[Dam Site Old School]

Creeker, what I said was in jest.

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.

[Dam Site Old School]

Like 25 yd pistol targets and 60 yd rifle

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).

[Dam Site Old School]

This is a great idea Creeker

The RR-Bar Regulators just did this last month, and it was a BLAST. We had to use our sights more than a few times.

We also had to reload the rifle and pistol a time or two.

Are you gonna make misses 10 second penalties, like back in the day?

OLG

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.

[Dam Site Old School]

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?

[Pistol choice for duelists?]

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.

[John Glenn passes away at 95]

The word "Hero" or "Legend" is tossed around way too easily these days.

For Mr. Glenn, it actually applies. RIP John Glenn

[How many SASS competitors are using original Colt SAA's?]

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.

[How do you handle food at monthly matches?]

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.

[Picked up a Savage 1899]

Howdy Creeker,

 

We were thinking that we might take in next week's Eldorado monthly. If you put in a little old school stuff, that will clinch it for us! If you've already got the match set up, what the hell, we'll come anyway!

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.

[Picked up a Savage 1899]

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.

[What information do you put on the labels of your bullet boxes?]

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)

[Help! Posting Videos]

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

[If Rank Points Are Truly Here To Stay]

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.