CAS shooting first impressions. Am I missing something here?

hunter64

hunter64

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Friend at work is into CAS in a big way and invited me to drop by the match in Rocky Mountain House this last weekend. I had never been to a match and was impressed with the costumes and the shooting scenarios. I have virtually everything that is needed as I asked some very friendly people on site there, just need a double shotgun and some cowboy boots and I am good to go.

I was noticing that even tho it was well organized as far as I could see, it was as a shooter very much like a fireman. A whole lot of dead time and a couple of minutes of fun and then back to sleep again.

Was I missing something?

I stayed for about 3 hours as I was on vacation and had to leave. I would have loved to stay the whole day. As a newbie looking for something to do should I have stayed longer for different events? Was there just 4 times the amount of competitors as normal and that is why it seemed to take for ever just by the sheer number or people?

I would love to jump in next year but if one has to sit around for 2 hours to shoot 25 shots and then go back to the trailer to watch a couple of westerns and then go shoot another 25 shots, could get kind of boring.

With IPSC that I shot years ago it was non stop and the longest I think I had to wait was about 40-50 minutes between matches and shot hundred of rounds.

Your thoughts. !!!
 
I shoot in a service rifle in southern Calgary once a month and its is abit of a sit around and wait till your next round, depending on the amount of the people, but it gives u time to chat, hear others war stories, ect ect.
I don't mind the wait myself but some people i understand can't stand it.
 
I too have only seen one SASS type match, so I can't comment on how things run generally for them, but I can tell you that some IPSC matches do require lots of patience!
So I would hazard that one match probably won't give you a clear read on the situation- maybe a couple more observations before committing are in order?

I wish you the best of luck though, and I hope you do get involved.

iain53
 
The CAS shoot you went to was the Canadian Championship of CAS that is why there was so many shooters. That shoot was my first shoot and I had a great time and ALL of the people are very friendly and helpful. They also have a ton of side matchs. I'll be going back for some time to come.

aka. Missalot Flatlander
 
You think that's bad, try trapshooting, shoot like hell for 1/2hr. then sit for 4 hrs, shot like hell for 1/2hr, wait another 4hrs, that's why i don't do it so much anymore.
 
cas

I’ve been involved with cowboy action shooting going on my 3rd season now. I think you are missing a few things as you stated. CAS is not like any other shooting sport for example IPSC or IDPA. It is not about dumping the hell out of your guns and then doing it again and again. It is about the people and the camaraderie. It is the whole experience. Dressing up as a cowboy and Meeting new friends with a common interest plus a completive sport as well. As for shooting the crap out of your guns and then sitting around I think you are misinformed hunter64. Everybody on the posy’s have a job when there not shooting. Picking up brass, spotting, time keeping, scoring, loading and unloading table officers etc. there is always something to do to help the other shooter have a smooth run and the same is done for you. If you want to just to shoot your guns and reload and shoot again. Maybe this sport is not for you. It’s not for everyone. You should go to your local range and have some fun…however if you like to meet interesting people. If you like the old west and all there attire, weaponry, and history…plus the competitive sport that it is …then we would love to have you. We would love to have anyone involved with this sport, as it is the fastest growing game in the world with over (don’t quote me) 100,000 shooters world wide already and still expanding. It is a well documented fact that CAS is a great sport for shooters helping shooters to become safer, faster, stronger competitors. So grab a coffee, sit down in front of your computer, type in SASS or CAS or COWBOY ACTION SHOOTING and sit back and enjoy the abundance of information, do some research. There is CAS shooting ranges all over the place. And we’ll see you at the next shoot partner.
Thanks
Zeek Bindertwine
 
I can wait to get to Rocky Mountain House some day! I started shooting CAS this year. The largest match I attended, there was 13 shooters & there was 6 stages. The wait was maybe 45 minutes between shoots. It gives you plenty of time to chat with more experienced shooters check out the different guns and see how the other cowboys are doing. Then you are expected to help with the running of the match, Pickers and seters are needed, supervising ogf o loading and unloading and there's lots more, personnally I love it all. I had to start from scratch, I even had to upgrade my PAL to restricted. This week I'm geting my second Vaquero. ON the 14th we'll be hosting our 1st shoot as a group we'll have 9 shooters all in all.
I would suggest that you should get to a few local shoots smaller and get to know some of the freindliest people you'll ever have the pleasure to meet.
 
zeek bindertwine said:
CAS is not like any other shooting sport for example IPSC or IDPA. It is not about dumping the hell out of your guns and then doing it again and again. It is about the people and the camaraderie.
Click to expand...

Come again?

IPSC, and IDPA for that matter are not about "dumping the hell ouf of your guns". It is about getting the most out of your guns and yourself within the parameters of the sport. Beyond that the downtime (and there is plenty)is all about the people and good times are had by all. I think that most shooting sports are like that. Well except for those that attract people who think that THEIR particular brand of shooting is the only good one.
 
I think you guys have summed it up fairly well, for a starting match to watch as a perspective shooter the one I went to was the wrong one or more correctly I got the wrong idea. To many competitors and a lot of sitting.

The friend that introduced me to CAS, shoots with some other people one night a week at a local range so I think that will be very addictive and boy I have a lot of learning to do.

Have to watch the EE forum for a shotgun and try and find some size 15 boots. I wore my last pair out about 10 years ago and they are hard to find sometimes.
 
I was a competitor at the Rocky shoot last weekend also. It takes about eleven people to run a normal posse; the RO/Timer, loading table supervisor, unloading table supervisor, three spotters (counting misses), brass picker, tabulator (score keeper) two shooters loading, one shooter in action, one shooter unloading.
It's not a case of going up to shoot then go and sit until the next time. You are expected to perform one of the posse duties.

The results are up already on the Alberta Frontier Shootists web site for the 13th Canadian Championship of Cowboy action Shooting.
 
stormbringer said:
Come again?

IPSC, and IDPA for that matter are not about "dumping the hell ouf of your guns". It is about getting the most out of your guns and yourself within the parameters of the sport. Beyond that the downtime (and there is plenty)is all about the people and good times are had by all. I think that most shooting sports are like that. Well except for those that attract people who think that THEIR particular brand of shooting is the only good one.
Click to expand...

hehehehe....

Regarding the downtime at SASS matches. I have shot matches with like 25 competitors and the most I have ever waited between shoots is like 30 minutes. That time flies by as I am either working on the loading/unloading tables or spotting, or chatting with Cowboys. Usually if we have less than 20, we will shoot twice, one as our normal style and once as Wildbunch. It would be awesome if Stormy came up this way and shot a match (I'll gladly let him use my guns), as I think he would be the guy to bring it to EESA if they had interest in it.

Tuco
 
stormbringer said:
Come again?

IPSC, and IDPA for that matter are not about "dumping the hell ouf of your guns". It is about getting the most out of your guns and yourself within the parameters of the sport. Beyond that the downtime (and there is plenty)is all about the people and good times are had by all. I think that most shooting sports are like that. Well except for those that attract people who think that THEIR particular brand of shooting is the only good one.
Click to expand...

Funny after shooting IPSC for 10 years in 2 different provinces, thats the impression that I got! After 12 years of Cowboy Action, I have enjoyed every match that I have shot, and socialized with a lot of people, whom are willing to give of themselves and their time, unlike "Well except for those that attract people who think that THEIR particular brand of shooting is the only good one." At least those were my experiences in IPSC.
 
Our posses at Rocky were a little larger than we usualy like to have (14-15 is optimal and we had 18 in each last weekend). this was nessesitated by late entries after lineing up enough Marshals and Deputies to run 8 posses at entry cutoff. More shooters per posse makes the wait longer.

As was stated earlier when you are part of the group the time seems to go by quickly because you are busy. I can appreciate how a spectator would not get a true sense of it untill you participate.

I think my time for the 10 stage match was a little over 400 sec. and our posse was on the range for a total of 11 hrs. over two days---and not one boring minute was noticed.

Glad you enjoyed yourself Flatlander, and to anybody else who would like to try the sport you are more than welcome to come to Rocky ( whether you shoot the stages in 30 sec. or 120 sec.-- it doesn't matter we will accomadate you )

One Eye
 
Garand said:
Funny after shooting IPSC for 10 years in 2 different provinces, thats the impression that I got! After 12 years of Cowboy Action, I have enjoyed every match that I have shot, and socialized with a lot of people, whom are willing to give of themselves and their time, unlike "Well except for those that attract people who think that THEIR particular brand of shooting is the only good one." At least those were my experiences in IPSC.
Click to expand...

I find that people tend to reap what they sow in these cases.

If there were not people
willing to give of themselves and their time" in any shooting sport be it IPSC, Cowboy or IDPA the simple fact is there would be no matches.
I have enjoyed every single IPSC match I have ever been involved with. On the contrary those who have wanted to start Cowboy in my neck of the woods have been for the most part to lazy to actually do any of the work hence its failure.

So the evidence from my perspective is if you have a good group of people dedicated for ANY activity that activity will propser. If all you have to work with is parasites............it dies.
 
zeek bindertwine said:
I’ve been involved with cowboy action ........
....... Thanks
Zeek Bindertwine
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Not to reprint the whole comment from Zeek, ditto, you always have a job to do on a posse. CAS is about fun and friendship, not always the top shooter, I will never be the top shooter, but love the sport.

You will find all shooting sports have waiting times, many just sitting around waiting you next turn, or you can find a job to do. Where does "Hurry up and Wait" come from, try the army at the shooting range, a few rounds and all day on the range. Hunting, all weekend away, maybe nothing, one or two shots fired, back home, its the experience, outdoors and friends that make the weekend

As my self I am not a sports watcher, rather be involved, if you want to risk addiction and a loss of money for new guns, give Cowboy Action a try.

Four Eyes Albright
 
stormbringer said:
So the evidence from my perspective is if you have a good group of people dedicated for ANY activity that activity will propser. If all you have to work with is parasites............it dies.
Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly! We`re getting a CAS club going out here right now we`re 5 core members and all realize that it will only work with everyones commitment with their effort and their funds. Our 1st match is on the 14th with 9 shooters registering. I`ll be posting how we make out and I`ll have pics and videos.
 
Sitting around watching while others work, won't make you very popular.
I have heard some pointed comments about cowboys sitting on their duff's while others did double duty.
 
The Cold Lake Kid said:
Sitting around watching while others work, won't make you very popular.
I have heard some pointed comments about cowboys sitting on their duff's while others did double duty.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what type of Club one joins, it is always the same. There are a core group that do the work, and the whiners that wish there were more matches/meets etc., etc.. The best thing, for your own sanity, is to ride/harass the "parasites/whiners" until either they quit, or they contribute....it is the only way!
 
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