A message to SASS' Western Members

[Misty Moonshine]

Dear SASS Members of California, Nevada & Hawaii,

 

For more than 40 years, the Single Action Shooting Society has been built on friendships—friendships forged on dusty ranges, at loading tables, around campfires, and through a shared love of Cowboy Action Shooting. Many of those friendships, and indeed the very foundation of our sport, began in California. That history matters to us, deeply.

 

We know that recent changes to the U.S. Regional alignment—specifically the elimination of the former Western Region and the designation of California, Nevada and Hawaii as shared states between the Northwest Region and the Four Corners Western Region—have caused some of you to feel abandoned or overlooked. We want to say clearly and sincerely: that was never our intent, and it is not how we see you.

 

Change is difficult, especially when it touches something as personal as a community you have helped build for decades. We understand the disappointment and concern this decision has created, and we respect the passion behind those feelings. SASS exists because of members like you, and your voices matter.

 

This realignment was not made lightly. In fact, the last comprehensive review of Regional structure occurred in 2018. Over the past year, SASS undertook a long-overdue analysis of membership statistics, participation levels, engagement trends, and demographics across the entire United States. That data showed that the former Western Region—California, Nevada, and Hawaii—could no longer stand alone in a way that supported a healthy, sustainable regional program. Similar adjustments were made across the country to better reflect today’s membership realities, not yesterday’s map.

 

By making California, Nevada and Hawaii shared states, we were able to expand opportunities rather than reduce them. Members now have greater flexibility and more options when choosing a Regional Championship based on geography, travel considerations, and personal preference. What has changed is choice—not our commitment to you.

 

Our support for California, Nevada and Hawaii remains unwavering and consistent with the support we provide everywhere SASS exists around the world. Our roots are in California. That will never change. The legacy of the shooters, clubs, and volunteers from these states is woven into the very fabric of Cowboy Action Shooting- and always will be.

 

We ask only this: before jumping to conclusions about SASS’ motives, please remember that not all of the data and considerations behind this difficult decision are visible from the outside. This was a business decision made in service of the long-term health of the sport we all love- not a judgment on the value of any state, club, or member.

 

Forty years of friendship deserves the benefit of the doubt.



We are grateful for your loyalty, your passion, and your continued willingness to work with us as SASS moves forward. Together, we have weathered change before, and together we will continue to ensure a strong, vibrant future for Cowboy Action Shooting—for California, Nevada, Hawaii and the entire SASS family.

 

With sincere respect and gratitude,

 

Misty Moonshine

Misty Moonshine, SASS Patron #83232

Chief Executive Officer

[Dusty Devil Dale]

By SASS' published 2018 numbers, the now eliminated Western Region had 3,764 members which was almost 1/5 of total 20,595 members nationwide.  Have those demographics changed significantly  since then?  

[Yul Lose]

Thank you Misty. CAS sure  doesn’t have the numbers that it used too in Southern California that’s pretty evident at any match. You folks making changes like this may not be popular to a lot of people but for the sport to survive changes need to be made. The Cowboys at Norco where it pretty much all started is just a shell of itself. I’ll see you at EOT in a few weeks.

[Cholla]

2 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

CAS sure  doesn’t have the numbers that it used too in Southern California that’s pretty evident at any match.

That's because they have all moved to Arizona! 😆

[Yul Lose]

12 minutes ago, Cholla said:

That's because they have all moved to Arizona! 😆

A bunch of them have.

[Texas Maverick]

12 hours ago, Cholla said:

That's because they have all moved to Arizona! 😆

Or Texas. We have gotten a bunch of CA folks moving in.

 

TM

[Todd Hayseed]

On 1/13/2026 at 8:43 PM, Dusty Devil Dale said:

By SASS' published 2018 numbers, the now eliminated Western Region had 3,764 members which was almost 1/5 of total 20,595 members nationwide.  Have those demographics changed significantly  since then?  

I strongly suspect they have.  Stop reading this if you get depressed easily...

 

Civil Air Patrol was the premier search & rescue organization for half a century, and I was very active in it.  But the modern technologies of 409ELT's and ADSB made that function obsolete outside of Alaska.  When I quit after 47 years they were living in the past, training for missions that never come, outside of maybe Alaska.  And redefining themselves into something I no longer wanted to be part of.

 

The Coast Guard Auxiliary, of which I am still (on paper) a member, is down to less than 20,000 members who are too old, too few and too far apart to make a difference outside of Florida.  Last District meeting I was in the younger half at 68.  They were handing out awards to people in such bad shape they were not even able to go up to the stage and get them.  I have been in three different Flotillas that simply disbanded as there was nobody left to staff them.

 

The Power Squadrons, founded in 1914, decided a few years ago they no longer had the membership to continue and just disbanded entirely.  What was left reorganized into something called 'Americas Boating Club".

 

We had a nightclub and several conventions that celebrated 20's & 30's music.  I had a full wardrobe for this and used to love going to one that was essentially a recreated speakeasy in an actual 1921 building.  But the people got too old to dance, the guests of honor who remembered that time all died out and the whole thing faded away.  Gone.

 

This organization was founded by people who loved Westerns, it even has a whole category based on a single movie.  But at least with Gen Z, and possibly Millennials, the culture is different.  Now they are being taught that the westward expansion was imperialistic suppression of native Americans and Cowboys were evil.  Not to mention the entire "guns are bad" thing.

 

This hobby was started by Boomers, who are mostly who I see posting here.  I see more people selling equipment than posting about matches.

 

It seems well enough off in the Midwest, just like CAP lives in Alaska and the USCGAUX is alive & well in Florida - but that's it.

 

 

Last note - the "shared states" idea is bad.  It tells people in those states that they don't belong anywhere.

[Dogmeat Dad, SASS #48563L]

@ Todd Hayseed, I will counter with a few comments.

 

Participation and growth depends a lot on where you call home.  We have seen a decline in attendance and a reduction in the numbers of new shooters here in the mid-Atlantic states, but we are still getting them, and they are younger folks, 30s-40s counts as younger folks I guess. 

 

But, if you travel to places like Florida they have lots of younger shooters participating, and a lot of Juniors as well.  Certainly, the attraction of the Saturday Westerns, Bonanza, Roy Rogers, The Cisco Kid, and yes even Yosemite Sam, got us into the sport, but we stayed around for the people, the friendships, and the good times.  That hasn't changed, at least from my perspective.  But locally we went from monthly matches of 70+ shooters 20 years ago to monthly matches were we get 20 on a good day, but some of that decline also has to do with the number of clubs that developed over the years.  Folks don't need to travel 3 hours each way to get to a match anymore (and out here in the mid-Atlantic that's what we would refer to as a Far-Piece) so they can now shoot local matches which dilutes the numbers across the board.

 

I think that the cost of entry is also a deterrent and folks just don't have as much disposable cash after a decade or two of inflation.  Those of us that got into this 20+ years ago got in cheap compared to today.  I used to get 1000 rounds of Cowboy Reloads of once fired brass for $99.99 delivered to my door here in Maryland and brand new 12ga AAs were $3.75 per box on sale, and of course the cost of Gas is all over the place.  Those costs eat into the participation level without a doubt, and add it the cost of feeding a family, keeping the lights and heat on, insurance, vehicle expenses, etc, folks just don't have the cash to do what they once did.

 

All that said, there is a definite break in the age groups that are interested in Cowboy Action.  I see more and more folks that "Should Have Been Cowboys" shooting 3-Gun matches and spending big money on it too boot, so I guess the money to play with guns is out there, it's just not playing Cowboy at the moment.  We get a lot of spectators at our host club, and there is a lot of interest, but I think the cost of entry just holds people back.

 

Time will tell, and I guess as one of the older folks, it may end up being a coin toss as to who goes first, Me or SASS, but as long as we are both here, I will keep playing Cowboy with my Pards for as long as possible.

 

 

 

 

[Jet]

I got into CAS two years ago, but I spent several years prior to that finding guns that I could afford, they ain't cheap vs guns for modern 3 gun competitions are a bit cheaper as are the belts and gear to go with it.  But I love the CAS shooting community a heck of a lot more.  The people are friendlier, more helpful, willing to loan gear and even willing to give away ammo.  I haven't seen that in 3 gun competitions.  I had been reloading for years before getting into SASS and CAS and dang glad I had because if not I wouldn't be able to afford to shoot.  And I love that I can drive less than 2 hours and shoot just about every weekend here in NC (if I want to drive over 2 hours I could shoot every weekend).  Like was said above, this sport ain't cheap, but due to the kindness of a lot of our pards people can ease into it.  I've shot in NC, SC and VA and met some of the friendliest, nicest and most helpful pards a new shooter could ask for.  I go to some events were we have 6 shooters, the next month the same club has 25 cowboys and ladies show up.  And yep, I grew up watching old westerns on TV every Saturday morning, this past year I had both knees replaced and watched dang near every episode of Gunsmoke.  But kids don't want to watch those old shows anymore.  Hollywood has made some decent westerns of late but nothing like when my dad was a kid and TV doesn't really show them either.   I'm sorry to see areas like California get reduced, but if the shooters aren't there what do you do?  I know SASS is growing somewhere especially if you watch the badge numbers grow, I'd hate to see it die off and yes many of our members are over 60, but we've got a pretty good selection of 49ers and under here as well, I just hope us younger folk start helping run the events more so that when the older crowd needs a break we are there to take the reins and keep it rolling.     

[T-Square]

Great thread—there’s a lot here worth discussing.

First: I think many of us would genuinely like to see the demographic data behind these decisions. If not raw numbers, then a clear, well-written executive summary of the trends—membership counts, age distribution, participation shifts, and long-term trajectories. We all understand that some information may be proprietary, but sharing the directional trends and key influences would go a long way toward energizing recruitment efforts and quieting the skeptics.

Second: I think we can all agree that, at the individual level, most of us are dealing with a revenue problem. The cost of living has risen dramatically over the past several years. Even with inflation now slowing, prices rarely move backward in any meaningful way—they simply rise more slowly. Some costs may ease (fuel, for example), but others continue to climb: labor, materials, insurance, construction, and transportation. These pressures absolutely affect discretionary spending, and shooting sports are not immune.

Third: When you step back and compare Cowboy Action Shooting to many other recreational sports, it is still relatively affordable. A golfer might spend $2,000 on clubs, $5 per ball, and $150 per round without blinking. You could hang a peach basket, buy one ball, and call it basketball—but that’s not why people play. The point is: cost is always relative. Most of us choose Cowboy Action Shooting because we love Cowboy Action Shooting. Yes, reloading supplies are up—significantly—but that ties directly back to the broader economic pressures mentioned above.

Fourth: SASS has developed some excellent new recruiting tools—but tools only work when members actively use them. Growth does not happen passively. It requires effort at the club level, one new shooter at a time.

Fifth—and most important: clubs that have lost the festival aspect of this game are at a disadvantage. In my view, nearly half of what makes Cowboy Action Shooting special is the experience: the costumes, camaraderie, storytelling, vendors, and sense of occasion. Some clubs rush through matches so everyone can grab lunch or get home quickly. Others invest in permanent stages, creative scenarios, and a memorable atmosphere—and those clubs thrive. Shooters will gladly drive an extra hour for an exceptional match. Clubs that settle for the same-old, same-old tend to get exactly that—the same people—until even they stop showing up.

SASS, under Misty’s leadership and with the support of engaged members, absolutely has the potential to enter another golden age. But overnight success usually takes about 15 years—and the time to start is now.

Saddle up.

[Bailey Creek,5759]

What everyone said is true. Prior to 2020 the club had a good turnout.

Last couple of years 8 shooters, 10 is a crowd.

Have been talking about going to another club to shoot.

 

[Doug E Turtle]

On 1/16/2026 at 6:18 AM, Jet said:

 And yep, I grew up watching old westerns on TV every Saturday morning, this past year I had both knees replaced and watched dang near every episode of Gunsmoke.  But kids don't want to watch those old shows anymore.  Hollywood has made some decent westerns of late but nothing like when my dad was a kid and TV doesn't really show them either.  

 

This is my thinking as well...the Western genre on TV and in movies had declined since the 80s, with Unforgiven in 1992 as sort of a swan song for that era.  Even before that there was the Rural Purge in the 70s, affecting TV shows like Mayberry RFD, Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres, with TV execs almost overnight dumping these highly rated programs as they were tired of hillbillies and cowboys.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

My wife and I shot the Western Regional in Boulder City, NV back in November not knowing it was the last Western Regional.  We liked the match.  The host range was huge with plenty of shooting bays, shooter parking and dry camping.  The November weather was perfect.  The props were good and the stages fun.  My wife went home happy with her fifth LFC win at a major match in 2025.  I enjoyed the night trap side match.  With over 100 shooters the match seemed large enough.  I don't know if it was profitable.

 

The Four Corners Region is large.  Those of us in Colorado or New Mexico have long drives to Hurricane, UT.  Shooters in the population centers of Southern Nevada and Southern California won't have long drives to get to the Western/Four Corners Regional.  Those in Northern Nevada and Northern California will have to drive about as far as those from Colorado or New Mexico.  I look forward to the new regional.  California shooters will find fuel and lodging costs lower when they cross the state line.

 

 

 

 

[Marlin Schofield]

I could not find a active SASS club in the Hawaiian Islands...am I missing something? 

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

On 1/30/2026 at 1:17 PM, Marlin Schofield said:

I could not find a active SASS club in the Hawaiian Islands...am I missing something? 

There are at least two Cowboy Action Clubs in Hawaii but they do not appear to be member clubs of SASS at this time.  One is the "Single Action Shooters of Hawaii" who shoot there matches at "Kokohead Shooting Complex" on Oahu and the other is the "Maui Marshals" who are part of the "Valley Isle Sport Shooting Club" who shoot at the "Ukumehame Firing Range" on Maui. 

 

@Col Del Rio is the match director of the SASH club and posts on the SASS Wire occasionally.  Kokohead Shooting Complex was shut down by the city in 2022 for about 1-1/2 years for lead cleanup and other renovations but they are back open now.  The club lost access to their web site in 2022 and that is the last time it was updated.  I have exchanged PMs with Col. Del Rio about shooting there in 2027.

Edited February 6 by Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L

[Joe LaFives #5481]

On 1/17/2026 at 6:44 AM, T-Square said:

...Third: When you step back and compare Cowboy Action Shooting to many other recreational sports, it is still relatively affordable. A golfer might spend $2,000 on clubs, $5 per ball, and $150 per round without blinking. You could hang a peach basket, buy one ball, and call it basketball—but that’s not why people play. The point is: cost is always relative. Most of us choose Cowboy Action Shooting because we love Cowboy Action Shooting. Yes, reloading supplies are up—significantly—but that ties directly back to the broader economic pressures mentioned above.

 

Playing Golf is LOT more than $2000 these days.  $650 for the driver, $350 each for a fairway wood, and two Hybrids , $1600 for 5I to PW, $180 each for SW,GW and LWedge, and $450 for a putter.  Over $4000. Then the bag is another $300,  more accessories and shoes and of course clothes.  Plus everything depreciates really fast.