Starts April 30th

The Nipmuc Rod and Gun Club invites you to join our Smallbore Silhouette league. This league will include 6 shoots over a period of 2 months. This league is for those people who want a little more fun than punching holes in paper.

League Overview

A silhouette is a steel profile of an animal (chicken, pig, turkey, or ram) standing on a pedestal. The object of the game is to knock as many silhouettes as possible off their pedestals, shooting one round at each silhouette. It is a very simple competition, with very simple scoring: You get a "1" for knocking an animal off its stand and a "0" for anything else. Although silhouette is an easy game to learn, it is not an easy game to master. The animals are rather small and the distances are rather large. You'll be shooting the silhouettes from the offhand position only. This means that you shoot standing and you support the rifle entirely with your body. No part of your body except your feet can touch anything. Slings may be attached to the rifle but may not be used for support of the hand or arm.

A match will consist of 40 shots per person, each person shooting at the same number of animals. For example, in a 40-shot match, you shoot 10 shots at 10 chickens, 10 shots at 10 pigs, and the same for turkeys and rams. Each of the 4 groups of animals will be setup at various yardages. For smallbore silhouettes you can use most any .22 rifle with standard 22 LR ammunition. Only 22's are allowed for this competition. Typically people use rifles with scopes at the silhouette shoots. You'll get 3 minutes to shoot five shots at each of five animals (e.g. chicken), then another 3 minutes to fire 5 shots at the pig and so on.

League Timeframes

• Week 1 (Saturday April 30th at 2pm)
• Week 2 (Saturday May 14th at 2pm)
• Week 3 (Saturday May 28th at 2pm)
• Week 4 (Saturday June 4th at 2pm)
• Week 5 (Saturday June 11th at 2pm)
• Week 6 (Saturday June 18th at 2pm)

* In the event of inclement weather we will re-schedule the shoot.

Cost

Cost to join this league is $25 fee for Nipmuc members and $30 for non-members. Each participant will have to supply the 22 rifle and ammunition. It's conceivable that those people who do not have a 22 rifle can borrow one from another participant.

Location

The league will shoot at the rifle range at Nipmuc Rod and Gun Club in Upton. Vehicles are permitted at the range but should be limited to a few; please try to carpool from the Nipmuc Club parking lot. Everyone is encouraged to gather at the club afterwards.

Safety

• Ear and eye protection should be worn.
• ALWAYS keep your action open when not in use.
• Be muzzle conscious; never point the gun in the vicinity of someone else.
• Do not keep a firearm loaded with a live shell when it's not your turn to shoot.
• Anyone not practicing safe firearms handling will be asked to leave so as not to endanger the other people.

Next Steps

If you are interested in joining the league signup at the club or e-mail Mike Deprey for more detail: deprey@comcast.net. Please provide your name, phone number and e-mail address.