the following is the approved rules for 500 meter silhouette:

IHMSA ULTRA 500 METER RULES



IHMSA rules for Ultra 500 meter shooting shall be identical to those for Big Bore 200 meter shooting except as follows.

Two categories will be added.

Unlimited Ultra 500.

Unlimited Any Sight Ultra 500.

The preferred distances are as follows: chickens are at 200 meters, pigs at 300 meters, turkeys at 385 meters, and rams at 500 meters.

The 500 meter preferred firing period shall be a 30 second load period followed by a 2 minute and 30 second firing period.

A revolver shooter will be allowed time to switch the front sight if he/she chooses to do so. No additional sighters will be allowed.

In 500 meter shooting there will be no limit to the number of sighter shots allowed, but once the record shots have begun, the course of fire must be shot without additional sighters.

The rams shall be set so that it takes between 28 and 32 ounces to pull them over with a trigger pull scale or other scale. Any cartridge and bullet may be used to shoot the course of fire, but in the event of properly set rams not falling when hit, these targets will be scored as misses.

If and when rams are hard set due to wind conditions, the bullet being shot on the rams must produce a momentum factor of 0.78 or greater at 500 meters for hits to be counted. Shooters will be on the honor system to know the momentum factor of the load they use on rams and to state that they know this to be over 0.78 when targets are hard set and hits counted. The momentum factor is computed by multiplying the bullet weight in grains times the remaining velocity at 500 meters and dividing the product by 225,200.


Ultra 500 Meter IHMSA Classifications

Unlimited Iron Sights
34 or better - International
25-33- AAA
24 and below- AA


Unlimited Scoped
37 or better - International
30-36- AAA
29 and below -AA

oops.. I fixed it..

Sounds like you will NOT be able to have shooters on the C, P and T at the same time as R. The cease fire command will take longer when on R. How would a range operate with different times just for rams? Allowing revolver shooters to change front sight? How long between shooting T and R is a shooter allowed to work on his/her guns. The gun will need to be removed from the firing line to make this change. Ultra will be limited to very few ranges but I can see some possible issues here. Most shooters will not know the momentum factor of their loads. I don't use a chronograph for instance so wouldn't have a clue how to figure it out especially at 500 meters. Rules are important but if they cannot be verified or proven then they won't be very effective. Knockdown at 500 meters would be very iffy with other than a bolt gun so judging hits for rams that don't fall may get interesting.

I am glad (I suppose) that the was sanctioned. How much participation will it garner - not much, because there are few ranges set up for this. 2 things about the rules (as written) do not make any sense to me. First, I agree with Lynn - different firing limits for rams - how is that supposed to work ?? Why not simply make all firing times 2:30 ?? Secondly is the topple point rule and momentum requirements; this (in my opinion) is ridiculous ! This seldom happens, and when it does - count the hits ! Do you think that shooters are going to carry around a small-caliber gun just in case it is a windy day? We have been accused in the past of having confusing rules - this rule set confirms this statement ! Please rethink these rules, or - at least, tell match directors how they are supposed to enforce them ! Philip Braud IHMSA# 13794 Louisiana State Director

The rules are for the entire game not just the Rams. You are misinterpreting. When they say 500 they mean the discipline not the specific range.
The 2 1/2 minute firing time applies to all the animals not just Rams.

The rules are for the 500 meter game and all rules apply to all the distances incorporated; 200, 300, 385 and 500.

When 500 meter matches are fired, it is a pretty small group of cognizant knowledgable shooters.

There probably aren't half a dozen places in the US where a sanctioned IHMSA 500 meter match could be held.

Jim K

This has prompted me to have a thought. If we are trying to get more participation in IHMSA, and there are only a small handful of ranges in the country that can offer 500m IHMSA matches, some may ask why we are doing this at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for any effort to promote our sport and I'd love to try my hand at 500 meter silhouette. But in the interest of getting more participation at many, many more currently available ranges, why don't we also offer 22LR Ultra? Any range with 200 meters and a set of Smallbore targets would be good to go.

First, This is in a 2 year trial period. These are the first set of rules for shooting this.

As for Clubs able to shoot this, Yes there are very few clubs that can presently shoot 500 meter Silhouette. BUT How about all the Highpower Rifle Silhouette Ranges that sit unused most of the month? This gives these clubs another way to bring Income into their clubs. AND it gives us a chance to get these clubs Maybe to provide us with New Ranges if we can talk them into setting up a 200 Meter range on these Ranges.

If you Look, These rules allow a range to run the course of fire alongside a Highpower rifle match. the only difference is that Highpower rifle only allows a 15 second load time.

Also, The Rules concerning the rams are basically the same rules for 200 meter rams. If you Look, the pull measurement is almost the same required for Auto reset targets. the rule concerning hard set rams is to prevent somebody to come out with a gun like a .223 (which is marginal at 200 meter rams) and shooting a High score when we Know full well it would not ever take a soft set ram down. That equation has been around since the 1980's and used to be used for figuring out if a load had enough force to knock over a 200 meter ram.

I personally shoot 500 Meter Silhouette at least once a month (usually Twice). and it is not shot on an IHMSA Range.

Now, Why is it EVERY time a set of Rules is Proposed or released, You guys Tear them apart? Here IHMSA is trying to Get support Back from the Gun Makers, but why should they support us if all we do Is Bitch, Moan and Complain?

I

Dan, Sorry you think I am moaning or complaining.
Me personally, if I cannot understand the way a rule is written, then I ask questions.
Now this may be a complaint!!! I also think IHMSA rules are being controlled by a very select handful of people who may or may not be getting input from local MDs how matches are being run across this country and what changes they think are needed to help grow IHMSA. Certain areas of the U.S. may favor certain ways matches are run and may not apply to all matches.
Also, I personally have submitted suggested FP cartridge changes that just dropped into some void and never even got a reply they had been received but then other rules appear by magic. I just wish rule changes were considered equally regardless who submits them and there was some mechanism to ask for feedback from at least the MDs around the country.
We lack transparency what is going on within the organization.
Please believe I am not directing my comments at you. You are just the messenger.

Dan - I was expressing my opinion on what I think are complicated rules. You may call it as you see fit.The lack of input from the member ship has gotten us to where we are today. Personally I do not have a dog in this hunt - there is one 500 meter silhouette match in Louisiana, and they have but a single match a year. I know of several IHMSA members that have tried to shoot at this match, and they were refused. Kudos to those who have access to shoot this discipline.

The Ultra 500 rules have been discussed by shooters and match directors for over 9 months. They are a combination of what the shooters have been using in 500 meter and the commonly used IHMSA rules. They make sense to the shooters familiar with the 500 game. While not many current IHMSA ranges will support 500 meter, we need to look at other ranges that can support it. One place to look is ranges that currently shoot or have shot the NRA rifle silhouette game. We're looking a range that shoots black powder 500 to shoot at. If they don't want you to shoot at their match, offer to shoot on another day when the targets are not being used. It's exrta income for their range. While the Ultra 500 game will not bring in a huge income to IHMSA, it is a great way to promote our sport to the industry. iHMSA has alway been known for pushing the envelope of handgun accuracy. This is the next level.