Smokey Point Desperados
Back to the Wild West...
"Cowboy is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!" exclaimed Mudflat Mike, Cowboy shooter. MRC’s Cowboy matches are held on the second Sunday of each month in the Action Bays. The cost is $10.00. Practices are often held on Tuesday evenings during the summer for members and their guests.
"Cowboy is a very social competition," explained Bad Dog, sporting a tan bowler hat complete with rattlesnake rattle dangling from the brim. The very nature of the event—shooting pistols, rifles, and shotguns from the 1890’s Old West, and dressing the part with vests, boots, hats, and holsters—provides a lively atmosphere. Adding to this are the aliases. Each shooter chooses an alias and registers it with SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) where there are no two names alike. "Aliases are historical or hysterical," explained KwixDraw, aka Jose Cuervo. With new names and new duds it’s easy to turn the clock back and develop an entirely different persona. And that’s just part of the Cowboy appeal.
The basic equipment used for Cowboy is two, single-action revolvers, pistol-caliber, lever action rifle (pistol caliber), and for shotgun, a side-by-side double barrel (no ejectors) or Winchester Model 97. The pistol must be a .32 caliber or larger. The most popular revolvers used are the Colt .45, .38, or .357. The rifle must be .25 caliber or larger. The shotgun must be 20 to 10 gauge--#6 shot or smaller (no steel). A 12-gauge shotgun is generally the most popular. "Shooters often use the same caliber rifle as revolver--.45, .38 or.357—so they may use the same ammo in both guns," explained Abacus. Of course, the shooter must have cowboy holsters to accompany the revolvers, as fast draws are required.
For the most updated information and scores check out our website: www.smokeypointdesperados.org
Joe Ridenhour, joeriden@comcast.net