Hunter Pistol Silhouette "Grand Slam" pin -- Still around ?

[bigmtnman]

When Hunter Pistol first started up around 1980-81 (?) I thought it would be right up my alley. I had been a pretty serious ATA trap competitor, but handguns were my first love. I got a serious "bug" to start knocking over those little critters when I lived in Maryland. The local matches were at the Marriottsville range just a bit west of "Bawlmer" . I managed to win a couple of Maryland state championships in big bore Hunter Handgun. The pictures of my "Grand Slam" pin are from that period. I am curious if they still exist. I thought it was pretty nice that the NRA would put your name and the number you were to have accomplished it. My number was 53. Anybody else familiar with these little trinkets ?
My first competitions and championship was using a Nickel M19 6" with a 2X Leupold scope. I guess I missed my chance on the heading of this thread ....
To be more relevant to Smith & Wesson .... and BRAGGING (please forgive the "old guy") I guess I could have said "My "national record" using a Model 19

 

[Protocall_Design]

That's some very good shooting! I have shot IHMSA silhouetts since the 80s. We didn't have any NRA around here that I was aware of. Sadly, metallic silhouette is dying off now. I don't know about the NRA kind, but our local IHMSA club now has 10 or 12 shooters with maybe 18 to 24 guns shot per match. Years ago, there would be 30+ people at a match, with many of them shooting 2, 3, or 4 guns each. Back then, it was hard to get a spot on the firing line. Now it's pretty empty.

 

[bigmtnman]

That's some very good shooting! I have shot IHMSA silhouetts since the 80s. We didn't have any NRA around here that I was aware of. Sadly, metallic silhouette is dying off now. I don't know about the NRA kind, but our local IHMSA club now has 10 or 12 shooters with maybe 18 to 24 guns shot per match. Years ago, there would be 30+ people at a match, with many of them shooting 2, 3, or 4 guns each. Back then, it was hard to get a spot on the firing line. Now it's pretty empty.

Thanks..... I have gotten the impression that silhouettes were dying out. Back in the 80's we would have close to 100 competitors for a championship. Regular shoots were around 40. It was the right thing at the right time for me !

 

[SS336]

Wow! That is d*** impressive. Not bragging if you can do it.
I think if I ever got a 40 I would have had a facsimile tattooed on my forehead.

 

[ACP230]

I used to shoot those matches at the K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base
outside of Marquette, MI. Did my best shooting with a .357 Ruger
Blackhawk with iron sights. Never got close to the OP's score
but had fun. Won a Smiths Sportsmen Sticks knife sharpener at one match. Still use it.

The base has been closed for years. And the range we shot on was
destroyed when the base closed. Always thought that was too bad.

 

[AzShooter]

Awesome accomplishment. I wish competitions weren't deminishing likek they are but that's the signs of the times. We can't seem to get the kits out to enjoy it like we did.

Hopefully things will change.

 

[jimbo728]

I shot only one hunter sillouette match in early `80`s at Canterbury NH.
Used a stock 586 iron sights.
Shot DA at all distancee.
Missed the first turkey at 75yds. Went up 2 clicks and cleaned them.
Up one more click, cleaned rams at 100yds.
Won it with one miss only.
Just a good memory now.
Jim

 

[muzzlestuffer2012]

When Hunter Pistol first started up around 1980-81 (?) I thought it would be right up my alley. I had been a pretty serious ATA trap competitor, but handguns were my first love. I got a serious "bug" to start knocking over those little critters when I lived in Maryland. The local matches were at the Marriottsville range just a bit west of "Bawlmer" . I managed to win a couple of Maryland state championships in big bore Hunter Handgun. The pictures of my "Grand Slam" pin are from that period. I am curious if they still exist. I thought it was pretty nice that the NRA would put your name and the number you were to have accomplished it. My number was 53. Anybody else familiar with these little trinkets ?

My first competitions and championship was using a Nickel M19 6" with a 2X Leupold scope. I guess I missed my chance on the heading of this thread ....

To be more relevant to Smith & Wesson .... and BRAGGING (please forgive the "old guy") I guess I could have said "My "national record" using a Model 19

I love shooting silhouettes I just wish there was more of it now i have my own set of steel and shoot by myself with pistol but shoot silhouette with bpcr rifle so much more exciting than paper nice shooting !!

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

 

[Tolow]

Grand Slam pin

Sounds like you had lots of fun. I got my grand slam pin in 82. My serial number was #1

 

[bigmtnman]

Sounds like you had lots of fun. I got my grand slam pin in 82. My serial number was #1
View attachment 565980

View attachment 565981

WOW ! ... Thank you for posting! YOU have yourself a pretty special pin there Mr. # 1. Where did you shoot your matches ? The only "regional" competition I went to was in North Carolina in 1983. I came in second, and got food poisoning from their "pig picking".

 

[Tolow]

I done most of my shooting around Amarillo, Texas but i got the pin at the Nationals in Raton, New Mexico. I was so nervous the first day I couldn't hit anything but the second day I done better. I got second place.

 

[bigmtnman]

I done most of my shooting around Amarillo, Texas but i got the pin at the Nationals in Raton, New Mexico. I was so nervous the first day I couldn't hit anything but the second day I done better. I got second place.

Thank you so much for sharing that. I am VERY impressed ! ! ... You sir qualify as a "top gun hand"

 

[H Richard]

I never shot Hunter Pistol, only IHMSA was available within my driving range. I started with a Mod 19 but quickly progressed to a Contender in 44 Mag. Then added a 7 TCU and then a 7x30 Waters.

The game has been long gone in my area now. I did get a few pins.

 

[bigmtnman]

Hello H Richard .....
I did try IHMSA a few times with a M29 6" bbl open sights. I quickly found out two things. ONE - My body type was not meant to lay on the ground and try to shoot a handgun. TWO - The IMHSA "guys" were really REALLY serious about shooting and equipment !!

 

[sw dan]

hi ken,
yes they still have the grand slam pin. i have to travel 3 hours, to shoot silhouettes, in pa, and md. be safe.....dan

 

[H Richard]

It's a shame the sport has diminished so bad. I especially liked the .22 silhouette, and would have liked the NRA Hunter Pistol, which I think is only out to 100 yard and can be shot pretty well with a mid range center fire, instead of some of the fire breathing handguns we needed at 200 meters.

Were scope and red dot sights allowable, possibly in a separate class?

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Have Shot a Little Hunter silhouette, used my most accurate centerfire revolver, My 27.

 

[SS336]

It's a shame the sport has diminished so bad. I especially liked the .22 silhouette, and would have liked the NRA Hunter Pistol, which I think is only out to 100 yard and can be shot pretty well with a mid range center fire, instead of some of the fire breathing handguns we needed at 200 meters.

Were scope and red dot sights allowable, possibly in a separate class?

Our club shot rimfire with any sight.
The course was changed a little bit. We moved the chickens to 40 yards to make a little more challenging. Rams where at 110.
We had a lot of good times at our shoots. It was tough to win as we had a group of very good shooters, oneNRA master.
When he stayed home I could win a match occasionally.

image upload account

 

[Krogen]

It's a shame the sport has diminished so bad. I especially liked the .22 silhouette, and would have liked the NRA Hunter Pistol, which I think is only out to 100 yard and can be shot pretty well with a mid range center fire, instead of some of the fire breathing handguns we needed at 200 meters.

Were scope and red dot sights allowable, possibly in a separate class?

It has certainly diminished since the heydays. We still host silhouette matches at my club. We fire lever-action (cowboy) silhouette matches at the Hunter's Pistol targets and distances (out to 100 m). In the morning, it's 22 LR, in the afternoon it's center fire pistol cartridge. Once in a while, someone shows up with a scoped Contender but mostly we see lever-action, iron-sighted rifles. BTW, the term "cowboy" refers to lever actions; we're not into the cowboy action, dress up like Wyatt Earp game.

We also shoot long-range 22 silhouette out to 200 m. This is a prone or bench game, except for 50 m chickens are shot standing. Some folks will shoot the longer distances "standing on their hind legs" to challenge themselves. This games is known as a "fun" match so there are no winners per se. We compete against ourselves. Doesn't mean a thing if a bench shooter with a Voodoo beats a standing shooter with a 10/22. We all have fun shooting and standing around the fire telling tall tales.

So, at least at this club, silhouette still happens.

 

[sophie]

bigmtnman, I began to look for around for some things from Hunter’s Pistol Silhouette matches from the early 80’s and I found some pins and a loading block. My neighbor made 3 of these blocks out of solid maple. The maple blocks measure 6” X 6” X 2” and he cut them out and we finished our own blocks. The idea was to have 10 bullets available to shoot 2 rounds of targets, without having more clutter than needed on the shooting stands. The cutout portion for empties or maybe some smallbore ammo. The blocks did their job but I felt like I needed more than just what the block held, with me on the firing line. This maple block is the only survivor out of the original three. Pretty cool but not real practical but thought you might like to see it.
I also found some pins from back in the day. The larger pin is from the 1980 NRA National Match for Hunter’s Pistol Silhouette held here in Amarillo, Texas. Several pins from the Amarillo Handgunners Club, which I was a member. Several 5 in a row pins of the targets. We accumulated lots of pins and the shooters pinned them on their caps. This is all I could find. I thought there were some score cards in my shelves but this is all I found.