C. Nyle DeMencha Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Howdy all, I didn’t see a place for newbies to post an introduction, so I apologize if it’s not in the right place. I'm a new "guest" here, just signed up to the wire yesterday. Not a SASS member yet, but I’ll be joining after the turn of the year (January 2012). I live out in SW Michigan. I’m a former Army paratrooper, but pretty new to handguns and competition shooting. I just started shooting and reloading this year (IDPA) with a 1911 (45 ACP), I've learned a LOT this year! I accidentally found SASS while I was looking for something else, but the more I read, the more I smiled. My imagination ran wild. “Wow,” I thought, “this sounds like a second childhood...only with better toys!” Back in the 70’s I used to run around with my friends playing cowboys and indians, or Lone Ranger, shooting bank robbers and other bad guys (sometimes I was the bad guy...and that was fun too!), and riding my horse thru the plains (bicycle thru the neighborhood) with six-shooter cap gun in hand. I loved watching westerns as a kid (still do). Same old common story, I know. Anyhow, I found a SASS match near me this past summer and wanted to go check it out. I talked to the wife and told her I was heading out there and asked if she wanted to go too. She did. Well, that meant the kids (12 & 13 y/o girls, and a 16 y/o boy) had to come along as well, because they weren’t staying home alone. Of course, they fussed and whined all the way there, talking about how it isn’t fair that they have to go and how they wanted to play some game online with their friends. (rolls eyes) We showed up and the first person we saw was a young boy about 12 years old walking past us, decked out with a cowboy hat, boots, a vest, chaps, and a pair of real six-shooters on his hips. He saw us and we exchanged pleasantries and I asked him if he was shooting at the match. He was. My kids were really surprised that kids were allowed to shoot, not just watch. I could see their interest change their facial expressions immediately. We moved on up to the range and watched the shooters shooting in the various scenarios/stages. We talked with a few of the participants and learned a quite a bit from them about what's going on. My kids found the boy we had met earlier and went and hung out with him and his twin brother and their dad. They watched them shoot and talked with them about cowboy action shooting, guns, and dressing up. My wife and I went over and talked with them all as well. Everybody at the match was very nice and helpful and answered any questions we had, and even offered up advice and knowledge that we didn’t think to ask about. We went home after a couple of hours, but I was convinced that this was as much fun as I thought it was going to be. We met some great people and had a really good time, even though we didn’t have anything to shoot. All the kids could talk about on the way home was cowboy action shooting and how cool it is. They were talking about costumes they would like to make, trying to come up with aliases, and talking about the different guns they saw. I was really glad they had fun, found some new friends, and found an outdoor activity away from the computer that they could enjoy. We were invited to come back and give it a try as shooters, but we don’t have any cowboy guns. They said their club was going to have a picnic and the guns and ammo will be provided for free. We tried to give ‘em some money for the ammo, but they insisted we not worry about it and just have a good time. They didn’t have any 22s, so the girls loaded and fired a 38-Special Ruger Vaquero, a Marlin rifle (can’t remember what model, but it was a lever-action), and a 12-gauge side-by-side shotgun. My wife shot too, but I didn't, I just watched them all have fun. My 13 y/o daughter seemed to like it the most. She did pretty well and handled the guns with no problems. The shotgun kind of surprised her though. That thing went off like a canon! She hit the targets with it though. She liked shooting the cowboy guns and had fun, but admitted she didn’t like the 12-gauge too much. I figure we’ll just get some AA Featherlite ammo to shoot in 2012. That ought to help her out considerably. We’re saving up to get some guns and should have them by the time SASS season opens up again. I’m hoping to at least have a pair of 38-special Ruger Vaqueros by this spring and maybe get a long gun and a shotgun this summer. We were told by a couple of folks we met at the matches this past summer that they have plenty of guns and if we need to borrow anything they would be more than happy to help us out. We’ll be probably be heading out once or twice a month to shoot in a match, and probably practice a two or three times every week too. Although we’re both new at it and not too good yet, it’s a real hoot! My wife is a really amazing seamstress who’s been sewing for about 30 years now. She enjoys doing it and it shows. We’ll put her in charge of the costume department. I still have lots of questions, but I’m slowly finding answers by searching through the SASS Wire threads. I’m looking forward shooting SASS in 2012. See y’all out there! P.S. - sorry this was so long, I thought it would just be a paragraph or two when I started writing. 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Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome to the Party! Yule find that the folks you meet at matches are the finest pards around. Maybe shoot with you sometime next Summer. Prairie Dawg Cleveland, Ohio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rance - SASS # 54090 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome to the fire.. come on in and get your feet warm.. Your story was great.. and by the way.. Thank You for your service.. it's appreciated.. It's great to see the whole family involved... It makes it a lot of fun at a shoot.. Again... Welcome.. Rance Thinkin' yer gonna have a ball :lol: Hey folks.. we hooked another one but you'll be glad ya got hooked Dang it.. forgot... Merry Christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 WELCOME!...to you and your family. Also, thank you for your service.... There are alot of great clubs in Michigan and hope to see ya there and meet ya... Rockford has a shoot in January (first Sat of the month usually) Here's more info: http://www.wolverinerangers.org/ http://www.rockfordsportsmansclub.com/1-cowboys.htm Very cool to hear you lookin' to join the SASS family...and there are many (as you have already seen) a number of folks to supprt whatever you may need. I also live in the great state of Michigan (just west of Grand Rapids). Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a rootin' tootin; shootin New Year GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angus McPherson Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 P.S. - sorry this was so long, I thought it would just be a paragraph or two when I started writing. You'll find the same sort of thing happens when it comes to clothes and guns, too. You think you just need one set of guns and maybe a couple sets of clothes (One to shoot in and one for the banquet) then you "need" more guns 'cause these are different than those and you "need" back up guns anyway. Of course you "need" different sets of clothes 'cause, well, you just "need" them. Next thing you know you need a bigger safe and more closet space. Welcome to the fire and glad you're bringing the family along with you. It's a great game and loads of fun with a lot of great folks. Black Angus McPherson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome, and thank you for your service........Buck, Canton Ohio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmeat Dad, SASS #48563L Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Howdy & Welcome, Love your alias by the way! Your story sounds a lot like my family's (Wife and 2 sons) story on how we got involved. That was almost 10 years ago. We still shoot matches together, although not as much as we would like as the boys are in their 20's now and one of them presented us with our first grandchild last year. She will be shooting in 8 years, 5 months, and 2 Days! (Unless I can convince her mother that it is OK to start before age 10!) When we started out, we had nothing as well. I found some inexpensive holsters on line and got a set for each of us. It's pretty simple to move guns from one person to the next at the loading or unloading tables but holster fit and adjustments are always tricky. We bought Ruger Vaqueros and shared them amongst us, a Rossi Stainless Steel 1892, and a Stoeger 12 ga SXS. The 12ga was a bit much for my yougest son at the time so we got a 20 ga that my wife and he shot while my oldest son and I shared the 12ga. Over a couple of years we got a second rifle, and pistols for everyone. That lasted for about 5 years before my wife and I got our own rifles and shotguns. I doubt the new stuff helped our shooting any, but it sure is fun buying it! You will hear a lot of advice about what to buy in this game and I will also offer my $0.02. Try Before You Buy is the best advice I can give. As you have discovered, most of the Cowboys will be more than happy to help out to get you started. Don't think you need to break the bank either getting started. There is so much going on in this game that you need to learn when you first start that having full blown, race ready guns might be nice, but they won't do much for your placement in the standings. We found that the 1892 rifle, whatever brand, is a good starter gun and not too expensive. It is light weight and relatively short so it can be shared by all members of the family without too much difficulty. The Marlin is a good 2nd choice, a natually smoother action and not much heavier, but they cost more, when you can find them. The 1866's and 1873's are the cadillacs in this game, but they are heavier, especailly the '66, and they cost a bunch more. Buying used is also a good way to get started. You will find lots of good used firearms from other shooters that made the move up to the higher end equipment and are looking to sell their older stuff. Get all of your guns in the same caliber as it will save you $$$$. The most important thing to remember, other than SAFETY FIRST, is to have FUN. While the vast majority of people in this sport are in it for the fun, and even most of the top shooters remember to have fun, I have also seen people who lost the enjoyment of the sport because they couldn't win their category, or they messed up a stage, or had gun trouble, etc. If it isn't fun, why do it! My family and I gave up dreams of glory on the battlefield long ago and now compete basically amongst ourselves for braggin rights. Every now and then, when the phase of the moon is right, one of us will win a plaque or ribbon, and it is pretty cool, but it's even better to win that final match of the season and have braggin rights until Spring! Here's hoping that you all enjoy this sport as much as we have and that we will see you down the trail sometime in the future, Dogmeat Dad, Lil Feathers, Doo Hickey, Pyro Dex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Fine introduction, Pard. I wish more folks would tell us a little about themselves like that. Welcome to a great organization full of wonderful people. Sounds like you started off right by gong to a shoot and talking to the shooters. That's always a good base from which to launch your Cowboy alter ego. Also a great way to find out what guns and gear you like before you buy. I got into SASS because of the guns. I stayed in because of the people. Now go here, young Trooper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome to the fire....and great alias too! I wish you well on your SASS journey and remember it's always safety first and just behind that in a close second is fun. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turquoise Bill, SASS #39118 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 You might want to visit Capt. George Baylors web site, Getting Started in Cowboy Action Shooting. http://www.curtrich.com/GettingStarted01.html Welcome to the fun, TB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hey Pard, Great story, right place, right length...So glad to hear your wife and children are interested. Lots of folks share guns. Featherlights will do the trick in the SG. As it is loaded on the clock, just one should do well to share for quite a while. Please keep us posted on how things progress. Regards, Allie Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 If your alias is any indication, you're gonna have a WONDERFUL time in SASS. We're such a serious bunch, don'tcha know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalinasKid Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome! I'n new as well. Just been around the forum for a couple of months. Like you, I became familiar with SASS just this year. I did just have enough time to get some guns and practice time in to make my first match at the end of October. The cowboy and indian bug that bit a lot of us as youngsters must have really bit hard for us middle aged and older folks to still find the passion in being a cowboy. My wife has shot my guns and enjoys it enough to support me. Sounds like you have a great family, there. Great first post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome! I'n new as well. Just been around the forum for a couple of months. Like you, I became familiar with SASS just this year. I did just have enough time to get some guns and practice time in to make my first match at the end of October. The cowboy and indian bug that bit a lot of us as youngsters must have really bit hard for us middle aged and older folks to still find the passion in being a cowboy. My wife has shot my guns and enjoys it enough to support me. Sounds like you have a great family, there. Great first post! You used the "P" word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome! I sure wish I'd found this game when kids were younger. Hang on and enjoy the ride! Grizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Welcome! I'n new as well. Just been around the forum for a couple of months. Like you, I became familiar with SASS just this year. I did just have enough time to get some guns and practice time in to make my first match at the end of October. The cowboy and indian bug that bit a lot of us as youngsters must have really bit hard for us middle aged and older folks to still find the passion in being a cowboy. My wife has shot my guns and enjoys it enough to support me. Sounds like you have a great family, there. Great first post! Welcome to you too, Kid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el Gato Gordo - SASS #15162 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Bienvenidos! I enjoyed the entire story! No need for brevity here. About the daughter and the shotgun. One shotgun is NOT going to fit the whole family. Make sure the shorter members have a shotgun with the stock cut down to fit, taking into acccount a slip-on recoil pad. Makes a HUGE difference. (Plus the AA "Low Recoil, Low Noise" loads) Great alias, too. Not easy to come up with something new, with 90,000 members worldwide. As others have said, Thank you for your service, and welcome to the whole family. Salud, eGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Hey Pard, Great story, right place, right length...So glad to hear your wife and children are interested. Lots of folks share guns. Featherlights will do the trick in the SG. As it is loaded on the clock, just one should do well to share for quite a while. Please keep us posted on how things progress. Regards, Allie Mo Oops! Yes eGG is VERY correct. It is of utmost importance that a SG fit the shooter. A slip on recoil pad would be good. When everyone gets older/longer armed, you can replace the butt stock with a longer one and/or buy more SGs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Arrow Hombre Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Welcome to the fire! You are blessed to live in SW Michigan. There are great clubs with many great cowboys and cowgirls. What clubs do you plan to shoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 What a great story. It speaks well of your local club that you were welcomed so warmly. I've been shooting about two years here in "South Kakalaki". During Spring Break I took my wife and my two younger daughters to visit my sister in Texas. She arranged for us to visit a cowboy match outside Houston. I didn't bring my guns or any of my cowboy clothes so I was "undercover" and got to experience being a visitor and spectator. My whole family was made welcome, lots of people spoke to us and answered questions. There were several invitations extended to lend guns so that we could try shooting a stage or two. Everyone in my family commented on how friendly and polite the cowboy shooters were. I could not help but agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Howdy all, I didn’t see a place for newbies to post an introduction, so I apologize if it’s not in the right place. I'm a new "guest" here, just signed up to the wire yesterday. Not a SASS member yet, but I’ll be joining after the turn of the year (January 2012). I live out in SW Michigan. I’m a former Army paratrooper, but pretty new to handguns and competition shooting. I just started shooting and reloading this year (IDPA) with a 1911 (45 ACP), I've learned a LOT this year! I accidentally found SASS while I was looking for something else, but the more I read, the more I smiled. My imagination ran wild. “Wow,” I thought, “this sounds like a second childhood...only with better toys!” Back in the 70’s I used to run around with my friends playing cowboys and indians, or Lone Ranger, shooting bank robbers and other bad guys (sometimes I was the bad guy...and that was fun too!), and riding my horse thru the plains (bicycle thru the neighborhood) with six-shooter cap gun in hand. I loved watching westerns as a kid (still do). Same old common story, I know. Anyhow, I found a SASS match near me this past summer and wanted to go check it out. I talked to the wife and told her I was heading out there and asked if she wanted to go too. She did. Well, that meant the kids (12 & 13 y/o girls, and a 16 y/o boy) had to come along as well, because they weren’t staying home alone. Of course, they fussed and whined all the way there, talking about how it isn’t fair that they have to go and how they wanted to play some game online with their friends. (rolls eyes) We showed up and the first person we saw was a young boy about 12 years old walking past us, decked out with a cowboy hat, boots, a vest, chaps, and a pair of real six-shooters on his hips. He saw us and we exchanged pleasantries and I asked him if he was shooting at the match. He was. My kids were really surprised that kids were allowed to shoot, not just watch. I could see their interest change their facial expressions immediately. We moved on up to the range and watched the shooters shooting in the various scenarios/stages. We talked with a few of the participants and learned a quite a bit from them about what's going on. My kids found the boy we had met earlier and went and hung out with him and his twin brother and their dad. They watched them shoot and talked with them about cowboy action shooting, guns, and dressing up. My wife and I went over and talked with them all as well. Everybody at the match was very nice and helpful and answered any questions we had, and even offered up advice and knowledge that we didn’t think to ask about. We went home after a couple of hours, but I was convinced that this was as much fun as I thought it was going to be. We met some great people and had a really good time, even though we didn’t have anything to shoot. All the kids could talk about on the way home was cowboy action shooting and how cool it is. They were talking about costumes they would like to make, trying to come up with aliases, and talking about the different guns they saw. I was really glad they had fun, found some new friends, and found an outdoor activity away from the computer that they could enjoy. We were invited to come back and give it a try as shooters, but we don’t have any cowboy guns. They said their club was going to have a picnic and the guns and ammo will be provided for free. We tried to give ‘em some money for the ammo, but they insisted we not worry about it and just have a good time. They didn’t have any 22s, so the girls loaded and fired a 38-Special Ruger Vaquero, a Marlin rifle (can’t remember what model, but it was a lever-action), and a 12-gauge side-by-side shotgun. My wife shot too, but I didn't, I just watched them all have fun. My 13 y/o daughter seemed to like it the most. She did pretty well and handled the guns with no problems. The shotgun kind of surprised her though. That thing went off like a canon! She hit the targets with it though. She liked shooting the cowboy guns and had fun, but admitted she didn’t like the 12-gauge too much. I figure we’ll just get some AA Featherlite ammo to shoot in 2012. That ought to help her out considerably. We’re saving up to get some guns and should have them by the time SASS season opens up again. I’m hoping to at least have a pair of 38-special Ruger Vaqueros by this spring and maybe get a long gun and a shotgun this summer. We were told by a couple of folks we met at the matches this past summer that they have plenty of guns and if we need to borrow anything they would be more than happy to help us out. We’ll be probably be heading out once or twice a month to shoot in a match, and probably practice a two or three times every week too. Although we’re both new at it and not too good yet, it’s a real hoot! My wife is a really amazing seamstress who’s been sewing for about 30 years now. She enjoys doing it and it shows. We’ll put her in charge of the costume department. I still have lots of questions, but I’m slowly finding answers by searching through the SASS Wire threads. I’m looking forward shooting SASS in 2012. See y’all out there! P.S. - sorry this was so long, I thought it would just be a paragraph or two when I started writing. As a fellow CAS addict, WELCOME! You will love it. GREAT alias BTW, very clever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Culpepper 32827 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 U any reelation tu Al Ziemer in FL hehehe glad tu hav yu on board,,, and thank you Cheyenne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Bill Wabash Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Welcome to the campfire!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Welcome to da Fun !!! Go to some shoots and try before you buy ... Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Frank Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Welcome to this game. It is great to find something that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Hopefully your wife and kids will get hooked like you have. My wife and I really enjoy CAS, and we are lucky to have found it. I am already looking forward to sharing the sport with my child (wife is only 12 weeks pregnant, so I've got a long wait). Don't let the lack of equipment keep you from going to matches. It sounds like your local club has already offered loaner guns. Take em up on the offer; people are glad to do it. It is going to take you awhile to get five people geared up. Costuming is something that doesn't have to cost a lot. My wife also likes to sew, so she makes a lot of our CAS cloths. Patterns are available for frontier pants, shirts, skirts, frock coats etc. Barely used cowboy hats are plentiful on ebay for not a lot of money; I've bought two Stetson 4X beaver hats from ebay and payed about $30 each for them. Welcome again, and thanks for your service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 You sound as though you've met the stringent requirements to become a SASS member, i.e. wanna be a cowboy, like people, and like ta shoot! Welcome to the fire! CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Welcome to the Fire. Just wait until your daughters get to school and tell the boys about their Cowboy Action experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titus A. Gnatsass, SASS #71705 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 WAY COOL ALIAS! Welcome to y'all. Hang on for a fun ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Ray Hality, SASS# 37355 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Thank you for your service and Welcom to the Wire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C. Nyle DeMencha Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 WOW!! I'm blown away and don't know what to say! Thank you all for your kind words, complements, and warm welcomes, I sure appreciate it! Thanks for the links and tips too! Y'all are too kind. During the summer we travel around the Midwest and the South a little bit with my son's baseball team (18U Kalamazoo Maroons). I'm hoping to bring along some guns and maybe find a SASS match somewhere while we're out and about, so I may have a chance to meet some of y'all that I wouldn't otherwise cross paths with. 'Course I'll be posting for some SASS "meet 'n greets" when we get the 2012 Baseball schedule regardless if I can make a match or not. I think it'd be fun to meet some of the characters on here. Take care and have a Merry Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oklahomabound Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 ...welcome to the fire... ...you'll find that the folks in this game/sport are the best around... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curley Cole, SASS #56849 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Welcome to the fire First, I dig yer alais... second thanks for your service. now to get down to the fun. Me and my high school buddy Old Top have been shooting for about 6 years and love it. if you want clothing and gun and rig ideas check out my web page: have a blast and remember we love pictures, lots o pictures. curley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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