CowboyActionShooting

Cowboy Action Shooting is a FANTASTIC "sport". Ok, so they call it a "sport". Most of us probably think of it more as a really great "game".

It goes like this:

You create a persona of a late 1800's cowboy character. It can be real or fiction, serious, or fanciful.

Then you dress up "cowboy". This includes boots, hat, and holsters for your two single action revolvers!

And don't forget your lever gun and your trusty shot gun!

Then you head out to shootin' matches. These are typically held at area ranches, where they set up a series of "stages". Each stage looks like a set out of an old western. The typical examples include a cemetery, gallows, telegraph office, livery stable, general store, jail, etc... Behind each of these stages will be a series of pistol, rifle, and shot gun targets.

When you get to the match, they will hold a short meeting and safety briefing (Safety is VERY IMPORTANT in this sport!!!). You'll be split up into "posses" of about 15 each.

Your posse will then make it's way from stage to stage. At each stage, someone will read the course description, telling you which targets to shoot with what firearm, in what order. Each cowboy then takes his or her turn running through the course, shooting the targets as quickly and accurately as possible.

A possible scenario might be that you start by standing with your rifle on the left side of the telegraph office. The cowboy running the timer will ask if you understand the course of fire, and prompt you to say your line. You shout out in your best western drawl, "You boy's ain't takin' me alive today!", at which point the timer sounds, and the action starts! You dart inside the telegraph office, raise your rifle at the left window, and shoot 10 rifle targets. Then you set your rifle down, shift to the right window, grab your trusty double barrel shot gun, load a couple of shells, and start taking out the shot gun targets. Once you've dispatched the 6 shot gun targets, you set down your shot gun and skedaddle around the office to the right side of the building, where you draw your first pistol, and shoot the WHITE pistol targets, before holstering, drawing your other pistol and shooting the BLUE pistol targets.

The recorded time of your run is increased by 5 seconds for every target missed, and 10 seconds if you mess up the sequence. At the end of the match, the organization will add up all the scores, and you get to see how you did.

I was fortunate enough to shoot regularly with the Tejas Caballeros, and also out at Plum Creek Shooting Society at the Agarita Ranch.

See the web pages below:

www.tejascaballeros.org

www.pccss.org - Plum Creek Carriage and Shooting Society Home Page

www.sassnet.com - Single Action Shooter's Society Home Page

Above is Larry - who goes by the alias "Mescalito Redd". A VERY convincing character - but the nicest guy you could ever meet - as are so many other of the people in CAS.

This is a picture of Dan Roberts and "Cherokee Granny". She may look like a sweet granny from Smithville, but trust me - you do NOT want to mess with Granny while she's got her shot gun!!

And one never knows what other nefarious characters one might meet at a match...

Left is Mac, center is "Yes Ma'am", and right is "Boondoggle".

Below is "Yes Ma'am". It takes a very special kind of courage to hand a loaded firearm to an ex-girlfriend... Also shown in the picture is "Three Lefts" - yet another really nice guy, very knowledgeable in all aspects of reloading and FAST shooting.

This is another picture of Pamela, showing off her replica (Cimarron?) 1866 Winchester Yellowboy rifle:

The Yellowboy 1866 rifle is distinctive for the pretty brass. The "elevator" lift mechanism for feeding the bullets from the tube magazine into the rifle is an example of the beautiful elegance of simplicity. This mechanism was improved upon in the 1873 Winchester, which is my favorite long gun.

Belly up to the bar!! This shot shows the good 'ole reliable 12 gauge side by side "coach gun" (short enough to handle easily on a stage coach, or in tight quarters, long enough to be legal <dammit>). From all the EMPTY bottles at the Tejas Caballero's bar, you'd think there musta' been some SERIOUS drinking going on ~somewhere~....