METALLIC SILHOUETTE
The introduction of Metallic Silhouette Competition to Australia has allowed local shooters to compete with the most powerful magnum handguns available, not for the fun of it but because that is what is needed to effectively shoot the match.
Metallic Silhouette has been embraced by a good number of members with more becoming interested in trying it out. This match has targets set at varying distances and using different ‘silhouettes’ for each one – chickens, and pigs. The chickens are set back to 25 yards and the pigs are set to 50 yards, scaled in sizing for the distances they can be very difficult to hit. Concentration and steadiness are needed here and shooters have a time limit of 2 minutes for each set of five shots.
Anything from .22 rimfire to large calibre handguns are suited to this match.
There are four divisions in this event: Standing, Revolver, Production and Unlimited. Like all forms of competition, specialised hardware has been developed for the match, along with a number of special cartridges that are essentially rifle cartridges adapted to heavy duty handgun use. The 0.357 Magnum is the absolute minimum powered pistol cartridge that will work.
The 0.357 maximum or 0.41 or 0.44 Magnums are preferred by most revolver shooters. In the single shots there are several 7mm wildcat cartridges as well as the likes of the 30-30 that provide maximum knockdown power. Many unlimited pistols use straight 0.308 rifle cartridges. Competitions recently introduced are, 0.22 Rimfire and Field Pistol.