Black Hills Barb

Forty Rod, his son said that he moved to Mesa, Arizona to be with his daughter after his wife passed away. I will probably see his son this weekend and learn a little more. Harry and I communicated via email for a few years after he no longer traveled. When the emails stopped it was likely around the time his wife died and he was preparing to move.

Who remembers Zzyzx? We met many years ago when he would drive from California to Pennsylvania annually to visit his son. He searched out the nearest cowboy club, which fortunately was ours, and joined us during his stay. I remember asking him how long he would be staying and his reply was something like "It didn't take me a week to get here to turn around and go home in only a week or two." We were pretty much guaranteed to having him with us for two monthly matches each summer. He was likely in his 80s then and shot full-bore black powder and, claimed that he added a grain each year in honor of another birthday. Needless to say, we could easily see, hear, and smell whatever bay he was shooting in. I just loved him! His son reached out to me last night to let us know that Zzyzx had passed earlier this year at nearly 96 years old. He made sure to tell me that our club had always been one of his favorites. As it turns out he has EVERYTHING cowboy that belonged to his father and has asked permission to come to our match/es to sell it. I'll be first in line to get something in remembrance of one of the sweetest, most memorable cowboys I've met in my 24 years of CAS. RIP Zzyzx aka Harry Campbell

Folks figured out what to build on their own when the range was built 25 years ago. Later when we decided to host the state match more bays were added. Now, 20 years later we're all getting older and those movable props, tables, false walls, etc. are getting really heavy. Our latest discovery for moveable false fronts has been 2x4 frames with corrugated plastic for the wall. (Harbor Sales, MD) Some are solid, some have a window, and others have a door. Hinges hold them together and 2x4s and spikes keep them in place. On those where the window cut out, it was framed around both the window and the cut out. They were hinged and the cut out became a table. Later all false front buildings with window got a drop-down table as well. We do have 5 permanent false fronts/buildings and one 3 car train. Each year something seems to need maintenance and repairs....darn porcupines! The other 4 bays get the moveable false fronts or a bar, wagon, etc.

We have always had them printed for our state match and never considered not printing them. They have run us as much as $7 per booklet and we get between 150 and 200 of them. It's and expense but it's one that we would not consider doing without.

We're not there yet. Please help us out and spread the word!

There's just one more problem at our range and at others we have shot at. We do not have cellular reception. I guess that does put us in the 90s...the 1890s! Saddle up and visit us for the real cowboy experience!

Cowboy action shooting is just one shooting discipline of our gun club. We do not have our own treasury or own bank account. The main club does not accept credit cards at this time. Sorry if that puts us back in the '90s. However, we do run a very successful state match nevertheless. We also have a very small group that works extremely hard to accommodate our shooters however possible. Folks are missing out if writing a check or purchasing a money order is the one thing that will keep them from attending our, or any, match.

Our matches are on the 4th and 5th Sunday of each month. We always set up the day prior to the match. Since the National Day of the Cowboy is celebrated on the 4th Saturday in July, we offer a free new shooter clinic on that day. We set the starting time to coincide with the time we are usually done with setting up our match. Participants receive a packet with some SASS swag, a copy of the shooter handbook, contact info, etc. The first portion of the clinic is a review of the handbook and basic rules. We don't delve too far into all the rules but do allow time for questions, answers, and discussion. After a short break for a light lunch that we also supply, we have some live fire fun. One bay is used for pistol hands on instruction/fire, one for rifle, and one for shotgun. Then, each participant gets to shoot a scenario from loading table to unloading table. We supply all guns and ammo. We use 22s now but actually started with 38s or 45s. We do have some of our match guns on hand as well. Sometimes we have several attendees. Sometimes we don't have any. But since we are at the range anyhow, we are always prepared for it. An ad runs in a local outdoor news publication for a few distributions prior to the date. Although we don't require advance registration, most do contact us ahead of time with their preliminary questions. We have also used brochures, set ups at outdoor expos, the TV "community bulletin board", and articles in all kinds of publications. Nothing is a sure winner for us, but we don't give up! Somehow, we get interested folks that just show up at a match. THEY are our best bet! New shooters are also our BEST RECRUITMENT TOOL! They are excited and tell all their friends! We do host our state's championship match. We do hope that any walk-through traffic might stop by later, too.

It sounds like you are off to a good start. Mark your calendar and attend the Mason Dixon Stampede at Thurmont. It's the first weekend in August. It's a great match. The annual matches and championship matches are really no different than a monthly match. You shoot with your posse but there are just more posses. These matches are great for socializing as they often offer onsite camping, meals and vendors.

The SASS Pennsylvania State Championship will be held May 24-26. We're a bit farther east in PA but it's worth the drive. We do have some nice reactive targets (plate rack, moving target, Pegleg, with some new reactive ones to come). We offer some big and close targets, and some maybe not quite as big or close. (Big as in 4' diameter gong targets.) However, everything does fall within the SASS suggested target sizes and distances. We have a dedicated range/cowboy town, complete with a train, saloon, Boot Hill, general store and more. There is unlimited dry camping on the top of "North Mountain". We pretty much live on that mountain for 3 or more days. Gathering around a campfire each evening is what we do. We'd love to have you join us. We've also got some great vendors signed on this year. Currently, we have shooters from 15 states and Canada registered and there's still plenty of room for more. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. Our club website is www.elpossegrande.com. Just click on the 2024 State Championship tab for info and registration forms. This year is our posse's 25th Anniversary so we chose the theme "SILVER". We'll go from Hi Yo Silver, to Silver Bells and more. We've also hosted the state match for 20 years. It will be a blast! Oh, I've edited this because I can't forget that we have the "best brass pickers in SASS". Members of the Sullivan County Shooting Sports Club (high school age boys and girls) pick our brass and they totally ROCK! Their parents run our concession stand and offer some fabulous sandwiches and I can't forget to mention the pies! This club has sent two shooters to the Olympics and several have competed for and won national titles. Being able to support this organization is such a wonderful privilege.

PSU is Happy Valley Harlot's alma mater and a beautiful place for the wedding.

Sorry you can't make it. Hopefully, we will see you again at the VA match.

This one is my favorite of all the beautiful one's you've made!

We had an amazing turnout and avid interest in CAS. There were over 200,000 attendees last year and I wouldn't be surprised if those numbers were higher this year. President Trump spoke on Friday evening at the NRA Presidential Forum and I'm sure that brought even higher attendance that day. We were there to walk around the entire show on Friday but chose not to battle the crowd for the forum. We worked on Saturday and greeted a pretty steady stream of folks interested in SASS. We sent them home with some SASS swag which included The Chronicle and a guide to SASS Clubs in PA and surrounding states. We have a family that stops by each year to tell us how much they are enjoying CAS and all the friends they have made. Others have stopped by to tell us that they've been to matches, began purchasing firearms, clothing, etc. Our booth was right around the corner from Taylor's and Company and one aisle away from Mernickle. We all referred folks to each other's booths, too. A country concert topped of the week on Saturday night. At the end or our shift we went home hoarse and tired with angry feet but we sure had fun. I look forward to next year. This is my favorite SASS thing next to the shooting, of course. "Our Team" Soaring Chicken, Black Hills Barb, Doc Allan Wood, Happy Valley Harlot

SASS is in Booth 368. My day to work is the 10th. Different crews every day. Enjoy the show!