Creeker, SASS #43022

Actually "clean" my competition guns 2x a year. Wipe them down every so often if I happen to think about it. And I will NEVER shoot a major match with a clean gun. I am a firm believer that more guns are damaged by "cleaning" than have ever been harmed by lack thereof. I don't change the oil in my car every time I drive it; I'm certainly not cleaning my guns every time I shoot them. My opinion only and many others think otherwise.

My 2 cents and worth exactly what you pay for it. I usually use Winchesters because that is what is in stock most often. I prefer Remington's, because "to me", they seem to seat easier (less effort) in to the cases. Loading for three shooters - anything that eases the task is appreciated. I also like S&B, but they are not always available. The S&B are slightly undersized to seat in S&B brand cases, so they seat easily into other brands of cases. Again, less effort. Everything I shoot is "tuned and lightened", but not to the point of primer required specificity. Wouldn't own a gun that was unreliable.

It will be a Colt without anything that made Colt special. It will be overpriced, under finished and desperately hoping the cachet of it's name distracts you with nostalgia. Praying that you fail to realize that without hand fitting and deep blue polishing there is no longer any reason for its existence.

I think we can all agree on a few points... A 73, a Marlin, a 92 are better guns for CAS. But to insult a mans choice of equipment or what HE wants to do with HIS money is not the cowboy way. Remember that whole freedom thing we go on and on about? If you can help; then help. If you can't add anything besides running down the mans choices; then perhaps remaining silent or moving on to the next thread is a good choice.

Understandable. Whats the old joke? I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandpa - Not screaming and crying like all the passengers in his car.

Pit Bull, this is not intended as insult to you; but the above is one of my pet peeves when folks talk about equipment for this game. Most folks cannot out drive the capabilities of their family mini van. But I guarantee they will be faster in a Corvette. Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart can likely drive that mini van faster than most could drive the Corvette. If economics, aesthetics or "John Wayne carried one" is your reason to use a 92, then great. But just because in the hands of some of the best shooters in the world they can run... That does not make them equitable to a Short Stroked 73. Any more than a mini van is equitable to the Corvette.

People change categories all the time. Sometimes to increase their competition; sometimes to run away from competition. We already have too many categories that allow the dividing and diluting the level of talent in any singular category. Creating yet another division specifically designed to segregate and isolate the most talented is not a move in the right direction. Anything that creates lesser competition is, in my opinion, to be avoided. And, in direct answer to your question. Yes. If I am not the best gunfighter at the shoot; and my "victory" or improvement in placement within gunfighter is solely because the better shooter didnt compete with me... Than a win is not really any accomplishment. Winning only means something when compared to the challenge.

I'm confused. Adding more divisions that remove the best from each category to compete against each other... AND allows another person (who cannot do so with the better shooter in place) to "win" the original category is the very definition of modern T Ball mentality. I would rather place 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, etc.) from this day forward than to ever "win" because my competition was removed. The top shooters already have a category in which they compete against each other; it's called overall. Removing talent from a given category, so a different shooter "may" win is insulting and demeaning to those remaining shooters. And to anyone that winning is important; they wouldn't want to win that way. Placing in a category of champions carries infinitely more value than a win in a category devoid of talent. Especially if the talent that I should have been competing against has been artificially moved to another category for no other purpose than diluting the talent level in the category left behind.

New school run and gun style target placements with a little bit of yesterdays flavoring... Big and close and silly?

Only issue with snakes is condition of the ground. Here in sunbaked Nevada; a lot of our ground surface is the same as shooting at concrete. Unless you specifically dig a pit for snakes; it can become a safety issue. I used to be pretty good on the snakes too.

A Nevada sweep is single tap sweep that engages an array of targets by going across the available plates in one direction and then returns across all available plates in the opposite direction and so on - using a "Back and forth" motion without skipping a plate or changing round count on plates; until the designated number of rounds are discharged. A Nevada sweep can be shot with targets set laterally - diagonally - front to back - up and down. Nevada sweeps can be shot with as few as three plates - as many as nine. There are infinite variations on this theme and they are infinitely named - but a single tap sweep going back and forth across the available plates is and always will be a NEVADA sweep. Regardless of the number of the number of plates - regardless of the starting plate.

Reb, I was well aware that you were kidding. I just want to make sure folks understand it will still be a Creeker style shoot; just with a bit of old school spice flavor.

I'm thinking 25 yard pistol targets would lose my big, close, fast match directors card in a hurry. But I'm not "completely" adverse to a target or two either farther away (thinking hangmans rope) or smaller targets at todays expected distances (thinking aluminum bottles off a barshelf).

No; no 10 second miss penalties. And I really don't want to lose the big, close, fast reputation that The Eldorado Cowboys have worked for. I just want to put in some reminders; the light hearted silliness of what we used to do in addition to shooting. Now, I am in no way advocating a return to when "chance" or a completely random activity determined the winners. I do firmly believe we are a shooting competition first. BUT - in the effort to become a shooting competition - we have (perhaps) swung the pendulum too far and discarded much of the "playing cowboy" aspect of our game. To the point where asking shooters to actually say a silly line (or make up one of their own) or carry a gold bag or stab the dummy is viewed as a distraction - not an integral component of the game. I also don't want to return to the activities that our aging bodies will not endure. So no starting in and then exiting bath tubs, or laying on the ground with head on saddle. But maybe a return to... shooting bottles off the bartop after throwing a whiskey in the barkeeps face... shooting the stage while seated on the stagecoach - maybe even having to reset your own knockdown rack by pulling on the reins... escaping the jail by stealing the deputies gun and blasting the lock... shooting cockroaches (no, not ketchup packets) off the wall of your hotel room... stuffing a bank bag full of bills and coins (bonuses for the least money left behind)... snuffing the dynamite (lit candle) with a rifle shot... saving your partner from the hangman with a well placed shot... Keep the ideas coming - and I will do my best to create a balance of todays competition with the laughter of yesterday game. To ensure everyone KNOWS EXACTLY what they are in for - stages will be posted at http://eldoradocowboys.com/at least 60 days in advance of the match. Sooner if I get a burst of creativity.

The Eldorado Cowboys have "decided" (ok, I admit it was mostly my idea), that The Best Shoot by a Dam Site should pay homage to the game we used to play in cowboy. Perhaps interject a little bit of the silliness that has been lost over time. A Legacy shoot. Now don't misunderstand me; I have zero interest in revisiting the games of chance and non shooting activities determining winners. But I think the game is called "Cowboy Action", for reasons other than simply the era our guns were designed. So with that premise in mind; what are some of things that you used to do in cowboy that have faded away and you would like to see revisited within a match using todays sensibilities? Sequences/ actions/ props that could be integrated within a 2017 era cowboy shoot that do not diminish the shooting match component, but simply add a dash of yesterday? And lastly; does the idea of a yesteryear shoot mixed with a match from today interest you?

Best pistol for Duelists... First you have to set some parameters - what makes a pistol "Better" for a Duelist than for a supported shooter? First. Ability to hold on to the gun. a Duelist aka unsupported shooter will be doing everything with a single hand. You must have the ability to cock the hammer, pull the trigger, handle the recoil, manipulate the gun in and out of your holsters all with ONE hand. The pistol must of a physical size that your hand size and flexibility allows for all these actions. LARGE frames: Super Blackhawks First Model Ruger Vaqueros Bisley Vaqueros Freedom Arms EAA Bounty Hunters A number of the older German imports MEDIUM FRAMES: Current Vaqueros Colt SAA/ Clones with PLOWHANDLES MEDIUM MINUS 1851 Navy/ Clones and varieties Colt SAA/ Clones with Birdshead Ruger Vaquero Single Six - 32 (while not "smaller" than the standard Vaquero - is shorter and gives a different feel) SMALL frames Stallions/ Varieties were made for a couple of importers Second: Ability to reach the hammer. The distance to the hammer - length of cocking distance and hand placement on the grip will all vary the effort and ability to get to the hammer in a safe, controlled and efficient manner. Hammer shape and height will also play into this equation. Hammers can be swapped out and there are nearly endless options to make the gun work for you. Your chosen manner of cocking the hammer (reach forward or rolling the pistol backwards) will change your preferences as well. Third: Cocking mechanism. Duelists are known to slip off the hammer from time to time without getting the gun fully cocked. A pistol with a half cock mechanism will usually "save" the shooter from over advancing the cylinder and requiring a go around. This leads to greater speed and efficiency in the shooting process. The half cock conversion is a very common addition for Rugers. Fourth: Barrel length. Back to that doing everything one handed component. The barrel length is going to change where the pistol balances. Move that center of balance too far forward (longer barrel) and the gun becomes nose heavy. Handling that weight one handed can come into play at matches that require longer/ steadier shots. Fifth: Touch, handle and SHOOT. There is NO single best answer - I have known world class Duelists that shoot every caliber, every brand, every grip design and barrel length. With all the variations and combinations of guns available - you have to find what works best for you. All you can do is try to go into the conversation "knowing" what you don't know and attempting to find the best pistol for you.

The word "Hero" or "Legend" is tossed around way too easily these days. For Mr. Glenn, it actually applies. RIP John Glenn

Desert Scorpion shoots a nickeled 2nd Gen and a blued 3rd Gen. Her grandfathers guns. She started her SASS career shooting nickeled Frontier Scouts. Seemed only right to continue with the Colts.

Lunch at the conclusion of the match? Great; I can choose whether I want to extend my day or not. Lunch in the middle? Not so great. I only get a couple days a week off work and while I love you guys; I have other things I may want or need to tend to. A match with a forced break in the middle will likely be skipped. For instance, this weekend is the Eldorado Cowboys monthly. My Sunday plans include shooting Sunday @ 9, finishing by 11:30; having the steel put away by 12:30. Going to Cowboy Christmas at the convention center (all western and cowboy themed sales items - rodeo events), then going to a poker tournament @ 7. All the while spending time with my girlfriend and my daughter. Tacking an extra break in the middle means I have to bypass something else.

This month is already written and approved by the board. But give me a little notice next time and I'll throw a little in there. I wish you guys would have shot the annual; dummies to stab, tables to flip over, doors to push open, gold bags to carry, pistols on tables, pistol in a staged holster. Had more than one shooter say it felt more like olden days.

Nice gun Bystander. Have always had a soft spot for the Savages. Had one in 308 that drove tacks. Would love to see you guys back at a monthly match sometime. Let me know and I will do a little more old school setup for you.

My boxes say "Creeker Main Match" or "Creeker Practice". I know what caliber, bullet and powder they are. The only difference between practice and match ammo is the condition/ age of the brass. And if I have any nickel cases in the mix; they get a black stripe across the primer (so I know that's a pistol round only)

The way I have done it is simple. Find the video you want on Youtube. Open the video (play it) - copy the address bar information and paste it within the thread post on the SASS wire. Tada - posted video

I believe Bud is on the right track - the issue with Rank scoring has always been the "variable" penalties associated with misses, safety or procedural penalty. i.e five seconds, ten seconds etc. do not have the same meaning because of where within the overall grouping your score falls. So lets fix that and then examine the outcomes. A miss is still five seconds, safety and procedural ten - a set amount of time. So lets make a miss, safety, procedural a "set" unit of penalty. A simple proposal would be to go to the densest cross section of shooters - lets say mid pack. EoT had approx. 500 shooters this year. So midpoint in scoring theoretically should be around the 250 point. It may not be perfectly - but for my purposes 250 works. Examining stage 1 shows us at the shooter #250 level - a single miss would cost a shooter about 100 rank points. So on stage 1 - each 5 second penalty is 100 rank points - each safety 200 - each procedural 200. Stage 2 - each 5 second penalty was a little stiffer - costing the shooters at the mid point about 130 rank points per. So on and so - each stage would value the penalties differently but always based on how the penalty affected the greatest number of shooters. One of the purported benefits of Rank is the suspense of shooter placement until awards are announced - this methodology would certainly keep scores secret - because the rank point value of the penalty for each stage could not even be determined until the scores for that stage were compiled.