What is Cowboy Action Shooting?
Cowboy Action Shooting provides members the opportunity to dress in cowboy garb, choose an alias, develop a persona, shoot period guns and enjoy competition and camaraderie with other club members. The entire family can take part and have fun.
The governing body for Cowboy Action Shooting is the Single Action Shooting society or SASS. You can learn more about SASS at the SASS website.
Firearms: All firearms must be from the mid to late 1800’s. Original or reproductions are acceptable. The SASS rules explain in detail what type guns are acceptable.
Shooters need a rifle, shotgun and two single action revolvers. Some choose a double barrel shotgun while some prefer a pump action. Make and caliber vary. Some folks use black powder ammunition while some use smokeless. There is something for everyone.
Before buying a firearm, we suggest coming to a match and check out the guns used by the cowboys. We will be happy to let you try them and explain the good and bad points of each kind.
Costume: Competitors are required to wear clothing typical of the late 1800’s. You can also dress like your favorite Wild West movie star, such as Roy Rogers or Dale Evans. We do not have any “clothing police”. No one will yell at you if your shirt or pants is not of the correct period. As long as it is suggestive of the period it is OK. However, tennis shoes and baseball caps are not allowed for competitors.
Half the fun is dressing the part.
Alias: Members are required to have an alias that is registered with SASS to prevent duplication. Some members find their alias in western books and movies while some just make them up. Having a western alias and dressing the part is all part of the persona you can develop. Have fun with it.
Competition: Our club holds a match on the second and fifth Saturday of each month. We shoot at six different positions or “stages”. At each stage the shooters are given a scenario which outlines the target order. It might be something like, “You look out your window and see Bad Bart and his gang heading for the bank. You yell, “You’re not getting our money” and Bad Bart grabs iron. You return fire.” Typically, each stage requires 10 pistol rounds, 10 rifle rounds and 2-4 shotgun rounds.
Targets: Targets are steel that “ring” when hit. Normally there are five pistol targets and five rifle targets for each stage plus 2-4 shotgun targets. Shotgun targets may also involve clay birds or other moving targets.
Scoring: Shooters compete one at a time against the clock. An electronic timer measures the time from the starting beep to the final gunshot. Five seconds are added for each miss and 10 seconds are added for a procedural penalty.
"Speed is good but accuracy is better."
The only prize we offer on regular matches is bragging rights.
Safety: Each match is preceded by a mandatory safety meeting conducted by the Range Officer. Loading and unloading of guns is carefully monitored. Shooters and spectators are required to wear eye protection and hearing protection. Safety is something we take very seriously.
The most important aspect of Cowboy Action Shooting is “FUN”. At the end of the day, we want folks to go away thinking, “Boy, that was fun. I can do that. I hit those targets. I had a good time. I want to go back."