Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Is a hat required


Coalman

Recommended Posts

I don't let other peoples ways of doing things get in the way of my fun. That being said this is COWBOY action shooting. Personally I have been trying harder to embrace the costume part of the game. But that is strictly a personal thing for me. do what you like. But with most wearing a cowboy hat for the game I expect you will get a little razzing. Are you doing anything wrong? no, but I can see both sides of the coin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 233
  • Created
  • Last Reply

The only reason I brought up the boot deal was there was a guy who spend a great deal of time and money in a cival war uniform and was giving me a hard time about the hat I was wearing ( I only put the cowboy hat on when I would shoot ) so another fella said ask him about the (combat) boots he was wearing and tell him you can show him in the rule book where it states no combat boots Well he wasn't to happy about it but I said its the same book he was reading and that was the way I interpreted it He went spomping off and never said another word

 

 

I'm curious. What hat were you wearing when you weren't wearing the cowboy hat?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Handbook is a work in progress. There are still a lot of things that are not very well defined. Nothing wrong with Cavalry type boots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NONE I don't wear a hat the only time I do is hunting because it is the law not because somebody thinks I should

I'm curious. What hat were you wearing when you weren't wearing the cowboy hat?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have been told by any number of people that a hat is not required in any categories except B Western and Classic Cowboy and you have been told, by others, of the safety and aesthetic reasons for wearing some type of hat. Make your own choice! Are the "1 or 2 shooters" threatening you, harassing you about a hat, or are they just mentioning to you that you should be wearing one of some kind? If it is the latter why are you letting it ruin your shoot? Isn't there someone at the shoots with a knowledge of the rules who could set them straight? I guess most of my sentences seem to end in question marks because I'm wondering what is really going on here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only reason I said anything was because he had a problem with me I could careless what others wear I do this for fun and enjoyment I am not in a fashion show if somebody wants to go all gun ho with the costume fine but I am not I will do what is required but no more if I don't feel comfortable I am not going to wear a wool suit when it is hot to impress everybody and then be uncomfortable and miserable all day and take it out on everybody else The only people who ever had a problem with it where the one who spend all the time on the costume The costume don't make the shooter if anything it slows them done and that is probably why they complain I did shoot as good or better than the one that complained

The Handbook is a work in progress. There are still a lot of things that are not very well defined. Nothing wrong with Cavalry type boots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cowboy Action Shooting™ is a combination of historical reenactment and Saturday morning at the matinee. Participants may choose the style of costume they wish to wear, but all clothing must be typical of the late 19th century, a B-western movie, or Western television series.

SASS puts a great deal of emphasis on costuming because it adds so much to the uniqueness of our game. That's from The Handbook.

 

Generally, for the 19th Century man, the hat remained on outdoors, and in fact, a man outdoors without a hat would be a subject of comment. From a commentary about etiquette in the 1800's.

 

At least once a year ... maybe twice ... this topic comes up. "I want to play your game, but I want to argue about it".

Doesn't matter if it's hats - I don't want to wear one; double action revolvers - I have an 1892 Colt Army and want to shoot it; shotguns - there's nothing wrong with my 1893 Winchester; pick another point of contention - why can't I?

 

Well, I suppose if you don't want to wear a hat you don't have to. Kind of negates the whole idea of doing something that's based on the 1800's though.

A proper man back then wouldn't leave the house without his hat. Hats proclaimed the man - his status, attitudes and beliefs.

Even the lowest mug of the era wore a cap of some kind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an RO the beginning of last year tell me if I didn't wear a hat next time I couldn't shoot

You have been told by any number of people that a hat is not required in any categories except B Western and Classic Cowboy and you have been told, by others, of the safety and aesthetic reasons for wearing some type of hat. Make your own choice! Are the "1 or 2 shooters" threatening you, harassing you about a hat, or are they just mentioning to you that you should be wearing one of some kind? If it is the latter why are you letting it ruin your shoot? Isn't there someone at the shoots with a knowledge of the rules who could set them straight? I guess most of my sentences seem to end in question marks because I'm wondering what is really going on here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an RO the beginning of last year tell me if I didn't wear a hat next time I couldn't shoot

 

Just another example of somebody making up his own rule.

 

Then again, perhaps that club does have a rule about hats. In some respects, a hat can be looked at as a safety device, it will protect you against a hot empty going down your shirt.

 

Local clubs often have local rules that trump the handbook rules. Many clubs have a rule against a shot over the berm. You will not find any such rule in the Handbook. Many clubs have a local rule about no shot larger than # 7 1/2. The Sass rules are more lenient. Sass does not require ear protection, but many local clubs do. If a club has a local rule that is stricter than a rule in the Handbook, it must be obeyed. But you might want to ask him next time to show it to you in writing.

 

Finally, it is up to you whether or not to wear a hat. You may also decide you don't want to go back to that club.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an RO the beginning of last year tell me if I didn't wear a hat next time I couldn't shoot

 

 

Already posted my thoughts on wear a hat or not wear a hat... so be it..my feeling of CAS only.. no rules broken.

but... :angry:

If an RO told me I couldn't shoot their match without a hat.. I'd probably vote with my feet.

Now if this is a local club rule.. different story.. but it's not a SASS rule...

 

Duh.. I'm on both sides of the fence... :blush: on some stuff..

Rance <_<

Kinda thinkin' this pots been stirred enough but "Oh Well"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't let other peoples ways of doing things get in the way of my fun. That being said this is COWBOY action shooting. Personally I have been trying harder to embrace the costume part of the game. But that is strictly a personal thing for me. do what you like. But with most wearing a cowboy hat for the game I expect you will get a little razzing. Are you doing anything wrong? no, but I can see both sides of the coin.

 

I agree completely. I enjoy the costuming aspect of the game more now than I did at first. And I think being around other people that make an effort to dress the part is fun. But you won't catch me criticizing anyone for what they choose to wear or not wear so long as it's within the rules. I'll enjoy it my way and you enjoy it your way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really like wearing a hat either but..... I have had brass land and rest on my shooting glasses and my temple, and have had several occasions where the brass when down my top. Now the weird one was when shooting sitting on a horse prop in a skirt and the brass landed on my leg. so now I wear a hat. (but I do have cool scars!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coalman,

First there were "a few" people, then there were "1 or 2" and now it's "he". I repeat my earlier query, "what is really going on here?" Sometimes a perceived attitude is the result of a perceived attitude. Just saying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't put my sass number on but I would like to know how to My number is 88786

Just curious, the SASS aliasis look up says there's no member by the name of "coalman".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NONE I don't wear a hat the only time I do is hunting because it is the law not because somebody thinks I should

The only reason I brought up the boot deal was there was a guy who spend a great deal of time and money in a cival war uniform and was giving me a hard time about the hat I was wearing ( I only put the cowboy hat on when I would shoot )

 

So you got criticized for not wearing a hat and criticized about the hat you were wearing? Not a fun day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A proper man back then wouldn't leave the house without his hat. Hats proclaimed the man - his status, attitudes and beliefs.

 

There are still places where this is true. For some of us, it's not part of a costume and it's more than a utilitarian piece of every-day clothing. It is a visible symbol of of who you are, what you believe and your heritage.

 

 

I can see how some might interpret rejection of the hat as a rejection of their values - just sayin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You "only wear a hat when you are hunting". The Civil War guy was giving you a hard time about the hat you were wearing but you don't say what kind of hat. I guess this would be at a CAS shoot where you have stated you don't wear a hat. You "only wear a cowboy hat when you shoot" but you have stated repeatedly that you don't like to wear a hat of any kind and won't wear one while you are shooting at a CAS match. I hope you can understand my confusion. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cowboy Action Shooting™ is a combination of historical reenactment and Saturday morning at the matinee. Participants may choose the style of costume they wish to wear, but all clothing must be typical of the late 19th century, a B-western movie, or Western television series.

SASS puts a great deal of emphasis on costuming because it adds so much to the uniqueness of our game. That's from The Handbook.

 

Ya aint gotta wear a hat excepting for certain specific categories. Thats from the RULE BOOK.

Generally, for the 19th Century man, the hat remained on outdoors, and in fact, a man outdoors without a hat would be a subject of comment. From a commentary about etiquette in the 1800's.

 

In my SASS Fantasy - I am involved in a GUNFIGHT. Marjorie Post can go hang.

 

At least once a year ... maybe twice ... this topic comes up. "I want to play your game, but I want to argue about it".

Doesn't matter if it's hats - I don't want to wear one; double action revolvers - I have an 1892 Colt Army and want to shoot it; shotguns - there's nothing wrong with my 1893 Winchester; pick another point of contention - why can't I?

 

Aint nothing like red herrings are there? You're trying to equate an ACCEPTABLE action to those that are not - The choice to go hatless is LEGAL and your examples are not. Also from the rule book.

Well, I suppose if you don't want to wear a hat you don't have to. Kind of negates the whole idea of doing something that's based on the 1800's though.

A proper man back then wouldn't leave the house without his hat. Hats proclaimed the man - his status, attitudes and beliefs.

Even the lowest mug of the era wore a cap of some kind.

 

Maybe his SASS character is not a "Proper" man. Maybe his character would be one of the first to gun down the folks trying to force him to become one?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a bunch of crap. There are absolutely zero rules that require a hat of any kind except for BW and CC. Please show me otherwise. Spirit of the Game does not apply to hat wearing.

 

 

While you are right that there is no rule on hats, in generic categories, I'm with Seldom Seen on this. No, I'm not going to give anyone any kind of penalty for not wearing a hat. But how do we maintain the "cowboy" in CAS, if folks don't at least make some sort of a nod to dressing period, cowboy, B-western (not the category) or some sort of 19th century fashion?

 

I don't expect the 19th century blacksmith or wheelwright to wear a hat while working, or many of the other occupations. But I do like to see folks play "dress-up" a little.

 

Think about the persona you want to play, and then enjoy! Anything worth doing is worth going overboard about.

 

Buena suerte,

eGG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may want to look for a club that doesn't wear hats, I'm sure there must be several in your area. In S. CA there are two that come to mind: The Bell Flower Cattle Feeders & The Kama Sutra Pistoleros.

 

Or you can start your own club; No hats allowed. I'm sure there must be a place somewhere in SASS.

 

My 2cents worth.

 

Ned

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Geeze...

 

What if my SASS persona is an Indian? Did they wear hats????????? Oh, wait...this is Cowboy Action Shooting...guess that means that you can't be an Indian.

 

What a joke...

 

Play by the rules and STOP with the stoopid forcing of your ideas of how to play the dang game!!

 

OY!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coalman, SS is correct. I'm assuming that you were never in the military and that you never played football in high school or little league baseball because those sports required you to wear a cap or helmet & in the military you sure better have a cover (military speak for hat or cap) on when you're outside. What's the big deal about not wearing a hat for a few hours one or two days a week? It won't kill you. But going without a hat could possibly kill you. A friend of mine is bald and his dermitologist told him that he has to wear a hat whenever he's outside because she was always having to remove skin cancer from his head and he could prevent it if he'd just wear a hat.

Co. Riddles, SS is wrong. It is not required. And to try to convince others of the "rightness" of that stance is elitism, besides being misleading.

 

Additionally, once the onset of skin damage from exposure is begun, prevention is a lost cause. I was first diagnosed with skin cancer 24 years ago. And every dermotologist I've seen since has said the same thing... UV saturation of the skin is cumulative, wearing a hat will ONLY stop further exposure. The damage is done, once over-staturation is reached... it's just a matter of time until the damaged skin cells exhibit signs of said cancer. As said simply so I'd understand them, it's a mutation of a skin cell so that it either dies or regenerates with a "difference". Gone untreated, yes, skin cancer can kill... but few die from it when treated and kept from repeated exposure. Once developed, it's a lifetime process of inspection and treatment. Many folks have a natural immunity to development of said mutated skin cells... typically those whose ancestors were of equatorial descent. (Having the genes provided by northern Europeans and growin' up on the beaches and deserts of Southern California and enjoying the pasttimes thereof; surfing, water skiing and the like, where hats are not only a nuisance, they're a sure sign you're a tourista! While only a short tour in the military had me wearing a hat... then a longer tour with law enforcement where wearing a hat was restricted to dress occasions only, I now have regular annual checkups with the "skin doc." If wearing a hat outdoors for the past 21 years would prevent skin cancer, I'm fairly certain, I wouldn't be still having growths cut from my face, arms, neck & shoulders. Since leaving CA in 1990, I've worn a hat ALL the time). Then again, maybe my docs have been lying to me for the past 24 years.

 

Otherwise, I don't disagree with you.

 

As said in another recent thread about hats... there are many, many options besides a cowboy hat...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about a Civil War kepi or forage cap? Quite common in the Old West. I do not understand your vehement refusal to wear a cowboy hat. The wider the brim, the better for safety reasons. If a piece of hot brass lands where you don't want it to, well it's conceivable the shooter could lose control of muzzle direction -- quite dangerous and could lead to a DQ. So the hat could be considered an important piece of safety equipment just like earplugs and glasses.

 

If I owned SASS, cowboy hats or other appropriate headgear would be required at least for male shooters, but I don't. You are free to remain hatless in defiance of our accepted norms and customs. A rebel. Maybe a gray kepi would fit (in more ways than one).

 

I do not know what you mean by a button down shirt? If you mean a button down collar, then yes I kinda got a problem with that. A modern button down collar shirt just don't look right at a CAS shoot. A chambray work shirt is not only cheaper but looks old west aplenty.

 

Combat boots refer only to MODERN combat boots, NOT Civil War cavalry boots which are entirely appropriate for our game.

 

If you would get with the program and wear a cowboy hat or kepi instead of bowing up so hard, just think what a more harmonious outcome you would have. Just sayin'....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coalman,

 

Since I am one of the folks involved in hosting the PA state match, I guess it's time for me to weigh in. Like many have said, there is no rule requiring a hat unless your category requires it. All we can ask of any shooter is that they comply with the SASS rule book. If you don't have a copy, you can view or print one out from this website. There are instances when range rules trump SASS rules, but that's in safety, not dress code. That's the short, sweet answer. I'll see you at the match.....be safe and have fun!

 

Black Hills Barb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NO it was a few always the same 2-3 people And the reason I said RO was because he should know the rules and not change them to suit himself somebody said in a earlyer post to ask someone in charge It is more princable now as you can see most say a hat is NOT required and other say If you don't want to wear a hat don't shoot sass Well the way I see it and and for the responce on here it is not nessary so how many other rule are these same people changing to benafit themselfs That is the reason they have the rules it is what you go by EVERYBODY Like I said in my first post if it is required I would wear one but if not I don't see why I should just to make several people happy in there own little minds

Coalman,

First there were "a few" people, then there were "1 or 2" and now it's "he". I repeat my earlier query, "what is really going on here?" Sometimes a perceived attitude is the result of a perceived attitude. Just saying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whether there is a rule or not, it is called cowboy action shooting. When I think of cowboys I think of hats. On the wall behind me I have a picture of my great grandfather. He owned and worked a lot of land in Western Kansas during the first part of the 20th Century. In his picture he is wearing a deerstalker hat. It was fashionable at the time. That said my favorite picture of my grandfather who inherited a lot of that Kansas ranch land has him wearing a western style wide brimmed hat. My uncle, and cousins all wore and wear western hats when moving cattle from pasture to pasture. One of my cousins wears a ball cap, but he is a cropduster and just a little crazy. I wear a cowboy hat to honor them. I would hope others would wear one to honor all of our western forebearers as well, but don't be shocked if someday I show up sporting a deerstalker hat to honor my great grandfather.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pard,

 

As others have written, hats are only required in BW and CC. Carrying the booklets as proof will not work as you will not find a statement that they are not required in other categories. You could ask PaleWolf to write you a letter and carry that.

 

Also, as others have written, hats are recommended. My first year or so, I didn't wear a hat. One too many sunburns made me change my mind. One day, a friend forgot her hat and twice got a round from her '73 stuck between her glass frame and face. Large brims help keep the glare out of your eyes.

 

If you do not like "Cowboy" hats, you can get a Top Hat, Derby, Bowler, Fedora, Cavalry Cap...

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

 

PS At one annual match, the MD wrote the scenarios where you were doing something with your hat. No hat earned you a P. Hubby gave me this to wear. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You buy a cheap hat.

 

Your pards rib ya cause it is a cheap hat.

 

You buy an expensive hat.

 

When the wind blows, you are always frettin about it blowing off.

 

You buy and install a stampede string.

 

Now when the wind is blowing you have an expensive hat on your back behind your exposed head with a stampede string trying to strangle you.

 

Dumbest dang things in the game.

 

Don't even get me started on the plastic condoms folks put on their expensive hats when the weather gets a little wet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You stated that you wear a button down shirt, jeans and work boots. Sounds like what I wear to work around the house. You also stated that you will only attempt to meet the minimum standards and no more as you have no interest in costuming whatsoever.

 

This obviously rubs people the wrong way a little. It even got me stirred up to begin with. I really enjoy the costuming part of our game. I may shoot slow but will sure as heck try to look good doing it B) .

 

Then I got to thinkin. Would you dressing like a construction worker really bother me all that much? (admittedly I do not know what your shirt or boots look like, this is just the picture I got in my head when you described your outfit).

 

I determined that what you wear aint gonna affect my game. So as long as your within the rules, enjoy what you shoot and how you shoot. Given time and a lot less BS from everybody you may just learn to enjoy the costuming as many others have done who originally didn’t.

Sure it would be great if everybody liked that aspect as much as me, but I won’t worry about that until such time as the whole world figures out that they are wrong and I am right… :lol: HA! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:rolleyes: I have shot in many matches that required you to hold your hat in hand and put it on to start the clock or take it off and hang it up etc. But you'll be okay cause cowboy shooters always join in and help another fellow cowboy. Kind of Spirit of the game type thing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.