What No C.a.s. ???

[dagger dog]

being an old fart,and never competing in any shooting sport, i now have this
irresistible urge to do so.

would like to hear from some of the S.A.SS. C.A.S. fans. am needing input on such subjects as types of Colt SAA. clones, (nothing against the original other than price) lever action long guns, shotguns, holsters, leather and such.

being an avid reloader, would like to have the long gun and relvolvers in the same calibers. i've got this "thing" about the .44 40 Winchester, figure i could load it black powder ,or smokless ,as i understand there is a catagory for traditional loads and calibers .

there are links to S.A.SS. affiliates in my area , but i have not attendended any matches yet.

thanks in advance

[creekerdoug]

I've never shot a cowboy match but I've been shooting USPSA and IDPA for a lot of years. I'd recommend you attend some of the cowboy matches in your area and meet some of the folks involved. You'll get to see shooters and their gear in action. You will probably get some ideas on what kind of equipment may work for you. I have always found that people involved in the shooting sports are very willing to help a new shooter. Don't be surprised if they offer you a chance to shoot their guns.

Don't be shy and I think you'll find a bunch of folks who will help you get involved. I've made some of the best friends you could hope to have thanks to action pistol matches. I hope you are as lucky. Shoot safe and have a good time.

[Mat, not doormat]

It's about as much fun as can be had with your clothes on. Most people shoot the straight walled cases, as they're easeier and cheaper to reload, however, if you're shooting blackpowder, .44-40 is the way to go. Lot less powder gets blown back into the action of the rifle, that way.

Most folks seem to shoot either Ruger Vaqueros, or New Vaqueros. They're fairly effective out of the box, and can be tuned to be more so. Quite a few folks also shoot colt clones, usually the ones from Uberti. They're made from softer steel than the rugers and USFAs, but work well once they've been tuned up a little. The odd thing is that when a Ruger breaks, (and yes, rugers do break, if anyone says anything about "Rugged, Reliable, Ruger firearms," I'll beat them over the head with a busted Blackhawk) it's generally done until it can be attended to by a 'smith. When a Colt clone breaks, it usually keeps on working, just not quite so well. Stick with Ruger, USFA, or Uberti colt clones, and you'll be fine. Go for something exotic like a schofield replica, or the like, and you may regret it.

Rifles: The toggle link guns, namely the Uberti clones of '66s and '73s rule the roost when short stroked and slicked up. They are SMOOOOOOTH. They're also a little more expensive than the comparable offerings from Marlin, or the '92 clones. Although smooth, they aren't all that strong. If you want a rifle for hunting or something, in addition to SASS, then a .44 Mag Marlin would be your better bet. However, for a dedicated SASS rifle, you can't do any better. Marlins can be gotten fairly smooth, but with the angled feed system, and carrier that doesn't control the cartridge, they tend to have more glitches at speed. They are, however, strong. I don't know much about the '92 clones, as i've never used one, and don't know many people that do. I do know that the Winchester '94s in pistol calibers make better doorstops than rifles. They're rough, and laughably unreliable. As far as the pump rifles go, such as the Taurus thunderbolt, AWA Lighting, and such, I don't know if anyone has yet made a reliable one. Lots of people swear at them. When they work, they are FAST, but that isn't often.

Shotguns: The two most ubiquitous guns are the Stoeger Coach Gun hammerless double, and Winchester or Norinchester '97 pump guns. With the stoeger, some fairly simple work can make them very effective guns, much more so than nearly any other double. The only drawback is longevity. there are a number of people that have had one for ten years or so, but most of them don't shoot them much more than at matches, and aren't all that hard on them. With constant practice, hard use, and a lot of matches, it's not uncommon for a hot-rod shooter to go through one a year. But they're cheap enough to be considered disposable. '97 pumps are considered to be faster than doubles by some folks. I will admit that there is one guy who shoots a pump that I can't touch. He, however, is left handed, and grabs shells four at a time. With any other technique, it's an even break. The downside to '97s is in reliability. Most top shooters who use them own three, one to use, one for backup, and one in the shop at any given time. A number of people use hammered doubles. This adds an extra step to loading, and therefore takes more time. Generally, they are used only in Classic Cowboy, where they are required. The TTN copy of the 1878 Colt is currently probably the most popular, although the fastest guy I've seen with one was using an old Rossi. As for the '87 lever actions, with a LOT of practice, and a LOT of careful 'smithing, they can just about match a good double or pump. Otherwise, see above, under "Winchester '94."

Leather: Don't go cheap on leather. It's impossible to shoot well if you're fighting with floppy holsters, running out of shotgun shells mid-stage, and generally uncomfortable from all the lousy chafing. Probably the best rig I've seen is the one I got my Dad for christmas. It's the Ol' Short Tom rig, from Murphy Custom Gunleather. As soon as I kill my present rig, that's what I'll get myself, too.

Ammo: Most folks shoot fairly lightly loaded .38 Specials, as they're cheap, and don't recoil much, making the shooting easier. If you want to go with big bores or blackpowder or the like, that's fine too, jsut be aware of the disadvantages. Also, you're more or less going to have to reload, regardless, because factory cowboy ammo is for the independantly wealthy.

Clothes: Start basic, like a pair of boots, jeans, long sleeved shirt, and a cowboy hat. You can add more later, as money and desire dictate.

Now, get to a match! Watch the fun, and someone will probably stick guns in your hand, just to make sure you catch the bug. A box or two of STS Light Target, or Winchester AA featherlights goes a long way towards saying thank you, when they do.

~~~Mat, AKA Jerkline Jesse, SASS# 64073

[DUCKNDAWG]

Dagger go to sassnet.com

[Harve Curry]

Dagger,
It's hard to beat the durability of a Ruger SA revolver or a Marlin 1894 lever action, or the simplicity of most double barrel shotguns.
The reason 44-40 (44wcf) works so well with black powder is because the forward 1/2 of the case wall is taperd to very thin, making it more flexable. Combined with it being a tapered cartridge makes a good gas seal at low pressure. It's the same with other cases of that era, 25-20, 32-20, 38-40.....
If you choose 44 special you can get revolvers and long guns in 44spl.
44 bullets are as light now as 160gr.