New to SASS: Advice for Navigating the Gear Maze

[Scarlett]

You are LUCKY to be from Evansville!! There are so many wonderful cowboys and cowgirls right there! @Duke Skywalker, SASS # 26871 @The Revenuer @Whiskey Belle @Persimmon Dan, SASS #42428 and Whiskey Belle’s parents Tim and Miss Em! (his alias escapes me)! The club is fabulous, too!! We will be at the Spring Round Up the second weekend of May! 
 

Welcome to the MOST FUN EVER!!

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[Burn Through]

I'd say iffen you are running from the tax man and ya aunt is in the whiskey business you will do just fine ha ha .....   and if you are looking to buy might just run a add in the classifieds  here  for a s k b or whatever ya want .... and I here the smoke category is a lot of fun ??? welcome and enjoy..

[KatfishKid]

1 hour ago, Shawnee Hills said:

I just noticed that you are from Evansville, IN.  In case you aren't already aware, you're very close to one of the best clubs around.  Check out their webpage at https://westsidesportsmens.com/facilities/cowboy-town/.  All of the members of that club that I have met have been very welcoming so please get in touch with them and attend one of their shoots.  You will not regret it and you'll learn a ton.  I would also highly advise attending (shooting or watching) their Spring Roundup next year.  It's a great match and you'll see some very competitive shooters.

 

You're also very close to one of the best leathermakers in the business.  Persimmon Dan has built rigs for many of the shooters that I've had the pleasure of sharing a range with.  He built an outstanding rig for me last summer and the price was more than fair.  He also does quite a bit of gun work and is more than happy to share his knowledge.  Put contacting him on your to-do list.

Yep, I'm very close to WSSC and will be getting my application in soon. I met Persimmon Dan a couple weekends ago and was able to fill a whole page with notes from our conversation, fantastic fella and I'm sure he will be building a rig for me once I figure out what my style is. 

[KatfishKid]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

You are LUCKY to be from Evansville!! There are so many wonderful cowboys and cowgirls right there! @Duke Skywalker, SASS # 26871 @The Revenuer @Whiskey Belle @Persimmon Dan, SASS #42428 and Whiskey Belle’s parents Tim and Miss Em! (his alias escapes me)! The club is fabulous, too!! We will be at the Spring Round Up the second weekend of May! 
 

Welcome to the MOST FUN EVER!!

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

You're absolutely correct! I've met quite a few of the folks who shoot locally and every last one of them are great folks! I stopped by the last shoot of the season and both Duke and Persimmon were a wealth of knowledge and made me feel welcomed from the start. And holy cow Duke is fast! The other 4 you mentioned are family, but I was hesitant to call them out in case they didn't want to claim me as kin 🤣 The Revenuer is the uncle I mentioned in an earlier post. 

I will very likely be at the Spring Roundup. 

[Scarlett]

8 minutes ago, KatfishKid said:

You're absolutely correct! I've met quite a few of the folks who shoot locally and every last one of them are great folks! I stopped by the last shoot of the season and both Duke and Persimmon were a wealth of knowledge and made me feel welcomed from the start. And holy cow Duke is fast! The other 4 you mentioned are family, but I was hesitant to call them out in case they didn't want to claim me as kin 🤣 The Revenuer is the uncle I mentioned in an earlier post. 

I will very likely be at the Spring Roundup. 

Well, that is funny! The REAL question is if YOU would claim THEM as kin! 😂🤣. It’s a great game and full of folks I’d certainly claim as my kin! 🥰

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[The Revenuer]

34 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Well, that is funny! The REAL question is if YOU would claim THEM as kin! 😂🤣. It’s a great game and full of folks I’d certainly claim as my kin! 🥰

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

Hey Scarlett, who wouldn’t claim me??! 😂

[Scarlett]

4 hours ago, The Revenuer said:

Hey Scarlett, who wouldn’t claim me??! 😂

Exactly! You saw you, Whiskey and Duke were my FIRST folks!! ♥️♥️♥️

 

Hugs!

 

Scarlett

[Kidd Carson]

Welcome to CAS Katfish!!  I like you - Very new to CAS

 

My advantage - if you want to call it that - I already owned and reloaded pistol ammo (45 Colt) and Shotgun ammo. I purchased an RCBS Rock Chucker from Ebay. It was a good start but tedious. I later purchased a Lee 4 Hole turret press with multiple turrets. I reload Win .308 - 30.06 along with 30-30 and 45 Colt. I just swap out the turrets as needed. I also purchased a Lee Load All for shotgun shells. It is a little slow, but meets my needs. 

 

I owned a Uberti 1873 45 Colt with a 7.5 inch barrel. So I had a few things to purchase for the CAS competition.

I purchased another Uberti 1873 Cattleman with a 5.5 inch barrel. It is much easier to draw. Along with a Henry Big Boy in 45 Colt so the ammo was similar, along with reloading. Then a Stoeger Supreme Coach Side x Side shotgun double barrel. It was a cheap alternative for a start. I find it easy to use and once you learn the "Chucking" maneuver of the shells, performs well.

 

Now disclaimer - I went to 2 matches previous to this AND was hooked. Then competed in 2 matches. I'm slow and trying to figure things out, but my category is Elder Statesman. I shoot in the B-Western movie category, because my holster is a Buscadero. Having the holster high on my hip was trouble for my shoulder and arthritic wrist. The other revolver is carried Cross- draw, so I only use my strong right hand for shooting. There are way to many opinions about what holster and category you want to shoot in. These are questions you will need to figure out for your own personal taste. For me - I will be practicing during the winter and then being ready for Spring matches.

 

As for the gun cart. I borrowed one for the first 2 matches. You are absolutely correct that people in CAS are SO friendly and easy going. Same as this forum. There are lot os pictures on-line f cart from Metal dollies, strollers, and Build your own.

 

I'm in the process of building my own cart out of wood. A wood Coffin design with a lid on a wood hand dolly that is collapsible. I need to put a couple of finishing touches on it, like stain, red velvet, hinges, but it is getting there. I want it practical but easy to use, move around and load into my 1/2 ton truck. If you look around at matches and do a search on Google you'll find many, many ideas.

 

My ONLY suggestion is that your rifle and revolvers shoot the same ammo. That way reloading and/or purchasing of ammo will be less of a chore. I find the whole experience rewarding. Learning "new" skills, meeting great people, and reliving my childhood of watching Cowboy T.V. programs.

 

Again welcome to CAS/SASS

 

 

[watab kid]

keep on shootin you will meet a lot more , 

[Mister Badly]

On 12/3/2024 at 7:31 AM, KatfishKid said:

The tips about carts were great. I like the idea of building one out of a baby stroller, seems like a fun little project.

 

[KatfishKid]

Update: Well, I seem to have fully embraced the cowboy spiral. I now have a couple of fancy hats (because clearly one is for amateurs and my wife thinks they're cute), more cowboy clothes than I have closet space for(Again...my wife thinks they're cute and my momma says I look down right handsome in them duds), a rifle I’m buying, and a shotgun I’m borrowing like a proper outlaw.

Ammo is on the way, enough to keep me in business for a couple of shoots. And this morning I treated myself to one of those slick loading blocks from Desperado Cowboy Bullets. Because why not?

Next up: getting my rig made and grabbing a pair of pistols, which should happen in the next couple of months. In the meantime, I’m eyeing my gun safe, wondering if there’s anything non-cowboy in there I can “rehome” to speed up funding the cowboy gun purchases....Might list some stuff in the classifieds soon.

After that, it’s just the cart situation and thanks to all y'alls ideas, that part’s basically handled. So, it looks like I’m officially on the trail to starting next season. 

 

[Choctaw Jack]

Kid,

I was deep into the " black rifle, tacticool" shooting scene when a friend invited me to a Cowboy match ( actually it was a Wild Bunch match ). The people were so welcoming and helpful that it made me realize how tightly strung the participants of the other types action shooting sports could be.

Due to my work obligations and life in general, it took me over three years to get back to watching a Cowboy match.

By then our local club had discontinued Wild Bunch, and was all CAS. I observed one more match and was hooked.

My gunsafe suffered a drastic reduction and replacement of contents, and I've never looked back.

But one warning:

Those Cowboy guns have a tendency to multiply! 

Welcome to the game and remember three important guidelines-

Don't shoot me

Don't shoot yourself

Have FUN!!!

Choctaw

[Ustas B. Slim 24680]

Katfish,

It might be a bit of a drive, but over in Lima OH, there is the Tri-State Gun Collectors Club.  Between bang sticks and reloading supplies it would be worth the drive.

I'm a life member their and they usually have a good selection of CAS guns.  Some of the vendors are proud of their wares, but side-by-sides and WInchester 1897 are found for reasonable prices.  Rifles trend to be a little more pricing, but I found my daughters original 1873 in .32-20 there at well under the OGCA prices for similar.

Note:  I am a big fan of the Win 97, not just for cowboy action.  A solid well maintained short barreled 97 is good for personal/Home defense as well.  The Doughboys call them trench sweepers.  Simple to maintain and simple to repair.

Let me know if you decide to go to a Tri-State show.  If I'm goin' we can meet up and I'll opine on guns, reloading or anything else that might come up.

 

As to reloading its all about either the breakeven point or the commercial availability of the round of your choice.  Given that the Wife and daughter shoot .32-20 and I tend to black powder, I got into reloading very early and no am deep into it.  As a matter of course, if I own a caliber, I have emery except the bullet molds to reload it.  And I am struggling to not get into casting my own bullets.

[Dapper Dave]

On 12/16/2024 at 11:29 AM, KatfishKid said:

Update: Well, I seem to have fully embraced the cowboy spiral. I now have a couple of fancy hats (because clearly one is for amateurs and my wife thinks they're cute), more cowboy clothes than I have closet space for(Again...my wife thinks they're cute and my momma says I look down right handsome in them duds), a rifle I’m buying, and a shotgun I’m borrowing like a proper outlaw.

Ammo is on the way, enough to keep me in business for a couple of shoots. And this morning I treated myself to one of those slick loading blocks from Desperado Cowboy Bullets. Because why not?

Next up: getting my rig made and grabbing a pair of pistols, which should happen in the next couple of months. In the meantime, I’m eyeing my gun safe, wondering if there’s anything non-cowboy in there I can “rehome” to speed up funding the cowboy gun purchases....Might list some stuff in the classifieds soon.

After that, it’s just the cart situation and thanks to all y'alls ideas, that part’s basically handled. So, it looks like I’m officially on the trail to starting next season. 

 

I know the feeling - I am looking to trade a rifle for an Uberti Cattleman II myself, but it will take a while! 
My wife is supportive, but she doesn't think the clothes look "cute", so just a couple of hats and shirts with one pair of pants and boots that do double duty as work boots, just a good start. Did you get yours local or order from Wild West Mercantile? They are local to me and VERY nice people with a lot of really neat stuff. 

Edited December 18, 2024 by Dapper Dave
spelling

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

On 12/16/2024 at 12:29 PM, KatfishKid said:

I’m eyeing my gun safe, wondering if there’s anything non-cowboy in there I can “rehome” to speed up funding the cowboy gun purchases..

I came to CAS from Bullseye Pistol and after looking at my .45 wad gun for about a year I sold it for enough to buy a new cowboy ready 1873 Deluxe Short Rifle. In 19 years I haven't regretted it.

 

Randy

[KatfishKid]

8 minutes ago, Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 said:

I came to CAS from Bullseye Pistol and after looking at my .45 wad gun for about a year I sold it for enough to buy a new cowboy ready 1873 Deluxe Short Rifle. In 19 years I haven't regretted it.

 

Randy

For me, letting go of firearms is tough.  Over the years, I’ve had to do it a few times, and yeah, regret usually follows. Earlier this year, though, my wife had some health issues, and the bills piled up faster than insurance would cover. A big chunk of my gun collection had to go, along with most of my savings.

But hey, we got through it, and I’m just grateful it only cost me stuff I could replace. She’s healthy now, and that’s what matters most.

In hindsight, it’s probably not the smartest time to dive into an expensive hobby, but I figure money and possessions are replaceable. Memories? Not so much. Last night I found myself looking through the gun safe and trying to decide which ones I'd be willing to let go and found, that it's not many. I picked out a couple that have no sentimental value and rarely get used, so if I unload those it will certainly help with getting what's needed. But honestly I probably won't try too hard to move them 🤣  

[The Revenuer]

2 hours ago, KatfishKid said:

For me, letting go of firearms is tough.  Over the years, I’ve had to do it a few times, and yeah, regret usually follows. Earlier this year, though, my wife had some health issues, and the bills piled up faster than insurance would cover. A big chunk of my gun collection had to go, along with most of my savings.

But hey, we got through it, and I’m just grateful it only cost me stuff I could replace. She’s healthy now, and that’s what matters most.

In hindsight, it’s probably not the smartest time to dive into an expensive hobby, but I figure money and possessions are replaceable. Memories? Not so much. Last night I found myself looking through the gun safe and trying to decide which ones I'd be willing to let go and found, that it's not many. I picked out a couple that have no sentimental value and rarely get used, so if I unload those it will certainly help with getting what's needed. But honestly I probably won't try too hard to move them 🤣  

We will help you get started this year no matter what!  You can use our backups as long as needed and our loading room is great place to hang out.  

[KatfishKid]

14 minutes ago, The Revenuer said:

We will help you get started this year no matter what!  You can use our backups as long as needed and our loading room is great place to hang out.  

I appreciate you introducing me to this! It's gonna be a blast! And absolutely!  You've got a great set-up there! Anytime you're looking for company or help, just say the word...takes me 7 minutes to get there 🤣

[KatfishKid]

Got myself this fancy thing from Desperado Cowboy Bullets. Was sitting in my mailbox less than 48hrs after ordering. 

[watab kid]

what is that good for ? just askin , i see no use but then i might have missed something obvious here 

[Eyesa Horg]

It carries your 20 cartridges to the loading table and verifies NO high primers.

[Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667]

On 12/5/2024 at 7:23 AM, Kidd Carson said:

I'm slow and trying to figure things out, but my category is Elder Statesman. I shoot in the B-Western movie category, because my holster is a Buscadero. Having the holster high on my hip was trouble for my shoulder and arthritic wrist. 

There seems to be some confusion about categories.  New folks are often confused about this.

 

”Elder Statesman” is an “Age Based Category”.  You can use any type of SASS-legal equipment, leather, clothing.

 

”B-Western” is one of the two “Costume Based Categories”.  It has very specific requirements not just for costuming but for leather and firearms.

 

You elect one category.

 

Now it is possible for a match to recognize “age divisions” of a “base” category.  “Senior Duelist” is an example.  It is possible to have an “Elder Statesman B-Western” category recognized at a match but it’s not common.  At a monthly match we might have one B-Western shooter, if that.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

2 hours ago, Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 said:

There seems to be some confusion about categories.  New folks are often confused about this.

 

”Elder Statesman” is an “Age Based Category”.  You can use any type of SASS-legal equipment, leather, clothing.

 

”B-Western” is one of the two “Costume Based Categories”.  It has very specific requirements not just for costuming but for leather and firearms.

 

You elect one category.

 

Now it is possible for a match to recognize “age divisions” of a “base” category.  “Senior Duelist” is an example.  It is possible to have an “Elder Statesman B-Western” category recognized at a match but it’s not common.  At a monthly match we might have one B-Western shooter, if that.

Land Run is the SASS National Championship - a very large match.  It did not have an Elder Statesman/B Western category but did have a B Western Senior category.  There are rules how categories are collapsed when there are too few registrants.  I shoot in Frontier Cartridge and wear Buscadero holsters.  I often wear B Western clothes too.  These are legal in my category.  Just register in smaller matches as an Elder Statesman and dress as you please within overall SASS costuming rules.  Try registering as Elderstatesman/B Western at major matches.  You may end up in a Senior B Western category but at least you will not be competing with men decades younger than yourself.

[watab kid]

On 12/20/2024 at 6:37 AM, Eyesa Horg said:

It carries your 20 cartridges to the loading table and verifies NO high primers.

interesting , thanks for posting it , guess i need to look into it - but then i only had problem with high primers when i was using that universal shell holder RCBS hand primer - once i went back to the one that uses the same shell holder unit that my loaded uses i have had no further issues with that , 

[KatfishKid]

I received my Marion River Woodcraft Model B gun cart yesterday, and I couldn't be happier with it! It's incredibly lightweight and folds up so compactly that I bet it'll fit right in the passenger seat of my truck. The design feels rock-solid, with everything locking up tightly, and the craftsmanship is truly top-notch. I’m confident it will serve me well for both local matches and multi-day events.

I’m getting closer to having everything I need. Right now, I’m saving up for my pistols and leather gear. My wife has officially decided she’s all in, so I'll be working on getting her set up as well. Hopefully, in the next month or so, we'll meet up with @Persimmon Dan, SASS #42428, to have our leather gear made. My wife will likely run stock Vaqueros, while I plan to get mine from Jimmy Spurs and have him work his magic on them. After that, it'll just be shotguns and reloading equipment, and we'll be ready to roll!

Thank you all for answering my questions along the way—especially @The Revenuer for the valuable guidance.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

Kfsh,

 

Ask the Wire for help regarding firearms and leather for ladies.  What works well for men often works poorly for women.

[Eyesa Horg]

The Kirkpatrick Ladies Tequila rig is nice for Ladies.

[Shawnee Hills]

51 minutes ago, KatfishKid said:

My wife has officially decided she’s all in, so I'll be working on getting her set up as well. Hopefully, in the next month or so, we'll meet up with @Persimmon Dan, SASS #42428, to have our leather gear made. My wife will likely run stock Vaqueros, while I plan to get mine from Jimmy Spurs and have him work his magic on them. After that, it'll just be shotguns and reloading equipment, and we'll be ready to roll!

That's really neat that your wife has decided to shoot with you.  Mine has always enjoyed my shooting sports but only from a spectator point of view.

 

Dan will get you both squared away on leather for sure.  You're fortunate that he's so close so, were it me, I wouldn't look any further for leather.

 

You'll likely suffer a bit of sticker shock from Jimmy's vaqueros but will quickly forget that after shooting them for a while.  At this point, I won't shoot anything else.  Not sure what he does but they're the slickest revolvers I've ever ran.  Just be ready to buy another set once your wife tries them.  😁

[KatfishKid]

57 minutes ago, Shawnee Hills said:

That's really neat that your wife has decided to shoot with you.  Mine has always enjoyed my shooting sports but only from a spectator point of view.

 

Dan will get you both squared away on leather for sure.  You're fortunate that he's so close so, were it me, I wouldn't look any further for leather.

 

You'll likely suffer a bit of sticker shock from Jimmy's vaqueros but will quickly forget that after shooting them for a while.  At this point, I won't shoot anything else.  Not sure what he does but they're the slickest revolvers I've ever ran.  Just be ready to buy another set once your wife tries them.  😁

Yep, this whole adventure has been a bunch of sticker shock 🤣. But I am a firm believer in "buy once cry once", so I am trying not to cut any corners. May take me a little extra time to get what I want, but it'll be worth it. Once we figure out what style of vaquero works best for my wife, she will run them stock until she feels like she's out running them, then we'll get em slicked up for her. She'll run my rifle and a borrowed shotgun until we find something she likes. She has been watching videos and says she really wants to try a 1897 Winchester and I'm all for it. Eventually I hope to find a nice SKB, so it'll be nice to have two different shotguns to play with. 

[paradiddle]

I just got started in SASS 6 or so months ago.

 

I built a gun cart from a jogging stroller from Offerup.  Stroller was $10.  The rest was some stuff from home depot, a plastic milk crate and the most expensive thing was two of the long gun holders from rugged gear to hold my long guns.  I think all in all I had $80 of parts in it and the rest was time.  There are tons of pictures of home made carts online.

I think a gun cart is a must have for a match.  Not a single shooter didn't have a gun cart at the few matches I've been too.

 

Jeff

[Shawnee Hills]

4 hours ago, KatfishKid said:

she will run them stock until she feels like she's out running them, then we'll get em slicked up for her.

Were I a bet'n man, I'd wager that she'll steal your Spurs guns before you know it.  😂  Talk to Dan about an SKB or 1897.  He probably has one or knows where you can find them.  Fast Eddie probably has an SKB laying around as well.

[Eyesa Horg]

When Ellie started in CAS I asked in a post here for advice. Overall suggestions were to make sure her stuff was better than my stuff! She really likes her Spurs pistols.