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Why do you shoot Classic Cowboy?


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I started CAS in 2004 along with my youngest son (oldest son shot one match and decided that he wasn't interested). Like most folks we started out with what we could afford after I sold and traded some stuff. In our case, it was a Rossi 92 in .38/.357, pair of AWA's and a Baikal double. That went on for a year or so. It got to be a pain at small shoots to share pistols, so I went shopping and ended up with a pair of '75 Remingtons in .45 Colt. Then I got to Jonesing for a 1860 Henry. So now I had the pistols and the rifle for Classic, so I bought a 1887 shotgun and jumped in. The whole concept looked intriguing. After a few years of shooting CC with black powder sub, I went to smokeless and never looked back. I've shot CC for about the last ten years except for 2017 when the arthritis in my wrists convinced me that I needed to switch to .38's. I shot Senior that year and didn't really enjoy it: I missed CC too much. I even shot Winter Range 2018 in Senior category. Then at the Classic Cowboy Awards Dinner that year Cowtown Scout reminded me that Starline was making Cowboy .45 Special brass again, so I bought some and went back to CC. To me, Classic Cowboy just seems to fit, I'm not really sure why. When I don't shoot CC, I feel like something's missing. I dress kind of wild and crazy no matter what category I'm shooting, but it just isn't the same when I'm not shooting CC. As I said, I feel like there's something missing...

 

With my wrist issues I'm not as fast as I used to be except once in a while, but I plan to shoot CC until I just totally can't handle CAS any more.

 

So why do you shoot Classic Cowboy?

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Two reasons.

One: CC to me is the epitome of CAS.

Two: Nobody else at our club does it so I always win!:P

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We joined in 2000 and I made many of our clothes.  I admired the clothing and accessories worn by some of the women shooters and began to do research on clothing of the era, accumulated many books and patterns.  I had been shooting gunfighter but problems with my left arm left me feeling as if I should either return to traditional or try duelist.  About the same time, the category of Classic Cowboy came about.  I already dressed the part, and dressing up was right up there with my type of fun.  It didn't take long for me to add the proper guns and that's been my category since.

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I joined SASS in the late spring of 2017. Quickly acquired a couple Rugers in 38, a 73 rifle in 38 and a Stoeger. Went to 4 events that season at a local club that was not SASS affiliated. I really enjoyed what I saw. I joined the Wire that fall as our season had ended and I was looking for more and more information on the sport. I found an event in March of 2018, a monthly advertised on the Wire by Tusco Long Riders in Ohio. It would be about a 3 hour trip. When I arrived at that event I was amazed. they had 40 shooters and nearly every category was represented. I shot in senior at that event but shot along side Sixgun Seamus. His outfit and guns really intrigued me. When I was talking with him he told me he was a Classic Cowboy. I knew right then that was the category I wanted to be in. Sold all of my original guns and gear and started acquiring the necessary gear for Classic Cowboy. It has been SO MUCH fun! I am slower than I was with the 38s and two handed shooting style that I started with but LOVE duelist style and the costuming aspect of Classic Cowboy. Major Art Tillery started promoting a Classic Cowboy Showdown set for this May in Abilene Kansas. I signed up for that in September of 2018. It is over 1000 miles away but I will be there. I can honestly say that I am consumed by the sport because of this class/style of it.

Great topic Charlie MacNeil. Looking forward to reading others responses.

 

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My simple answer is:

 

The cc costuming is a hoot. 

Big bore guns are the bestest.

The combination cannot be beat.

Add BP and you have Nirvana.

 

Shoot 44 caliber open tops, a Henry, and an '87 lever shotgun with BP while wearing all that extra cowboy accoutrement and you'll discover a very rewarding challenge in this game.

 

:D

 

 

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I don't shoot CC.  But, If I could shoot gunfighter I would in a New York minute.

 

Senior, Black Powder, Classic Cowboy, Gunfighter for sure. 

 

I have a TTN and 1887 as well as a '73 in 38-40 (an excellent BP cartridge) 

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In my humble opinion, it is the essence of what cowboy action shooting is to me.  Secondly, I am a cowboy; having been raised that way, its about horses, cows, doctoring critters, ranching, open range,  fixing fence, etc.  Its about the verb "Cowboy", it is not a noun like Websters inappropriately states.  Much of my Classic Cowboy gear are the real deal: boots, spurs, chaps, knives, hats, wild rags, and so on.   Shooting Classic was a natural fit, I started out a 49'er  and someone said, Why aren't you shooting CC? I pondered the question and the rest is history.  Being a history buff of the era of the old west and the westward expansion, it just all came together for me.  As a bonus I like and have always liked large single action caliber pistols and old guns......There you have it.  Long live all cowboys and cowgirls.....

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1 hour ago, Texas Jack Daniels said:

I don't shoot CC.  But, If I could shoot gunfighter I would in a New York minute.

 

Senior, Black Powder, Classic Cowboy, Gunfighter for sure. 

 

I have a TTN and 1887 as well as a '73 in 38-40 (an excellent BP cartridge) 

 

I have never understood this, why is it gunfighter or nothing? 

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I shoot Classic Cowboy because it's what I wanted to shoot from the beginning. Yeah, I got distracted with Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter and Steampunk for a while, but as of January this year it's CC for me! 

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35 minutes ago, Major Art Tillery said:

I shoot Classic Cowboy so the Gunfighters have someone to look up to!   ;)

 

You needling Shady and Hondo again?

 

;)

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I started as a 49er but after seeing some of the classics and reading up on the category rules it sounded like a load of fun. Found a set of 45 pistols and went from there. I think the classic category is the most old west of all!!!

 

Jax T

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2 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said:

 

I have never understood this, why is it gunfighter or nothing? 

 

I never said "gunfighter or nothing".  Nor do I believe it is 'Classic Cowboy or nothing". 

 

SASS has so many categories that I simply combined everything together; age, powder, shooting style, and costuming into something I feel I would really enjoy.  B-Western can shoot gunfighter, now can't they? 

 

I've played this game close to 30 years now.  I've shot traditional with old style Vaqueros in Colt 45, open top 38's, and about everything in between.  I've used Lightening's, '73's, '66's, Marlins.  I've had dropped loop and belt high holsters.  Hammered doubles, closed doubles, '87's, '97's.  And a 34" barreled 10g double (trying to find an 8ga double I can afford).  Tricked out guns and out of the box guns.  I've won my category and EoT and failed miserably.   I've won and lost plenty of times in plenty of categories all across the USA from California to Georgia to Wyoming.   I've been a cowboy since I was 4 years old.  I have the photo to prove it.  

 

This is what I love and I want everybody to enjoy it as much as they can as well.  I hope everybody gets the opportunity to shoot however they want to; just to enjoy shooting at stuff, playing cowboy, and hugging all those pretty cowgirls.  I married one of them. My wife, Shotglass, was the first Classic Cowgirl of the Year. 

 

I believe in SASS and I believe in preserving the culture and traditions of the American Old West. 

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6 minutes ago, Texas Jack Daniels said:

 

I never said "gunfighter or nothing".  Nor do I believe it is 'Classic Cowboy or nothing". 

 

SASS has so many categories that I simply combined everything together; age, powder, shooting style, and costuming into something I feel I would really enjoy.  B-Western can shoot gunfighter, now can't they? 

 

I've played this game close to 30 years now.  I've shot traditional with old style Vaqueros in Colt 45, open top 38's, and about everything in between.  I've used Lightening's, '73's, '66's, Marlins.  I've had dropped loop and belt high holsters.  Hammered doubles, closed doubles, '87's, '97's.  And a 34" barreled 10g double (trying to find an 8ga double I can afford).  Tricked out guns and out of the box guns.  I've won my category and EoT and failed miserably.   I've won and lost plenty of times in plenty of categories all across the USA from California to Georgia to Wyoming.   I've been a cowboy since I was 4 years old.  I have the photo to prove it.  

 

This is what I love and I want everybody to enjoy it as much as they can as well.  I hope everybody gets the opportunity to shoot however they want to; just to enjoy shooting at stuff, playing cowboy, and hugging all those pretty cowgirls.  I married one of them. My wife, Shotglass, was the first Classic Cowgirl of the Year. 

 

I believe in SASS and I believe in preserving the culture and traditions of the American Old West. 

 

Ok, I probably misinterpreted your comment. It sounded as though if you could shoot CC Gunfighter you would, but since you can't no CC.

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One match a couple years ago 3 of us shot an interesting  category. Classic Cowboy Josey Wales Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter.

 

I still ain't recovered from that one and have the occasional nightmare about it. That was just a little much for me to handle with grace or dignity... :D

 

I think I will happily stay in classic cowboy for the rest of my life. 

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So that I won't be shooting agin guys with 38 Specials or smaller.

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I love the look and the guns especially the hammered double shotgun. Also there seems to be a brother/sisterhood amongst Classic's that's missing from other categories. We all seem to congregate and have a good time. 

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I've been shooting Classic a couple of years now. Started out in age based with 38's. For no particular reason, I migrated to 45's and shot those in age based. I always qualified for Classic with my costuming. Several years ago at a major match, I shot the match clean with a 23.70 average stage time shooting an age based category.. All that got me was 6th place. A couple of buddies (Sixgun Scotsman and Bad Brass) were after me to shoot Classic since I shot the right guns and already dressed the part. I figured.....what the heck.....I can get beat in any category so I might as well have fun doing it. My times slowed way down and I'm still trying to connect my left hand to my brain. My wife Cayenne Kay had switched to Classic the year before so it was just the right thing to do. I won't be winning the Cadillac any time soon but I'll look purty and have some fun doin' it.

 

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29 minutes ago, Thunder Creek Kid said:

To try and beat Sixgun Seamus!

In your dreams, maybe.:P

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I do need a break.

 

I need a break from the break I've had from playing cowboy. 

 

;)

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Shoot age based for 9 years, this is my first year of CC. Had all the guns, most of them with back-ups. Wife said why don't you use them other guns, along with some great CC  pards that would not give up pestering till I tried it. Have shoot a few matches, now I think the hook is in pretty deep. Thanks Dan, Major, Hud, ST,and Travis. The fun has started

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I have played "longhunter" for years, and that era remains my favorite. But I read some truth telling books about the cowboy era, and being a gun nut had to buy a few replicas. So why not dress the part and do some shooting, in the case of CAS a lot of shooting. Great fun! And it's good for me. Never been  much of a pistolero, and I rarely used other than a 2-handed grip, never shot weak hand. Now I do. Not very fast, but my competition is last month's score. 

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I do not shoot it. But it is a category I have always admired and been interested in. Personally I'd be more apt to shoot it if there were a minimum power factor involved but thats just my opinion and not a reflection on the current rules. 

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For what it's worth this thread is inspiring. I am putting my CC kit together one piece at a time. I admit I like the boom and kick of the 45. I admit I am only competing against myself. I think I have my horrible Chinese '87 running to the point I can use it. (maybe a hammer coach in the future). When I see the effort folks put into their appearance and the fun they have, just makes me think CC might be for me. 

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22 hours ago, Sixgun Seamus said:

I've been shooting Classic a couple of years now. Started out in age based with 38's. For no particular reason, I migrated to 45's and shot those in age based. I always qualified for Classic with my costuming. Several years ago at a major match, I shot the match clean with a 23.70 average stage time shooting an age based category.. All that got me was 6th place. A couple of buddies (Sixgun Scotsman and Bad Brass) were after me to shoot Classic since I shot the right guns and already dressed the part. I figured.....what the heck.....I can get beat in any category so I might as well have fun doing it. My times slowed way down and I'm still trying to connect my left hand to my brain. My wife Cayenne Kay had switched to Classic the year before so it was just the right thing to do. I won't be winning the Cadillac any time soon but I'll look purty and have some fun doin' it.

 

Purty?  Has anybody but me shot with Seamus?  Obviously not!:P

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I shoot it occasionally, mostly when I really want to use my schofield, which doesn’t do well with black powder. It also lets me play the game double duelist, which is fun to play with transitions. 99% of the time I’m shooting fcgf, but I’m following the classic cowboy guns and gear. My dream category, I call true grit, is FCGF and classic cowboy combined. You get the smoke, the best dressed, the big calibers, and the hardest shooting style. What more can someone ask? 

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When I joined I was already shooting 44-40 in a rifle. Most folks were shooting modern and less shooting traditional. I put together my outfit (CC before it was official) in a way I thought a cowboy would dress. I have changed some of the outfit over the years, started out as a Nawlin's gambler and for the last nine years a working cowboy.  For me it's dressing the part shooting large bore guns and having a lot of fun. I'm not as fast as lighting but I'm faster than molasses and I do look good shooting.:D

 

It's also fun meeting people in your category that feel the same way!

 

Nawlins

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When CC was being discussed as a new Class I thought Great ,,,, Big Bores with reasonable Loads  ..... I promoted a PF of 160 and also a minium bullet weight of 170 Gr.

But alas it didn't really turn-out as I had Hoped ,,,, I shot it a few times ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Then I moved on to FCD ...

Now I shoot .38-40, .44 spl. and .45 Colt with compressed loads of Goex 3f. and bullets weighing from 178 gr. to 270 gr. with power factors well North of 160 and make tons of smoke....

Still got those that are Light Loaders ,,,, but I can't see them through My Smoke .......  I have mostly come to the place where I ignore those trying to turn 45s into .32s...

 

Jabez Cowboy

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I started out shooting Classic Cowboy because I happened to have all the clothes and some of the guns.  Wife and I were in a re-enactment group and were kicked out (that's another story!).  I had a SSA and a hammered double when Turquoise Bill introduced me to CAS.  WOW!  I shot CC up to about 2 years ago.  I switched to Duelist only because there were too damn many really good CCs in Arizona!  I do like to place or win once in a while.  A year ago I started shooting double duelist style while rehabing from my second shoulder surgery.   I still dress as a CC and shoot .45s, but I did switch to a hammer-less double, no point in having a disadvantage.  FYI, even though I'm shooting Duelist, I have won the Best Working Cowboy costume contest at Winter Range three years in a row. (ThreePeat!)

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