Ever long for the days of the Old West where your favorite
Saturday matinee cowboys were true heroes, you know, guys like Hop-A-Long Cassidy, Gene Autry or Roy Rogers. Well, your wait
is over. Thanks to an organization called the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) and the game of Cowboy Action Shooting,
you can relive those days you dreamed of as a Buckaroo. Cowboy Action Shooting is a gun sport dedicated to the firearms and
costuming of the Old West prior to 1900. Make no mistake, this is a real competition, using real guns and real bullets, although
bullet velocities are greatly reduced for safety and lead bullets only are allowed.
To participate the cowboy/cowgirl will need a minimum of 2 single action revolvers, a lever or pump
action rifle in a pistol caliber (.32 cal to.45 cal) and a double barrel, lever action (1878) or pump shotgun (1897 Winchester)
and leather for the revolvers and shotgun shells. The premise of this sport is simple, with the emphasis being on Cowboy "ACTION"
Shooting. You generally load both six-shooters with 5 rounds each (hammer down on an empty chamber), load the rifle with 8
to 10 rounds and load the shotgun from your shotgun shell belt. As the timer goes off the participant will shoot the guns
in the specified order at the specified targets as quickly as possible without missing the target. This is not a bulls-eye
sport; a hit anywhere on the target is a hit and a miss is a 5 second penalty. The targets are generally 18" in diameter
and placed anywhere from, 6 to 30 yards from the firing line.
Costuming
is also a very important part of this shooting sport and in the spirit of preserving the Old West participants should have
at a minimum a cowboy hat, western shirt, blue jeans and boots. No sneakers or ball caps please except for first timers. We
are trying to promote the spectacle and feel of the Old West and the authentic cowboy outfits add to the feel and enjoyment
of the sport. In addition to the costuming, each participant is required to pick an "alias" appropriate to a character
of the 19th century, a Hollywood Western star, or character on which you want to base your costuming. With close to 80,000
members in the SASS organization, your alias may take some thought.
Here
in Utah, we are proud to say that we have some of the best shooters in the USA. Utah shooters like Nitty Gritty Sandy, Boots
Robb, J T Wild, Hobble Creek Marshall and Doc Nelson have been State, National or World Champions. Utah is also fortunate
to have around 16 active clubs that make shooting almost every weekend a possibility if you are willing to drive a little.
Competitors from age 10 to over 70 years old regularly participate; and don't be scared off because you are hitting the
old 60 or older, some of the best shooters in the state are over 60 and we have many female participants who are top shooters.
So, if you are looking for an "action" sport with some
of the greatest people you will ever meet, and the fun of "playing" cowboy for a few hours, check out this thrilling
sport. For more information and a list of all the Cowboy Action Clubs in Utah and the entire country, log on to the SASS website
at: http://www.sassnet.com.
OK, come on out and just see what we do, heck, we'll even
let you use our guns and shoot a stage or two. Until we see you at the range, shoot straight and COWBOY UP.
Texas Slick Willy
Texas
Slick Willy publishes a semi-weekly newsletter on SASS and Cowboy Action Shooting in Utah and neighboring territories. He's
highly respected and a champion shooter. You can contact him at tsw53477@msn.com.
