Old School Matches

[DanceswithPitBulls]

Krazy Kajun, I wasn't going to name names, but that's the match I implied about. It's a match I'd drive a long way to attend. Sadly, ill health kept me away last year, but count on me for this one. Oh, tell Harmon to bring a pocket full of dollar bills and his ego ... he'll understand.

[DanceswithPitBulls]

Possum Skinner, you are absolutely right ... moderation in everything. Personally, I like the occasional "stand and deliver" stage. Tending towards the gut as John Wayne would say movement on the clock isn't exactly my friend. I'm just saying let's change it up every now and then. Suddenly a "stand and deliver" becomes a "sit and deliver" say seated at a card table or from inside a cast-iron bathtub. It seems like a lifetime ago, but I shot such a stage. All weapons were staged on a wooden shelf placed across the tub with the shooter slightly elevated by sitting on a padded milk crate.

[Krazy Kajun]

Krazy Kajun, I wasn't going to name names, but that's the match I implied about. It's a match I'd drive a long way to attend. Sadly, ill health kept me away last year, but count on me for this one. Oh, tell Harmon to bring a pocket full of dollar bills and his ego ... he'll understand.

It's been a while since I've shot with ya...it'd be good to see your smiling face and twisted mind at Evil Bob's match....sure hope your health will let you make it this year. As for HH.....I'll let him bring what he wants. He shoots a lot faster than me and if'n he don't show up I finish one step higher in the overall rankings

[Brother King, SASS #69031]

There used to be a clay thrower activated by a bowling ball at the Briggsdale shoot in CO. I loved that stage. It's gone now and 'tain't nebber comin' back. The clay thrower in Cheyenne was a good one, too- left to right crosser that was about a station #2 skeet....gone.

 

Heard all the beyotching over the can toss at Winter Range..."took too long to set; backed up posses; needed expeditors"....I sure hope that they keep it or put in an automatic thrower/loader. Sheeeeshh... they even give you the makeup which to me is T-ball, but hey... keep em happy by a makeup that takes 5 sec or more for some.

 

The best place now is Dixie Desperados in St George, UT. They aren't scared to use a thrower for Wild Bunch and CAS. They do use a nice thrower and it makes a big difference.

 

It's a shotgun FCS.... CAS is now like 3gun (chickens on a stick) which is an abomination in the eyes of God or 4+ knockdowns (now so trite as to be BOOOOOORRRRRINNGGGG).

[DanceswithPitBulls]

Jrswanson1, I like the idea of on the clock reloads ... many it seems don't. If you check youtube you'll find a 2003 End of Trail shootout between Tequila and Holy Terror. Holy is leading the entire way until a mandatory final shot pistol reload. While I'm sure it wasn't the case with Holy Terror, I'm sure in a similar situation some would blame their loss on the stage writer.

[Nevada Skye, SASS #54791]

I like the knock-downs that launch something......but please don't put it in the middle of the string, because if I by some chance do hit it, I celebrate and forget to keep on going!!! Happy Dance!!!!! And pretty much everyone on the range knows I got it........... (also, please make them a bonus!!)

 

We used to have the bowling ball shotgun thingie.....you could shoot other targets while the bowling ball was rolling. That one was fun. Also had the "snakes" in the sand pit we have to blast out of it, don't see that anymore either. Sigh.

[DanceswithPitBulls]

Badlands, the important thing you mentioned was "The First Mule Camp" way back in 1996. My first was four years later and you must agree that San Q. with the other Mag. Seven had learned a lot. So much so that Coyote was tapped to work for SASS Corporate.

 

Additionally, please bare in mind my comments and suggestions are rooted to the local monthly level matches. Several years ago one of our less proficient female shooters injured her shoulder and was temporarily unable to fire a shotgun. Someone suggested she merely "tag" in a substitute shooter for that portion of her stages. Legal ... no, but for a meaningless monthly shoot ... I can see "The Cowboy Way" of things.

[Harman Hammer, SASS #20214]

I've been watching this thread since yesterday trying to formulate a well thought out post. Here goes.

 

I have been playing this game for almost 15 years, and seen many changes as discussed on other threads. Some good & some not so good. The stages today are different with regards to sequences, size , and distances the targets are from the shooter. They have changed how we engage targets like have been previously mentioned. Start by laying down on a blanket under a horse shooting rifle targets at 40 yards (Northwest Regional in Coeur d'Alene, ID in 2000), or throwing a golf ball into a bucket, or throwing a hat onto a hat rack for bonuses (Mule Camp approx 2004). I've seen the pistols, rifles, and shotguns evolve into better functioning, smoother quicker actions. I have seen lots of very inventive props that bring what I believe the Wild Bunch's initial vision of this game we play into the picture. I've seen clubs come & go for many different reasons. With time nothing remains the same.

 

Now to my perspectives. I think this sport we play has room for everyone to enjoy, and play how they want. There is not one reason a match director can't atleast try to make all of his/her CLIENTS happy (probably never gonna happen). How many winners can there be in a match? Only one overall, and only one in each category. Yet how many come to play with you at your match, and why? That answer is wide, and varried from.... I want to just compete against myself to better my own skills... I want to dress up like they did in the 1800's... I want to win, and I don't care how much money I spend on guns... I want to beat my buddy just once, or I want to see friends I've made over the years. What makes a great match, or match director stand out from the good one is his/her ability to listen to ALL their own club members, and frequent visitors. Hear and apply what is being said to help make as many folks feel welcome to their match. Read & hear your clients.

 

Personally... I like "OLD SCHOOL".... I like to win Overall, or just category... I like beating a buddy... I like to do silly stuff on, or off the clock... I like shooting fast... Most of all I LOVE my friends in SASS weather they're EVIL or not. Now mind you I'm not able to do some of the above "I likes" anymore, but I do try.

 

Pitbull I'm comin ta GA state & I'll bring them dollar's... You too Talon.

 

 

Best to all

Hammer

[Two Spurs]

Allie,

I would make it a bonus, just not time bonus. All shooters who stick the hay bale get entered in a drawing for a special prize or something...

 

At our annual, we gave away two very nice Bowie knives this way. No complaints yet.

 

Very nice knives indeed!

 

Except for the fact that I didn't win one.....

 

Bayou Blast 2014 was a great example of a crazy good time. 3 stages with moving targets but nothing you couldn't hit. Stage 10 (my favorite) shotgun 4 snakes on a log, run about 20' shoot a rifle, run down range anad shoot pistols. Stage 1- stand and deliver. And everything else in between.

 

Excellent mix and excellent food! Definately a shoot worth going to.

[Talon Macleod #29883]

vomit targets with grapes.That`s just my game. Macleod

[Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580]

There used to be a clay thrower activated by a bowling ball at the Briggsdale shoot in CO. I loved that stage. It's gone now and 'tain't nebber comin' back. The clay thrower in Cheyenne was a good one, too- left to right crosser that was about a station #2 skeet....gone.

 

Heard all the beyotching over the can toss at Winter Range..."took too long to set; backed up posses; needed expeditors"....I sure hope that they keep it or put in an automatic thrower/loader. Sheeeeshh... they even give you the makeup which to me is T-ball, but hey... keep em happy by a makeup that takes 5 sec or more for some.

 

The best place now is Dixie Desperados in St George, UT. They aren't scared to use a thrower for Wild Bunch and CAS. They do use a nice thrower and it makes a big difference.

 

It's a shotgun FCS.... CAS is now like 3gun (chickens on a stick) which is an abomination in the eyes of God or 4+ knockdowns (now so trite as to be BOOOOOORRRRRINNGGGG).

This year was my first Winter Range, but I loved that stage. Watching the soda cans explode is just plain cool!

[Talon Macleod #29883]

Why Harman ,The very idea that the three of us could work with each other again is a peach of an idea. I might be able to get a certain female shooter out of retirement just for laughs.From the hip my friends. Macleod

[Lou Graham, # 26112]

Note to those that like can throwers: Buy plain seltzer water. It fizzes just fine. It does not spray sticky residue back at the shooter and RO if the wind shifts. It does not attract bees. Watch for a sale and stock up, generally 10 bucks for 48 cans.

We call ours the Evil Soda Bird launcher.

[watab kid]

i like the stages that offer a little surprise , a popper is always a fun way to make the shotgun more interesting , if it irritates the speed shooters im real sorry , i have been enjoying the fact that SASS is the three gun i can still shoot , im not adverse to some difficult targets and id be fine with some semi concealed targets that present themselves then disappear in both the rifle and the revolver , it is not so much the speed in the end as being able to be both entertained and challenged that makes me happy , my local club is like most and we strive to meet the needs of all but still provide a quality shooting experience , in the end we need to do that , first and foremost for young and old as well as experienced and novice , or we shall perish

[Mad Dog Jack, SASS #77862]

Note to those that like can throwers: Buy plain seltzer water. It fizzes just fine. It does not spray sticky residue back at the shooter and RO if the wind shifts. It does not attract bees. Watch for a sale and stock up, generally 10 bucks for 48 cans.

We call ours the Evil Soda Bird launcher.

This is a great idea, I have been sprayed by cans of explosive soda I shot, no fun at all!

[Smokey Shayne]

Ive only been playing this game for 8 years, but Ive done a lot of whats been mentioned.

Carried items with me from one postition to the next, stuck a knife in a dummy, shot off a "horse", thrown dynamite, swept floors, shot across a card table while seated, shot from and old barbers chair, etc etc

 

I enjoyed them all. I have even wrote a few stages using some of these. But will only do it for monthly matches because of complaints I heard a an annual match when I wrote them. Oh well....cant please everyone

[Cypress Sun]

Over the 16+ years of shooting CAS, I've seen plenty of good "old school" stages and some real bad ones. Most of the good stages, I can't remember.........but I remember the bad ones.

 

The good ones had minor reloads, seated while shooting, off the clock knife/dynamite/hatchet throwing, card dealing, silly lines/replies, clay flyers and the like.

 

 

Then there's the ones I remember vividly.........

 

- Bad stages:

 

- Requiring the shooter to shoot rifle, pistol and shotgun with the off hand. Sure some can do it but most are uncomfortable with it and some are downright dangerous doing it.

 

- Anything requiring the shooter to climb into or out of on the clock. This can be a bathtub, raised wagon, gallows, ect. Too may folks with bad feet, knees and backs.

 

- Requiring the shooter to kneel or lay on the ground to shoot. Refer back to bad body parts.

 

- Requiring shooters to "wear" clothing that covers the pistols and then shoot. Watching folks get a match DQ for a dropped loaded pistol when the pistol hangs up on the clothing is not fun for anyone.

 

- Shooting 4 stages that are wrapped into one stage. One club did this on a 70 yd (mol) common line type range. Rifle/shotgun was staged at one of the stage locations and you reloaded both pistols twice as you moved along the line. Sounds like fun on paper........try timing, spotting and picking up brass........20 times. You get the drift.

 

- Shooting long guns at widely spaced targets through a narrow opening in a wall or the like. Too many DQ's for foot faults.

 

 

Old school stages can be and are fun......... so long as folks don't get hurt, create safety issues or cause DQ's as a result of the stage design.

 

CS

[Dar B Shureshot, SASS #57625]

Had a stage that had the long guns staged at either end of a wagon and the standard target setup. Stage called for the shooter to fire all rounds without hitting a target. Can't tell you how many shooters shot a target or tossed a live round trying to go faster than their trigger finger. Some times you can't make it easy enough.

[Litl Red]

The fear of having older shooters move should be tempered with the understanding that it's one of the main reasons the age categories were thought up. Most of the movement challenged will do what they can and live with the "penalty". I carry nitro pills and don't do things any more that I shouldn't.

 

It seems a shame to penalize the agile simply because us old people show up. We had fun back in the day, why should the game have that kind of fun removed now because of us?

 

Just something to consider.

[Madd Mike #8595]

old school done with careful thought is just fine

 

no one misses riding a broom stick horse and singing a roy rogers song at the same time, under the clock

[jrswanson1]

Jrswanson1, I like the idea of on the clock reloads ... many it seems don't. If you check youtube you'll find a 2003 End of Trail shootout between Tequila and Holy Terror. Holy is leading the entire way until a mandatory final shot pistol reload. While I'm sure it wasn't the case with Holy Terror, I'm sure in a similar situation some would blame their loss on the stage writer.

 

Apparently the match director for a local club thought this was a good idea. One of the stages has us loading 7 rounds in the rifle and jacking 3 rounds in on the clock. I'm bringing my 1860 for this one

[Constable Nelson #11784]

It isn't just the "nightmare" examples of "Old School" stages that are the problem...

 

Like several other folks here I tried pulling out an OLD shoot handbook... circa 1994 it was... thinking it might be fun to shoot that match again...

 

Nope... NONE of the stages were worth doing again... and that wasn't just MY opinion!

 

The game has changed.. for the better IMO.... I don't want my Dentist to go Old school on me... and I won't do it to our shooters either... LOL

[McKenzie River Drifter, #74138]

Mini sodas from sams work pretty well. Pit Bull if you want to shoot something new and fun come to Cherokee next month for the Evil Bob match. If you are able to shoot it clean you receive a I BEAT EVIL BOB clean sweep badge.

 

McKenzie- who has one- River Drifter

[Madd Mike #8595]

moderation to every aspect is often a good way to approach things like re-loads

have em

just do over do em,

and keep em simple

[Fillmore Coffins, SASS #7884]

This is the 20th anniversary of the Chorro Valley Regulators and I hope to design an "old school" match to celebrate. You will carry an egg in a small skillet. You will flip a card, on the clock, to determine which target you start on. There will be some reloads. Shotgun targets on a rotating platform. Poppers and a flyer. Nothing too crazy but different from the standard matches that are becoming the norm.

 

Fillmore

[Possum Skinner, SASS#60697]

Sounds fun, Fillmore.

[Krazy Kajun]

This is the 20th anniversary of the Chorro Valley Regulators and I hope to design an "old school" match to celebrate. You will carry an egg in a small skillet. You will flip a card, on the clock, to determine which target you start on. There will be some reloads. Shotgun targets on a rotating platform. Poppers and a flyer. Nothing too crazy but different from the standard matches that are becoming the norm.

 

Fillmore

We had a stage at a match last week where there were 4 rifle targets, each of the 4 suits but we drew a card off the clock before starting and there were only 9 rifle rounds. You had to triple tap each of the suits that did not match the suit you drew and then the last pistol shot was on that rifle target for a bonus.

 

I like the idea of drawing on the clock.....kinda puts a little more giddyup in your go. Shoot the pistols from one position and then move to another position where the rifle is staged and cut the cards there and then shoot the rifle and then the shotgun. Now that would be fun.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

This is the 20th anniversary of the Chorro Valley Regulators and I hope to design an "old school" match to celebrate. You will carry an egg in a small skillet. You will flip a card, on the clock, to determine which target you start on. There will be some reloads. Shotgun targets on a rotating platform. Poppers and a flyer. Nothing too crazy but different from the standard matches that are becoming the norm.

 

Fillmore

This sounds like one of our monthly matches. I'm hunting a spittoon for next months match. I need one big enough for 6-8 shotgun shells. If I can't find one, I may have to use an Easter basket or a big water bucket.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

We had a stage at a match last week where there were 4 rifle targets, each of the 4 suits but we drew a card off the clock before starting and there were only 9 rifle rounds. You had to triple tap each of the suits that did not match the suit you drew and then the last pistol shot was on that rifle target for a bonus.

 

I like the idea of drawing on the clock.....kinda puts a little more giddyup in your go. Shoot the pistols from one position and then move to another position where the rifle is staged and cut the cards there and then shoot the rifle and then the shotgun. Now that would be fun.

Fun for a local match.. At a bigger match, I prefer everyone to have the option to shoot the same stage - and that would not be the case in this example.

[Nasty Newt # 7365]

Cowboy Junky wrote:

"IMHO it the silliness that makes so many people not take us as serious shooters."

 

 

Maybe, but I think pistol targets at 6 feet might have something to do with it, too.

[Captain Bill Burt]

Fun for a local match.. At a bigger match, I prefer everyone to have the option to shoot the same stage - and that would not be the case in this example.

YES! I liked that stage, but it definitely inserted an element of chance to the stage. The club target was significantly smaller than the other three and was in the middle. If a shooter drew a club he was significantly impacted since the stage description called for the shooter to shoot the target he drew with the last shot from his pistol after triple tapping the pistol targets. If you drew a spade or a diamond you were golden because they were big and on the ends. I drew a diamond which allowed me to triple tap sweep the rifle targets with no gaps then triple tap all three pistol targets in a sweep, lift my pistol a tad and shoot the diamond. Much easier than if it had been the heart, or even worse the club.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

YES! I liked that stage, but it definitely inserted an element of chance to the stage. The club target was significantly smaller than the other three and was in the middle. If a shooter drew a club he was significantly impacted since the stage description called for the shooter to shoot the target he drew with the last shot from his pistol after triple tapping the pistol targets. If you drew a spade or a diamond you were golden because they were big and on the ends. I drew a diamond which allowed me to triple tap sweep the rifle targets with no gaps then triple tap all three pistol targets in a sweep, lift my pistol a tad and shoot the diamond. Much easier than if it had been the heart, or even worse the club.

Ditto, except I've always seen the diamonds as the smallest target.

 

That said...see you at the Regional Bro Filmore!

[Pit Bull Tex]

We always have ever good and different stages.One stage was started setting at a table across from a dummy with a balloon for a head with a derringer staged on table and your shotgun staged on the table.The line I think was you calling me a cheat.At the beep you shoot the balloon with a blank and stood up with shotgun you had to shoot a hole in butcher paper as big as you thought you could shoot the pistol targets through with out putting your pistol though the hole.Some shoot 2 shot shells and some shot 4.That was a bi monthly.Possum and Gator always write something that is fun and different.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

This is the 20th anniversary of the Chorro Valley Regulators and I hope to design an "old school" match to celebrate. You will carry an egg in a small skillet. You will flip a card, on the clock, to determine which target you start on. There will be some reloads. Shotgun targets on a rotating platform. Poppers and a flyer. Nothing too crazy but different from the standard matches that are becoming the norm.

 

Fillmore

Go for it!

Back to the basics of SASS.

LG

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

 

 

That said...see you at the Regional Bro Filmore!

Sounds like a warning, or a threat to me..........

LG