Rifle Silhouette technique

[TommyB]

I’ve been in about 8 comps of rimfire rifle metallic silhoutte this year and can’t hit more than about 4/40 targets. I’ve got an accurate CZ452, have compared ammo and settled on what comes out best on the bench and have a decent Hawke scope 4-12/50. Set up is solid.
Through the scope I get a lot of movement. My technique is to bring the reticle up to the target but when I settle (breathing out) I’m all over the place.
Being not a big lad and not terribly strong I wonder whether I could look for a lighter set up? I do easily fatigue.
Have looked online but found little about tips to steady myself. Any helpful tips would be appreciated.
Love the comp and would like to improve my scores.
Cheers.

[straightshooter]

Although I have never shot metallic silhouette, many years ago I shot plenty of centerfire field rifle competition and I hope some of my comments might be of assistance.
First thing you must comprehend, especially with a rimfire, is that the zero off a rest can be vastly different to that when held offhand.
Do a search to find how 3 position smallbore shooters hold their rifle and their stance and use that as inspiration for your hold.
If your front hand is solely responsible for supporting the rifle you will never have a rock steady aim so you need to experiment with variations in how your body presents itself to the rifle. This also can mitigate somewhat for poor rifle balance.
You need to practice trigger let-off so it becomes embedded in your muscle memory such that you can fire without conscious effort as the your aim is approaching your aiming point rather than trying to get your aim spot on.
.

[bladeracer]

I’ve been in about 8 comps of rimfire rifle metallic silhoutte this year and can’t hit more than about 4/40 targets. I’ve got an accurate CZ452, have compared ammo and settled on what comes out best on the bench and have a decent Hawke scope 4-12/50. Set up is solid.
Through the scope I get a lot of movement. My technique is to bring the reticle up to the target but when I settle (breathing out) I’m all over the place.
Being not a big lad and not terribly strong I wonder whether I could look for a lighter set up? I do easily fatigue.
Have looked online but found little about tips to steady myself. Any helpful tips would be appreciated.
Love the comp and would like to improve my scores.
Cheers.

Silhouette has seen a few good discussions here in the past so do a search.

I don't do a lot of difficult offhand scoped practice, but I do a lot of iron sight practice on half-scale silhouettes. I have the half-scale and fifth-scale rimfire silhouettes mounted on frames so I don't have to keep setting them up, I just turn the frame around to shoot them facing the other direction. I also practice a lot on cut-out silhouettes, paper stuck to an MDF backboard. I would practice on these _a lot_ so you can see where the entirety of the group is falling, including the misses. This allows you to define precisely where you need to be aiming at the target - which is likely to be different for both facing directions.
https://enoughgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=9146&start=30#p151134

The biggest factor in reducing my offhand group sizes was simply practice, a whole lot of practice. At least a brick every week for months, every single day, regardless of the weather. I keep a pile of 15rd mags and speedloaders loaded up and when I find I have a moment free I grab them and wander up the paddock for a quick session. I generally fire a 150rd or 180rd session, but I do sometimes double that. I try to avoid having to reload everything in the field as it takes me ten minutes to load 150rds into mags or tubes. When I'm "in the zone" my group sizes are now small enough to theoretically put every shot onto the silhouette - with iron or open sights on the half-scale silhouettes - the misses are now entirely down to my own efforts. The rimfire fifth-scale silhouettes are very significantly smaller than the half-scale though, you need a rifle that will consistently group small enough, and you need to be able to shoot it well enough to keep them in that area. To hit the rimfire silhouettes you need to be able to group offhand consistently in about 1.5 minutes, which I struggle with. If your rifle only holds 3MoA (87mm) groups at 100m off the bench I would think you will have a very difficult time getting consistent hits on a target half that size. If your rifle does hold 1.5 minutes (44mm) at 100m then there is still zero room for error, you have to be able to group precisely as well offhand as you do off the bench.

You need a very good trigger so you can load it to the break point, then release it at the exact moment the sight picture is where you want it.

I don't try to hold steady on the target, I let the sight picture "float" around the target and fire when it's in the right spot.

[in2anity]

Hi, i'm an A grade service rifle regular, that used to shoot rimfire metallic silhoutte. Plant the feet shoulder width apart. Make sure the relative angle of your stance is consistent, as such your natural point of aim yields close to correct windage - you never want to be muscling the sights onto the target; franky that applies to any form of target shooting. Never change your footing once a stage has begun. Close the action (then your shot routine has begun). Pop the lead hip forward. Start above the target, mental focus narrowing in on the crosshairs, target is a blur. No black parallax error. Tuck the support elbow down into the chest, forming a triangle and more or less a straight line of bone down through the forwarded hip. Slowly let the reticle sink down onto the target, and break the very instant you arrest the downward motion - once the reticle slips into the target. After the break, follow-through by mentally counting to three, before you move or drop the rifle out of the shoulder. Don't take too long to do this entire routine - you only have a matter of seconds before your arms will fatigue, and you'll start shaking all over the place (and start "chasing your tail"). In this situation (where you held too long) and your are wobbling all over, stop, reset yourself, and start over (put the rifle down). Unlike service rifle, in silhoutte shooting, you have the HUGE advantage of being able to take the weight off your arms between shots - captialise on this! Always rest the forend on the bench/bag between shots while you reload, giving your arms a small break to recover from the jelly.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxjIN65LVFYp ... mr_9DOhFxr

Dryfire your routine, A LOT, to make it permanent. Practice and experience will drive away the inherent conscious thought requirements for many of the steps of "placing a good shot", freeing your mind for other areas of focus, like perhaps observing the wind, or some area you want to hone in on. Wanna take it to the next level? Buy a digital trainer like a SCATT, spend tonnes of time on it, and watch your scores sore!

[TommyB]

Thanks to the 3 of you for your advice and shared experience, it is helpful and appreciated and across the 3 responses, forms some excellent homework for me to consider and implement. Much appreciated, Tom.

[in2anity]

All the best, it's not easy - if it were easy, every bloke would be getting 40/40. I think my all time personal best for RMS was only 27/40! As with any high level sport, rythm is critical. Yu need to be going through each routine with a great deal of consistency and promptness - none of this "trying to be perfect" thinking, certainly not for field offhand. Offhand shooting is as much about promptness and flow, as it is precision. Repetition is the key; keep repeating until aformentioned routine is mindless.

https://youtu.be/GNBf3A18DyY

[bladeracer]

All the best, it's not easy - if it were easy, every bloke would be getting 40/40. I think my all time personal best for RMS was only 27/40! As with any high level sport, rythm is critical. Yu need to be going through each routine with a great deal of consistency and promptness - none of this "trying to be perfect" thinking, certainly not for field offhand. Offhand shooting is as much about promptness and flow, as it is precision. Repetition is the key; keep repeating until aformentioned routine is mindless.

https://youtu.be/GNBf3A18DyY

Yeah, I find dinging those tiny pricks too much like a chore, that's why I prefer unscoped on half-scale silhouettes

[in2anity]

Yeah, I find dinging those tiny pricks too much like a chore, that's why I prefer unscoped on half-scale silhouettes

They are bloody small. In the context of specifically RMS, I remember concluding that follow-through was especially critical for the 100m rams. Even if you broke over the target; if you are moving too much on break, the little slow moving 22lr pill would drift off by the time it got there. And windage too I suppose - although I had less appreciation for wind back then. On the contrary, the 40m chickens were an almost instantaneous whack, and in this regard more forgiving. At 100m if the lighting was right, I could could actually see my pill fall on to the 100m target - and also obviously often drift then miss!

[in2anity]

Ok so this video perfectly summarises, and visually shows what I was trying to say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf2PEfT ... TTECHANNEL

And that is, when he takes too long, the conscious starts to creep in. You must abort, in this situation. In his words, "paralysis by analysis". Offhand shooting should be instinctual.

[SCJ429]

Straightshooter is on the money, you need to fire a heap of shots at your paper target and the adjust your retical so it is in the middle of your group. I always shoot low and left, I adjust my zero and start hitting more targets. Some other great info here such as filling your lungs and then let some air out and your sight sinks down to the target, pull the trigger and follow through. Do this a couple of thousand times and you will improve your scores.

[SCJ429]

The other thing that will improve your scores is more magnification, I started Field Rifle with a 24x and moved up to a 36x.

[Slant225]

You're a new shooter, it's going to take time to develop your skills, and particularly the muscle memory to be able to shoot higher scores.

Firstly, make sure your body is aligned to the target at about 90 degrees. Like others have said, feet shoulder width apart. Support arm back against the body. Develop the foreend hold you prefer, generally on the balance point of the rifle, at the magazine or in front of the trigger guard. Whether it's the finger and thumb bridge hold, closed fist, split finger, whatever works for you and is comfortable. When you're in position, close your eyes, move the rifle left to right and then back to centre. Open your eyes. If you're not on the target then move your rear foot, left or right, back or forwards until you are. Repeat. The process. This is your natural point of aim. If you're still low or high, shift the rifle butt up or down to compensate. Never try to hold the rifle up onto the target. Invariably you will relax immediately after shooting and miss. You'll also fatigue more quickly. You need to be having your skeleton support the rifle, not your muscles.

Secondly, dry fire shooting is extremely important. Not only can it be done in the comfort of your own home, it's also free to do. This will allow you to build the muscle to hold the rifle. Put some dots say 3", 2", 1" and 1/2", on a wall or a fencepost outside, whatever, about 10m away, and practice holding the rifle in the biggest dot. Once you can comfortably hold that, move to the next smaller, then the next.
Use a fired case in the breech so you don't damage the rifle. Practice releasing the trigger whilst the reticle is in the spot.
Don't focus on the reticle, focus on the spot of the target. When the reticle moves into the spot, release the trigger, making sure to follow through, that is hold the rifle as still as possible, and the trigger held back for a count of 3. Practice keeping the reticle in the spot for this duration.

Lastly, look at what you're eating or drinking on comp days. Stay away from caffeine, big sugar drinks and heavy meals. I prefer to keep my blood sugar low, avoiding spikes, and digestion light. Stay well hydrated. This will help keep you steady.

There are other things that can help, like higher scope ring height, wearing flat soled (skate) shoes like vans or similar, visualisation techniques, books like Lanny Bashams "with winning in mind".

Most importantly, enjoy yourself. It's supposed to be fun!

[Larry]

There is a reason that some people are more consistent and at the top of the game regularly. That reason is normally hard work, dedication and practice. Its not all about shooting practice either. For instance there are a lot of exercises that will greatly help your shooting The main ones I can think of for off hand shooting are as a group your body core exercises. Strengthen your inner core it will take out a heap of those wobbles. A surprisingly good one is pelvic floor exercises. it also helps you pee I have found. Its as simple as engaging your muscles for 15-30 seconds and doing 10 reps. Place your fingers just above and each side of your groin and push down as if your going to have a poo you can feel the engagement in your fingers hold it and release. No need to do the more difficult sit ups or crunches the muscles you need to work on are beneath all those surface look good muscles. Back / shoulder exercises will also help with a steady hold.

[in2anity]

Loads of solid info here. LOADS. I don't drink caffeine on shooting day. I don't drink alcohol at least 24hrs before, if not more. I get the appropriate amount of sleep the night before. I eat a healthy, yet solid breakfast on shooting day, like porridge and fruit. I stay well hydrated, and lightly fed all shooting day. I try to minimise exposure all shooting day. I lead up to an event with healthy living and sort of build to a health cruscendo; beers only after the fact!

What does this yield? something closer to perfection than otherwise... for example a 50/50 vs a 49/50. I.e. the difference between winning and not winning

Silhoutte and offhand shooting in general is probably the hardest form. It cuts straight to the need for a serious approach to self improvment, unlike other disciplines which are more of a gear race.