thinking of getting into cowboy shooting. how many revolvers can i compete with? must the shotguns be coach and have external hammers? what are the specs for sights on a revolver? do i require any special certifications? are there any web sites available for more information about matches etc.....
firearms required for cowboy shooting
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Hi,
All the info on rules and regs for cowboy matches are here: http://www.sassnet.com/Shooters-Handbook-001A.php
Basically, you need 2 sixguns, a shotgun (SxS with/without external hammers, 1897 pumpgun, 1887 levergun), and a levergun in a pistol calibre. After that, different sights/calibres/propellants put you in different classes.
Your best bet is to attend a couple of local shoots. Most clubs will have some loaners that new shooters can use to try things out. Ask a lot of questions and get a lot of opinions. This will save you a bunch of money in the long run. Most of us have changed guns several times. Ideally, you'll need to pick an alias/persona and build your wardrobe and guns around that. Some folks get really competitive and strive for whatever mechanical advantages gives them more speed. Others strive for historical authenticity. Others go for the B-movie look. Basically there is a class for whatever floats your boat. Main objective is to get out and have fun.
Enjoy,
Carp River Drifter
SASS#62857
All the info on rules and regs for cowboy matches are here: http://www.sassnet.com/Shooters-Handbook-001A.php
Basically, you need 2 sixguns, a shotgun (SxS with/without external hammers, 1897 pumpgun, 1887 levergun), and a levergun in a pistol calibre. After that, different sights/calibres/propellants put you in different classes.
Your best bet is to attend a couple of local shoots. Most clubs will have some loaners that new shooters can use to try things out. Ask a lot of questions and get a lot of opinions. This will save you a bunch of money in the long run. Most of us have changed guns several times. Ideally, you'll need to pick an alias/persona and build your wardrobe and guns around that. Some folks get really competitive and strive for whatever mechanical advantages gives them more speed. Others strive for historical authenticity. Others go for the B-movie look. Basically there is a class for whatever floats your boat. Main objective is to get out and have fun.
Enjoy,
Carp River Drifter
SASS#62857
Good advice from rhs - cowboy action shooters are like drug pushers ... show up and express an interest, and they'll all be urging you to "try" their particular firearms .... 
Revolvers must be appropriate single actions (of course), but whether or not they have adjustable sights will simply determine your shooter category. Shotguns can be doubles (either hammerless or with external hammers, though again that may affect category) but without automatic ejectors ... or can be a "period" repeater like the lever-action Model 1887 or pump-action Model 1897 Winchesters - though users of such shotgunes are also limited to loading two rounds at a time. Reproductions of both the Winchester '87 and '97 are now made by Norinco, available from Marstar and other suppliers. I prefer a good double with external hammers to stay the "traditional" categories .... I use a 12 ga. Rossi coach gun (and just acquired an identical one as a "backup") though I don't believe they are manufactured any longer.
Depending on where you will be shooting, you might even be able to get started with only one revolver - here in Medicine Hat, we have introduced a shooter category based on the "Working Cowboy" category of NCOWS (National Congress of Old West Shootists) - which recognizes that the average "cowboy" would traditionally have had only one revolver at most. This involves either reloading the revolver on the clock to engage the second set of pistol targets, or engaging only one set - neither of which is a scoring problem, since each category of shooter is ranked only within their own class, anyway. (Unless the event is set up to recognize a "Top Over All" shooter - but we don't do that, largely because it is pretty much meaningless, leaving Traditional, Black Powder and Duelist (traditional one-handed pistol stance) out of the running anyway ...
(By the way, NCOWS has a much more "historically based" format than SASS, if that's the way your stick floats, but is nowhere near as large as SASS.)
Some other links which may be of interest:
Western Canadian Frontier Shootist Society (WCFSS)
Alberta Frontier Shootists (AFS)
Cowboy Action Shooting - Manitoba
Rocky Mountain Rangers, No. 4 Troop (Medicine Hat group)
Ottawa Valley Marauders
National Congress of Old West Shootists (NCOWS)
Revolvers must be appropriate single actions (of course), but whether or not they have adjustable sights will simply determine your shooter category. Shotguns can be doubles (either hammerless or with external hammers, though again that may affect category) but without automatic ejectors ... or can be a "period" repeater like the lever-action Model 1887 or pump-action Model 1897 Winchesters - though users of such shotgunes are also limited to loading two rounds at a time. Reproductions of both the Winchester '87 and '97 are now made by Norinco, available from Marstar and other suppliers. I prefer a good double with external hammers to stay the "traditional" categories .... I use a 12 ga. Rossi coach gun (and just acquired an identical one as a "backup") though I don't believe they are manufactured any longer.
Depending on where you will be shooting, you might even be able to get started with only one revolver - here in Medicine Hat, we have introduced a shooter category based on the "Working Cowboy" category of NCOWS (National Congress of Old West Shootists) - which recognizes that the average "cowboy" would traditionally have had only one revolver at most. This involves either reloading the revolver on the clock to engage the second set of pistol targets, or engaging only one set - neither of which is a scoring problem, since each category of shooter is ranked only within their own class, anyway. (Unless the event is set up to recognize a "Top Over All" shooter - but we don't do that, largely because it is pretty much meaningless, leaving Traditional, Black Powder and Duelist (traditional one-handed pistol stance) out of the running anyway ...
(By the way, NCOWS has a much more "historically based" format than SASS, if that's the way your stick floats, but is nowhere near as large as SASS.)
Some other links which may be of interest:
Western Canadian Frontier Shootist Society (WCFSS)
Alberta Frontier Shootists (AFS)
Cowboy Action Shooting - Manitoba
Rocky Mountain Rangers, No. 4 Troop (Medicine Hat group)
Ottawa Valley Marauders
National Congress of Old West Shootists (NCOWS)
GrantR said:
While there is some information on that page the dates listed for the shoots are from 2003. You might want to check out the following page.
http://www.mts.net/~wrpa/
An introduction page on cowboy action shooting. Also results and match pictures from the shoots. For fun look at the Bison Bill page.
Guns and shooting are important in CAS but so is the dress. If you show up to shoot in a t-shirt you might get a few suggestions on how to improve your wardrobe.
While competitive cowboy action shooting is more fun than some of the other action shooting sports. A more relaxed atmosphere.
GrantR said:
NOT TRUE!
But just come down and have a look. I'm sure your going to like it.
Oh my God. That gun is PROHIBITED!
GrantR said:
Ok, a little.
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