I will be shooting my first NCOWS shoot Sunday at Great Lakes Freight & Mining

[G.W. Strong]

Johnny McCrae and I will be heading down to Modoc, IN this weekend. I am looking forward to trying out the NCOWS way. I have been a member for a year but it is time to actually go to a shoot.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Tascosa Joe]

Hopalong:
I am sure you will have a great time with the good folks down there.  I hope you have a safe trip and a great time.  We will be shooting down here in Texas on Saturday as well.  It is supposed to be 76 degrees.
T-Joe

[John William McCandles]

Have fun shootin' at GLF&M, just don't play poker with Peevine and Dave, that is if you want to keep yer shirt.
Get them to show you the way to Shelbyville and shoot with JCRs sometime.
You'll have a great time shooting NCOWS with some fine folks there at Modoc!

JW

[Cliff Fendley]

You'll have fun, some good folks your going to shoot with just don't play poker with them.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Hoppy-along,

Misters McCandles and Fendley have given sound advice.  Peevine and Deadeye Dave are BOTH great shooters as well as being very adept at relieving unsuspecting victims volunteers of their hard-earned cash. Honestly, of course.

See you and Johnny tomorrow as well at the shoot!

I'm pretty sure that at least 3 of us SMVS folks, "Lite Colonel" Dart Liebrandt, Larry "Lorenzo Lain" Gardner, and myself will be visiting our NCOWS brothers & Sisters at the GLFMC club.  (Which is the original NCOWS club I joined 10 yrs. ago!  As I'm sure John has mentioned, yer gonna have FUN!!)

[G.W. Strong]

John is on his way to my house and we are off. See you later!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Yes, indeedy-doodie!

[Johnny McCrae]

Mother Nature cooperated yesterday and Hoppy got to shoot his first NCOWS match.

Many thanks to the Great Lakes Freight & Mining Company for a great time. The stages were lots of fun and we were treated to a fine meal during the break. Best of all was the comaraderie. These Gents really know how to make a person feel welcome. This is what NCOWS is all about.

By the way, Hoppy definitely made some smoke. Sorry for the lousy pictures.

[Cliff Fendley]

That's great. I've got to make it up and shoot with those guys soon.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

We had a great time.  Hoppy-along certainly had a smile on his face!

(I call him Hoppy-along rather than simply Hoppy, because there is another GLFMC member who goes by "Hoppy.")

Call him what you will; he was a happy camper!  (Or hoppy camper?  ) 

Sorry about that!  I couldn't help myself!


Cliff, when you come North, don't forget to come about half to 3/4 the distance and visit our Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society club near Martinsville, too.  Our shooting season is over now until March, but you'll find a number of GLFMC folks shooting here, too!  (GLFMC is my original NCOWS home club and I've been a member & attended both since '07.)  We'd love to have ALL y'all come visit!

Here's the website addy for both clubs:

SMVS:  http://www.scarletmaskvigilancesociety.com/

GLFMC:  http://www.greatlakesfmc.org/

[G.W. Strong]

OK, Now I have had a minute or two to recover I am able to post my reflections.

These were the friendliest bunch of fellers I have encountered!
The stages were loads of fun. I loved shooting at the far out targets even if the stars gave me some trouble. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed and informal but safety was still well managed. The lunch made by Will Henry was awesome! I wish we could have stayed around and socialized but the many hour drive ahead of us made us beat a hasty retreat.

I am not sure if this match was typical but here is what I observed and learned at my first NCOWS shoot:
1. The average SASS shooter in my local clubs could have showed up and fit right in clothing wise.
2. There is no significant learning curve for a SASS shooter to shoot NCOWS.
3. You have to focus on accuracy to succeed rather than speed.
4. There were more folks shooting two handed than I expected.
5. There were fewer black powder shooters than I expected.
6. Shooting targets at longer ranges is FUN!
7. Although there are many classes, most folks shoot working cowboy.
8. There were not any obvious gamers.
9. If you make a mistake, folks will correct you without embarrassing you.
10. You will not find a friendlier bunch anywhere.

I am ready for my next match and I'd love to get a posse going up here.

[Johnny McCrae]

Well said Hoppy!

Those are my sentiments exactly.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Not that I speak for the whole GLF&MC ("Great Lakes Freight & Mining Company" ) club, but we enjoyed you guys' visit!  (Even 'tho Johnny M. has shot with us before.)


You're always welcome here in Hoosier Land - and I DO speak for the "Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society" bunch in that regard!  Hopefully, you'll be able to shoot with ALL us South-of-Indy organizations, too - there's another great bunch further South in Indiana (but ya gotta WATCH out fer them - they're a bunch of "Murderin' Horse Thieves"), PLUS our Kentucky Brothers & Sisters, the "Johnson County Rangers" put on a great time as well.   And let's not forget the next National Shoot that will be held at the wunnerful-wunnerful-wunnerful WestSide Sportsman's Club in Evansville, Indiana by "Col. Bishop's Renegades!"

Fine and fun folk all!

[Dutch Limbach]

[T]here's another great bunch further South in Indiana (but ya gotta WATCH out fer them - they're a bunch of "Murderin' Horse Thieves").

Actually, the Murderin' Horse Thieves posse is near Warsaw, in FAR Northern Indiana.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

OOPS!

But they ARE great folks to shoot with!

[G.W. Strong]

Here is one of the videos I shot at the GLF&M shoot.

It features Johnny McCrae

[G.W. Strong]

I was having so much fun I forgot to shoot more video. Here is the only other one I shot.

[Major 2]

Almost got to    I was up there in 2011 on job.
I hooked up with SHB and headed out, but we were curtailed by a 7 mile road block.
A tractor trailer had wreaked....it was a gridlock.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Almost got to    I was up there in 2011 on job.
I hooked up with SHB and headed out, but we were curtailed by a 7 mile road block.
A tractor trailer had wreaked....it was a gridlock.

That one STILL pi$$es me off!

[Major 2]

That one STILL pi$$es me off!

we had a good time anyway