Questions? Contact: M.T. Wallet at 414-333-2858 or e-mail

Cowboy 101: What You Need to Know

Overview

Cowboy action shooting is a sport for all physical and shooting abilities. There’s specific types or manufactured mid to late 19th century firearms that are allowed.
Rules on clothing varies in special classes but all wear cowboy clothes. Short sleeved T’s and shorts, gym shoes & ball caps are not allowed.

Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) Seminar 101 Agenda

by George Emmett & Huckleberry
The purpose of this seminar is to prepare you for your first Cowboy Action Shoot.

What is Cowboy Action Shooting?
A. Shooting Stages of fire using Steel targets with 2Pistols, 1 Rifle, 1 Shotgun.
B. You are timed from the start beep of the timer to your last shot on each stage.
C. You will be scored by your total time plus 5sec per. missed target +10 sec per penalty.
D. Your Guns, Clothes and style of shooting will depend on the shooting class you pick.
E. CAS is a sport that is all Wild West type Guns, Clothes and The Cowboy Way.

Choosing a shooting Category
A. There is a class for Age Groups.
B. Do you like to really dress up in Cowboy, 2 special categories for a lot of western wear.
C. Men's, Women's, Young adult(Buckaroo), Categories.
D. Black powder cartridge, Cap & Ball, Smokeless Powder Cartridge.
E. There 3 categories for shooting with one hand unsupported. Others use two hands.
F. Some Categories use only certain styles Rifle or Shotgun types.

Guns / Gear / Ammo
Now that you have picked a Category.
A. 2 Pistols, 1 Rifle, 1 Shotgun
B. Ammo = You will need a minimum of; 60 rounds for your pistols. 60 rounds for your Rifle. 25rnds for your Shotgun. This is for a 6 stage local match and always have extra incase you have a stage reshoot. You will NOT want magnum loads, light loads are best and Shotgun light trap #8 shot.
C. Holster and belt Rig for two pistols. Strong and weak side type is recommended.
D. You need a place for your shotgun ammo like a belt or slide or bandoleer or vest.
E. A small bag or ammo loading strip for your stage ammo for the loading table.
F. Personal safety equipment= Wrap around glasses or side shields. Ear plugs.
G. Cowboy clothes= Hat, Boots, Long sleeve shirt. No Ball caps or Gym shoes.
H. Gun carts work best or a gun bag for your ammo and ask to share or use a club cart.

Cowboy Alias (your new name)
A. You won’t need one right away, you can use your name at first at a club match.
B. Old TV show hero or villain.
C. Historic figure
D. Maybe an old family name
E. Anything catchy like Packin Pete or Slo2Reload or Rooolin dahay, Remember you will want to register it with SASS as only yours and people will get to know you by your alias so you don’t want to look dorkie but Cowboy. You can go on line to the SASS home and check the list of already used names and I think there is a list at a pards site called PineyWoods that is not official though.

What to Expect at a CAS match
A. At your first shoot, leave your guns in your truck and sign up for the shoot and ask if you need to share or use a club cart. Find out what number Posse your shooting on.

B. Get your gear on and ready. When you take your guns to a match make sure there unloaded at home BEFORE you case them so when you take them out at the match all you do is put your pistols directly into your HOLSTERS with OUT any dry fire or pointing or un safe handling. Always keep your muzzle of your guns pointed up or down. If you have a cart, remove the long guns from the case and OPEN the action keeping the barrel pointed up while doing it and place it muzzle up in your cart. Check your ammo is in your cart. Check for Ear plugs and put on your shooting glasses.

C. Shooters Safety Meeting is just before they posse up and start shooting and you must attend. Let the Match Director and your Posse leader know it’s your first or second shoot as most clubs will want to check your ability and knowledge of the safety rules.

D. POSSE UP; You are a part of a shooting group at one of the stages of fire … called a Posse. ALL posse members have a job to do and help the posse shoot the stage. A Posse has a Range Officer, Scorer, 3 spotters, a safety person at the loading and unloading Tables. Brass picker uppers and they reset steel knockdowns. 3 pards at the loading table. That’s a minimum of 11 shooters working together on a posse so you as a new shooter will be most helpful when not shooting to help pick up brass and reset steel.

E. A posse member will read the stage description that tells you how many pistol, rifle and shotgun rounds the stage needs to shoot it. They will read the shooting order for your guns and the order that you will shoot the targets. This is where misses and procedural penalties come in if you shoot targets out of order or use the wrong firearm. Don’t worry it’s easy, just be safe!

F. The scorer will read off the shooting order. Stay helping the posse but get ready when they say your in the deep hole or on deck. Then get your ammo and guns safely to the loading table.

G. There will be the next shooter up at the loading table and who’s in the hole and you in the deep hole. 3 pards loading and getting ready.

H. Load your pistols with only 5rnds with the hammer down on an empty chamber and do not holster them bur leave them on the table muzzle away from you.
Close the action of your rifle and with your thumb, lower the hammer. With the muzzle away from you, Load required amount of rounds in your Rifles tube. DO NOT LEVER A ROUND. Put your shotgun open and empty on the table and DO NOT LOAD YOUR SHOTGUN.

I. RO will call you to the firing line when your up. Only at this time will you safely place your pistols in the holsters Do not cock them, keep your hands off of the hammers or triggers. You then will pick up your rifle and shotgun with the muzzles up and carry them to the line. You will stage your guns and your self in the start area. RO will ask ARE YOU READY? You nod or say yes and he will say stand bye…. BEEP NOTE: When shooting you never move with the guns COCKED and out. You never point any barrel to the side breaking the 160% except to draw or then holster an empty pistol. When you finish shooting your Rifle and Shotgun, you must leave the action OPEN. When your finished shooting the RO should say, if your finished, go safely to the unloading table. There you will unload your pistols and show the pard at the unloading table that each gun is empty BEFORE you holster and carry your long guns to the cart. You will want to concentrate on being SAFE in you actions and gun handling.

Safety
A. NEVER CROSS OR MOVE IN FRONT OF THE FIREING LINE; Never remove your pistols from there holsters after your car/truck. The guns only come out from your cart to go to the loading table and then from the Unloading table to your cart after there checked their empty.

B. Yellow or Red Flag means there is no handling of firearms and stand back from Loading table.