The best shooting game! BPCR combines all the best elements to satisfy a competitive spirit

Guns Magazine, Jan, 2005 by Mike "Duke" Venturino

A couple of years ago I was laying on the gurney in the intensive care unit of a Billings, Mont., hospital where I had been flown after suffering a heart attack. The cardiologist had just explained the procedure they were going to perform on me and asked if I had any questions. My only one was, "Will I be able to shoot in the Montana State Silhouette Championship next month?" Very surprised the doctor said, "If it is that important to you, we'll get you fixed up and ready to go." And they did.

The specific type of silhouette competition I was referring to is NRA Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) and I've been involved in it literally since day one back in 1985. Writing about guns is my livelihood. BPCR Silhouette competition is my passion. Attending that match was that important to me. It is not uncommon for me to drive farther than 1,000 miles each way just to attend a two-day match. I've shot on days so hot merely touching a rifle's barrel after a relay would bum blisters on the hand, and so cold that a wet cleaning patch would freeze immediately after exiting the barrel.

What makes this game so captivating? For one thing, it is hard. For another, an eagle-eyed shooter with nerves of steel can't be competitive unless he is an extremely knowledgeable handloader and also a dedicated bullet caster.

You see, BPCR Silhouette allows only American designed single-shot rifles introduced prior to 1896 and modern replicas thereof. The rifles must have exposed hammers, be chambered for cartridges also introduced prior to 1896, and weigh no more than 12 pounds two ounces including the iron sights. There are other rules on rifle dimensions, but you get the basic picture.

And those pre-1896 cartridges--they can be loaded only with blackpowder (Pyrodex is the only black powder substitute approved) and lead alloy bullets. No metal jackets or even gas checks are allowed. Bullets can be swaged or cast, but they had better be good to shoot well at distance.

All of that wouldn't make a game so hard if the targets weren't so dam far away! The course of fire for BPCR Silhouette is the same as for regular high-power silhouette. That is metal silhouettes of chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams are fired at from the distances of 200, 300, 385, and 500 meters. If you don't think that's far take a look at a turkey silhouette at 385 meters through peep sights. It looks like a speck of fly poo-poo on the wall.

There's one important difference between high power and BPCR Silhouette. The former game is shot offhand, while in the latter we get to sit or lay down with those heavy rifles and shoot off of crossed stick rests. That is except for the chickens--those are still fired at offhand and naturally the hardest to hit.

If the above sounds easy then consider this: a ram target is only 12" deep from belly to backbone. A circle drawn inside a turkey body is a mere 11". That means a single shot rifle must deliver accuracy in the two minute of angle category all the way to 500 meters to be competitive. To actually be in danger of winning the BPCR Silhouette rifle should consistently do better than that.

Does that require some sort of special, costly zip-gun? As a matter of fact the most popular rifle type in the game is the Sharps Model 1874 by any number of foreign or domestic makers. High Wall Model 1885s, whether original Winchesters, modern replicas, or Brownings, are second most popular. Roiling Blocks, replicas and originals, are third. Most used caliber is .45-70 with .40-65 running neck and neck with it. However a small group of shooters are going to .45-90s, but that should be considered an "expert's" choice due to its heavy recoil. Some of the fancier rifles seen at matches may cost upwards of $4,000. Do they have to? No, I've had my butt whipped mightily many times by off-the-shelf Italian replicas.

Once at a match an observer saw everyone yucking it up and having a great time. He asked me, "This looks like a closed group. Is it hard to break into?" Surprised, I replied, "Not at all. These people were perfect strangers before they discovered this game."

If you like single shot rifles and precision shooting coupled with time spent at the reloading bench consider BPCR Silhouette. The NRA can give you a list of match locations nationwide.

Author's Note: It should be mentioned that non' the NRA sanctions a category of BPCR Silhouette for scoped rifles. We'll have a column particular to it in an upcoming issue.