New Guys looking to get into SASS

[Sanman]

Good morning,

 My son and I are looking to get into the SASS,

we watched a local event and got to shoot some guns and he is hooked ,

looking for gun suggestions something in the 357/38 to help with startup cost and if we stick with it we can upgrade latter.

Looking for Lever action rifle, 2 pistols and a DBL barrel shotgun any suggestions ??

Thanks,

LB.

[Attica Jack #23953]

Look before you buy anything.  Check out some of the local shoots and see what the shooters are shooting before you buy.  There are many good 38/357's out there, and several lever guns.   The goal is to only buy once.  I still have and shoot my original pistols, Ruger Vaqueros in 44 mag, I started with a Winchester 44 mag, nice gun but didn't work well for this sport, replaced it with a Marlin cowboy in 44 mag.   I tried a Bakial 12ga. double, but could not get it to work for me, went to a Norinco 97 Pump and that is what I still use.  I use my orginal Trible 3, holsters, gun belt and shotgun belt.  It can get expensive if you have to buy guns/equipment twice, ask me how I know.  Have fun, be safe.

 

[Hells Comin]

Uberti 73 with straight stock 18" barrel I use 16" carbine. Carbines are much lighter. 

Ruger vaquero's

Double barrel shotgun?

97 is a what I shoot 

If you buy guns that are undesirable they will be hard to sell later on.

 

Buy once !

[Sandhills Slim, SASS #22998]

I would encourage you to stay away from Henry rifles. They may look good and the price may make them attractive. I have never seen anyone achieve much success with one especially as they start wanting to shoot faster. A Marlin or Uberti 1873 is the way to go if your budget allows.  Ruger Vaquero or Uberti revolvers seem to be the most popular in the sport. Shotgun is a matter of preference.  Many people like a Winchester 1897 pump shotgun or replica while likely an equal number of cowboys prefer a double barrel in 12 gauge. Please take time and talk to some experienced shooters before you spend your money.  Iredell Regulators will be shooting this Saturday if weather and range conditions allow. The wife and I plan to be there. Look forward to meeting you. 

[Ya Big Tree]

This is my opinion:

Caliber: .38/.357 is a great way to start. Less expensive and easier to find to purchase or reload.

Rifle: Winchester 1873 or a Uberti 1873

Revolvers: Ruger would be my first choice for durability then Uberti.
Shotgun: Stoeger has served me well.
That said, I have 45 Colt's, 38/357's and 44-40's. I shoot 44-40 almost exclusively. Uberti rifles and Stoeger shotguns.

[Jim Brown]

I agree with what has been written above.

I would advise finding the various clubs  within reasonable distance from you.

Let the club leaders know you and son are coming and do not have equipment.

My guess is they would bring some firearms to  loan you to use and/or most if not all of the attendee's would more than likely allow your to try their firearms.

Try and handle and shoot the various brands and  models of rifles and pistols- see what fits you and your son best as well as what barrel length works best for you. (also understand the action jobs on the firearms you like best)

Shotgun -- shoot a couple of Double barrels and a 97. For new shooters I think it is easier to learn to load and shoot doubles vice 97. 

Also, if you do not reload then find someone near you that will help you learn and get started in reloading. 

 

I agree with Ya Big Tree above- 38/357 is best for starting out. Only comment on this is that if you are going to shoot Wild Bunch matches you need a 40cal or larger rifle. 

 

[Choctaw Jack]

When I started CAS about 11 years ago, I bought firearms with the "Buy once,Cry once" thought in mind.

a pair of Evil Roy 4 3/4 .45s

a Uberti '73 short rifle also in .45

an IAC '97 pump

All slicked up and tuned by Ken Griner. I have never regretted that decision. 

However;

I decided that the '97 wasn't for me, so I replaced it with a tuned SxS.  Another decision I don't regret.

Just keep in mind that for the great majority of CAS shooters one is never enough.

Most will want backups and backups for our backups. 

But as said before, go to a few matches and let the experienced shooters give you the advantage of experience (Be sure to allow adequate time. We like to talk about our sport and toys)

Welcome and Have Fun!!

Choctaw Jack

[Griff]

All of the above are newbies... I started out with a Colt SAA in 45 Colt and still use it (& the mate I bought when we started using two handguns) occasionally.  However, I generally shoot Frontiersman and so use an 1851 Colt (2nd Series- Uberti supplied parts).  If I were starting out today, I'd be looking at Pietta SAs, something along the lines of the EMF Great Western II.  Rugers are fine guns, but they've never felt right in my hand.  This is where hand's on fondling really pays off.  I started out with a Rossi 92 in 38/357, and still have it, in fact, have 3 now, another 38/357 and one in 45 Colt.  However my main match rifle is now either a Uberti 1873 Sporting rifle, a 18-½" Short Rifle, or a Uberti 1860 Henry.  While I never had a real excuse to replace my Stoeger side x side, I have, with a TTN hammered double, because I wanted a hammered double.  Other folks swear by single trigger guns, but... I've never felt hampered by the double trigger in any side x side.

 

It really doesn't matter what you buy, they will ALL need some work to truly race ready.  At a minimum, some spring work will work wonders.  Yes, even for the oft-over rated Ruger.  All of them benefit from a visit with a gunsmith that knows how to properly time a single action.  I waited over 30 years before I short stroked a rifle, and still have little use for it.  Lastly, be very cautious about what work you have done to your shotgun.  I've seen some horrendous work done in the name of "you-need-this-to-go-fast"... While deburing and slightly rounding over the extractors will aid in loading, you don't need a cone that wipes out the rim shelf.  Using smooth sided, lightly loaded shells will do everything you need to shuck empties in a hurry, polishing the chambers is also recommended.  

[Texas Maverick]

Lots of good advice. However, one thing I noticed is you didn't say how old your son was and if you plan on sharing firearms. That also will make a difference since you both need to find guns that work for both of you. I have only been doing this since 2018 so still a newbie in most eyes. I bought a Stoeger shotgun that had already been tuned and shot it for 5 years until I just upgraded to a CZ Sharptail tuned by Ken Griner. I originally bought a new Uberti 1873 and had a local gunsmith do some minor tuning which still cost me $400. I used this until I just bought a new totally tuned Uberti 1873 from Shotgun Boogie. This will be my first weekend to shoot it. Really looking forward to it. Then I also purchased 2 matching Ruger NMV's from a local gunsmith that had tuned them up and I still shoot them and no intention of swapping them out. This is the greatest game around but it isn't a cheap one. You will now need to get into reloading if not already just because it takes a bunch of bullets to play this game if you shoot more than one match a month. Then there is the leather for both of you. Mernickle Leather has a starter setup for around $350 that works well to begin with. Then you need a cart to haul all your gear around. Rugged Gear is one of the well know carts and I have had mine for 4 years and it is still going great. Then you need some type of process to carry your ammo to the loading table, Missouri Marshall has nice custom loading blocks, and a bag to carry your brass when done back to your cart. There are a number of other items that you will want to get when you have the extra cash just laying around like shell checkers, brass cleaners, custom shooting glasses and eye plugs, etc. I am not getting ready to start playing with some black powder loads and seeing if that is another part of this game that I want to get involved in. And after you get all your basics finally where you want to be then it is time to start buying backups to everything. LOL

 

Welcome aboard

 

Texas Maverick 

[Texas Maverick]

John buys a lot of guns for this game. You might want to check with him and see what he has in stock that might interest you.

 

www.grinergunworks.com

 

 

Whole set of firearms for this game.

 

TM

[Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667]

Bring .38 Special and 12 gauge ammo to matches.  Try some different guns and see what works for you. The people who show up and shoot are the ones to talk to.  Once you figure out what you want, ask around.

 

Bring cash to matches.  At almost every match someone has gear for sale.  Not only “iron” but leather, reloading equipment and shooting accessories.

 

Ruger revolvers are a great choice but they have gotten scarce and expensive.  A Pietta 1873 pattern revolver is pretty good out of the box.  EMF sells them as the Great Western 2 and Cimarron in its Frontier line.

[Old Man Graybeard]

I would have reccommended the old Uberti revolvers...but since they went to the Safety Firing Pin...I would go with Pietta over Uberti for revolvers. Ruger would be first quoice. I no longer have any Uberti revolvers...I have all Ruger...and no regrets about doing it.

[DeaconKC]

Okay, another newer shooter here and have an eleven year old g'nephew wanting to start. Paging @Taos ! Talk with Taos as his grandson shoots with him.

The Rossi R92 is light enough for a kid to handle well and is a gun you won't lose money on if you decide to part with it later.

.38/.357 is the best way to start shooting [this is from a slightly masochistic .45 Colt shooter] With two of you shooting you will almost have to reload and will be looking at a progressive press, most of us use Dillons, but there are folks getting good results with Lee too.

If you can find a good used Stoeger sxs 12 gauge, they are tough guns and popular with us. CZs are great but more expensive. 12 gauge can actually be less recoil than 20 gauge due to low noise/low recoil shells which are non-existent for 20s right now.

Find a used jogging stroller to hold your guns and gear.

There are two valid ways of getting your leather: starting with cheaper used stuff, looking at it as an expense just like ammo. This lets you see what actually works for you and is comfortable. Or just get some good stuff like the Mernickle starter gear which is excellent, and will serve you extremely well.

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

Just about everyone will recommend getting an 1873 rifle either Miroku or Uberti as they can be run faster than 1892 winchesters or the rossi clone there of.  This maybe true if one is in the top 10% of competitors. Being generous that would mean 80 percent cannot out run the 92. If money is tight the 92 rossi rifles are about 30 to 40% the cost of tricked out 73. If one wants to hunt with their cowboy gun the absolute best hunting rifle would be a 92 in .44 Magnum Ala Dirty Harry in a 20 to 24 inch barreled rifle, short rifle or carbine.

[DeaconKC]

There's a pair of .38 Opentops in the classifieds that are a good price and my 11 year old nephew loved shooting mine. Also, Needlenose Tom has some nice leather there too.

[Texas Red]

Buy Capt Baylors new book......Aimed at new pards just like you....

Texas Red

[Big Horn Bari]

I can say that allo of the above is great advice because I just went through all of this very recently.  Shot my first match February of this year.  Thought I had just about everything I needed but sadly mistaken. Had to pick up a mate for my revolver which I had to order and then had to find a shotgun because the four I already had were not correct. 

 

There are some recommendations for Mernickle which is who I ultimately ordered from but bear in mind that their turn around time is running 10-14 weeks (14 for me).  So you will either need to borrow some or get something  off the rack if you want to start shooting sooner.

[Choctaw Jack]

10 minutes ago, DeaconKC said:

There's a pair of .38 Opentops in the classifieds that are a good price and my 11 year old nephew loved shooting mine. Also, Needlenose Tom has some nice leather there too.

Silver Rings also had a pair of Open Tops in 45 not too long ago.

Might have to look back a few pages in the Classifieds...

[Tucker T Fudpucker]

Captain Baylors Big, Bad Book on Cowboy Action Shooting. Been shooting for fifteen years and found the info in the book great for new shooters and a refresher for those of us that have been around for a while. If you are close to Greenville, SC we shoot this weekend, Greenville Gunfighters., Abe E,S Corpus is the head honcho and he posted on this thread a little earlier. Good luck, hope to see you down the trail.

 

Tucker T

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Get Capt Baylor's book. It contains about 20 years of great information , articles from The Cowboy Chronicle about getting started in this game and all the silly, expensive mistakes we have all made early on. The book is available on Amazon for around $45 shipped and can save you thousands in mistakes. And it has a bunch of pictures to help with costuming and enjoyment of the game.

 

Imis  Lots of great cowboys in NC

[Doc Neeley]

What's your budget? One set to share between you and your son? As mentioned elsewhere, you buy and then upgrade. Go to the shoots with ammo and see if folks will let you try theirs. See who is upgrading. You may get some bargains. Mostly, folks want new shooters and will go out of their way to make it as easy as possible for you. Lastly-have fun.

[Texas Maverick]

Surprised he has not gotten back on here and made any other comments or answered any questions since the original post. 

 

TM

[Breckenridge Elkins, SASS# 71234]

Recommend you checkout the local shoot and see what everyone is shooting. For economy and ammo availability, .38 SPL / .357 chambered Revolvers are the way to go. 2nd to that is probably .45 Colt. 

 

• I shoot 2 Stainless Steel Ruger New Vaqueros in .38 / /357 as my main revolvers. They're durable, accurate, and smooth after an action job. I recommend them. 
• For Lever guns, this will be the most expensive single acquisition. I shoot a Marlin 1894 in .357 Magnum. I recommend getting the same caliber as your revolvers again to keep costs down and commonality around. 
• For shotguns, I recommend a Stoeger 12 Gauge coach gun. They're reasonably priced and durable. I also recommend getting a case or two of the Winchester AA Target loads. They're lower recoil, and the smooth red hulls are sought after in this game for re-loading. 
• Look at the SASS Wire classifieids for folks getting out of the game. They will have some pretty neat guns for sale often already slicked up with action jobs and holsters. 

[Captain Bill Burt]

On 6/22/2023 at 9:46 PM, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

Get Capt Baylor's book. It contains about 20 years of great information , articles from The Cowboy Chronicle about getting started in this game and all the silly, expensive mistakes we have all made early on. The book is available on Amazon for around $45 shipped and can save you thousands in mistakes. And it has a bunch of pictures to help with costuming and enjoyment of the game.

 

Imis  Lots of great cowboys in NC

And get a good hat!

[Cypress Sun]

On 6/23/2023 at 4:26 PM, Texas Maverick said:

Surprised he has not gotten back on here and made any other comments or answered any questions since the original post. 

 

TM

 

I'm not.

[Ashley D Austin]

If your son in under a certain age, I think 18? he can shoot .22 caliber.

 

For the rifle you will need something that loads 10 rounds or 10+1.

For faster shooting with less recoil many shooters go with .38 Spl.

Pistols must be single action.

 

For complete details on firearms and ammo allowed for Cowboy Action Shooting see the Shooters Handbook.

 

I started CAS in 2020 with Uberti Cattlemen El Patrons Competition pistols and a Stoeger side by side coach gun 12 gage and I still shoot with them. You can also shoot 20 gage for less recoil.

 

For rifle, I started with a Henry just to learn to shoot. It broke a few times, but comes with a life time guarentee, which saves money and if I sent it out on a Monday Henry got it back to me on Thursday.

 

When I was comfortable with shooting and ready to acquire another rifle, I purchased a Uberti 1873 Competition 20" hextagonal barrel, it comes with a short stroke, but I still needed to send it out to Cody for slicking up. Nice gun and very fast and smooth after Cody did his action job, but a bit heavy for me.

 

This year I purchased a Winchester 1873 carbine 20" round barrel. The stroke is the same as the Uberti Competition, and the action was smooth right out of the box the price was the same as the Uberti.

 

To answer your question, the right type (single action, rifle that holds 10 or 10+1) and size and fit are the most important considerations.

 

Good luck with all this.

Ashley

 

 

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Buckaroo/Buckarette can use 22’s through age 13 not 18.

SHB page 5

Although some clubs currently have an adult 22 category due to component shortages or ammunition unavailability that would be a local club decision and would not be recognized at a state or above match as a main match category. 
Regards

    
Gateway Kid

[watab kid]

as noted above best to try before you buy if at all possible , much like others above ive gone thru a lot of guns over the years in this game but it did not need to be that way if id have listened before i bought , 

 

i was told the fast shooters shot 38s , they do , i was told rugers were built like tanks and take the abuse , they do , i was told to buy good leather it would hold up and last , it does , i was told the 73 rifle was a mainstay , it is , 

 

now i started with an assortment of everything , i bought a lot of everything/sold a lot of what i bought and i now have the above , it was costly in hindsight but it was fun shooting all those different options along the way including the scoefields that came and went , 

your taste may change as you go along , but the basics are where to start , you can always expand your assortment of backups , i have three complete sets of guns and leather - just because the opportunities presented themselves along the way 

i do still have my original revolver but i ended up with rugers and i still have my original rifle but ive added a lot since then , i decided i liked shooting a 66 rifle so my 73 is a backup , i started with a cheap stoeger coach and i still have it and use it 20 years later , ive added a stevens hammered double coach and a 97 as well , i chose to start in 45colt , but ive got a full compliment of 38s&w now as well , im not a fast shooter and never will be so i choose what i shoot by what i enjoy shooting , i do reload both calibers as well as shotshells and my long range 4570s but i still shoot mostly 45colt , the original purchase leather is still my main match set - i did listen and hear / took to heart that advice up front , 

 

i think if you check the folks you meet at the matches you will find good buys to get started eventually both of you will need your own gear but i bet at most matches you could share to start , 

the next thing will be a guncart and you need to look through back posts here for ideas , there are so many beautiful ones and a lot of utilitarian options as well , this can be a purchase thing or a DIY project depending on your abilities , could be a sons shop project if he is still in school too , 

 

bottom line is to get started and enjoy it all - you will meet some of the best people in this sport , make lifelong friends and memories with your son , 

[Doc Moses]

There is a series of videos on youtube called 'Economical Cowboy' that covers many start-up questions.  A video each on shotgun, rifle, and pistols. They dont cover the Marlin 94 very well or the cap guns and conversions at all, but it could be helpful for you to watch. 

[Sanman]

WOW I just wanted to think Y'all for replying,  everyone seems to be helpful in this sport and this is a wealth information.

We will be looking for 38/357 pistols and rifle and a DBL barrel  and Will be leaning toward  the "Buy once, Cry once"

Once again Thanks 

Sanman

[El Muerto Negro]

14 minutes ago, Sanman said:

WOW I just wanted to think Y'all for replying,  everyone seems to be helpful in this sport and this is a wealth information.

We will be looking for 38/357 pistols and rifle and a DBL barrel  and Will be leaning toward  the "Buy once, Cry once"

Once again Thanks 

Sanman

 

In addition to the above I would add. Whats your personality are you and your son competitive ppl? What catagory do you want to shoot? 1 handed, supported, black powder etc. Some categories have leather, gun restrictions. Ask those questions also they will help determine what to purchase. 

 

EMN

[Sanman]

How about the Cimarron Pistolero are they worth a try?

[paradiddle]

3 hours ago, Sanman said:

How about the Cimarron Pistolero are they worth a try?

 

That should be a Pietta.  4 click just like the old Colts.  Good revolvers.

[Tyrel Cody]

3 hours ago, Sanman said:

How about the Cimarron Pistolero are they worth a try?

Yes, but if you're going to "buy once cry once", then go for some Ruger New Vaqueros. 

 

I'd sure suggest asking around at a match and see what's available locally though.

[watab kid]

ill second tyrel on this - i bought the others first and ended up with ruger NVs , its my recomendation , you can always buy the others to expand your choices but you wont regret the extra up front in the end