First Match

[Billy Bristol]

Shot my first match Sunday at Congress Of Rough Riders. Out of 26 I came in 15th so didn't do as bad as I thought. My first stage was a disaster with several misses and a P. But as I slowed down a bit I did better. Guess I was so nervous the first stage I just went too fast. But had alot of fun.
Will be going to another match on 17th.

[Stu Kettle]

Congratulations Billy & welcome to the club. Middle of the pack at yer first shoot is nothing o sneeze at.  Also, as you proved yet again on that first stage, the more you hurry the longer it takes.   Glad it was fun for you, now remember to keep at it.

[MarshalMiller]

Well, after a couple of years of reading about it and saying some day.... My first match was last month.  I won't say where I placed other than to say surprisingly it wasn't dead last.

Most of it went by in a blur, but the one part that stands out was the first stage with shotgun.

I had a fairly new Stoeger, I think I had put about 6 rounds through it prior to the match just to make sure it worked.  I had forgotten how stiff it was, and a couple of times actually had to use my knee to open it.  Worst part was I couldn't seem to hit anything with it.  I put 6 rounds through it before seeing that first target fall.  Oddly enough after the second shot I was telling myself you're shooting high, bring it down.  But my muscles weren't getting the message.

All in all, I had a blast, and will be doing the second match this Sunday.

[Stirrup Trouble]

My first match was just this past summer. Years ago I was a part of a small re-enactment group, but membership was falling away due to some internal politics and a refusal to try any new skits, so people were getting bored, and the group finally broke up. Anyway, I had always loved the cowboy guns and was still shooting competitions, just not the cowboy shooting, and I missed it. I was interested, but stayed pretty busy and never took them time. One day last summer I finished up some volunteer work at the range and the cowboys were still shooting, so I wandered down there just to watch. I was in street clothes, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Before I knew it, they told me not to worry about my dress and slapped leather on me and handed me guns and told me to just give a stage to try. I was as nervous as a cat, but I had a blast and was hooked.

I worked on gathering the rest of the gear that I needed. I was still short leather and one pistol, but went back the next month and they fixed me up, and I shot my first official match. I was very nervous, but was pretty happy that I shot 3 stages clean, but I was firmly in last place with an average stage time of 76 seconds. Nowhere to go but up.

The next month I went back and only shot one stage clean, but I cut my average stage time to 62 seconds, and second to last is better than last.

Anyway, I know I am as slow as molasses in January, but I can honestly say that I have never had more fun that I have shooting cowboy matches. I have never been at a shooting sport that most people were interested in making sure everyone has fun, and although everyone likes a win, you see more interested in fun than intense attitudes

[jimbobborg]

I shot my first CAS match tonight.  I had been corresponding via email with the president of the Virginia City Marshals, and I decided Saturday I was just going to shoot the match as I hate being a bystander    When I got there about 20 minutes before the start of the match, I spoke with the match director about shooting the match.  After talking about it some and my mentioning that I had spoken with the president of the group, he gave me the go ahead.  I showed him my gear and my ammo, so we were good to go.  The match director announced that I was a new shooter, so everyone had their eyes on me.  This was more about safety than anything else, which was fine with me.  Also, since I wasn't officially an SASS member, I didn't have an alias, so I made up one on the spot, which is probably already taken in the official roster but it worked for this match.

Now this is an indoor shoot, so no big complicated stages like I'm used to with 3-Gun.  I used my two EMF Hartfords, my IAS 87 shotgun, and my Win 94 AE in .45 Colt. Now this wasn't my first rodeo, so the basic range commands were already ingrained in me, but the dialogue prior to shooting the stage was different.  Also, loading the rifle and pistols at the loading table was not something I was used to, but I adapted well enough.  On the first stage, I used rifle, shotgun, then pistol.  Unlike everyone else's rifles, mine has the crossbolt safety, and when I laid the rifle down on the table, the saddle ring kept engaging the safety, so when the buzzer went off, I had to pick up the gun, rack a round in, find the safety and push it, then start shooting.  10 rounds down range, no misses, on to the shotgun.  Loaded two up like I practiced, but I hadn't practiced reloading, so that slowed me down some.  Four shots, on to the pistol section.  I had set my revolvers up one on the strong side, one cross draw.  I pulled the strong side, hit five, reholstered, did the dance and pulled the cross draw, five more, and the stage is done.  I had shot the stage clean, so I was happy with that.  I picked up my two long guns and went to the unloading table.  This is also where things are slightly different versus 3-gun.  In 3-gun, you drop the mags and pull the action open prior to finally holstering your empty pistol and putting your long gun away.  With CAS, the guns go to the unloading table and you show clear on the two long guns, then empty your handguns and show clear.  Once the firearms are clear, the long guns go back to the rack and the revolvers are in their respective holsters.  After getting the SOPs down for CAS, I waited on the next stage. 

We had a total of four stages, I used up 80 rounds of centerfire and 8 shotgun shells. I shot the match clean, and I didn't need any extra shots to do it, so I'm pretty happy.  The brass is going into the tumbler tonight, and the guns are going back into the safes.  I should be back next month, barring problems at work.  I'm going to pick up a different rifle, since the crossbolt safety on the 94 is annoying and it's an excuse to pick up another gun 

[Angel_Eyes]

1996, my first ever match and the first time I ever shot all my 'cowboy gun's together.

Mattersey Canyon (disused sand quarry) in Nottinghamshire, UK, and what could be described as a 'National' comp.

Shooting 'Duelist', I came a very surprised 2nd place and was hooked!

Then came 'Dunblane' and would-be PM Tony Blair wanting to be elected and away went our cartridge revolvers, to be melted down for scrap! (Brand new, first model Vaquero in .45Colt, and a used Super Blackhawk in .44mag.)

Now  we compete with B/P revolvers and only old age and ineptitude are gonna stop me now!

( Who is the match marshall in shooters heaven?,,,,book me a place pard!)

[Blackey Cole]

My first sass match, that's a story.  My goal was not to shoot anything but the targets.  I had misses and procedurals iirc.  That wasn't the story the story was the weather.  It was February in NM.  I started off cold, then about half way through the first stage it started raining.  By the second it was sleeting after the second stage about half the shooter me and another new shooter included packed it up because we were soaked and freezing.  I had a oil cloth duster plus another coat on my hat was soaked thur, I was wearing leather work gloves that were so wet they tore like toilet  paper when i took them off.  I don't remember much other than I met my goals, and the weather.  But I was there the next month and been shooting since when I was able to.  I've turned in to a fair weather shooter in the last few years.  Early on I was proud to have been one of the few who shot all 12 stages of winter range the year they through out four of the stages on the last day.  I hurt enough as it is not to need to add to it by being cold and or wet.

[Bittertrigger]

My first match was Apr 27 2014 just to show how new I am at this
It all started when my cousin sold me a repair of Schofield pistols in 44-40
Then I found a 66 yellow boy in 44-40 and a old SXS had a rig for my pistols made
a friend made a gun cart for me found the Texas Ten Horns in Leonard TX
I cannot tell you much these Ladies and Gents made me feel
I have never shoot anything like this just bullseye with the Provost Guard in the Shrine
I was scared to death but they made feel right at home told me how to shoot the stage
When that first round went off i forgot all about all the eyes on my back and being scared and shot a clean stage 
Man am I hooked
I now have a set of Remington's 1875 army 51/5 barrels in 44-40 and a 73 in 44-40 to shoot BP
And have replaced the Schofields with a pair of Ruger Birds Head pistols in 45 acp
And now working on a 1876 in 50-95 for our Cody Dixon class man did I get hooked 

[Blackey Cole]

Welcome to CAS.  It only get worst from here.  There's always new guns, leather, and clothes to get.  It's one of the only places where straight men talk clothes and women talk guns.  If your wanting to part with the scholdfields contact me.

[Bittertrigger]

I can't do that those babies are too pretty to part with and besides they have consecutive serial numbers
As a matter fact so does the two Remington 
And I will be using them from time time
I don't know how I got that lucky twice