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Metallic silhouette shooting
This shooting sport was depeloped in the mid-fifties in Mexico, where was spreaded to the United States of America and to the other countries. In 1975, Arizona was realized the first National Championship and in following year was founded The International Association of metallic silhouette shooting (IHMSA).
From this date is also the official rules of this sport. On the European continent were the first races in 1982 in France, in 1989 was founded The European Assiciation of Metallic Silhouette Shooting (AETSM) and in 1992 was founded The International Association of Metallic Silhouette Shooting Union (IMSSU). Its founding members were Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, and the only country, so called Former Eastern Block, the Czech Republic (represented by the preparatory committee ČzMSSA). The Czech Association of metallic silhouette shooting was established on 3rd of January 1993 as an independent civic association.
The shooting on metal silhouettes is extraordinarily difficult, not only from the technical point of view, but also from material point of view. This shooting requires a target range for a long distance shooting (from 100 to 500 m), expensive steel targets and high quality special arms and accurate and efficient ammunition. The shooting positions are standing or freestyle (free positions - reclining, kneeling, sitting, standing and so on). In the freestyle position shooters most frequently use the position lying on the back with legs in direction towards targets, and the hand, holding the arm, is leaning against the leg. In the position standing, the arm may be held with one or both hands, however, the arm, holding the arm, must not touch the other parts of the body between the wrist and the shoulder.
The beauty of silhouette shooting is in the variety of its disciplines, which is 14 in total. Basic rules are the same for all disciplines. It is shooting at silhouettes of animals (chicken, pig, turkey and ram), that are placed at different distances, depending on the specific disciplines - e.g. 25, 50, 75 and 100 m. The closest is always CHICKEN, followed by a PIG, TURKEY and RAM is the farthest. Silhouettes have also various size and weight for individual disciplines. For small-caliber weapons (cal. 22) is the most distant silhouette on 100 m, but for large-caliber weapons (hand firearms for charges with central inflammation) on 200 m and for large-caliber rifle even on 500 m.
The race will be fired at 40 targets - ten of each kind, which is necessary to achieve the recognized hits to knock the target on the ground. It is shooting the five shots series from left to the right, each silhouette per one shot.
The categories are different according to the caliber of the weapon, its type (standard pistol, revolver, pistol with telescope, modified pistol, rifle with telescope ...) and according to the shooter position (lying or standing).
