad days. Take it as a challenge and do not get discouraged.

[chickenhater]

As covered by many, HP silhouette is the toughest game invented. The least of issues will cost you points. So much of it is mental and this can be the hardest hurdle to get over. But as suggested, you need to improve your set up, whether it's as simple as removing the pinch points, or changing the stock or buying a new rifle. Scope magnification, reticle type, trigger feel, stock shape are contributors. Don't give up, once you get a comfortable set up your scores will improve and you, like many of us, will see it as the most challenging and fun of all the silhouette variants.
As far as a cartridge recommendation, I started with .308 and then went to .260rem. I found a home with the 6.5mm round and with 107, or 123gr bullets, it's an easy to use round. Good luck and happy shooting.

[c4p6t7r188]

Thanks for everyone's kind words, but I still think I will take some kind of break..not that I shot it much to begin with. I will just keep it on the back burner, plus shooting high power + other silhouette competitions is extremely costly with life on top of that.

I traded my scope for another that has less magnification, so that's a start....I really don't like the fit of my rifle so I'm considering another, I will try less powerful loads because it would be nice to stick with 7mm-08. It will be a slow process...

IS the Vanguard Camilla allowed? I feel like the stock is offset? It's for women, but the shape is very wooster/pharr like.

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[acorneau]

I just got back from the Nationals where I competed in both smallbore and high power. This was the second match shooting my "new to me" HP rifle and only my third HP match ever.

My scores at the Texas state match in May were 20, 17, and 20 (out of 40), so for Nationals I had the goal of shooting 20's or better.

The first day's scores were a 19 and a 20, so pretty good. The second day's scores were a 14 and a 19... definitely falling down and got really frustrated. However, on the third day I got into a groove and shot a 22 and a 25, a break-out score for Hunter rifle, so I got moved up from A to AA for the match. I even won the shoot-off to win the aggregate first place in AA class Hunter rifle!

I really think that if I had a fourth day shooting HP my scores would have gotten a little better than the third day scores.

Hang in there and do whatever you can to make your rifle/loads fit you as best as you can. You'll see improvement before you know it!

[c4p6t7r188]

I just got back from the Nationals where I competed in both smallbore and high power. This was the second match shooting my "new to me" HP rifle and only my third HP match ever.

My scores at the Texas state match in May were 20, 17, and 20 (out of 40), so for Nationals I had the goal of shooting 20's or better.

The first day's scores were a 19 and a 20, so pretty good. The second day's scores were a 14 and a 19... definitely falling down and got really frustrated. However, on the third day I got into a groove and shot a 22 and a 25, a break-out score for Hunter rifle, so I got moved up from A to AA for the match. I even won the shoot-off to win the aggregate first place in AA class Hunter rifle!

I really think that if I had a fourth day shooting HP my scores would have gotten a little better than the third day scores.

Hang in there and do whatever you can to make your rifle/loads fit you as best as you can. You'll see improvement before you know it!

Congrats, great shooting!

[375Short]

Seems Allen and I started HP at the exact same match in TX and followed up with nearly the exact same performance at Nationals. Except when I broke out of A class Hunter and landed in AA I lost a shoot off for first and placed 2nd. Good shooting Allen.

My take so far on HP is it is hands down the most challenging of the Rifle Silhouette options. The challenge comes in many forms but I find the recoil and noise to be the top two. I shot about as mild a cartridge as can be fired and after three days of two matches a day I was glad to be done. Departed Raton thinking HP just may not be for me. Arrived home, unpacked, then found myself researching solutions for even less recoil and now a stack of loads on the bench ready for testing. Keep at it, it’s great for people who’s will out weighs logic.

[SteveD]

Some time ago a nationally recognized, multi time US champion Camp Perry shooter was invited to shoot HP Silhouette at Rio Salado. I believe he scored 25.

When asked if he would be back, he declned saying it was too difficult.

EVERYHP Silhouette shooter is a better marksman than 99.9999% of all the rest of the shooters in the world and gets better with every match. So there is that.

[Merlin]

You can spend as much as you want but... A Howa Mini in 6.5 Grendel is $500.00 on GB. Add a padded cheekpiece if you want. 123s for Rams and 95s for C,P & T. Easy Peasy.