Texas Varmint Silhouette Match Featured in ShootingUSA Video
The NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits event kicks off today in Dallas, Texas. Today we look at a fun form of rifle competition — varmint silhouette matches. Shooting steel at long range is both fun and challenging.
If you like accurate rifles and reactive targets, you’ll enjoy this 48-minute video from Shooting USA TV, which features long-range varmint silhouette competition in Texas, the Lone Star State. We have participated in these kind of matches on the West Coast — they are definitely a ton of fun. The sport combines the pure accuracy of benchrest competition with the fun of knocking down critter targets. These are smaller than standard silhouettes, so it’s quite a challenge to hit them at 300 yards and beyond.
In this episode, host John Scoutten competes with his 6.5 Creedmoor PRS rifle. He found that 1-MOA-sized steel Coyotes offered plenty of challenge at 385 meters! Most shooters use benchrest-grade rifles with premium front rests.
Full 48-Minute Episode of Shooting USA featuring Texas Varmint Silhouette:
Steel Targets by Distance: | |
Mini Prairie Dogs — 200 Meters 3″x3″ Armadillos — 300 Meters 3″x5″ Coyotes — 385 Meters |
5″x4″ Hogs — 500 Meters Chickens (on Swingers) — 600 Yards Pigs (on Swingers) — 750 Yards |
EDITOR: We strongly recommend you take the time to watch this Shooting USA feature — it shows some top-flight benchrest rifles, and also covers the origins of benchrest varmint silhouette in Pennsylvania. There are even some AccurateShooter Forum members on screen. John Scoutten also does nice job explaining the challenges of shooting this discipline with a PRS rig. We think any benchrest or tactical shooter will really enjoy watching this video.
Travis Frazier, who created steel targets with Field & Cave Outfitters, says shooters love the reactive targets: “The most exciting thing is seeing your hits — these [targets] really go airborne”. Yep, that’s the best thing about Varmint Silhouette matches — hits deliver instant gratification. Travis designs and produces these steel targets.
This Texas match features multiple target shapes, 10 at each distance: Tiny Prairie Dogs at 200m, 3″x3″ Armadillos at 300m; 3″x5″ Coyotes at 385m; 5″x4″ Hogs at 500m; Chickens (on swingers) at 600 yards; and Pigs (on Swingers) at 750 yards. Competitors are allowed 10 rounds and 10 minutes to hit each set of targets.