Inexpensive way to start in Cowboy Action Shooting.

[Dr. Zook]

I want to say Thank You to Mike (owner of the cart), @Hells Comin for posting about this cart, @varmint bill, @Roscoe Clyde, @Renegade Roper  and the other members that I got to meet at Ben Avery this morning. It was so nice to meet such wonderful people - the cart now has a new owner and will add to its memories in my care... Again, thank you all so much for the warm welcome this morning...

Edited December 15, 2024 by Dr. Zook

[Dapper Dave]

I love happy endings...anyone have a tissue? 🤠

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Charlie Bowdre , founder of the Wartrace Regulators, told me that he quit fooling with Walking Horses to start a SASS club. He said land, targets and buildings was less expensive than a poor Walking Horse. It is all relative.

 

Imis

Edited December 14, 2024 by Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646

[Renegade Roper]

20 hours ago, Dr. Zook said:

I want to say Thank You to Mike (owner of the cart), @Hells Comin for posting about this cart, @varmint bill, @Roscoe Clyde, @Renegade Roper  and the other members that I got to meet at Ben Avery this morning. It was so nice to meet such wonderful people - the cart now has a new owner and will add to its memories in my care... Again, thank you all so much for the warm welcome this morning...

Cowtown is just down the road from Ben Avery & shoots next Saturday.  Come join us.

Roper

[Possum Stu]

On 12/13/2024 at 6:11 AM, High Spade Mikey Wilson said:

I was somewhat lucky in the fact that I'd been reloading for 40 years before I started CAS in 2014 so I didn't have that expense. My first set of cowboy clothes came from Goodwill for $9.50. I bought a pair of pin stripped dress pants, removed the belt loops and sewed on buttons for suspenders. Bought a red dress shirt and removed the collar and extra sleeve buttons. Hat came from Amazon for $20, and my son gave me some cowboy boots he couldn't wear. I bought Triple K holsters and hlster belt from Cabela's for about $120 total. Purchased a Stoeger SxS for $350, and a Rossi '92 for $480. My Uberti Cattleman pistols were $760 for the pair but I traded in a pair of Pietta 1860 cap and ball revolvers so my out of pocket for pistols was around $500. So I had around $1500 out of pocket to get started. Of course I have added more clothes and guns since. You'd have just as much money in equipment for trap, sporting clays, 3 gun tacticle if you want to be competative as you have in CAS. Nothing is cheap anymore.

That’s the way to look at it, in my opinion. The guns can only be had for so cheap (which is why buying guns and leather from retiring cowboy shooters is solid advice), but the clothes? Dirt cheap. I can walk into a thrift store on any given day and find shirts and pants that will work great for CAS. Hats and boots are more hit or miss, but some of my favorites have come from thrift stores. 

[Blackwater 53393]

Just for general information! I bought a Rossi ‘92 carbine last Wednesday for $464.00, shipped, tax included, brand new!

 

It wouldn’t be the fastest thing at a match and it’ll need a little smoothing up, but it will hold ten rounds, and shoot reliably.

 

It was delivered to my FFL before lunch today and it’s in the gun room, cleaned, function tested, oiled, and ready for action.

 

I bought it for other purposes. I have several rifles that are much more suited for the game, but it would work fine for a beginner that’s low on funds or to keep for a loaner.

[watab kid]

On 12/13/2024 at 1:58 PM, Dapper Dave said:

Well, see, this other thing happened while you guys were posting that one...

 

 

that looks like it will serve the two of you well that seat comes in right handy 

[watab kid]

On 12/14/2024 at 11:58 AM, Dr. Zook said:

I want to say Thank You to Mike (owner of the cart), @Hells Comin for posting about this cart, @varmint bill, @Roscoe Clyde, @Renegade Roper  and the other members that I got to meet at Ben Avery this morning. It was so nice to meet such wonderful people - the cart now has a new owner and will add to its memories in my care... Again, thank you all so much for the warm welcome this morning...

great there were two successes in this thread 

[Dapper Dave]

Indeed, indeed...now to get that last wheelgun! 🤠

[watab kid]

i wish you all the Christmas luck of this season , there are plenty to choose from when you look , 

[Dapper Dave]

Yeah, well, the Christmas money went into the plumbing...for some reason my wife thinks it's more important to be able to use the facilities instead of an outhouse...go figure... But you never know!

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

12 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

Yeah, well, the Christmas money went into the plumbing...for some reason my wife thinks it's more important to be able to use the facilities instead of an outhouse...go figure... But you never know!

Same here, just dropped a pile of cash to the plumbers for a significant leak in my water heater that started Sunday morning. Good guy, took our call on Monday morning is here right now and almost done replacing it. 
Oh well that new cowboy toy will have to wait. 

Regards

    
Gateway Kid

[Eyesa Horg]

Same here! Plowed my $800 glasses into a snowbank somewhere 2 weeks ago. Cost $200 for temp replacements until my new script in March. Then today went out to plow the snow. But nope, the -12 yesterday pooched the battery. Another $227.  Oh well, Merry Christmas!

[Dapper Dave]

Well, I do have to say, any day above ground is a good day, unless you're a Pennsylvania coal miner. 

[Major Crimes]

Here in Aust we have a seller doing kits.

 

This one is $3,500. Remember a new 73 rifle here is over $2500 and a pair of Rugers are around $3000.

 

[Dapper Dave]

US or AUS dollars? What IS the exchange rate...I wish I had come Down Under to visit in 88 when we were doing our Westpac, but Iran intervened and we had to go back in to the Gulf to give the Ayatollah's military a good thrashing. 

[Dr. Zook]

Got to visit in 1986 --- Perth, Melbourne and Sydney -- each city had its own style/personality --- pub in Perth and an introduction to Fosters beer, Kings Cross in Sydney at night & Melbourne with its architecture and trolley/Street cars....

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Back when I started In Cowboy Action Shooting. 

Deuce Steven's was waiting on me at a local gun store. 

I was buying a used Winchester 9422 rifle .

Deuce asked me if I knew about Cowboy Action Shooting  ?

I never heard of it .

And as we talked and I was doing my paperwork. 

He showed me some YouTube videos of them Shooting a match. 

I went and watched him shoot that weekend at a local club and I was hooked .

I actually owned most everything needed to play the game except a gun cart .

I built a gun cart that weekend and was Shooting the next weekend. 

I had a Rossi 92 in 44 magnum  and Two Blackhawk 44 magnum revolvers with a Stoeger SxS 12g .

I still use the same cart today .

I shot with them guns for the first three years .

I have bought all different kinds of Rifles and pistols over the years but I always keep Shooting 44 magnum or Special 44 Russian  or 44/40's .

I know own 1860's 66's , 73's  , 92's , 94's  Marlin's & Henry's all in 44's 

I own Blackhawks , Vaqueros Cattleman's, Opentops , S&W No3's , Remington's Ubertie's and Pietta's .

Shotguns in Winchester, Rossi , Stoeger, Steven,aAnd a 87 or two & So on all in 12g .

It becomes a addiction  ! 

I tell everyone who wants to start .

Start with what you got , Up grade if or when you can .

Just come join the fun .

Many of us have lots of extras to help someone in need or a New shooter .

We need to help bring more people to the game and Not drive them away with saying you have to have this or that to play the game .

Come with what you got .

Just come !

Rooster 

[Dapper Dave]

I will and I am - gonna have to borrow guns and leather again this next match, but I'll get one of two things next month. Either another Uberti cattleman II to compliment the Birds Head I have. That's probably what I will do...but...

 

OR...I'll go for broke and buy the conversion cylinder for my 1860, so I can have two converted BP revolvers shooting 45 Colt. 

[Griff]

Real men shoot Frontiersman!  (One of these days someone will win an "Overall Winner" title shooting Frontiersman, and it will be all the rage... Beat the rush, get started now)!

[Major Crimes]

5 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

US or AUS dollars? What IS the exchange rate...I wish I had come Down Under to visit in 88 when we were doing our Westpac, but Iran intervened and we had to go back in to the Gulf to give the Ayatollah's military a good thrashing. 

That was AUS but some quick comparisons.

 

Straight conversion doesn't tell the whole story, but these are the figures.

 

This one is $3,500 ($2182 USD). Remember a new 73 rifle here is over $2500 ($1559 USD) and a pair of Rugers are around $3000 ($1870 USD).

[Dapper Dave]

...ouch...I will cease complaining about high prices immediately...ouch...

[Dapper Dave]

I broke weak and ordered the Ranch Hand from Taylors and Co...hope it gets here in time for the match. 

[Bison Bud]

Startup can indeed be pricey, especially if one is starting from scratch!  I guess I was lucky in that I had most of the needed firearms and a basic reloading setup for shotgun and pistol cartridges prior to starting up in Cowboy Action shooting.  Anyway, I shot my first few matches with a borrowed six shooter and gunbelt, but soon made the investment in a matching pair of SAA clones and decent Mernicle double rig.   However, there was still a considerable investment needed in accessories like a good gun belt, shotshell slides/belt, cowboy hat and clothes, etc.  Anyway since then, I've changed just about everything and even own multiple sets of cowboy firearms, so the expense never really stops, it just got spread out over time and I'm sure this happens to most of us once the bug really bites. Was it worth it, you bet!  However, my advice to the newbies would be to get started with whatever is available even if that means borrowing some equipment.  While I have never really liked borrowing things, most cowboy shooters will gladly loan out backup guns, etc.  This is especially true if they are looking to sell items and this approach can really help a newbie decide on just what works for them.  I can't really tell you how many times I've loaned out my Marlin .357 carbine and most of those that used it also offered to buy it from me.  Anyway, just get out there and shoot and things will come together for you and hopefully not break the bank in the process.  Good luck and good shooting to all.      

[Joe LaFives #5481]

On 12/12/2024 at 3:11 PM, Hoss said:

On the flip side, nearly every gun I have I could resell for a profit. (I call it my 401-G )

CAS is cheaper to get into than many leisure activities. Boat, motorcycle, RV, classic car, horses, pool in the backyard. A good set of golf clubs is close to 3K. 
hitting the saloons every night will probably wind up costing your marriage 
 

New Golf costs these days - Driver $500+, 1 Fairway wood $300+, 2 Hybrid $250, Iron's $1200+ 5I-GW, 2 Wedges $150+, Putter $15, Golf Bag $200

and that's just good quality not the best or necessarily fitted and it's over 3K.  If you wanted fitted stuff and best quality around 5K.  And often you want to change out the irons every 5-6 years, the wedges every 2 years  and the Driver every 5.

Edited December 29, 2024 by Joe LaFives #5481

[El Sobrante Kid]

CAS is also less expensive than owning a nice boat, an airplane, and/or a supercar, etc. That doesn't mean that getting into CAS is inexpensive.

[Dapper Dave]

I told my wife that this was FAR cheaper than me doing the usual midlife crisis thing of buying a Corvette!

[Dr. Zook]

6 minutes ago, Dapper Dave said:

I told my wife that this was FAR cheaper than me doing the usual midlife crisis thing of buying a Corvette!

Not to mention your insurance agents' ear to ear smile when your policy renewal bill comes thru -- and your kidney's will thank you too

[watab kid]

i looked at shooting my 51s , 58s , 60s with conversions , its not quite as easy as the 73s and unless i bought a pair of 58s with loading gate conversions not really the added efforts i wanted to shoot a match with the older shooters , i have a pair of 51s with the conversions so i know what im looking at , 

 

so , id add another cattleman if i were you , 

[Dapper Dave]

The New Model Army I have is actually very easy to use with the conversion, but it is a slow reload, that's for certain! If I was carrying this in the woods, I'd have the percussion cylinder in the spare cylinder pouch ready to go. 

I ordered a Cattleman II, we'll see how this goes.

Edited December 30, 2024 by Dapper Dave

[Dapper Dave]

Wow...that was fast shipping. Palmetto State Armory webpage still says it hasn't shipped...and here it is. Kind of impressed that they sent a gun rug too, never got that before. Everything seems tight, some minor scratching on the brass grip backstrap...it's working gun, minor scratches are character marks. Trigger breaks cleanly, broke it down and everything is clean and bright. If I didn't have to go to work in a few minutes, I would be test firing it right now. If she shoots remotely close to point of aim, (well, the targets ain't TOO far away, now are they?), then she gets her baptism in fire on Saturday.  It would have been nice if both grip panels matched, (that one is very nice looking),  but this is the "bargain" Taylor's/Uberti. Yes, it has the dreaded firing pin safety - we'll see if I die or not. As for now, me happy. 

Edited December 31, 2024 by Dapper Dave
spelling and content

[watab kid]

that should serve you well , looks very nice and that was quick service considering the time of year and all , 

[Kid Rich]

12 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

Wow...that was fast shipping. Palmetto State Armory webpage still says it hasn't shipped...and here it is. Kind of impressed that they sent a gun rug too, never got that before. Everything seems tight, some minor scratching on the brass grip backstrap...it's working gun, minor scratches are character marks. Trigger breaks cleanly, broke it down and everything is clean and bright. If I didn't have to go to work in a few minutes, I would be test firing it right now. If she shoots remotely close to point of aim, (well, the targets ain't TOO far away, now are they?), then she gets her baptism in fire on Saturday.  It would have been nice if both grip panels matched, (that one is very nice looking),  but this is the "bargain" Taylor's/Uberti. Yes, it has the dreaded firing pin safety - we'll see if I die or not. As for now, me happy. 

I can help you "fix" that safety. if you want.

kR

[Dapper Dave]

Gonna test fire this morning and see how it does. Do you replace the hammer system with the 4 click version?

[Kid Rich]

1 minute ago, Dapper Dave said:

Gonna test fire this morning and see how it does. Do you replace the hammer system with the 4 click version?

Not necessary.

kR