How did you start????

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Long ago .... In a Galaxy far away ...


Oh, wait, I've already said my stuff and now follow Roger!  LoL!  Roger ("Major Twice) mentioned his love of re-enacting far back in his own history, around the age of 14, and that reminded ME of my own experience around the same time.  We went to Williamsburg and old Jamestown during Spring Break of 1962, and there were folks LIVING there, dressed as Colonials and some were Military and put on demonstrations for us tourist types.  I thought those Military re-enactors were awesome.

That tweaked my interest in re-enacting, but I never had any opportunity to do it or any shooting Old West style until much later.  Folks like Major 2, Irish Dave, Books, Dr. Bob, G.W. & Ottawa Creek Bill (to name a few) have been doing re-enacting and shooting for many moons longer than myself, but when the bug bites ya, chances are you get hooked!  It's fun!!!  I wish I could get the rest of my own family interested in it.  I've tried for nearly a decade and a half, but no luck.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Ima Sure Shot]

Dad bought me my first gun before I was born, when he found out mom was expecting. I shot my first cap and ball at about 9 or 10yrs of age my- dads's g-grandfathers. After the first shot the target disappeared!! We could not tell if it had been hit or not.  Thus my love of REACTIVE targets.  I met Jim Mullins in College and learned to shoot a bow.  Shot archery for several years.  Met the IBO ladies National Champ.  Couple of years later she called me and asked if Jim and I would like to try CAS.  We did not have the correct guns.  No problem we could use some of her husbands.  We went to a shoot to watch and she brought out guns and said might as welll shoot. Very classy lady.  She went on to be World Champ lady in SASS I believe. I had so much fun. Jim worked with French Jack who was into muzzleloading.  I told him he had to try cowboy  it was so much fun! He came to a shoot in the pouring down rain and watched.  Also at a meeting of KY Hunter Education Instructors I told Civil War Jack -Jim and I had been to a SASS shoot and had a blast,  I did not know what I was doing, but had a blast.  He asked where Jim and I shot.  I was trying to tell him and in giving directions he finally said,"You arn't talking about Ralph's are you?" I said,"Yup".  He said," been shooting blackpowder for years there,  didn't know they did cowboy." He came to a shoot and was hooked as well.  French Jack heard about NCOWS being more history types than movies and we formed an NCOWS club. Celeste

[Mogorilla]

Well, as a little kid in the 70s, I was always in mom-made buckskins (usually some suede material) or cowboy clothes, also mom-made (except for the summer of 76 when I read the illiad and the odessy, my mom refered to it as the summer of homer like she had PTSD)  I always was playing cowboys and indians.   My dad often joked that if Custer and the 7th had as many real guns as I had toy ones, the natives would have given him a wide berth.  In highschool I hung around a guy whose mom was full blood Nakota (not sure of the exact tribal name, but linguistically Nakota).  he was totally into reenacting, they had a cabin that was built to be pre 1830.   Then college and I bought a kit BP pistol.   Then I was married, gradschool take 1, and all fun put aside.  Wife got me a 1851 Navy kit for Christmas, took me three years with my schedule, but got it done.  Then I wanted a holster, that was when I realized my girth had exploded during  grad school part un and deux.   I made my own holster and belt and me and old college roomies would shoot in the boonies of Manhatten Ks.   By this time one of the guys had a Henry, and I had picked up an 1860 Colt.   we wore hats, shot targets, making our own contests, smoked cherutes and watched westerns while sipping bourbon.  We did that as often as we could and spouses would allow.   Then a guy I worked with told me about CAS.  I began shooting at the James Farm three times a year shoots and met some NCOWS pards.  I joined at the convention last year.   I am now in Grad School Part 4, so I don't get to shoots but plan on it when this round is done.

[bear tooth billy]

I loved old west history in school, I remember reading a book about Tom Horn shooting a 45/90 Sharps. About 10 years ago
Cabelas had a 66 yellowboy on sale, I thought it would look good in my gun cabinet, so I bought it. Then I heard about cowboy
shooting, a friend and I went to a SASS shoot and borrowed/shared guns. I decided I needed another pistol and heard about
the NCOWS nat. at Ackley. Pam and I went on a road trip up there on a Saturday, WOW that was cool, shootout on main
street, lunch at Widow Barlows, a period funeral,  this WAS  the old west and I could relive it. I joined NCOWS that day.
Then more guns and my first Sharps, remember that book in high school, now I have a 45/90, compete with it, have shot
3 buffalo with it.  With NCOWS we can not only learn about the old west but probably the closest thing to being there.

             BTB