Cowboy shooting help

fatbastard

fatbastard

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So I am jumping in to the game of Cowboy shooting.
Can any one give me some thoughts on guns and calibers??

I was thinking of the 1873 revolver and rifle in 357 or 45 LC

Not sure of what shoot gun yet.

Any thoughts would be great on all guns.

Thanks
Don
 
If you plan on shooting in the States or doing a lot of practice, I would definately go with the 38/357.Much cheaper brass, bullets etc, and you can buy all sorts of factory loads that shoot to point of aim at any big match in the US. This is from my own experience as I started out with 45.
For guns, I use the Ruger revolvers they do not go out of time, are easy to slickup and very seldom break. Experience again, I started out shooting original Colts and found, that as hard as we use them, they needed a lot of maintenance even though mine were well tuned and timed by Bob Munden.
If you can afford it buy a Uberti 73 and have it tuned by somebody who knows what they are doing, try Rusty Wood{ google Rusty Wood trading Co}. 73s are what most of the top shooters use, although there are still a few who use the Marlin Cowboy. Once again my experience, I started with a Winchester 94 45colt, then an original Win 92 38-40, Marlin Cowboy 45colt and finally an Uberti 73 in 38/357 with all the bells and whistles. I would not trade my 73 for anything else that I have tried.
For a shotgun, there is nothing wropng with the new Norc 97 if you want a pump and don't want to pay the price for an original Winchester, for a SXS I would use a Stoeger, or if you can find one the Browning BSS is supposed to be THE double for CAS.
Hope this helps
 
only a beginner

x2 for the Rugers in 38/357

you might be able to find a model 92 clone by Rossi / Puma x20inch barrel in 38/357

Stoeger SXS coach gun in 12g

the Ruger's , Puma and the SXS can either be used out of the box or get tweaked
 
I like the longer sighting radius on a handgun.
I currently use older RV's with 5.5" tubes.
I find the 1866 Uberti very slick to use right from the box.
It has the same type of slick action as the '73 but has a "Brass" frame, hence the nick-name "Yellow boy".
Welcome to CAS.
We're at www.ovmcowboys.ca
 
just having some fun said:
only a beginner

x2 for the Rugers in 38/357

you might be able to find a model 92 clone by Rossi / Puma x20inch barrel in 38/357

Stoeger SXS coach gun in 12g

the Ruger's , Puma and the SXS can either be used out of the box or get tweaked
Click to expand...

X 3. Although I prefer 45 Colt. Ruger Vaqueros.

The Puma/Rossi 20" barrel/10 in the mag tube, in 45 Colt is awesome and just needs some good usage to get feeling good.

The Stoeger SXS in 12guage is great, I recommend the deluxe one with the recoil pad and interchangeable chokes. Helped me dial in my shot and shot placement. Getting rid of the automatic safety is a bonus.

If you can go stainless, do it. I need to get me a 45 Colt Puma in stainless. That way if you want to shoot in the Pale Rider category (Black Powder) it won't muck up your guns too much.

Don't forget Wild Bunch. Get yourself a nice 1911 A1 GI edition (not a tarted up one with rails etc.), and a nice Winchester 1897 pump gun (or clone, I have chaparral and love it) to go along with your regular match rifle.

fatbastard said:
What barrel length do most go with on the hand guns. I was thinking 5.5 inch or 4.75 inch
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I am using 7.5" barrels on all 4 of my vaqueros. But they are not offered with that barrel any longer. A lot of guys are using the 5.5" barrel. I just got myself a new Ruger Bisley Vaquero with the 5.5" barrel specifically for left hand shooting to build up to gunfighter category, or double dualist.
 
I started in Cowboy action with .44 mag Vaqueros, because I was reloading .44 already for my M1894S Marlin. Great rifle, very durable! When my wife started cowboy action, I got her 2x .357 Old style Vaqueros (4 5/8" barrels) in stainless steel. Stainless steel is very forgiving maintenence wise if you just can't clean your guns immediately. I like the shorter barrels because of the props at some matches, where long barrels get in the way. She has a .38/.357 Puma and a .357 Browning B92. She prefers the Browning, which is marked .357 on the barrel and ONLY functions reliably with .357 brass. The Puma eats anything, .38 special or .357. Make sure buy a rifle that holds a minimum of 10 rounds in the tube. As for shotguns she uses a 1931-1941 dated Stevens double coach gun, which she finds good for her at this time while she gets more experience shooting matches. I like my 1913 manufactured Winchester M97 personally.

.38 Special/.357 Mag are cheap and easily to load for. Some non sanctioned club matches have steel reactive knock down targets. These generally won't go down with my wifes 640 fps loads but will go down with some 900 fps loads that the wife carrys in the shooting cart. Under SASS rules pistol velocity is a maximum of 1,000 fps and rifle 1,400 fps.

Getting into "Wild Bunch" matches, I use a 1945 mfg Winchester M97 Trench Gun and a 1914 mfg Colt (Canadian contract) Commercial in a repro 1916 US Army flap holster. Have fun, its a great sport.
 
I also use an original winchester 92. The 73's cycle faster but I love my 92's and am realistic enough to know that I am never going to be a national champion so I shoot what I want. As for revolvers I started with a Pietta and a Ruger and am waiting for the transfer to come through so I will have two Rugers for all the above reasons. I like the 4.6 inch barrels, theoretically they clear the holster faster than the longer barelled guns but I have small hands and they just seem to balance better. 38/357 is cheaper than 45 but if you want to practice indoors with wax bullets during the cold months 45 might be the way to go. Best advice is go to a match and ask to try everyones guns and gear. I haven't met anyone at a match yet who isn't willing to help out a new guy. It's a fantastic sport you will love it
 
The folks that want to win or just prefer the looks all go for the 4 5/8 barrels. For my own I prefer the looks of the 5.5 inch gun.

For speed the kick of a .38 is easier to recover from than a .45 so again you'll want to stay smaller if winning all the marbles is your goal along with having fun.

For the same reason the top shooters all seem to go with a slicked up 1897 shotgun and a slicked up 1873 lever gun. They seem to slick up nicer and shoot quicker as a result than the 1892's such as the Rossi clone.

For the rest of us we make do with what we have or can find. Later on if a better gun comes up we may jump on it and sell the old one or not. It just depends on what you want to get out of the sport.

As to caliber it depends on what you are willing to put into it for effort. .45Colt is the more historically correct ammo. And if that is important then there's always the option of .44-40. But both options are not that cheap and are not all that easy to come by. So reloading pretty much becomes mandatory to keep costs down. On the other hand .38Spl ammo is much more pleantiful and not as costly so shooting factory becomes a valid financial option. Or if, like me, you also have S&W ejector model revolvers you are feeding as well then it makes sense out of ammo commonality.

If I didn't have any other revolvers I think I'd go with .45Colt just because it's a bit more authentic. Again, it just depends on what you want to get out of the sport. Heck, when the weather isn't raining on us I love using my cap and ball revolvers and black powder which puts me in a whole other category

Which brings up a good point. The seriously competitive sorts seem to gravitate to the basic age based categories where they can shoot with two handed support to allow cocking and firing in the fastest possible manner. But there are a lot of us that go for the style categories of shooting Duelist, Double Duelist or Gunfighter. I started with the two handed style but decided to go with Duelist since John Wayne and Gary Cooper certainly never used two hands on their guns other than to fan the trigger in a gun fight. Yeah, this may be only faithful to the movies but hey, that's what makes it fun! :D

The guys shooting Gunfighter in my group are also having a ball but some of the fun is tempered by trying to keep the shooting order and which gun they are using for each shot in order :D

I don't know if this glimpse into my year's worth of CAS helps or confuses. But it certainly suggest that reading the rule book is something worth doing.

For my revolvers I'm using a pair of Pietta 1873 clones. Both are working superbly but I'll be the first to admit that I haven't shot thousands and thousands of rounds from them. Time will tell I guess.
 
A lot of good advice here, just my .02, just to annoy the Ruger people, I don't like Rugers, call then fake cowboy guns as have features not on the originals, aaah, don't spam me :p. On the revolver I prefer the 7.5" barrel, points easier, softens the recoil on large caliers, disadvantage, takes longer to draw from the holster. Also a Henry/Win 73 fan, I use 44.40, but the argument for the 38/357 makes sense, I will be one of the people pulling your leg about wimp loads :)

I believe, beware of Chinese guns if taking to the States. Also look at what category you would like to shoot can influence the choice of gun, i.e. I shoot traditional; fixed site SAA, External hammer SxS, Win 73/Henry.

As mentioned go to a shoot and talk to people.

http://www.cascanada.com
 
I shoot two old model .45 Colt Ruger Vaqueros with 5.5" tubes, a Uberti "Winchester" 1866 Yellow Boy, also in .45 Colt and a Norinco open hammer Coach gun in 12 ga.
That, and my costume selection allows me to shoot "Classic Cowboy" or even "Senior Classic Cowboy" (I'm an old fart)
As for recoil in a .45 Colt, I shoot 250 gr lead bullets over 5.5grains Trail Boss in the revolvers and the rifle, and I have arthritis in my wrists and knees etc.
The recoil doesn't bother me. But I am a WARTHOG.
Friends who also shoot Norincos and compete in the US, tell my they don't seem to have a problem with the Form 6 from BATFE, when they state the Norinco will be used in a competition and will be returning to Canada. This sort of thing can change at the whim of however is making the rules.
As for speed of a draw, I have to take exception to the concept. Smooth is better and ultimately faster, IMHO
I have seen shooters lose control of their revolvers, trying for speed. A dropped gun has serious consequences. Loaded, it's a match DQ. Hang 'em up cowboy, you're a wrangler for the rest of the match.
Unloaded, it's just a stage DQ.
I like the Rugers for their sturdy frames and all around trouble free operation, something that can not always be said about some other cowboy SA's, but whatever floats your boat. There is enough room in CAS to suit everybody.
Have a look at the Single Action Shooting Society site ( www.sassnet.com ) and download the Shooters Handbook etc. It will tell you everything you need to know.
 
IMHO if you like "period correctness" go .44/40 or .45 Colt's, down the road you may want to compete with Black Powder and they may have a special class for that. If winning is more important or costs are important; most use the .38/.357. From a reloading standpoint, the .45 Colt's is less work then the .44/40 because you can use Carbide dies and avoid the extra step of lubing cases and then cleaning them off.
 
I've been shooting Cowboy Action since '98 and I have an old style .44 Vaquero that put 20,000 rds down range, in matches and practice before it broke a transfer bar. It took about 20 minutes to fit a replacement, and get it back into shooting condition again. Ruger makes a quality revolver!
 
I starter with 7 1/2" Uberti open tops 38 special and a Puma Rossi. Have moved to 4 3/4inch older Ruger V's in 38 and a 73 Uberti in 38. Although I have a double, I prefer the 97 Win. There have been issues with Norinco's getting south ot the 49th here. The Mrs and I have been in CAS 2 years now and just love it. I think it's great we have another shooter joining Cowboy Action. Welcome! Welcome!

Ronald T
aka Preacher Flynn T. Locke
Red Mountain Renegades
Mission Rod and Gun Club
 
Consider your shooting style too. I shoot .45 LC in 4 5/8" Ruger Vaquero's. And I shoot duelist usually. A little bit of muzzle flip brings the hammer right to your thumb for the recock. Same caliber in a Marlin 1894. I've slicked up the pistols and rifle myself. The Marlin is really easy to work on. The Rugers not as much so as a Colt, but not too bad. They all have lighter springs. Mandatory. i've been shooting the Rugers for about 10 years, and apart from a twice a year cleaning, havn't had to do a thing to them since the action job. the Marlin about the same. I use a Stoeger coach gun that's been slicked up and the action lightened by a local gunsmith that does a bunch of cowboy guns, and also a stock norinco '97. I just havn't gotten around to getting an action job done yet. I'm just about as fast with the '97 as the double, and I just use the one I feel like that day. Once in a while I use my Rossie hammered double with the 26" barrels. All in 12 guage, but I use winchester featherlite's, just to keep the recoil down. Do lots of dry fire practice (get A-zoom snap caps for everything) and you should be good to go. I don't find a huge difference in the whole .38/.45 speed advantage. As long as you hit the target consistently. Just shoot as fast as you can with no "non-hits". Great game. Enjoy
Wildcat O'Shea SASS # 47844
First place 2005 Canadian SASS Regional Duelist (the only year I made it out, but I was in the zone that year)
 
I started CAS two years ago with a stainless Ruger Superblackhawk in .44mag, a stainless Marlin 1894 in .44 mag as well and a single shot 20ga. Since then I have added another Super blackhawk (also in .44) I am not the fastest, but I am having fun with them. All this to say, what you choose will depend on how competitive you choose to be.
 
BHein said:
I started CAS two years ago with a stainless Ruger Superblackhawk in .44mag, a stainless Marlin 1894 in .44 mag as well and a single shot 20ga. Since then I have added another Super blackhawk (also in .44) I am not the fastest, but I am having fun with them. All this to say, what you choose will depend on how competitive you choose to be.
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:agree:
And THAT is what it is all about!:D
 
I shoot a United States Firearms (USFA) Gunslinger with antique finish. It's a .45 with 5 1/2 inch barrel (black powder frame). I've shot both smokeless and black powder cartridge. I actually enjoy the black powder more. I like the authenticity of the USFA (and love the 4 clicks of the hammer!). Nothin' better than inhaling that black powder smoke!

Cheers,

Bill
 
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