From: hes@ncsu.edu (Henry E. Schaffer)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Handgun Silhouette Shooting - a Book Review
Date: 11 Oct 92 06:01:48 GMT
Organization: North Carolina State University

The Gun Digest Book of
Metallic Silhouette Shooting 2nd ed
Elgin Gates
DBI Books, Inc.  1988  8 1/2" x 11" 256 pages paperbound
ISBN 0-87349-021-5

Description on the cover
All About the Sport:
  Loads that Work- the Latest in Cartridge Development
  Unlimited vs. Production Guns - What's Hot and What's Not
  Outstanding Silhouette Records
  Up-to-Date Rules and Regulations

  This book, by a hunter who is one of the founders of handgun
metallic silhouette shooting, is interesting, practical and
makes the sport sound very attractive.  It contains everything
from outlines to make your own silhouettes, to loading
recipes; from a history of the calibers used to the 1988 Rules
of the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Assoc.  It is
fun to read, and gives a lot of interesting information.  The
ego and pride of the author is very, very evident in this book, 
but not really out of place considering what he has accomplished.
I didn't find it too annoying, just that I noticed it often. While
rifles are mentioned, this is a book about handgun silhouette
shooting.  Here's the Contents - my comments are in [brackets.]

Acknowledgements
1  Handgun Metallic Silhouette: What It is?  
   The when, why, where and how of this exciting sport is told 
   by one who was there.
2  Long-Gun Silhouetting
   The sport began with rifles and there are hordes of shooters
   who prefer this facet.  The rimfire fanciers are having their 
   day, too, in long-gun silhouette competition.  [Includes outlines 
   for silhouettes for High Power Rifle and Long Range Pistol (half 
   scale or less), and for air gun and for Smallbore Rifle (full 
   size); allowable dimensions for High Power and Smallbore rifles.]
3  A View of the Past
   From a blood sport of Mexico [shooting at livestock to slaughter
   them] to sophisticated handgunnery marks a long march of
   progress.
4  Silhouette Cartridge Development
   The author's experiments date back to his African hunting safaris.
   [Improvements on the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum.  .357 Auto Mag,
   7mm/06, 7mm/.223, 7mm BR, and many others.]
5  Tips & Strategies for Winning
   The basics are simple, but concentration is a must.
6  First Matches, Early Handguns
   Thousands of rounds through a hot-loaded handgun makes it obvious
   which will last! [about how most handguns couldn't stand a steady
   diet of really hot loads, and how new designs filled this need]
7  Outstanding Silhouette Records
   With progress in the art of long-range handgunning, performances
   improved greatly.  
8  Goods for Silhouette Reloaders
   This sport eats up thousands of rounds; to compete, handloading is
   a must.  [a general discussion of loading]
9  A Matter of Philosophy
   In silhouette shooting, a production gun must be just that: a
   production handgun.  [discussion of defective designs in production
   and how improvements were made to meet silhouette needs, thereby
   generally improving the breed.  Gates is *very* proud of this.]
10 Silhouette Loads for Single-Shots
   A lot of experimentation went into this info which actually was a
   search for safety! As experience progressed, the 7mm family
   became an obvious silhouetting choice.  Silhouette loads for the
   Thompson-Center Contender cover the entire range!  [discussion and 
   loading info for 6.5mm/.223 (later known as the 6.5mm T/C), 
   6.5mm/.223 Unlimited, 7mm/.223, 7mm/.223 Unlimited, 
   7mm BR & 7mm/.222 Magnum Unlimited, 7mm IHMSA International, 7-R
   Unlimited, 7mm T/CU, .30 Herrett, .35 Remington, .30-.30 Winchester,
   .357 Magnum, .357 Super Mag/.357 Maximum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum,
   .45 Winchester Magnum and .45 Long Colt.]
11 Silhouette Six-Guns & Loads
   ... Or a history of the revolver in the silhouette sport. [discussion
   of a few notably rugged revolvers and loading info for .357
   Mag/SuperMag/Max, (to give you an idea of what a silhouette shooter
   really wants, Gates shows a load for the .357 SuperMag which gives
   a 200 grain bullet a muzzle velocity of 1702 fps - and he notes this
   as "too hot"), .375 Super Mag, .41 Mag, .44 Mag, .45 Long Colt.]
12 The Unlimited Silhouette Handgun
   They're still seeking the ultimate for long-range handgunning.  
   [discussion of the development of handguns "as powerful and as
   accurate as rifles".  The Remington XP-100, the T/C Contender,
   and a a variety of wildcat cartridges.]
13 The Brutus Story
   ...With pertinent observations on loading the really big-bore
   silhouette guns!  [the unlimited category has few restriction,
   the weight limit is 4 1/2 lbs, and the barrel length and sight
   radius limit is 15" - discussion and loads for such as the
   6.5 mm International, 7mm International, .30 International,
   7mm/.308(7mm x 08), 7mm BR Remington, and .308 Winchester Full
   Length.]
14 Cast Bullets for Silhouette Shooting
   Other than personal satisfaction, this type of bullet expands
   availability. [discussion of loads, molds, characteristics]
15 The Expanded Approach
   Two new events - .22 silhouette and field pistol competition -
   are being sanctioned now. 
16 Accuracy & Revolvers
   There are reasons why cylinder guns can lack accuracy and
   here's what to do about it.  [discussion of cylinder alignment
   problems, and measurement - also discussion of chamber throats
   and forcing cones]
17 The Super Mag Story
   ...Or how a cartridge was developed over vast amounts of
   disinterest.  [Gates developed this cartridge in 1975 by
   welding an extension onto a .357 Magnum case.  Remington
   essentially duplicated this cartridge and called it the
   .357 Maximum, with a case just .015" shorter.]
18 A Matter of Price
   Silhouette shooters attempt to rule against the possibility of
   buying titles with tricked-up handguns.
19 Past, Present, future
   In its first decade, handgun silhouetting has come far; the
   author has thoughs on the next ten years.
-  1988 Officials Rules  IHMSA
[no Index]

--henry schaffer  n c state univ