One Eye Reb Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 One of the first things a pard who helped me get started in this game a few years back told me was that once you started a main match with a set of guns , unless you have a brakedown, those are the ones you finnish with. No changing allowed! A couple of days ago on another site I was reading a thread and one cowboy shooter claimed "that he carried up to 4 different shotguns in his cart because you never know which one would will work better for any given scenario". His stated reason was original long barrel-fullchoke for farther out hard to knock down targets--cut off wide open choke for the easy ones---a double for close together targets and on and on (remember these are his ideas not mine). My question is ,would this practice be legal. I can't find any reference to forbidding it in any of the handbooks O.E.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 As long as the particular type firearm and/or caliber is legal within your category, you can switch em out all day long. And ifn your in a category that allows any of the legal calibers from .32 all the way to .45's, you can even swap around with those during the match. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curley Cole, SASS #56849 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I know a couple of folks that shoot a different brace every stage, just cuz they can. I don't switch out guns to improve my "odds". In fact at SheBang I used 45lc the first day and shot 38sp the second day and wouldn't ya know there was a a rack of pistol knockdown plates on one stage. I thought well I would sure be happier if I was shootin my 45's, but thought what the heck....I can do this. It is a better challenge to me to shoot the stage with what I started with and use my skill to overcome the stage. Not improve it with another gun. But that is just me. cureley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Dog, SASS #20401 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Say you have a 6 stage match. You could use 12 different 6guns, 6 shotguns, and 6 rifles to shoot it. No rule against it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I have 4 pistols, 2 rifles, and 3 shotguns and have swapped out on a few occasions. Some of the reasons for the back ups is because I shoot black powder and want a quick fix to freeze ups, but I switched my 1887 for a SXS since the stage had a popper that threw an aerial and the SXS offered the quickest second shot. Smithy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Yer probably not allowed to change guns during a stage, .... ..... but otherwise ... have at it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Branch Louie Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 My trouble seems to be the fella operating the guns, no matter what kind I shoot.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 One of the first things a pard who helped me get started in this game a few years back told me was that once you started a main match with a set of guns , unless you have a brakedown, those are the ones you finnish with. No changing allowed! Howdy One of many examples of a guy not knowing what he is talking about giving incorrect information to a newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phiren Smoke GUNFIGHTER Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 One Eyed Reb, As others have said use a different set of guns on each stage if you like. After shooting a 97 for several years I was changing to a hammered double. I had both in the cart at one match and was switching back and forth depending on the stage setup. I blazed through one stage with the 97 and got a good time, next stage I used the double and felt that was ok but nothing to write home about, my time was even faster. One of the faster local shooters was on the posse and said "If I shot a double as fast as you I wouldn't even own a 97". The 97 only gets out for WB matches now. Hope this helps, Smoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Junky Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 You use to see veritical staging of the SG more often. Picking up a SXS or 97 is easy.....but when putting them back a 97 is much faster and there is less chance of it falling over. So, many of the gamers would carry a 97 for those stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Canyon Kid #43974 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 As long as the particular type firearm and/or caliber is legal within your category, you can switch em out all day long. And ifn your in a category that allows any of the legal calibers from .32 all the way to .45's, you can even swap around with those during the match. ..........Widder +1 Just another example of someone not understanding the rules. If in doubt read the Shooters Handbook and ROI Handbook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oklahomabound Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 My trouble seems to be the fella operating the guns, no matter what kind I shoot.... ...ain't it the truth! +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisano Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Did you hear that? It sounded like a can of worms opening up!!!!! Well, here goes nothing............ The top level fast competitor type guys would tell you never to change guns and they are probably correct. If you shoot the same guns all of the time, you will shoot faster and smoother. IF........ you are shooting to "have fun" and don't really care about coming home with the trophy, shooting different guns might be for you. Have a lot, shoot them all, and have fun. Of course, that means more to clean later. YOU might be fast enough to shoot whatever you want, whenever you want and still win. Seems like the individual could just do what he/she wants to do. However, there is no RULE against this practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Fill 'Em 67797 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 That's my problem, I like so many different guns and want to shoot them all. I think if I stuck with the same guns all the time my times would be better, but I wouldn't have as much fun. It's to the point where folks will say " What are you shootin' this time, Doc?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 That was probably in his "rules for winning', more along the lines of recommendations for best practice than anything laid down in print. Whatever works as long as yer having fun would be my prescription. Some pards show up with several guns they wanna air out that day because they can. May not be a winning strategy if yer after a buckle, but legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Yup to what everyone else has said. Sometimes for just for fun, I'll shoot my cap & ball pistol with my cartridge gun for a few stages, switch my S x S for an '87, etc. The possibilities are limited only by the number of guns you bring or borrow for the match. Not the best thing to do if speed is the goal, but it sure is fun mix it up every now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Beady Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Some pards show up with several guns they wanna air out that day because they can. Yup. My rifles cost $1k+ each , and the revolvers average maybe $700. That's a lot of money to have doing nothing but take up space in a safe, and I got out of coin collecting 'cause I wanted a hobby where I could actually do something with what I buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I love shotguns! I like rifles and handguns, but I love shotguns! I will bring at least 2 different, sometimes 3 or 4 different shotguns just because I love to shoot them. Sure, the single shot 20ga is slower than the 87, but it is fun to shoot just the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indian Jack. Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 more guns to clean at the end of the day...and yes I usually clean more than 4 guns from a match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Push the button Wyatt Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I just shoot because i'm having a good time.Fast,hell no.I just buy one gun at a time.That way i can mix them up.Oh i have a couple of pairs that i often use.But it's fun to use different guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisano Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 more guns to clean at the end of the day...and yes I usually clean more than 4 guns from a match. If you could get your kid to clean his own, your could have a little more spare time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Change guns? My guns don't wear diapers, so I don't have to change them. Grizz - who has a strange sense of humor at times and only one set of cowboy guns so far, but when I get more, may just try using different guns during a match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Yup. My rifles cost $1k+ each , and the revolvers average maybe $700. That's a lot of money to have doing nothing but take up space in a safe, and I got out of coin collecting 'cause I wanted a hobby where I could actually do something with what I buy. Don't get that coin collection too close to Tom Knapp.........he'll show how to have fun with guns and coins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Eye Reb Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Thanks Boys Never really had any reason to doubt what the fella said to me. Kinda made sense to me at the time as it would give well heeled (as in $) shooters an advatage being able to afford more equipment to adjust to every scenario (such as knockdowns). Sort of an against the "spirit of the game) deal but at the time I was just getting started and didn't know or care about shortstroke kits, spring kits or any of the other timesavers that cost money, I just wanted to shoot.Having said that I realize now that in some cases it might help but in others be a hinderance so I guess it's probably a toss-up. But damn, it sure has kept me from having a lot of fun with the extra guns I now have. I will be elevating my fun factor considerable in the future shoots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jake1001 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 We used to have a sayin' at Coto de Caza(Home of cowboy action shooting and End of Trail) "Ya run what ya brung" This is when we were still shooting 30-30's and 1886 45-70's as main match guns. EoT 1982-1987 pre SASS. Pistol caliber only started about the same time SASS did. I have enough guns now that I can shoot 32-20, 38/357, 38-40, 44 spl/mag rifle and pistol. 12 gauge 1897/double hammered or hammerless. It's more fun having choices. I've shot one caliber on Sat. and a different on Sun. Why own them if ya can't shoot them. Big Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Jack Hammer, SASS #8951 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I bring a spare rifle, shotgun and brace of revolvers to every match as back ups. Every now and then I will shoot those guns thru a whole match, and my scores plummet. (I should practice with them more.) Not a lot to be gained by slipping in one gun or another in hopes of getting an advantage on one stage or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJT Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Two examples where gun choice on a stage can be a competitive advantage: 1. There was a period of time where the five round revolver reload became the fad. On such stages, it was not uncommon for a Schofield to pop out of a guncart. 2. Winter Range insisted on odd count shotgun strings for a couple of years. One stage had two sets of three and the shotgun had to be emptied between the sets. If I was shooting a double and the category allowed, I would reach for '97. An interesting question would be, is there a rule that prevents two shotguns from being staged on a single stage? Very Best Regards, BJT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Houston # 35508 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Back in the day when pistol reloads were common I too saw Schofields brought out for 1 stage! And have seen 45's shot on stages that had knockdowns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW Ryder, SASS #50690 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I love to shoot my 97, but Classic Cowboy means I must stick with my hammered double. On our 5th Saturday shoots, we have a Big Bore category, which allows any guns over .40, any SASS shotgun and any shooting style. On those I carry both shotguns and switch back and forth depending on my mood. I like choices... GW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Key, SASS # 33713 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I like a SXS for popper birds; otherwise use a 97. Now if feel like having a frustrating day, will bring along my 87. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowCatcher Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 One of the first things a pard who helped me get started in this game a few years back told me was that once you started a main match with a set of guns , unless you have a brakedown, those are the ones you finnish with. No changing allowed! A couple of days ago on another site I was reading a thread and one cowboy shooter claimed "that he carried up to 4 different shotguns in his cart because you never know which one would will work better for any given scenario". His stated reason was original long barrel-fullchoke for farther out hard to knock down targets--cut off wide open choke for the easy ones---a double for close together targets and on and on (remember these are his ideas not mine). My question is ,would this practice be legal. I can't find any reference to forbidding it in any of the handbooks O.E.R. From this you should be able to draw one justified conclusion . . . In this game, like many others, there are many self appointed experts who have an opinion, which they believe to be a fact. Whether that opinion is in fact based on the rules of the game or not is always an exercise for the discerning student. Take nothing at face value - read the rules, over and over. Then when you hear an opinion, compare it to the rules as written, as that will very quickly calibrate who is a truth speaker and who is just talking through some other orifice. Even the most well meaning can mistake their opinion for a fact, so keep going back to the rules, and read them again. Having said that - I will point to one glaring psychosis in this game - there are those who argue that the things written into the rules as being prohibited define the boundaries of what is allowed, and conversely there are those who argue that those things that are not permitted are prohibited. Depending on which thing they happen to favor or dislike you could find them speaking from either side of their mouth,which just goes to show that there are no real absolutes in this game either . . . . . So . .having said that - I always bring at least two leather rigs for short or long guns, and will trade out my guns or my rig as the mood strikes. I'm sure there are top flight folks who can do the same and never miss a beat, just as there are some not-so-top flight shooters who can't handle having a gun changed out because it throws off their precarious grip on the game . . . . Do what makes you happy - or find another game - life is too short to limit yourself to unhappy days . . . Shadow Catcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I love to shoot my 97, but Classic Cowboy means I must stick with my hammered double. On our 5th Saturday shoots, we have a Big Bore category, which allows any guns over .40, any SASS shotgun and any shooting style. On those I carry both shotguns and switch back and forth depending on my mood. I like choices... GW Hi GW, I just wanted to post to ensure that the newbies aren't confused by your post. The '87 lever-action SG may also be used in Classic Cowboy. Regards, Allie Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang Gregg Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Ain't NO rules that say you can't use different guns during a match. Of course you ain't supposed to shoot a gun that ain't allowed in your category. I usually use my Stevens M-311D (pretty long) for about every stage. But if I have to deal with a shooting through small window, I swap to my wife's shorter SXS or sometimes my old Winchester M-1897. MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Mike Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 one thing I do when I know I might change guns is I pick wrangler(old traditional) category that way I can do anything I want. Some guns I shott best 2 handed and others I shoot best one handed. Saturday I shot most of the match with a pair of Taylor Remington conversions in 45. On the last stage I wanted to try a new gun I bought the Man with no Name in 38. I shoot it best one handed. It did cause a question but all was well. When I shoot frantiersman I usually shoot 1 Walker, 1 navy, and 2 different army revolvers, and bring out one always loaded and that way I only have to load one each stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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