I'm now ready for my first CAS match.

[Birdgun Quail]

Folks I'm gonna post this on both TFS and CAS City, b-e-c-a-u-s-e, I've got all my stuff together!  I'm ready to go to my first CAS match, which for me will be at Wartrace Regulators in Tennessee.  I've got all my shooters, my leather, my gun cart that a friend and I built over the week between Christmas/New Years, a minimum of duds, a thousand rounds of ammo from National Bullet Company that both my pistols shoot one inch above point of aim at 25 yards (talk about dumb luck), and my rifle shoots 'em sweet too.   Plus, empty hulls now come flipping out of my shotgun's chambers as slick as anything. Problem!  The next match isn't until February 5th!!  Oh the agony!!!

Well anyway, if you wanna take a look-see, I've got some pictures of my stuff at:
http://www.grovestreet.com/jsp/picview.jsp?album=57530

I just want to say a big "THANK YOU" to all you folks for answering all my newbie questions and helping me make many decisions. 

[Will Ketchum]

Sounds like your ready Pard.  I won't tell you not to be nervous because even after over 10 years of doing this I still get nervous.  I will tell you to try to relax and enjoy the experience.  Remember everyone has a first time.  Six months from now you'll be a veteran and be telling others how to do it.    

My advice would also to be not try for too much speed but rather on hitting every target and smooth transitions from gun to gun.  Shoot the match one shot at a time and then one stage at a time.  Try to shoot a clean stage.  Then try to shoot back to back clean stages.  After a couple of years maybe you'll have more clean stages then those with misses.  Who knows maybe you'll even manage a clean match. (That only took me 10 years to accomplish)

Most of all remember the Will Ketchum rules of CAS: 1! Be Safe, 2 Have Fun, and 3 look good doing it.

Let the match director know this is your first shoot.  They will help you along the way.

Let us know how it went.

Will Ketchum

[Micheal Fortune]

Congratulations Birdgun!

Nice pictures, nice stuff, I'd say you are more than ready to go to a shooting match.  Feb 5th, that will come soon enough.  My next match ain't till the 6th.

Plenty of time to practice.

Good luck, be safe and remember, it's all for fun so have all the fun you can!   

[Marshal Halloway]

Congratulation Birdgun!!

It is always good news when we hear about another pard joining the "force".

And I couldn't resist and stole a couple of pictures from your album for easy access on this thread.

And I also took the liberty of changing your avatar.

Well, I guess I have done my stealin' for the day.... back to work....

Have fun!!!

Oh btw, let's see your profile in our new section:

[Birdgun Quail]

Thanks Marshal Halloway! 

I have my profile now posted with the rest of the CAS City posse.  I like my new avatar also!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Howdy Will Ketchum.

I've contacted the Range Officers at Wartrace and they know I'm coming.  Since I'm a first time CAS shooter, Wartrace Regulators require I get a safety checkout before I participate in my first match.  That is to ensure that the newbie can handle his guns safely.  I think that's a good policy!

[Silver Creek Slim]

Birdgun,
Welcome to the force.
It took me a year to shoot my first clean stage. Hope ya do better than that. Good luck.

Slim

[RRio]

One VERY important thing to remember at your first match...   ...HAVE FUN!!! 

Good choice on your guns, you'll especially appreciate those Cimmies with the 7 1/2" barrels. I use one along with a 5 1/2" Colt Cowboy as my "main" match guns. Seems I don't miss as much with the 7 1/2" as I do with the 5 1/2".

Enjoy, pard!

[The Arapaho Kid]

Birdgun:  I'm with Rawhide on this.  The important thing in a match is to have fun.  On my first match there were 47 shooters.  I got the number 47 spot at the end of the match, but I had fun getting there!  Shot the match clean.  Never missed a target.  Dropped the ball on time.  I don't care where I place in a match, but I have fun getting to that place.  Go into your match...laugh and scratch and have fun!  Don't worry about where you place.  That'll all come in time.

[RRio]

Nope! Ain't ever gave a hoot where I placed in a match. My big thing is to shoot one clean. I've gotten close, but ain't got no ceegar yet! I've always had lots and lots of fun though!

[Birdgun Quail]

Pards, thanks for the advice to make my priority to put fun over competition.  One of the attractions for me about CAS is that CAS seems to be more focused on the fellowship and fun than on competition.

Here's the attitude I hope to bring to my first match:  Be safe, be considerate, not get in too much of a rush, not worry too much about missing, have fun, be helpful, be safe.

[Russ T Chambers]

Excellent attitude!!  You certainly won't go wrong fi you keep it with you always!!!

[Pukin Dog]

Jump in and help out with posse duties too!  Its fun and its also appreciated by the other pards.  Even though its your first time, there will still be times where you are just waiting.  So grab a spotter baton, or pick up brass or reset targets.

Just my $.02 worth

[Paper Chaser]

Go get 'em, Birdgun !!  Remember: every target every time; AND a slow hit is better than a fast miss.

[Trinity]

Congrats there, Birdgun!  I am building up my rig and am ALMOST finished.  I am hoping to take part soon, too!!!  I don't know how it was for you, but for me it's amazing.  Every time I think I'm ready, I realize that there is yet something else to do.