Cowboy Action Shooting…..What is it?

Reno Sparks SASS#240

Simply put it is “the most fun you can have with your boots on.” Have you ever wanted to be on the screen with your favorite western hero? Or wanted to ride the range with the lawmen and outlaws of the old west?

If so, you are a good candidate to have a blast at a cowboy action shoot.

Cowboy action shoots try to recreate the old west as it might have been. Or should have been according to the books, movies and TV shows that have fired the imaginations of countless young buckaroos over the years. You can wear the tall cowboys boots with spurs a jangling, your wide brimmed sombrero and a gunbelt loaded with two single action revolvers and all the ammo you can carry. Of course you’ll have to bring along your trusty rifle and shotgun just in case the bad guys come with their whole gang.

Cowboy action shooting is the fastest growing shooting sport in the world. It is the perfect family oriented shooting sport. Women and children are encouraged to join in the fun and games. Thirty percent of SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) members are women and juniors. At a cowboy match you will meet the finest group of people you’re likely ever meet, they will help a new shooter in any way they can, up to and including loaning you the firearms and ammo to try your hand at the sport.

One of the original descriptions of cowboy action shooting was “organized tin can rolling”, and it is still an apt description. We have scenarios or stages of fire where you are the marshal, maybe a banker, stagecoach driver, bartender, or just a rancher out on the prairie. You must defend yourself or family from the desperadoes trying to separate you from your property or your life. But, we do it with a sense of humor and a lot of laughter. You have to shoot using an alias reminiscent of the old west or the “B” western era because we wouldn’t want anyone to be embarrassed if the results were printed in your hometown newspaper.

If you have the spirit of adventure still flowing through your veins then you just might want to come out and play with us on the first Saturday of the month at the Old Fort Gun Club’s river range. We start at approximately at 10:00 AM during Central Standard Time or 9:00 Central Daylight Time or there about anyway.

Basic SASS Rules Condensed

·         Cowboy Action Shooters are divided into basic categories: Traditional, Modern, Frontier Cartridge, Frontiersman, Duelist, Classic Cowboy, and 49’er. The type of six-gun used, the propellant used and the shooting style determine a shooter’s classification. The categories can be further divided into Ladies, Juniors, and Seniors. There are no classes designated as strictly Men’s categories.

REVOLVERS

All revolver ammunition must be loaded to a muzzle velocity of less than 1000fps with lead bullets

Traditional

·         Must be .32 caliber or larger single action

·         Must have non-adjustable, traditional, notch-style sights

·         Smokeless or black powder propellant may be used

Duelist

·         Requires a SASS legal traditional style single action revolver

·         The revolver must be fired one-handed, unsupported

·         Smokeless or black powder propellant may be used

Frontier Cartridge

·         Requires a SASS legal traditional style single action revolver

·         Only black powder or black powder substitute propellants may be used

·         Cartridge ammunition or cap and ball revolvers may be used

Frontiersman

·         Only cap and ball revolvers with traditional style sights may be used (no adjustable target style sights)

·         Only black powder or black powder substitute propellants may be used

·         The revolver must be fired one-handed, unsupported

Modern

·         (Almost) Any single action revolver .32 caliber or larger with adjustable sights may be used

NOTE: SASS rules require an empty chamber under the hammer at the start of a stage. Some modern revolvers are five shooters and must be loaded with only four rounds.

·         Smokeless or black powder propellant may be used

Classic Cowboy/Cowgirl

·         SASS legal traditional style single action revolver 40 caliber or larger shot Duelist Style

·         Smokeless or black powder

·         Rifles:  Any 1873 or earlier manufacture of SASS legal rifle 

·         Shotguns:  SASS legal external-hammer double-barrel or lever actions

·         Specific required clothing

Forty-Niners

·         Competitors 49 years of age of greater, forty-niners ladies category is also recognized

Seniors

·      Seniors are competitors 60 years of age or greater.  Senior ladies and Senior Duelist are also recognized senior categories

Elder Statemen/Grand Dames

·         Are competitors 70 years of age or greater

Buckaroos

·         Youth under 12 years of age

·         Revolvers must be 22 caliber

·         Rifle must be 22 caliber

·         Shotgun is .410 gauge

RIFLES

All rifle ammunition must be loaded to a muzzle velocity of less than 1400fps

·         Centerfire of .25 caliber or larger

·         Rifle must be in a pistol caliber (No .30-30, .30-06, .45-70 etc).

·         Open iron sights or original style, tang mounted peep sights are required

·         Rifles must have an external hammer

·         Barrel must be BATF legal, over 16” in length

·         Rifles with box magazines cannot be used

·         Only lead bullets are allowed. No jacketed, semi-jacketed, plated, or copper washed ammo

·         All rifle ammunition must be of single projectile design. No duplex, triplex, or other fragmenting loads

LONG RANGE (or PRECISION) RIFLE

Side matches using long range or precision rifle involve slightly different rules. The competitor may use any tubular feed, lever action, or single shot rifle manufactured before 1896, or reproduction thereof. All rifles must have external hammers. Sights must be open iron and mounted as on the original rifle or original style, tang mounted peep sights. Optical and receiver mounted sights are not legal.

There are typically four classes in long range or precision rifle:

·         Single shot, rifle caliber

·         Lever action, rifle caliber

·         Single shot, pistol caliber

·         Lever action, pistol caliber

These may also be broken down to smokeless or black powder.

SHOTGUNS

Any side by side shotgun typical of the era                 without automatic ejectors  , or with or without external hammers, with single or double triggers. Any lever action shotgun. Any pump shotgun with an exposed hammer (e.g. Winchester Model 97 or Marlin Model 15 except the military configuration of such guns).

·         No larger bore than 10 gauge and no smaller than 20 gauge.

·         All shotguns must have a BATF legal barrel length, 18” or over in length.

·         Number 4 lead shot OR SMALLER must be used in ALL events. (OFGC requires 71/2 or smaller)

·         Magnum loads are not permitted.

·         Pump and lever action shotguns are permitted to load no more than two rounds at a time in the main matches.

·         In team events, shotguns may be loaded to their maximum magazine capacity.

POCKET PISTOLS AND DERRINGERS

·         A pocket pistol is defined as small frame, single or double action revolver of a design prior to 1890 and having a barrel of less than 4 inches in length. It must be of at least .32 caliber. Model P Colt’s are not included in this definition.

·         A derringer is defined as a breech loading, small frame firearm having one to four fixed, short barrels. The Remington style over/under, Sharps four-barrel pepperbox, and Colt single shot are typical. Derringers may be in calibers as small as .22 rimfire.

If you have any questions regarding Cowboy Action Shooting come out on the 2nd Saturday of each month or check out the SASS website at www.sassnet.com.