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Creative Stages


Marshal Hangtree

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There has been lots of good discussions on the Wire lately in response to the editorial in the January Cowboy Chronicle. 

 

 

I have only been shooting SASS for a little over a year, and only at one club so far.  I would like to see more creative stages used in the future, but I've had limited exposure compared to many of you on this forum.

 

If you have some ideas for more creative stages, please describe them here.  Photos of props, descriptions of events, target placement, etc. would be very helpful.  I'm fairly handy as a carpenter and would love to build some interesting props for our club. 

 

Lets leave the debate of the editorial on the other thread, and just concentrate this thread for sharing creative stage ideas.

 

Thanks y'all,

 

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Many years ago we shot "snakes", a 18-24 inch length of stiff garden hose. There is a technique to it with the shotgun. It does require a dedicated range bay for people to go down range and reset the snake to a starting position painted on the ground. They must be moved with the SG about two feet to another paint line. 

I always enjoyed this.

 

Imis  Hangtree, ya coming to the TN State match? 

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5 minutes ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

 

 

 Hangtree, ya coming to the TN State match? 

 

I'd love to, Imis.  But matches that are shot on Thursdays and Fridays are really difficult for me.  I ain't retarred yet.

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Creative Stages = Mad River Rangers

 

Sometimes they went too far (according to some shooters); but, all of their stages were unique. All stages could have been modified to be more fair to all.  I'll list some.

1. Shooting through laundry moving in the wind.

2. Picking a nut (as in nut and bolt) out of a bowl of string (noodle sized) with chopsticks to start the stage. (Unfortunately it was "on the clock.")

3. Starting the stage with a noose around your neck. I think it was removed "on the clock."

4. Carrying Sweet Nell from shooting position to shooting position. Starting line mentioned her.

5. This has been almost 20 years, so I do not remember more. :(

 

Please correct me if you remember more or have corrections.

9 minutes ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

Many years ago we shot "snakes", a 18-24 inch length of stiff garden hose. There is a technique to it with the shotgun. It does require a dedicated range bay for people to go down range and reset the snake to a starting position painted on the ground. They must be moved with the SG about two feet to another paint line. 

I always enjoyed this.

 

Imis  Hangtree, ya coming to the TN State match? 

I've done that (not fondly) and got "tennis elbow" from reloading. :o What can I say, I'm a frail old bag.

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To not be to crazy, many times I like to have the shooter start with a prop in their hand(s) and just have them discard it. You can use about anything. In the bank use a bag of money. In the saloon have a mug or shot glass. I have use some string to tie together three dowels to simulate dynamite. Never put a noose over the neck but have hung nooses from the rafters and you have to hold it. Pairing a starting like the prop is always fun as well. Get creative, in writing the stages. Have a more experienced cowboy review prior to the match, as the last thing you want to do is anger the members. They are members for a reason, they like shooting there.  

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4 hours ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

Many years ago we shot "snakes", a 18-24 inch length of stiff garden hose. There is a technique to it with the shotgun. It does require a dedicated range bay for people to go down range and reset the snake to a starting position painted on the ground. 

 

 

We still do this at our local club..

Only difference??

We set the snakes (garden hose) on a 2ft. tall stump..

You know.. Just  big ol pieces of wood..

Probably 1ft. diameter by 2 ft. tall.

Knock 'em off the stump and yer good to go.. (Usually 4 of 'em)

 

Rance ;)

Thinkin' you can do it in 4 shots once ya learn where ta shoot 'em :huh:

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We have a plywood saloon girl and cowboy. Clothes pins attached on the back at the hands and hips on the saloon girl, hands and feet on the cowboy. Both are set at pistol distance. Two balloons at cowboy's feet or hands. Two balloons on saloon girl's hips or playing cards or cardboard beer mugs in her hands . Start with pistols and shoot the cowboy's balloons, then 4 shots on a dueling tree. Remaining shots on dump. Rifle is the two items on the saloon girl, four shots on knock down plates. Remaining shots on a dump plate. So you have 10 shots to hit 6 targets with pistols and 10 to hit 6 with rifle. About half the shooters drill the playing cards dead center. Lots of smiles. No complaints.

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Some of my favorite creative stages were at El Dorado where we had large steal plates moving across on a garage door opener and another coming at you.  Also Creeker had a great deal of down range movement shooting in and out of doorways.  At EOT there was a moving train you had to hit with your rifle with no hit targets where you would have to stop and resume on the other side when the train was visible.  Winter Range had a lever with a bowling ball that moved across a platform and activated pop up.  Cowtown has stages with rifle reloads across the wash that remind you to stay on top of your reload skills.  While I never shot it, it was the one event that convinced me to CAS.  At a top 16 Winter Range two contestants had to enter into a room where a Colt was sitting on a table with two rounds and only one overlapping drop plate remaining.  For me, it was the shooting that got me involved.

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I have shot a lot of stages that were unique but I think many people got tired of a shooting sport that you won or lost because you couldn't use chop sticks as well as the other cowfolks (Thanks for that one Allie Mo....lol), or shoot a toy bow or toss a stick of dynamite in a box etc. 

 

Personally I like the stages that are fun but require you to be able to shoot better rather than luck (like drawing cards) or things that aren't associated with shooting.

 

I think you if you can make the "shooting" fun but not complicated it's a win win. 

 

We do a Zombie stage around Halloween that has dummies and you have to shoot the heads off (which are knock down plates) and it's fun but still about shooting. 

 

 

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We've got a gator target that starts moving from the left to the right as soon as you pick your rifle up off a platform.  There're a spring under the platform that lifts it up, when you take your rifle off, just enough to release a rope that is connected to the support holding the gator through a series of pulleys.  The gator moves because there is a heavy weight at the end of the rope that starts out at the top right of the stand that supports the rope where the gator is.  Resetting is easy - just pull back on the remaining rope (which is tied near the platform - there's a lot of slack before you pick up the rifle- and put a piece of the rope inside a pair of needle-nose pliers that closes and holds the rope when there's weight on the platform.  We have a heavy weight there which we put on the platform before the next shooter is called up.  The shooter puts his rifle on the platform first and then places the weight off to the side.  This all works really well! The rifle scenario calls for some combination of hits on the gator and hits on the stationary targets, which may be anywhere from 1 - 5 in number. 

IMG_3913.jpg

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They got me good on the Snake Stage... I used up all my shotgun shells, and one of the snakes would just not get over the line..... turns out that the buggers had nailed it to the ground! Doing some things is indeed Fun.... but be careful to not over do it. It is a game, but it is still a shooting game.  One or two really involved Game Playing stage is usually enough. Then some lighter stages that don't have a great deal of Game playing. Maybe retrieving some keys or something quick and simple. You really need to balance things out.  

 

Snakebite. 

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On 4/2/2019 at 8:43 PM, Marshal Chance Morgun said:

We have a plywood saloon girl and cowboy. Clothes pins attached on the back at the hands and hips on the saloon girl, hands and feet on the cowboy. Both are set at pistol distance. Two balloons at cowboy's feet or hands. Two balloons on saloon girl's hips or playing cards or cardboard beer mugs in her hands . Start with pistols and shoot the cowboy's balloons, then 4 shots on a dueling tree. Remaining shots on dump. Rifle is the two items on the saloon girl, four shots on knock down plates. Remaining shots on a dump plate. So you have 10 shots to hit 6 targets with pistols and 10 to hit 6 with rifle. About half the shooters drill the playing cards dead center. Lots of smiles. No complaints.

 My memory might be failing, but I seem to recall Penny Ante saying something negative about blowing up a bunch of balloons. 

 

Chancy

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On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 8:25 AM, Chancy Shot, SASS #67163 said:

 

 My memory might be failing, but I seem to recall Penny Ante saying something negative about blowing up a bunch of balloons. 

 

Chancy

That's because she always thought that we needed 125 balloons.

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On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 6:25 AM, Chancy Shot, SASS #67163 said:

 

 My memory might be failing, but I seem to recall Penny Ante saying something negative about blowing up a bunch of balloons. 

 

Chancy

:ph34r: 

We've had a few matches using balloons, and each shooter blows up his/her own at sign-up.

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18 hours ago, Bad Bascomb, SASS # 47,494 said:

:ph34r: 

We've had a few matches using balloons, and each shooter blows up his/her own at sign-up.

That would work for me, since I'm usually the one doing the work. I try to make them all the same size. Funny how big some balloons get when the shooter blows up his own.^_^

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Rolan Kraps has developed some fun shoots on various themes that are a bit of fun but still shooting oriented.

 

My favourite is his "Princess Bride" series.

 

If you ask him I am sure he will share.

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