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:
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.
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A few seasons back, Forum member Rick from Louisiana (aka RMulhern) rigged up a fantastic target for long-range shooting. Rick, a long-time competitive Palma shooter, had a large 72″x72″ steel target fabricated with two separate center rings that are equivalent to the official paper Palma/Creedmoor target. He says he’s “shot a lot of Palma on that target, as well as lots of Black Powder Cartridge (BPCR) rounds”. The big steel target works great when Rick shoots his Sharps 45/110 BPCR at 800 to 1000 yards. The large steel background (painted white) helps Rick see and hear his hits. If you understand the high-arching trajectory of 500+ grain projectiles shot from a 45/110, you know it can take a few rounds to get Point of Impact dialed in.
Rick reports: “These are two of my favorite rifles to shoot: a M1874 Shiloh Sharps in caliber 45/110 (2 7/8) made in Big Timber, Montana by Kirk Bryan and family. The other is a 6.5×47 Lapua on a blue-printed M700 action with 1:8.5″-twist Krieger barrel and F5 McMillan Tactical stock. Many of the shooters that take up BPCR have a tendency to get away from their smokeless powder rifles in favor of the blackpowder game. Frankly I have the best of both worlds as I enjoy shooting both (smokeless and BPCR), although I must admit that I probably spend the majority of my time on the range with the Sharps rifles these days.” (Rick’s pretty good with his Sharps by the way — he recently shot a 95, 96, and 100 (clean) for 3×10 shots at 800 yards.)
Gongzilla: $1000 Worth of Steel with Three Plate Layers
Rick tells us: “Here’s the deal — everything is steel! The large plate is 72″x72″ and the black bull is 44″ diameter. The 20″-diameter central white bull is made from 1/2″-thick AR400 bull-dozer plating. That’s the same size as the regulation Palma/Creedmoor paper target. The white square and black bull are 3/8″-thick mild steel. Plates are off-set 2″ from each other. I welded a 2″ length of square tubing to the back of both plates and the bolt slides through and is attached to the large plate. I used 2 3/8″ upset tubing (oil field pipe) for the holder framing.” Rick says he invested about $1000.00 in metal for the target, but that was 15 years ago. Today the steel would be much more expensive.
Rick says the AR400 armor plate in the center bull is very strong: “You can shoot a .338 Lapua Magnum at 200 yards and it won’t damage the center bull”. The mild steel works well for the cast bullets Rick uses with his Sharps 45/110. Also, Rick says the mild steel is rugged enough for 6.5mm and .308 hollowpoint match bullets, if you’re at least 500 yards away. However, Rick told us, “If I would make [the target] again, I would make the black bull AR400 as well. [That way] you would never have to worry about big dents or beating the plate up at any distance. The AR400 is very tough steel. You can shoot a Sierra or Lapua HP bullet and they will just splatter.”
Rick told us: “I built this target with off-set clanger plates. The white clanger is AR400. Bullets just splatter!” Does he worry about hitting the bolt head? Not at all. Rick says: “When I hit the bolt head, I break my arm patting myself on the back!”.
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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:
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.
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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 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:
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.
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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 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:
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 of 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.
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Forum member Rick from Louisiana (aka RMulhern) has rigged up a fantastic target for long-range shooting. Rick, a long-time competitive Palma shooter, had a large 72″x72″ steel target fabricated with two separate center rings that are equivalent to the official paper Palma/Creedmoor target. He says he’s “shot a lot of Palma on that target, as well as lots of Black Powder Cartridge (BPCR) rounds”. The big steel target works great when Rick shoots his Sharps 45/110 BPCR at 800 to 1000 yards. The large steel background (painted white) helps Rick see and hear his hits. If you understand the high-arching trajectory of 500+ grain projectiles shot from a 45/110, you know it can take a few rounds to get Point of Impact dialed in.
Rick reports: “These are two of my favorite rifles to shoot: a M1874 Shiloh Sharps in caliber 45/110 (2 7/8) made in Big Timber, Montana by Kirk Bryan and family. The other is a 6.5×47 Lapua on a blue-printed M700 action with 1:8.5″-twist Krieger barrel and F5 McMillan Tactical stock. Many of the shooters that take up BPCR have a tendency to get away from their smokeless powder rifles in favor of the blackpowder game. Frankly I have the best of both worlds as I enjoy shooting both (smokeless and BPCR), although I must admit that I probably spend the majority of my time on the range with the Sharps rifles these days.” (Rick’s pretty good with his Sharps by the way — he recently shot a 95, 96, and 100 (clean) for 3×10 shots at 800 yards.)
Gongzilla: $1000 Worth of Steel with Three Plate Layers
Rick tells us: “Here’s the deal — everything is steel! The large plate is 72″x72″ and the black bull is 44″ diameter. The 20″-diameter central white bull is made from 1/2″-thick AR400 bull-dozer plating. That’s the same size as the regulation Palma/Creedmoor paper target. The white square and black bull are 3/8″-thick mild steel. Plates are off-set 2″ from each other. I welded a 2″ length of square tubing to the back of both plates and the bolt slides through and is attached to the large plate. I used 2 3/8″ upset tubing (oil field pipe) for the holder framing.” Rick says he invested about $1000.00 in metal for the target, but that was 15 years ago. Today the steel would be much more expensive.
Rick says the AR400 armor plate in the center bull is very strong: “You can shoot a .338 Lapua Magnum at 200 yards and it won’t damage the center bull”. The mild steel works well for the cast bullets Rick uses with his Sharps 45/110. Also, Rick says the mild steel is rugged enough for 6.5mm and .308 hollowpoint match bullets, if you’re at least 500 yards away. However, Rick told us, “If I would make [the target] again, I would make the black bull AR400 as well. [That way] you would never have to worry about big dents or beating the plate up at any distance. The AR400 is very tough steel. You can shoot a Sierra or Lapua HP bullet and they will just splatter.”
Rick told us: “I built this target with off-set clanger plates. The white clanger is AR400. Bullets just splatter!” Does he worry about hitting the bolt head? Not at all. Rick says: “When I hit the bolt head, I break my arm patting myself on the back!”.
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How well does the reigning National High Power Rifle Champion handle a Ruger 10/22 in rapid fire? Very well indeed it turns out. Here’s footage of SFC Brandon Green at the 2015 NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC) in West Virginia this past weekend. Brandon shows some serious speed with the little semi-auto. Brandon’s comment was: “10/22s are just too much fun!”.
Watch SFC Brandon Green speed through a steel plates stage with a Ruger 10/22:
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This is an interesting technical article prepared by Action Target, a leading steel target manufacturer based in Provo, Utah. With technical data provided by the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington D.C., this report is designed to cut through the recent hype and establish a basis of fact for accurate evaluation and comparison.
What Is Steel?
Steel is an alloy metal composed of iron and varying amounts of carbon and/or other elements such as chromium, nickel, tungsten, manganese, and so on. Steel with specific properties and characteristics is created by adjusting the overall chemical composition or by altering the various production processes such as rolling, finishing, and heat treatment. Because each of these factors can be modified, there is potentially no limit to the number of different steel recipes that can be created. Currently, there are over 3,000 cataloged grades or chemical compositions of steel available. Steel can utilize a wide variety of alloying elements and heat treatments to develop the most desirable combination of properties.
Watch this video guys. You’ve got to see this Automated Target Trailer to believe it. The clever folks at MGM Targets have created the world’s first transportable, programmable, compressor-powered Electro-Pneumatic Pop-Up Steel Target Trailer. And get this — it even reads credit cards and bills them wirelessly! We kid you not. Check it out:
Ten Automated Targets on Trailer
This is one impressive piece of target technology. MGM Target’s P2P Automated Range is the only trailerable, “Pay to Play” live-fire target system on the planet. It offers 10 separate plate targets each with its own electro-pneumatic lifter, so the plates can rise and lower in a infinite series of variations. MGM’s “Reaction Mode®” option runs as fast as the shooter can knock the targets down! The lifters are driven by an 45 PSI compressor (that’s also part of the trailerable package.)
Much like operation systems used at a DIY carwash, a stand-alone control pedestal houses the credit card reader, and the game selection keyboard. The shooter swipes his/her credit card, then chooses one of 10 pre-programmed game option / shooting scenarios. Shooters have several options including various timed games, Random Plates, and “Dueling Tree” for man-on-man competition.
Designed to be a cash generator for public and private commercial ranges, the system combines the proven technology and durability of MGM’s electronic ‘Pop Up’ trailer with a credit card reader/integrated cell phone system. This technology is presently in use at private ranges and military bases.
If you own your own range, this could be the ultimate toy… and you can get your shooting buddies to pay for it with their credit cards. (Default “pay to play” rate is $5 for 10 minutes.) Commercial inquiries are invited — contact MGM at 888-767-7371 for information.
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Shooting heavy-duty steel targets is fun, and it’s a great way to practice your long-range skills, IF the target is the right size AND if it’s situated at appropriate distances. Unfortunately, many ranges don’t have steel rifle targets, or if they do, the targets are big gongs fixed in place. You can bring your own steel gongs to the range, however most setups are big, heavy, and hard to transport. Gongs are typically held by chains attached to very heavy, sawhorse-style supports that take two people to move.
Now there is a portable steel target plate that is relatively easy to move, and which is available in appropriate sizes for precision rifle shooters. The AR550 heavy-duty version of the Evil Roy Practice Target from GSS Competition works great for precision rifle practice at distances beyond 100 yards. And you can use the same plates for pistol practice at shorter distances. To reduce the chance of ricochets, there are no exposed bolts or clamps, and the target plate head is angled. When using the targets with rifles you want to avoid any bullets with penetrator tips, and GSS recommends keeping velocities under 3,000 fps. That still allows you to shot .308s, 6BRs, 6.5x47s, and .284s at competitive match speeds.
Choose from 6″, 8″, 10″ or 12″ Plate Diameters
The GSS circular targets, made from AR550 armor plate, come in four diameters: 6″, 8″, 10″, and 12″. We like the 6″ size for shooting at 600 yards, and the 10″ plate for 1000 yards. These sizes are very close to 1 MOA at those distances. This provides a good challenge for an F-Class or high power shooter. The circular plates can be mounted at two different heights, up to roughly 36 inches above the ground. The head of the Evil Roy Target will “bounce” a little when you hit it, so you get instant feedback.
HD Target Costs $175.00 — FREE Shipping for Limited Time
The GSS “Evil Roy” target plates are supported on a folding three-legged steel stand. This tripod base folds up to a 3-foot-long package for ease of carry and transport. NOTE: No tools are required for assembly, use, or storage. The portable stand folds to less than 3 feet long in just seconds, so it easily fits in the trunk of a small car. The GSS Evil Roy portable steel targets start at $155.00 plus $20.00 for the heavy-duty option. For a limited time, GSS is offering FREE Shipping on its steel targets (offer subject to change.) For more info, visit www.GSSCompetition.com.
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Are you ready for some football? Here’s a clever rimfire challenge target from MGM Targets. Trust us, this thing is a hoot to shoot. And having fun is still the best reason to go shooting, right?
On this $129.00 Football Target, the vertical spinner runs on a threaded, horizontal “drive shaft”. When you hit the top plate, the spinner moves to the left. When you hit the bottom plate, the spinner rotates in the opposite direction, moving to the right. The goal is to advance the spinner all the way to one end zone for a “touchdown”. This target lets two rimfire shooters compete head-to-head. For a two-man game, each competitor selects a target plate (upper or lower). They can then either fire simultaneously or take turns. Whoever drives the spinner to his end zone first wins. A solo shooter can also have fun, running the spinner in one direction, and then back the other way.
The MGM Football Target is based on a patented invention of Aaron Witmeyer, of Prineville, Oregon. This unique target rewards rapid, but accurate fire. You’ll find that once you’ve developed a rhythm, you can keep the spinner moving toward your goal pretty quickly. But miss a shot and your opponent can reverse the momentum — just like an interception on the gridiron. You can either start with the spinner centered up at the “50-yard line” or you can give a “head start” to a less experienced opponent by starting the spinner closer to the opponent’s end zone. This works great for parent vs. kid matches — giving the youngsters a head start. Made from AR400 steel, the MGM Football Spinner target is suitable for rimfire use only — don’t ever use centerfire ammo! After placing the 18″ X 17″ X 11″ target frame on the ground, you can use tent pegs to secure the frame’s lower cross-piece for extra stability.
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MGM Targets is now the nation’s #1 portable steel target manufacturer. To reward MGM’s customers, MGM is running a year-long “12-for-12″ contest though the end of 2012. Each month a dozen lucky winners are selected among those who have purchased one of the MGM product specials. Prizes worth up to $425 are supplied by a variety of respected manufacturers, such as FNH, DPMS, and Benchmade. MGM has already announced winners for January and February, but you can still get involved for drawings in March and future months. (Purchase of target required for prize eligibility.)
MGM’s monthly prizes include: gift certificates, rail systems, .22LR uppers, gunstocks, safety eyewear, gunstocks, shooting mats, slings, data books, knives, and flash suppressors. Prizes are supplied by well-known manufacturers: Benchmade, DPMS, ESS Eye Pro, FNH, Predator Tactical, Primary Weapons, Safariland, and Seekins Precision. MGM’s Jim Potter noted: “This will be one of the biggest giveaways in the industry in 2012 [with prizes] given away every single month.”
March Specials from MGM
This month MGM features the MGM Flash Target for long-range shooting. The March Special price is $350.00 — $77 off the regular $427.38 price. Along with the Flash Target, for March, MGM is featuring the IPSC Half Size Target for $119.00, marked down from $179.36.
New Remote-Control Running Man Target
Experienced shooters know that moving targets are much harder to hit than static targets. To provide realistic challenges for hunters, tactical shooters, and 3-Gun competitors, MGM has introduced a very cool (and speedy) portable “Running Man Target”. This motorized, cable-drive system boasts adjustable targets speeds from 3 to 22 feet per second, with quick-stop and instant reverse capability. Speed and direction are modulated with a handheld, wireless (radio) remote control effective out to 100 yards. For more info, visit MGMTargets.com or contact Mike Gibson Manufacturing, (888) 767-7371.
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A few seasons back, Forum member Rick from Louisiana (aka RMulhern) rigged up a fantastic target for long-range shooting. Rick, a long-time competitive Palma shooter, had a large 72″x72″ steel target fabricated with two separate center rings that are equivalent to the official paper Palma/Creedmoor target. He says he’s “shot a lot of Palma on that target, as well as lots of Black Powder Cartridge (BPCR) rounds”. The big steel target works great when Rick shoots his Sharps 45/110 BPCR at 800 to 1000 yards. The large steel background (painted white) helps Rick see and hear his hits. If you understand the high-arching trajectory of 500+ grain projectiles shot from a 45/110, you know it can take a few rounds to get Point of Impact dialed in.
Steel is an alloy metal composed of iron and varying amounts of carbon and/or other elements such as chromium, nickel, tungsten, manganese, and so on. Steel with specific properties and characteristics is created by adjusting the overall chemical composition or by altering the various production processes such as rolling, finishing, and heat treatment. Because each of these factors can be modified, there is potentially no limit to the number of different steel recipes that can be created. Currently, there are over 3,000 cataloged grades or chemical compositions of steel available. Steel can utilize a wide variety of alloying elements and heat treatments to develop the most desirable combination of properties.
Ten Automated Targets on Trailer
