The IHMSA organization started in 1976 with the purpose of promoting handgun silhouette competition. The object of the competition is to knock down metallic silhouettes (chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams) at various ranges to a maximum of 200 meters. The sport has spread to many countries and matches are shot all over the USA. Many of the inovations you see in handgunning today came from the sport of Pistol Silhouettes and the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Assoc.