Simply put it is “the most fun you can have with your boots on.” Have you ever wanted to be on the screen with your favorite western hero? Or wanted to ride the range with the lawmen and outlaws of the old west?

If so, you are a good candidate to have a blast at a cowboy action shoot.

Cowboy action shoots try to recreate the old west as it might have been. Or should have been according to the books, movies and TV shows that have fired the imaginations of countless young buckaroos over the years. You can wear the tall cowboy boots with spurs a jangling, your wide brimmed sombrero and a gunbelt loaded with two single action revolvers and all the ammo you can carry. Of course you’ll have to bring along your trusty rifle and shotgun just in case the bad guys come with their whole gang.

Cowboy action shooting is the fastest growing shooting sport in the world. It is the perfect family oriented shooting sport. Women and children are encouraged to join in the fun and games. Thirty percent of SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) members are women and juniors. At a cowboy match you will meet the finest group of people you’re likely ever meet, they will help a new shooter in any way they can, up to and including loaning you the firearms and ammo to try your hand at the sport.

One of the original descriptions of cowboy action shooting was “organized tin can rolling”, and it is still an apt description. We have scenarios or stages of fire where you are the marshal, maybe a banker, stagecoach driver, bartender, or just a rancher out on the prairie. You must defend yourself or family from the desperadoes trying to separate you from your property or your life. But, we do it with a sense of humor and a lot of laughter. You have to shoot using an alias reminiscent of the old west or the “B” western era because we wouldn’t want anyone to be embarrassed if the results were printed in your hometown newspaper.

If you have the spirit of adventure still flowing through your veins then you just might want to come out and play with us on the third Saturday of the month at the Old Fort Gun Club’s river range. We start at 9:00 Central time.

If you have any questions regarding Cowboy Action Shooting email Naildriver2355@yahoo.com.

Firearms Used

REVOLVERS

All revolver ammunition must be loaded to a muzzle velocity of less than 1000fps with lead bullets

RIFLES

All rifle ammunition must be loaded to a muzzle velocity of less than 1400fps. Centerfire of .25 caliber or larger

Rifle must be in a pistol caliber (No .30-30,.30-06,.45-70 etc).

• Open iron sights or original style, tang mounted peep sights are required


• Rifles must have an external hammer


• Barrel must be BATF legal, over 16” in length


• Rifles with box magazines cannot be used


• Only lead bullets are allowed. No jacketed,semi-jacketed, plated, or copper washed ammo


• All rifle ammunition must be of single projectile design. No duplex, triplex, or other fragmenting loads

SHOTGUNS

Any side by side shotgun typical of the era or with or without external hammers, with single or double triggers. Any lever action shotgun. Any pump shotgun with an exposed hammer (e.g. Winchester Model 97 or Marlin Model 15 except the military configuration of such guns).

• No larger bore than 10 gauge and no smaller than 20 gauge.
• All shotguns must have a BATF legal barrel length, 18” or over in length.
• Number 4 lead shot OR SMALLER must be used in ALL events. (OFGC requires 71/2 or smaller)
• Magnum loads are not permitted.
• Pump and lever action shotguns are permitted to load no more than two rounds at a time in the main matches.
• In team events, shotguns may be loaded to their maximum magazine capacity.

BASIC SHOOTING CATEGORIES

SASS recognizes shooting categories based upon age, gender, costiming, equipment, shooting style and/or propellant. The age for a competitor is determined by their age on the fist day of the match starts.All SASS categories may be subdivided by gender, e.g. Lady Duelist, Lady Gunfighter, Lady 49'ers, Lady Wrangler, etc. Competitors may compete within any category for which they qualifty.

AGE BASED

Any Main Match revolver. Revolvers may be shot any style except Gunfighter. May use any SASS-Legal main match shotun and any main match rifle.

Juniors

Are persons aged 16 and under

• Buckaroos are aged 13 and under
• Revolvers must be 22 caliber
• Rifle must be 22 caliber
• Shotgun is .410 gauge
• Young Guns are aged 14 to 16
• Must use center-fire Revolvers
• Must use center-fire rifles
• Can use any SASS shotgun

Cowboys

Wranglers

Seniors

• Also Senior Duelist must shoot Duelist or Double-Duelist Style only

Silver Seniors

Elder Statemen / Grand Dames

DUELIST

• Requires a SASS legal traditional style single action revolver
• The revolver must be fired one-handed,unsupported
• Smokeless or black powder propellant may be used

GUNFIGHTER

• Any Main Match fixed sight model revolver
• Only Gunfight Style or Double duelist style may be used
• Must be shot with one gun in each hand
• Can use any SASS shotgun or rifle
• Two standard holster are required, one on both side. Nocross-draw or"butt forward" configuration are allowed"

BLACKPOWER CATEGORIES

Frontier Cartridge

• Any Main Match fixed sight model revolver
• Revolver may be shot two handed ot one handed (duelist style).
• Any SASS-legal pistol caliber rifle is acceptable
• Must use side-by-side or lever action shotgun in the main match stages

Frontiersman

• Any Main Match percussion revolver with non-adjustable sights
• Revolver may be shot two handed ot one handed (duelist style).
• Any SASS-legal pistol caliber rifle is acceptable
• Must use side-by-side or lever action shotgun in the main match stages

CLASSIC COWBOY / COWGIRL

• Any Main Match fixed sight model revolver
• Revolver may be shot duelist or double duelist style.
• Revolver calibers: 40 caliber or larger
• Rifles:Any 1873 or earlier manufacture SASS-legal rifle or replica thereof...
• Shotguns:SASS-legal external-hammer double-barrel or lever actions
• Specific required clothing

"B" WESTERN"

• Any Main Match revolver
• Revolver may be shot in any SASS-legal shooting style, at the shooters discretion.
• Rifles:Any 1884 or later design or replica thereof...
• Msy use any Shotguns:SASS-legal
• Specific required clothing

• Must use SASS-legal single-shot rifle firing traditional blackpowder rifle or revolver caliber cartridge. The rifle may have sping actuated ejectors if they are standard for that rifle.
• Must use side by side, with or without exposed hammers or lever action shotgun.
• Must use blackpower in all loads(rifles, revolver, and shotgun).

POCKET PISTOLS AND DERRINGERS

• A pocket pistol is defined as small frame, single or double action revolver of a design prior to 1890 and having a barrel of less than 4 inches in length. It must be of at least .32 caliber. Model P Colt’s are not included in this definition.
• A derringer is defined as a breech loading, small frame firearm having one to four fixed, short barrels. The Remington style over/under, Sharps four-barrel pepperbox, and Colt single shot are typical. Derringers may be in calibers as small as .22 rimfire.

LONG RANGE (or PRECISION) RIFLE

Side matches using long range or precision rifle involve slightly different rules. The competitor may use any tubular feed, lever action, or single shot rifle manufactured before 1896, or reproduction thereof. All rifles must have external hammers. Sights must be open iron and mounted as on the original rifle or original style, tang mounted peep sights. Optical and receiver mounted sights are not legal.
There are five categories in long range or precision rifle competion, plus one optional category:
• Single shot
• Lever action, revolver caliber
• Lever action rifle caliber
• Buffalo Single Shot
• Optical
• Open



These may also be broken down to smokeless or black powder.