For the second time today, the "Classification Update" thread has gotten me thinking about something that might be a fun addition to silhouette. This one is about adding a non-NRA category called "Tactical Smallbore Silhouette" that we shoot in tandem with our smallbore cowboy lever action silhouette matches. Here's my list of requirements from a couple minutes' thought while I'm stuck in a conference call where I'm not really needed.

Smallbore Tactical Rifle, Iron Sights

• Targets are the same as smallbore cowboy rifle silhouette targets shot at the same distances (40/50/75/100 meters).
• Shooters will have a 30-second ready period followed by 120 seconds to shoot five shots at each bank of five animals.
• Rifle must be a semi-automatic AR-style rifle using 22LR ammunition weighing no more than 8 pounds including empty magazine.
• No hyper-velocity ammunition is allowed.
• Trigger may be single-state or two-stage and must require at least 4.5 pounds total pull weight to fire.
• Rifle must use iron sights that may contain fiber optic filaments, but no electronics or magnifying lenses are permitted.
• No more than five rounds may be loaded into magazines.
• Forward grips are permitted, but no slings may be attached to the rifle.

Smallbore Tactical Rifle, Optic Sights
Same as Smallbore Tactical Rifle, Iron Sights, except that:

• Electronic sights such as reflex or tube red dot sights without magnifying lenses may be used.
• Trigger may be single-state or two-stage and must require at least two pounds total pull weight to fire.

I thought about making a "tactical" division using the standard 1/5 scale smallbore targets but that would be even harder than hitting the targets with the bolt rifles that most people use. Someone could get into this match as cheaply as a Mossberg Plinkster, but most would probably come in with something like a S&W 15-22. Of course, it could also be shot with some super expensive custom rifle, which I'd be completely fine with. Someone who brings the expensive AR-style rifle to shoot the cowboy targets could probably be pulled into other silhouette matches, too.

What do you think? I bet we could pull more people into this than smallbore cowboy silhouette.

I love it Jason!!

We would need to come up with some Zombie targets. we all know the tactical crowd is deathly afraid of a zombie attack.

Not only does it sound fun, but it rings of "young people" to a shooting sport. Something there isn't enough of today.
chuck

I pulled my S&W 15-22 out of the safe tonight to see how steady I could hold it, and I even put the factory iron sights on it. Wow, that little 5.4lb gun is so light that it flutters around in the wind. The sights aren't great and the sight radius seems like it's about 6 inches. This might be harder than I thought.

How about the MP-5 lookalikes, AK or any of the other 22 copies from GSG?

Jason wrote:For the second time today, the "Classification Update" thread has gotten me thinking about something that might be a fun addition to silhouette. This one is about adding a non-NRA category called "Tactical Smallbore Silhouette" that we shoot in tandem with our smallbore cowboy lever action silhouette matches. Here's my list of requirements from a couple minutes' thought while I'm stuck in a conference call where I'm not really needed.

Smallbore Tactical Rifle, Iron Sights

• Targets are the same as smallbore cowboy rifle silhouette targets shot at the same distances (40/50/75/100 meters).
• Shooters will have a 30-second ready period followed by 120 seconds to shoot five shots at each bank of five animals.
• Rifle must be a semi-automatic AR-style rifle using 22LR ammunition weighing no more than 8 pounds including empty magazine.
• No hyper-velocity ammunition is allowed.
• Trigger may be single-state or two-stage and must require at least 4.5 pounds total pull weight to fire.
• Rifle must use iron sights that may contain fiber optic filaments, but no electronics or magnifying lenses are permitted.
• No more than five rounds may be loaded into magazines.
• Forward grips are permitted, but no slings may be attached to the rifle.

Smallbore Tactical Rifle, Optic Sights
Same as Smallbore Tactical Rifle, Iron Sights, except that:

• Electronic sights such as reflex or tube red dot sights without magnifying lenses may be used.
• Trigger may be single-state or two-stage and must require at least two pounds total pull weight to fire.

I thought about making a "tactical" division using the standard 1/5 scale smallbore targets but that would be even harder than hitting the targets with the bolt rifles that most people use. Someone could get into this match as cheaply as a Mossberg Plinkster, but most would probably come in with something like a S&W 15-22. Of course, it could also be shot with some super expensive custom rifle, which I'd be completely fine with. Someone who brings the expensive AR-style rifle to shoot the cowboy targets could probably be pulled into other silhouette matches, too.

What do you think? I bet we could pull more people into this than smallbore cowboy silhouette.

Isn't this just allowing new rifles to your smallbore cowboy lever action match? Why have all those rules? Who wants to weigh rifles and triggers for a side match? Why not just have an unlimited class and split it into iron sights class and zero-magnification optics class? We sometimes shoot an unlimited iron-sight match on 1/5-scale targets. It's fun. We also allow people to bring anything they want to our SB Cowboy and PC Cowboy matches and shoot against us with our lever guns. I've been hoping someone would bring their .22 ARs and their 9mm ARs but no one has yet.

This looks like a good idea to me but I would try not to limit it with rules if at all possible.

Dustin

I think this is a great idea - including Dustin's suggestions. Would also include the 10-22 variants in with the AR types.

Michael

I specifically don't want an "unlimited" or completely open class, because I don't want people bringing out higher-end target rifles (like my Anschutz 2007/2013) with target sights to shoot at the relatively large cowboy targets. No one else would have a chance to compete with them. I probably wouldn't mind a 10/22 shooting in the "iron sights" or "optics" groups, though, and Kevin brings up a good point about other "tactical" rifles. Hmm... maybe have the "open" classification be any semi-auto with no magnifying optics?

Jason wrote:I specifically don't want an "unlimited" or completely open class, because I don't want people bringing out higher-end target rifles (like my Anschutz 2007/2013) with target sights to shoot at the relatively large cowboy targets. No one else would have a chance to compete with them.

If someone shows up with a target rifle, pull out the 1/5 scale targets for them and/or give them their own class. No sense turning them away.

Dustin

I'm totally up for this! Seems like it would be a lot of fun for a lot of the new shooters that are into the "tacticool" stuff. I've got an M&P15-22 so of course I would jump at a chance to shoot one of these matches.

Is this beginning to sound like Smallbore Silhouette / Military Rifle? This could work.

A few of us shot my GSG-522 one day after the match, everyone loved it, relatively accurate and the magazine holds 22 rounds, what's not to like about that! That's it in the picture posted previously with the holo sight and laser.

Hate to be the "naysayer". Sounds like fun, but like lever silhouette will probably pull more shooters away from smallbore silhouette. My experience indicates both new and older shooters will gravitate to what's easier.

We also trying to define a category for these type of Arms but not there yet as they have a tendency to rather follow the "Combat " sports.

And traditional Silhouette style shooting just a tad bland.

5 rounds - boring - need to find a 10-15round set solution .

Maybe some movement in targets ?

Irregular distances ?