BP Silhouette

[Qball]

We shoot IHMSA Silhouette in my club and i've heard of
blackpowder silhouette, could someone fill me in on that.
regulations and stuff.
Thank You

[Shiloh Sharpie]

BPCR silhouette is my first love.  I drive almost 400 miles the second Sunday of the month to do this.  I started using a Husqvarna Rolling Block which was built by Jon King of Kila MT.  It is a .45-90 and I shot it from Dec of 1998 to December of 2000.  I started shooting a 24 and ended up a master shooter in that timeframe.  I now shoot a Meacham HiWall action with double set triggers and also built by John King.  It was not the shooter the roller was until recently.  I have not shot so regularly since 2000 and I just shot my 12th match with the HiWall.  It is beginning to shoot real well.  Both these rifles are the same .45-90 caliber but with using swiss powder (number 1 or 1.5 F) a .45-70 would suffice in terms of velocity and wind bucking, but the .45-90 has that little extra that may be the difference on windy days. Recoil management is personal and I feel I handle it pretty well, but I would not get a stouter caliber than the .45-90 for any reason.  The most popular caliber is .40-65.   .38-55 caliber is getting more use.  This is again due to the Swiss powder and its increased velocity.  Noone (where I shoot) uses BP substitutes, although Pyrodex - and only Pyrodex - is approved.  It just isn't as accurate out to 500 meters as BP.  Acceptable accuracy for all distances is 1.5 MOA or better, with better being necessary for master class and winning matches.  You will cast your own bullets because no one can cast them for you with adequate quality, and the various reloading components and equipment is a major study in itself, but there is nothing so great as your first 10 pin, most likely on Pigs and your first chicken, which are the only animals shot offhand and standing.  I love shooting these rifles so much I ordered and received a Shiloh Sharps in 2003. It will not be used for silhouette (it could but I choose not to), but has replaced my Browning Traditional Hunter for a CAS and hunting rifle.  The caliber......yep, .45-90 - and it will shoot only BP like all my large bore single shots.
I will stop now, but I have more if you want it. Just post a reply with questions if you have them.

[Qball]

Howdy Shiloh Sharpie.
Thank you verry much, i'l start with one question
right away. Black powder handgun silhuette?
nonexistent?
For the rest of rifle questions  a'l bee back

[Doc Shapiro]

Not handgun.  Single Shot Rifle only.  You can order a rulebook from the NRA.

Targets:
Chickens, off hand, 200 m
Pigs, freestyle (for me prone off sticks for this and the rest), 300m
Turkeys, freestyle, 385m
Rams, freestyle, 500m

No duplexing allowed.  Only real BP or Pyrodex, though I've been hearing that this will change to real BP only.  No idea if that's true or not.

First string, 7 1/2 minutes.  Sighters and then 5 for record.  2nd string, 5 minutes, 5 for record. 

Some swab between shots, I prefer a blowtube and swab after each set.

Hope this helps some.

Doc

[Shiloh Sharpie]

BP will be required at the Nationals at Raton.  I personally do not agree with the decision to limit Pyrodex.  But every sport has its whiners.  There is no BP pistol as Doc indicates.  He is correct about the distances.  "freestyle " is limited to sitting or prone in real practice, with prone being the only competitive choice.  You cannot sit in a chair for instance. At my regular range we shoot all 10 targets at once which is allowed but not common due to range size limitations. We get 12 1/2 minutes all at once. Same as Doc says but different as well. I shoot with Paul Matthews who wrote all the books about BPCR. He stopped swabbing and used a blow tube, but now he is back to swabbing due to leading.  He also uses a Ron Snover rear sight that has an offset design to allow swabbing at the farther ranges when the sight is too high to fully retract as is the MVA or othere brand Soule type sights most use.  Dave Hicks, who just won the BP Rifle long distance World Championship shoots with us as well, as does Frank Monikowski [sic]  who took 4th at the same match. When you win a match against those guys it really feels like an accomplishment I can tell you.  It also hurts less when they thump you.  We have a great cowd where I shoot and I am proud to be able to compete against them and I can be sure that if I need a helping hand they will be there to assist.  Keep your powder dry and hold center. 

[Uncle Eph]

Sharpie, now that is a group that I would be honored to shoot with.

I met Elmer Keith years ago and that was a real thrill for a young shooter that hung on every word that "Uncle Elmer" said.  When it comes to BPCRs Paul Matthews is the man to read.

[Shiloh Sharpie]

Uncle Eph,

Paul is terrific and a real gentleman.  But then again all BPCR shooters are that way.  Fabulous bunch.  Thanks for the post.  I'll bet meeting Uncle Elmer is a real high point. 

Take care and keep your powder dry.

[Dick Dastardly]

This sounds like a good group to get some of my new bullet design tested.  I've gotten' some results, but need more.

DD-DLoS

[Will Ketchum]

Shiloh, sent you an e-mail.

Will Ketchum