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How did you get started?


Cash Creak

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I went to the gun club to do a little pinging :rolleyes: with a friend and they where having a Cowboy shoot, :huh: so I walk down to the Cowboy Town and I watched a few minutes and they where having toooooo :D much fun so the next day I join the gun club, and started to get all my Cowboy gear together..and that how I got in to it..

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My lovely Katie OneShot :wub: bought me my dream shotgun an Original 1887 12 ga. I had to find out how to feed and Care for it and I found the LASSOOS thread and got all the answers and encouragement I needed. The rest is history.

 

Sam :D

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I had a real good friend Larry aka Fillmore Coffins, that our friendship went way back to the days when he was an FFL holder and ran a darn nice business in San Luis Obispo California. We use to deal and swap firearms of all sorts and I have nothing but fine things to say about him. Well my firearms got to a pretty low state leaving me with only a couple of Old Armies, a Rossi Lever gun and a few others. I got to thinking that I might be able to put that to cowboy use and it was some earnest talking with my good ol friend Fillmore Coffins that convinced me of how I might just go about the step into cowboy action shooting. I owe a lot to Fillmore for getting me started. With a couple of conversion cylinders for the Old Armies to 45 LC and a swap from 357 to 45 LC in the Rossi I was well on my way. A couple of shoots later I figured out which shotgun would fill the bill for me in Frontier Cartridge and I was good to go. Thanks Fillmore! Smithy.

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In the 80s I heard about a shoot in Moklume [sp?] Hill, CA and gathered some stuff and went. This was in the early days, Tex was on my possie and held the timer on my first stage (I have a picture to prove it). I did pretty well, shot in the top 10 or so. But, what really got me going and changed the course of my life was meeting some new pals, including Pawnee Bill and Hangtown Frye, who got me into historical reenacting. This led me back to school and eventually a Ph.D. in historical archaeology.

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Back in the summer of 2004 the local paper(Des Moines Register) ran a article about Cowboy Action Shooting and how the 2 local clubs Zen Shootists (SASS) and Fort Des Moines Rangers (then NCOWS) were going to be having a Tenderfoot(beginners)clinic. I was not a gun person at the time but have always been a big fan of John Wayne and Louis Lamour. It happened to be on a weekend that I was off work and the wife told me to get outta the house cuz she was havin a babyshower. I decided to check it out. Had a lotta fun shooting .22's and learnin about CAS but I figured I wouldn't be able to afford it or have the time.

 

Now as it happens on Monday I went to work and part of my duties was to do the EKG's on the police officers whom were having yearly physicals. As I was hooking up a officer he asked me what I did that weekend. I told him and he says well I'm Cuts Crooked and I shoot CAS. We kept talking and he tells me that ifin I want to shoot a match he has enough guns for both of us. I took him up on that. And I tried a bunch of other guns that shootists kept putting in my hands that day. Well I went home and told my wife that this is sure alotta fun. She tells me ifin I sell my old 49 F-1 Ford pick up that I was tinkering on I could use the money ta get started (she regrets telling me that). So that's how I got started.

 

 

Chili Pepper Kid

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Howdy

 

I got started when I found out the old Stevens Model 311 shotgun that I had owned for over thirty years was SASS legal. Already owned an old Marlin for over 30 years too. Already owned a Ruger Blackhawk too, but I hunted up a nice used Vaquero. I already had a nice holster the Vaquero would fit into too. Club I started at only shot one pistol at the time, so I was all set.

 

Showed up in jeans, a Sears workshirt, and an old pair of Frye boots. The only piece of clothing I bought was a cheap $20 hat.

 

Sure was easy to get started. Only needed to buy one pistol and a cheap hat.

 

Believe it or not, it is just as easy to get started today, except you need two pistols.

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Three years ago, on the verge of having my kids out of the house, I decided I wanted to start shooting more again. My brother in law is a certified NRA instructor in about everything, and he told me about all the gun sports/games several of which he'd done at one time or another. He'd never done cowboy action, but wanted to try it out. I had several semi autos that would work for IDPA so that's what I figured I'd check out first. In order to shoot I'd have to be there at oh dark thirty for the new shooters class, and the range was about an hour and a half away. So I set my alarm that Saturday and slept right thru it. When I woke up it was too late to get to the IDPA match, but there was a cowboy match much closer, so I went to check it out. Met a bunch of great folks who even supplied guns and ammo and convinced me to shoot a couple of stages. I was hooked. On the way home I went by my brother in laws and talked his ear off for an hour or more. Came home with the grin still on my face and Miz Grizz knew I'd been bitten hard. It took several months of selling off other toys and whatnot to buy all my cowboy guns and I haven't looked back or regretted a minute of it. Well, except maybe the November match last year when it was foggy and freezing. Still haven't made it to an actual IDPA match, they happen on the same Saturday each month as one of the cowboy clubs shoots. I did shoot one IDPA "like" match at a local club, I enjoy CAS much more.

 

Grizz

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Howdy,

Well I had always wanted a six shooter and didn't know a darn thing about them, so went to a local gun shop and he had a heritage 45LC in the case at a price I could afford, so bought it, took it home and inside the box was advertisement for SASS, looked it up found a local club and the bank account hasn't been the same, and boat loads of fun.

 

KK

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I've been a shooter all my life. Once upon a time I was a die hard trap shooter, and then IPSC. Years go by and I end up working full time at a range, teaching, fixing guns, the whole ball of wax. You know, when it's work it isn't your hobby and then.....it isn't fun. Last thing i wanted to do when I got home was have anything to do with guns so I developed some new intrests and hobbies. (not entirely a bad thing) Long about 2002 a new feller started at work. He was (still is) all into rifle competitions. Passionate, enthusiastic, it was clearly FUN for him AND, he worked doing the same stuff I did. Well, if he can do it...

 

I started searching for a shooting game to spark my fire. I went back the the old games of trap and IPSC. Nope, didn't do it for me. Tried some new games; benchrest, silhouette and a couple of others and lets just say I wasn't impressed. Then one day by accident I stumble on to a local cowboy club. I was teaching a class at a local range and they happened to be having their monthly match. There was a group sitting around at the end of the day talking, laughing and obviously having a GREAT time so of course I ask "What's all this?" Next thing you know I'm on the SASS website. I visit Wild West Mercantile. Start buying cowboy guns. I visited Winter Range soon after and I was hooked! I've always loved cowboy movies; there's something about the old west. The character of the people then is what you tend to find in SASS. They're just GREAT people! (and THATS why I stay around, too) :D

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My uncle was really into trap and skeet.

If my father can see it, and sometimes I swear he can't even see it, he can hit it with a rifle. Plus I've never seen him miss with a shotgun. Seriously. Never. He doesn't shoot at a range though just when we throw at home and hunting

That left one option for me. Handguns or always take a beating at our family shoots. Well always been a fan of westerns and there sense of honor. Plus I own over a thousand western novels so this is what I've loved. My first real gun was a single action revolver. I've strayed over the years and shot those new fangled semi auto's but always come home to cowboy guns. Finally last month I bit the bullet and decided that I needed to join up. Anxiously awaiting my first match although I have to borrow most of the guns and leather. As of a couple hours ago I became the proud owner of an original 97 so now I just beed the rest. Well that and to decide to shoot it or my stoegar coach. Such decisions

 

Anyways can't wait

 

 

Evil

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Guest Cactus Cris SASS#2790

I happened to be at Rio Salado range on a Sat. practice'n IPSC and the CAS bunch needed the bay to shoot a match so as I was done anyway I quit and stayed around to watch. WOW way more fun it seemed. So in a couple of months I joined up. That was in 1992 & have not looked back!

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shortly after I retired, was sighting in a new rifle in Wa state to shoot a moose with (in Canada) and when done went looking around the range and saw all these folks all dressed up in funny clothes. A few weeks later while in Az, was sighting in a second rifle for same hunt and again after I finished was looking over the range and saw all these folks dressed in funny clothes shooting. Hadn't done any competitive shooting since high school and shortly thereafter so wasn't too interested. Next Monday was playing golf and told my cart partner about this shooting sport. Well he surprised me by saying he was deeply involved in CAS, shooting it most weekends. He talked me into trying it. He gave me a list of what I needed and I was off and running. A few weeks later he told me he had to give up the shooting sports, seems as he had a bad accident shooting a hole in the wall of his new home practicing with his 97-somehow a live round got mixed in with his dummies. No amount of family discussion would change anyone's mind on his continued shooting. Well I purchased a bit of his gear so I guess it worked out just fine.

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I was into muzzleloading and had just bought a Ruger Vaquero at the time. There was a play at OCC that I was in and Hipshot's daughter was also a part of. We were talkin' and she said I should check out the shoot in Norco. I decided to go and she introduced me to her dad who introduced me to Dutch. What a day - Dutch let me shoot his rifle and gave me a box of 'paper' commemorative shotshells (which I still have). I marveled at how good these guys were with pistols, lever guns and shotguns. The big hook was the kindness and sincerety of the group as a whole.

 

yup - I have met better up standing folks than I have at various churches in my life ;)

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Around the middle of the last decade, I had a hankerin' to get a cap 'n ball revolver. I had no experience with one, though, so I started Googling for information on their care and feeding. In the process, I stumbled across posts about Cowboy Action Shooting, found the SASS Wire, and started asking questions. Silver Sam was gracious enough to invite me to a match, and let me shoot his guns & ammo (including a vintage '73). I enjoyed it so much, I bought the same set of AWAs from Sam that he'd loaned me, found an old neglected '92 "fence post", and got leather and a TTN '78.

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1998

 

Son was having problems in school. Looking for something we could do together and web search turned up SASS. Closest club (Cutter's Raiders) was having a match that Saturday. We drove a hour plus through a snow strom and watched the entire match. After the match Midnite Desperado let the Son shoot one of his psitols. Son's eyes lite up. On the way home I asked, "Is this something we can do together?". "YES", was the Son's reply. "What caliber?", I asked. "45COLT!"

 

2000

 

We now have a SxS, a '66 rifle and 2 orginal Colt clones to share between the two of us. We attend our first match! :) The Son's smile when he shot a match better then me, priceless!

 

2003

 

Son went off to college. Between college and work (he paid his own way through college) we were able to shoot together once or twice a year.

 

2007

 

To cellabrate Son's completion of college we attend our first "big" match. We attend Kentucky's Hoot and Hollar match. Son lives an hour away and his work schdule permits once or twice a hour we can shoot together

 

2010

 

Son marriage to a sweet young thing. He came and shot the Indiana State Hoosier Ambush with me. :) Daughter-in-law we might have leaning towards SASS.

 

And the's the how and why for Mordecai McCool (SASS 23190) and myself :)

 

 

 

 

P.S. This computer ani't got no spell check :(

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always been into cowboy stuff, wife bought me a hawken rifle, went shooting at Rio Salado on a Saturday. saw a bunch of people dressed as cowboys and watched, that was 10 years ago and I could not get my cowboy guns fast enough. 6 months later there I was and have not stopped.

Rafe

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About 2 years ago my wife wanted a Tarus Judge, and we picked up one at a local gun show. She loves it and the .45 cal is one of the few calibers I didn't have so I wanted a pistol in that cal for me. We picked up a Ruger N/M Vaquero for me. The ball was put in motion and still rolling.

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Coupla things-

-grew up in Wyoming and loved the history of the area and all things cowboy

-grew up with firearms - hunting & shooting

-spent some time in the army - shooting & shooting

THEN - I saw an episode of COWBOYS and it was over - I had to do it!

Shooting for fun & the connection to the past has me hooked.

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Bought 2 SAA clones just because. Then asked myself, "what am I gonna do with these ..." Recalled seeing some folks dressed like cowboys shooting at my club so went and observed a match. Now just imagine the sound of a big fish being reeled in :lol: .

 

Bucky

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Saw a copy of Shoot! magazine at the news stand. "How is it I've missed this?", I asked myself.

That did it.

Went home and asked the mem sahib how much I could spend.

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Painless and I were just makin' our way through the canyon on our way out west, when we happened to see the shootin'. We thought someone had robbed a stage or something, but it turned out they were slingin' all that lead for fun. Imagine. What a thought. So we stopped to jaw, and next thing you know....

 

Ooops. No. That's not it.

 

I guess someone told us, and it sounded right.

 

But I'll tell you, after going back east to visit sites of historic family significance, right back to the revolutionary war, it really seemed tailor made.

 

Aunt Jen

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My husband Bucky had been shooting CAS a few years. He had been encouraging me to join in the fun for a while, and for some reason last summer I asked him to take me out to the range to shoot the SAA's. Hooked from the get go. Cowboy guns are SWEET!

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I was just going to try it once, honest.

 

It was fun, so I tried it again, maybe I'll do it now and then.

 

We don't really need to pay the mortgage do we? I've got cowboy guns to buy!

 

I can stop anytime I want to....when is the next match????? I need a fix....

 

:D

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I was just going to try it once, honest.

 

It was fun, so I tried it again, maybe I'll do it now and then.

 

We don't really need to pay the mortgage do we? I've got cowboy guns to buy!

 

I can stop anytime I want to....when is the next match????? I need a fix....

 

:D

 

Really, I've had some good times out there with Painless, and I think people are generally so gentlemanly, or ladierly(?) :unsure: Ladially(?) It's like a little piece of life that tries to do things right, where common courtesy is more highly regarded than ambition.

 

I think it's because of these things that it'll always be a part of my life somehow.

 

Aunt Jen

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Our dear friends Lil' Jersey Jo and Smiley Ed retired near Lucerne Valley, home of the RRBar regulators. They were trying to decide what they were going to do with all this "free time" they now had when a neighbor told them about SASS and the RRBar range. They visited the range one match Sunday and were hooked. Shortly thereafter, they talked us into spending the weekend and going to watch a match. My DH Uno Mas was hooked. It took a little longer for me, but not much. I had never been properly taught how to shoot so it was a real adventure. We've met some really fine folks in SASS and are really glad we got involved.

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My dad and started shooting in the sixes. We shot shotguns. Then I started doing quick draw I did that for over fifteen years . We also reloaded and did a lot of hunting. After my dad passed away I stopped shooting and reloading fir some time. Then and few years ago my cycle club had a new member we started talking about shooting. I remembered about hearing about cowboy action while I was still quick drawing. I told him about and we talked about it for some time and In Janurary I joined I told him I joined he joined about a week later. Now we shoot together and are working on or guns. We both already have our outfits as we both go the rodeo's and ride horses. I've been wearing western wear from the sixes on. It's just the way I've dressed for about forty five years. We are having a ball. I hope I didn't bore anyone.

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First time was on an outside job down in Costa Mesa ........I believe it was NRA show around 89 but to many birthdays .......anyway there was a guy walkin round in full cowboy gear wearin 6 guns .....wundered what the deal was.

 

Saw an add in the back of a gun rag a couple months later.

 

2 years later a buddy of mine that used to go to the dunes and ride quads with,was askin if I remembered the cowboy guy we saw at the gun show Calif.

 

He said there was a range up here that was playin that game .

 

So showed up at the range with a Marlin 94 and a borrowed blackhawk....borrowed a 97 from my friend ......but forgot to ask how to load till after the buzzer went off.

 

But man was that a cool day.

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