What is Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS)

Cowboy Action Shooting was started by the Wild Bunch in California. Clubs spread rapidly all over the US and later to several other countries including Australia.  They later became affiliated nationally under Single Action Shooters Society or SASS. To learn more about the SASS click on this link.   The goal of the clubs are to expand the knowledge of history and of safe gun use.  In each club,  each member can choose to enter the shooting competition or enjoy the fellowship with other members.  The shooting members are divided into posses with a sheriff.  Each member is outfitted with his own two pistols, rifle and shotgun that are period 1860 - 1899 replica correct. Each shooter must be dressed in the same period garb.  There are 12 stations but in most cases only 6 are used for each shoot, using different ones at each meet.  Each posse member follows a scenario, for that station, and shoots at targets in the correct order.  They are scored on speed and accuracy.  The purpose is not always to be the best or the fastest but to have fun. The member have developed an attitude toward their participation called "The Spirit of the Game" that means you participate in the game as it is written in a good sportsman like manner.  The members that do not shoot, as I said before, enjoy the fellowship with other pards and pardettes same as the shooters.  The none shooters may show off their period costumes in more elaborate manner. Some may bring their spinning wheels and spin yarn, do some quilting or whatever might fit the period.   The period costumes has to be between 1860 & 1890 either from history or from Silver Screen Movie idles from that time frame. 

How we got started in Cowboy Action Shooter 

Danny Ringo was researching to buy a new rifle.  He was studying his gun magazines.  He found there was a CAS club called Texas Historical Shootist Society (THSS) that meets at Gunsmoke very near us just outside of Columbus, Texas on Brune Land & Cattle Co land.   It sounded interesting.   We are both interested in history and wanted to learn more about guns in an interesting and fun way. 

October 21, 2001 Danny and I (Linda) decided to visit Gunsmoke for one of THSS's monthly meetings.  The Come and Take It Flag from the Texas history played a significant role in my family history.  Danny did meet a guy from Schulenburg that had the gun he was looking for.  He bought his first gun.  But at this time we were not planning to join any of the clubs.  He later discovered the gun he bought was not period correct so he was not able to use it for the his club guns in competition.

We were really surprised to find this wonderful little western town.   It was so neat.  The string of buildings on one side of the street are the stations.  These stations do not have back sides.  This is where the shooters stand to shoot at the targets.  The buildings on the opposite sited of the street are pictured below on the left.  These are the commercial building. The Marlin House (painted red) is where the shooters register and other business is conducted.

Pepper his walking towards us with the Marlin House in the background.  He showed Danny around the shoot stages and helped him shoot his 1858 Remington Cap and Ball pistol from the Civil War Era.  

Most everyone were in costume.  We met the nicest friendly people there.  Star Sterling greeted us and told us all about the club. 

         November 3, 2001 we visited Tin Star Texans club for their big yearly shoot, "Range War", near Fredericksburg, Texas (another SASS affiliated club).  We took these photos late in the day after most of the shooters had left.   It had nice buildings (one was the Alamo) just in front of a rock cleft, very picturesque. This club was way to for away for us to go each month plus the terrain was rocky and on a slop and hard to walk on.

December 8, 2001, We visited Travis County Regulators at Smithville, TX.  It has a more primitive and a smaller group of members. They were all very nice people. We enjoyed our day with them.  Fancy costumes were not as important at this club.  Danny  had all his guns for competition.  He shot there for the first time.  It was a good place to start. The following are 7 photos are from TCR.

    
   #1                    #2                 #3                    #4                    #5
#1 Danny Ringo & Country Girl Linda by the Regulators sign.
#2 Danny Ringo shooting with Loose Cannon Lou timing. 
#3 Sweet Pea Sallie in the jail saying her little speech to start the scenario. 
#4 Sexy Sadie Fly in jail with Arty Fly her husband timing her.  
#5 Danny Ringo shooting outside the jail.

   
    #6                    #7
#6 The posse 
#7 One of the compodras made a nice pot of stew for all the shooters at the end of the shoot.

December 16, 2001, We went to THSS at Gunsmoke.  By this time Danny had joined SASS, picked his alias, got his SASS # and star badge,  Danny Ringo, SASS #42332.  Pepper took us to a station and taught him the rules of the competition and how to use his guns safely.  

We picked THSS at Gunsmoke as our home club.  

Danny Ringo shoots...

Danny Ringo got all his guns due to a windfall before the January shoot with THSS at Gunsmoke and Travis County Regulators in January.   In the normal competitions a shooter has to have original or reproductions of firearms manufactured during the early to late 1800's: 2 pistols, 1 rifle and 1 shotgun.  If you wish to learn the exact rules please visit Texas Historical Shootist Society (THSS) or Single Action Shooters Society or SASS.  

Danny chose to shoot:
2- Ruger Vaquero's
1- .357 Rossi '92 Puma
1- Side by Side 12 gage Baikal EAA
He built his own gun cart to carry the guns from station to station at     the shoots
He built himself a nice cedar gun case to store his guns 
He started shooting as a Dualist.  After not doing so well at first he had his guns worked on and changed his style to Traditional and seems to be doing better.  As you can see in Meet # 7 below.

I plan to devoting this space and the following monthly pages to our reports from the shoots we attend for the year.  Most photos and info will be from Gunsmoke and THSS activities we attend each month.  I will also add the visits we may make to other clubs.  I plan to share it with our friends and our cowpoke friends.  After a year I will start replacing each month with the new years shoots.  All of the cowpoke and cowpokette's names will be their alias's to protect the innocent. Ha. Ha.   Most photos will be thumbnails so click them  to enlarge for a better view.  Enjoy!  

Danny Ringo's Shoot Scores for Year 2002

The following are some photos taken at Hass Country of Danny Ringo & I and two of our friends before January 1 2002. Our friends are non member but we are trying to get them to join.   Click to enlarge.

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