The Best and the Worst of this Shooting Season

[Manatee]

Now, I know it ain't over yet, but for many of us, we're in a wind-down phase of the year.  I got a few reflections that I thought I would throw in to get the conversation rollin'.

The Best of CAS 2004

  o  State Shoots.  I don't think I attended a state-level match that wasn't outstanding.  From The Last Stand in Florida in January through Indiana in July all of the matches were extremely well run, the level of competition and fun very high, and REAL CAS.  No politics visible to the participants, no grandstanding, not much whining by the prima donnas and excellent food compared with prior years.  The standout matches to me this year were Ohio and Florida, with an Honorable Mention for Kentucky.

The Worst of CAS 2004

  o  Poor sportsmanship exhibited by a few wannabes.  Competitive drive threw the Spirit of the Game in the trash basket.  I never thought I'd say it, but there are now a few folks I'd rather not shoot with until they get their heads on straight.  In some cases, it may require electroshock therapy.

[Matthew Duncan]

Best.  When the Son came home for the summer and joined me in the shoots.  Even if he did beat me.

Worst.  Going to Shoots by myself.  Son's back in college.

[Mason Stillwell]

Hello Manatee.

I have to agree with you on  your thoughts.

I have had a blast this year. I hope my worst match  this year was last Sunday at Cowtown, and I hope the best is yet to come.

I have made some new friends this year and I always think that is a plus !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have found that I enjoy helping  pards that are just getting into BP about as much as the match in most cases.

Hope you have a great rest of your shooting year and a better year next year.

Mason (Hey when you coming out to Winter Range and shoot with me??) Stillwell

[Manatee]

Hey Mason!  I'm in the process of selling my vendor tent and buying a used land yacht (motorhome) so I hope to be out your way.  Winter Range huh?  Do you think I could throw down on Bison Butt?  I've been itchin' ta battle with him for years!

[Mason Stillwell]

Come on out , you can join the Trailer Trash Gang!!


We will even round up Bison Butt for you.LOL


Mason

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Best this year was Susie getting her first clean match! worst was our annual, match was great but I didn't clean it( 3 misses and a big "P", first in about 5 years ) Still leaves me with a goal not attained...................Buck

[Wymore Wrangler]

Been a great year, just wish those two bad primers hadn't cost me a clean match at HOW....

[Camille Eonich]

It's been a pretty big year for me with the just being our second year shooting.  We got out more this year and met more people, shot more places and really learned a lot this year.


When they called Stump's name at VA State for first place outta state I bawled like a big ol' baby.  That had to be the best.  Close second to that was hearing them call Tensleep for Spirit of the Game.  That would have been even better if he had been there to accept it.


Worst....I've seen some club politics raise its ugly head and some bad attitudes come out in people.  Not pretty.

[Qball]

Best this year? Ending up fourth in "frontiersman" in the Swedish championship
Worst? Hurting my neck at work so i can't shoot, and having to take painkillers every day for three months now

[john boy]

Geez, this is piece of cake...

The Best ... 2004 Purgatory in the Pines... 243 Bang - Clangs!


The Worst:  Susquehanna RoundUP 2004

• 9 Misses
• One Procedural...and One SDQ

[Irish Red O'Toole]

Best of the Year:
Had to be the energy at the formation of The Cowboys club in May.  I've never been around a better, kinder, warmer, giving bunch than them.  Long may they ride!

Worst of the Year:
I don't think we've seen the worst yet, but I suspect it's coming.

[Howdy Doody]

The year has been pretty much a wash out for me. I have other projects going. I shot my last match of this year for me last weekend at the Ca. State Championships and did lousy even by my low standards. However, I met alot of old friends and met some new ones from the host club. 5 Dogs will be my home range once I get the house done and moved in. I am looking forward to shooting at a lot of places I haven't been able to go to before. There must be 6 - 8 ranges I will be able to drive to for monthly matches once I get moved to SoCal.
So, once again it seems that my shooting takes a back seat to just being there and having some fun and socializing with all the great folks that make up CAS. I hope to get back to shooting by at least March.
I'll still call it a good year even if not the greatest in CAS for me.

[Lou Graham]

Best: Any match with the Lincoln County Lawmen,  going by myself to the all-BP match in Texas and getting to meet Spur, TLD, Knifemaker and especially Big Hext -- what a nice bunch!  Helping out new shooters at my home club and sharing the "Black Arts" with new converts    working down in the ammo/gun room with Wonderful Hubby, getting out of New England in winter to go to Winter Range and make even more friends, (can't wait for WR '05)  the Stampede just past and seeing Annie again, meeting Manatee at long last and looking forward to the Buzzard Boil this weekend.  It will be my first one with no rain.

Worst: 5th Sundays  and a Trapdoor that won't group no matter what I load for it.  

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Whooo-eeee what a year! My very first shoot was a year ago this weekend. Who'dathunk that in that year I'd move from double duelist to traditionalist to duelist and back to DD but much more safely and confidently? And in between I'd learn loading on a Rockchucker single stage thanks to coaching from Arcey (where is he, anyway?) and move on to a 550B? And that by the end of that same year, my son, Will, would be shooting with me? It's been one whirlwind rollercoaster of a year and I've learned a lot about my self and other people. I've learned that even within the Cowboy realm there will be small, mean-spirited folks, but there's no sense in letting them affect my pleasure in this game, and that for each one of them, there are five wonderful folks like Lou, Manatee, Tony, Ida Mae and WBB (Warner Bros squared?).

So, the best?
Helping the Peppermill Creek Posse get off the ground in King George; a new shoot started by new shooters, and MDS, which was everything good about Cowboy Action Shooting, and I would have felt that way even if Will and I didn't go home with belt buckles.

The worst?
Was going to say damaging my left rotator cuff, but since that forced me to shoot duelist with my right (off) hand and gain confidence in shooting double duelist, the last step before Gunfighter, I have to say that was good, too!

AnnieLee, a happy camper

[Lou Graham]

AnnieLee, a happy camper

No, Annie -- No more camping 

[Hi Seas Cowboy]

Worst of the year for me has been missing being able to shoot because of surgery for 5 months.

Best of the year has been practicing for my first match back this weekend.

[ladylaw45]

The Best-Getting to shoot the Maryland State Championship, my very first biggie match.  This was only my second year of shooting.  Meeting all kinds of great people and seeing them at MDS, which I went to.

The Worse-Having to miss alot of shoots for eye and hand surgeries.  And not being able to shoot at MDS.

Looking forward to lots of good shooting next year!

[MDC]

Hola....Since we shoot year round out in these parts

The Best...Was when i finally went to the DarkSide fulltime, in March

The Worst... LateSaturday Night/Early Sunday Morning in Smokers Tent at EOT,WHEN WE HEARD THE NEWS....

Then when they left Sunday...after the Awards Ceremony

Ya'll have a great night.......See Ya......

[J.D.Cayhill]

The Best of The Year: Every match I went to. Each posse I have been on has had people I am proud to call friend and look forward to shooting with again. A day away from work competing with the firearms and dressed in the clothes of the favorite westerns I grew up with, who could ask for more?

The Worst of The Year: None of it! I wish there was more time for more matches but the duties of a husband and father of two beautiful girls has to come first. Maybe it makes the time I do get to spend at a match all the better. The hardcore, blood serious, win at all cost Pards on a posse do get tiresome but they are few and far between. I just wish them the best and hope they discover the fun is in the getting there, because once you are on top it becomes work to stay there.  

[Tensleep]

The best of this shooting season was being able to meet so many pards at the matches.
The Va State Championship was great,   Spirit Of The Game Award really surprised me.
NC State Championship and MDS were lots of fun, but most of all.....
Having Miz Annie with me at all the matches we went to. 
Thank you darlin'!

The worst was when my rifle jammed on the first stage at MDS!