Bugsbunnyshooter Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Two years ago just before I got sick I added two Ruger Vaquero's in .38 to my collection of two Vaquero's in .45lc. In the last few weeks since I am back at the range I have been using the .38's . I have to admit I think I prefer shooting the .45lc. I think I ,ike the heaven rounds beacuse I learned to shoot with a .45 acp. 1911 And my concealed is a Comander in .45 I have read clubs are not to happy about the damage .45lc does to the metal targets. So what do you shoot and can you tell me why. I spent a lot of days and night at the hospital and at Healthsouth reading the wire... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bama Red Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I shoot .44-40 in both my rifle and pistols and I load real BP only. I hand dip the powder for a full case load and compress the bullet on top of that. Yeah, I know, this means I have to bring the guns back on target after each shot, but I'll never be in contention for the Cadillac anyway! Why do I do this? Well, the .44-40 cartridge was the original "cowboy caliber", it makes a helluva cloud of smoke and spits flame out the barrel for a good 10-12". Works for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Either 44WCF (Smoke Wagons) or 44 Russian(Open Tops), bother wit real BP. Why you ask? Mainly because I can Going to dabble in Cap and Ball revolvers in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C0ckr0ach, SASS #26100 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I use .38 short Colt in pistol -- Reloading cost and noticeable lower recoil than .38 special I use .38 Special in rifle -- Reloading cost and significantly lower recoil than .45 Colt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Six Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 The reason I participate in Cowboy matches is the opportunity to enjoy the Old West experience. For me that means Blackpowder loads in these calibers: 38LC, 38spl, 38-40, 44-40, 45LC. along with a variety of .36 & .44 cap & ball guns. Never heard of any complaints from match directors concerning 45 caliber damage to targets. Hope you are doing well health wise. Don't envy you about the hospital time. Spent one week in a hospital last year and after a few days was going crazy. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben McCoy Rankin # 34239 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 44 Russian in both rifle and pistols. Just because, and very light recoil for my arthritic hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 45 Colt mainly, smokeless and more recently all BP. Coming soon though is 44 Special (cause we can't get 44 Rimfire) and 44 Colt. I don't own 38 caliber cowboy guns. If I did it would be 38-40 but we all know that ain't really a 38 caliber... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggus Deal #64218 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 38 Special because they're more competitive for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goody, SASS #26190 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 38LC, 38sp, 357, 44r,44 colt, 44sp, 44mag, 44wcf, 45 Colt, 36 C&B, 44 C&B. Because I own them and enjoy shooting variety. If a 45Colt loaded to SASS rules damages target then the target is inferior metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Stevens SASS#55996 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 .38 special, easy to reload, cheap brass, cheap bullets, low recoill and THE most competitive caliber for our game.If my competition shot .45's I would too but thats not the case. Stared with .45's as did my wife. Used them for almost three years. At that time we were shooting around 4k rounds a months. Got way to expensive. Switching to .38's was one of the milestone that improved my game in vast amounts. Now if we had a power factor of 125-150 range that would not break my heart at all, but given that we have women, children and folks that have physical limitations that would not allow them to use ammo like that I'd rather have them shooting with us than not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tn Tombstone Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I shoot 45's because they don't make 46's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Art Tillery Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 44-40... I tried 45s to 32 H&R mags, but for me the 44-40 just fit my shooting style I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Pistols: Vaqueros (Sheriff models) in .45 and I shoot the Cowboy 45 Special in them. Rifle: Marlin 1894 in .32 H&R mag. WHY: Pistols: I Just seem to like 'the feel'. No other reason. Rifle: its a dandy little caliber that allows a light bullet with good velocity and gives no 'perceived' recoil. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 38-40's and 45 colt; no complaints about target damage but mainly cause I don't hit them that frequently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Uberti Cattleman 45 Colt 5-1/2". 'Cause they don't make them in 46. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyatt Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Same round for pistol and rifle 38's because I like things simple and I'm boring, lazy and cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Most Wanted Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 357 because I had what I thought was a lot of brass until I started shooting this game. Would have went with 38 if I knew then what I know now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I use .44-40 in both revolvers and rifle. I did this 6 or 7 years ago when I switched to BP. Now I went back to smokeless I decided to just stick with this caliber. I like the way it shoots and it's historically correct. I have a pair of Colts that I'll be shooting when the season starts agin. I also have a back up of Smoke Wagons. .44-40 can be a little fussy to load but I'm too invested to switch now! Rye Who proved you can go back from black! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 .38s. Not because i like them. we just don't have the funds to shoot 45s. I don't get to shoot much anymore but i load for three new shooters who are on a fixed budget plus my wife and i and occasionally for my father. My wife prefers the lower recoil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Seen #16162 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 36 C&B 44 C&B 45 COLT - many thousands of rounds downrange I am going to 38 Special after I get my revolver out of layaway and healed up from my surgery. But, with all of that said, my hands down favorite cartridge is 32-20. I have a Uberti carbine and a EMF S.A. with 7 1/2" barrel. I have won many a target match with the EMF revolver. As I live on a small farm the Uberti carbine is ideal for controlling small pests such as skunks and possums. OOPS! I forgot about 32 Magnum and 44 Colt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvil Al #59168 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 .38s It's cheaper. Pure and simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
357wheelgunner Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I would shoot 45's if i could afford to feed 'em! I shoot 357 because I can afford to feed them, barely! Also the recoil is a lot less which has become important with my arthritic hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dane, SASS#5536 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 38 WCF, 44WCF, and 44 Colt-all with the Holy Black, of Course. Why----because I want to! As a Match Director for 5 plus years, I have never seen quality targets damaged by legal 45 Colt loads. YMMV. Merry Christmas, y'all. Dane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Junky Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 38 WCF, 44WCF, and 44 Colt-all with the Holy Black, of Course. Why----because I want to! As a Match Director for 5 plus years, I have never seen quality targets damaged by legal 45 Colt loads. YMMV. Merry Christmas, y'all. Dane +1 Target damage is not a factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I use 44 mag for its versatility. I can load mild 200 grain loads for SASS or full house 300 grain for deer. It's also great with Black Powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I use 44 mag for its versatility. I can load mild 200 grain loads for SASS or full house 300 grain for deer. It's also great with Black Powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 45 colt all the way. If it was good enough for them cowboys, I figure it'll work for this pretend cowboy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlicLee SASS #16638 Life Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 When SASS first started all you needed was one pistol, one rifle, had in 44 mag one sxs shotgun. I had them all in my back packet so I stole my wives shopping cart, but a large canvas bag bungies across the top and I was off to my first cowboy shoot, stayed with 44 mag until one day at a gun show, I spotted a rifle looked different so I sort of rushed over and grabbed it just before someone else had his hand out, was a Winchester rifle, so pretty, had colors looked fairly newish, was expensive, but I wouldn't put it down,kept arguing about the price, I sort of knew him so he gave me leeway, we shook hands but I wouldn't put the rifle down, was in 38/40. What the heck was that, took it home, took it apart, my youngest daughter sat down with me, she loved taking stuff apart, so I broke the screws and she did the rest, it looked like it wasn't shot much,edges were all sharp, made up some rounds and became owners of pistols in same caliber over time switched to that caliber, still there ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 If a 45Colt loaded to SASS rules damages target then the target is inferior metal. EXACTLY! Even loaded to factory specs...(or is using some material other than a common lead ally for bullets)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pit Bull Tex Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I shoot 38s because thats what I first traded for before I ever shoot a match.Just stated with them because it is cheaper to load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backshootin beauford mcgee Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 44 magnum in smokeless in vaqueros with a marlin. If shooting black, which I do 90% of the time, I switch the cylinders to 44-40 and use a Uberti 66 or Turnbull 92 deluxe rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I didn't have any single actions or revolvers for that matter when I started SASS. I had never even shot a single action revolver until my first match. When I sized up the cost of really doing this it just made since to me to buy the cheapest caliber to feed. 38 special was a pretty easy choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepy Floyd Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 45c. When I was a kid all I heard was cowboys shot the 45 colt. Plus I had 2 rifles in that caliber before I started. I also shoot in CC. I decided to try my wife's 38's, for a match about 2 months ago, and thought I was shooting BB guns. S. Floyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex M Rugers #6621 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 44 Special. Just because I like it , and mainly use Russian brass with BP. Makes a dandy load , plus I don't mind being different. I started all those years ago with 45s , switched to 38s after about 5 years , then to the 44s about 11 years ago. Always had a soft spot for 44s , but it took a while to get that first set of six-guns and a rifle , and change over. Then when Ruger came out with their 44 Specials , all fell into place. Rex , a 44 fan , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 If you want you can shoot cowboy special downloaded to 38 special levels. Component cost is the real reason most people shoot 38. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.