The Gunfighters
Cowboy
Action Shooting is not only America’s Fastest Growing Outdoor Shooting Sport,
but a “Veritable Celebration of the Cowboy Lifestyle”
Daniel Williamson
-Two Modern-Day Gunslingers Discussing Strategy Photo Credit
Bill Semplice aka “Turquoise Bill” of the Whiskey Row Gunslingers
With hands flat on the table of the first stage,
“Koda Joe” repeats the iconic phrase from the 1993 classic western Tombstone, “I’ll be your huckleberry”
and is signaled to begin by the Range Officer’s timer beeping loudly behind his
ear. In a flurry of motion, the lever action rifle is put to work on the
targets placed about 15 yards out against the berm. The ten distinctive “tinks”
of lead on steel in quick succession report that his speed and accuracy are
right where they need to be for a good score.
Placing the rifle back down on the table he slides right to the next
table while pulling his 1890’s era replica pistols smoothly from their
holsters, one in each hand, gunfighter style. Again, 10 shots and ten reports,
this is going to be a good day. At the last shooting station lays a coach gun,
open a ready for loading. With lightning speed, the weapon is up and ready,
both barrels fired, re-loaded and fired again. All of this in only 30 seconds! Yet,
top competitors in this unique shooting sport can certainly halve that. Since its inception in the early 80’s, Cowboy
Action Shooting has spawned tens of thousands of enthusiasts; many drawn to the
sport by a unique blending of the period costumes, weaponry, and shared love
for the old west.
It all began rather innocently on a rainy Saturday
afternoon in 1981. Harper Creigh, who already competed in Soldier of Fortune
and International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) matches, settled in
to watch a series of western films. That’s when the idea struck him. Why not
have matches using only western type firearms? Fellow competitors Gordon Davis
and Bill Hahn were onboard with Creigh’s idea and on a gun range near Mission
Viejo California they met to hash out some rules and held their first match. “The
Wild Bunch” was born and along with it the new sport of Cowboy Action Shooting.
Word spread like wildfire and within a year they had 65 shooters entering the
“End of Trail” match, the premier event that is still being held today. And to
think, the only “good” idea I ever come up with while watching movies
was…………………yeah, come to think of it, I never really had any.
From its humble beginnings, the sport grew fast and
by 1987 was in need of a regulating body. The Single Action Shooting Society
(SASS) was formed with Creigh, aka “Judge Roy Bean” honored with SASS badge #
1. The 100,000 plus member society works as a “governing and sanctioning body
for the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting” ensuring “safety and consistency in
the sport.”
You might be asking, “What’s with these aliases?
This is one of the fun ways that sets CAS sets itself apart from other shooting
sports. Each participant takes on a persona based on a character or profession
from the late 19th century, or perhaps a Hollywood western star or
western literary figure. These can be anything you want as long as it has not
been used before. Don’t assume that you’ll get “Bat Masterson,” “Billy the
Kid,” or other popular western aliases at this point. They were claimed quite
some time ago. The SASS website has an alias look-up tool that can let you know
if one you have in mind is available. Once your name is approved and you become
a member you will receive a certificate, an SASS number and a badge that, (like
all things in CAS), is a western replica of a Sherriff’s badge.
So you’ve chosen your alias. What next? Well this is
where the costuming requirement (YES, requirement) comes in. Maybe you’re a
riverboat gambler named Armadillo Slim. Or perhaps a stage coach driver named
Hoppin’ Bob. Your dress should reflect the role. “Their costume is then
developed accordingly,” said Bill Semplice, aka “Turquoise Bill” who has been
participating in the sport since 2001. “Many event participants gain more
enjoyment from the costuming aspect of our sport than from the shooting
competition itself.”
Bill is a member of the Whiskey Row Gunslingers, a
SASS club in Prescott Arizona which holds CAS matches on the second Sunday of
each month at Whisperin’ Longtree Range using period weapons. “SASS matches are
shot with 3 different types of firearms, all from roughly the period of
1850-1900, i.e. two single action revolvers, a lever or slide action rifle of pistol
caliber and a double barrel, pump or lever action shotgun. Because of the
amount of use the firearms get, most people shoot replica guns, however there
are some people who compete with originals.”
The matches are made up of a series of themed stages
that the competitors navigate through. You might be called upon to shoot
through a train window at approaching bandits. Or perhaps you might be firing
from behind barred teller windows of a frontier bank that has just been robbed.
This adds so much fun and variety, something that sets this type of competition
shooting apart.
A stagecoach at End of Trail, CAS’s world
championships Photo Credit
“Turquoise” Bill Semplice
This is a family-orientated shooting sport to be
sure. “I have shot with families in the past,” added Semplice, “husband, wife,
children, and grandparents. I am currently shooting with a lot of couples, as
well as parents with children.” There is a certain comradery surrounding these
events, everyone is genuine and helpful
to a fault should you have a question.
Many of the larger competitions, like the “world
series” of Cowboy Action Shooting, the End of Trail, held each year in
Edgewood, New Mexico become large gatherings since the first championship match
was held 36 years ago. Described as a “veritable soiree dedicated to the Old
West,” the event is held over 10 days each June, drawing competitors and
spectators from all over the globe.
There’s no cash prizes awarded in SASS sanctioned
events. However, many competitors will tell you that they value the belt
buckles and trophies they have received much more than outright cash. It’s
about braggin’ rights and the comradery they experience when participating
sharing their passion for preserving the role of the gunslinger and their
weapons within the western imagination.
Want to learn more about Cowboy Action Shooting? A
good place to start is at the SASS website. Or better yet, “Go to a few local
matches and talk with the people,” added Turquoise Bill, “they can provide a
wealth of knowledge and save the new shooter money buy advising on what to buy
and what not to buy.” It is a wonderful activity that marries the nostalgia of
the old west with competitive shooting, all in a friendly atmosphere.
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