"Cowboy" guns - caliber questions and make/model choices

If you are going to shoot following Single Action Shooting Society rules, I recommend you read the costuming requirements in the hand book. (It can be downloaded from the SASS website)
There are a number of classes to shoot in that have different requirements for calibers, shooting style, types of firearms and sights used, costumes etc.
Classic Cowboy/Girl for example spells out the clothing, shooting style and calibres to be used. If you tried shooting Classic with anything under .40 calibre, you would likely get called on it.
Have fun.
 
In regards to the 97 versus the SxS discussion, I have both. I will use my SxS for poppers, but go to my 97 otherwise. The advice I got from the long time SASS shooters was that it takes a lot of practice to get good and fast with the SxS and if you can get that fast you will beat out the 97. But if you are more casual about it, then you will usually outperform a SxS with a 97. So it is really about how much time you are looking to invest in it and if you are casual about it. I am sure there are examples to the contrary, but would be interested to know if others agree with this assessment or if their experience is different.

Arbitrator
Red Mountain Renegades
Mission, BC
 
A reeealy fast double shooter will beat out most really accomplished 97 shooters but a reeeely fast 97 shooter will beat out any double shooter every day...and it does take a lot of practice to reach the upper echelons of cowboy shotgunning with either gun.
maybe I should qualify that more clearly by emphasizing "on a 4 shot stage". On a two shot stage a good double user like Too Dusty, who I mentioned before, would hold his own any day but with a reload to 4 rounds, the 97 whizz's will prevail.
I have a home video of two of the fastest 97 gunners I know (Bat Masterson & Kanada Kid) shooting a timed side match (started standing with gun at "port o arms", gun empty, shells still in belt) from a few years ago. Kanada did the 4 shots in a little less than 3 seconds. Amazingly, Bat missed one target so had to shoot 5 shots but still won the stage in 2.5 seconds.

Of course I'm talking about the upper-upper crust of shotgunners here... the rest of us mortals can have fun with whatever gun we bring to the dance.

Now if you want to be really fast, get yourself a "drop two" Capt. Coyote model of the Win 87 lever shotgun... a little practice with one of those and nobody will touch you.
 
Back
Top Bottom