Crisis of Conscious - should I change shooting styles

[Russ T Chambers]

I've been playing this game for about 19 years now, and about 14 of them have been frontier cartridge.  I'm still trying to prove you can miss fast enough to win!   
We just had our 13th annual 2 day match, and I came in 42 out of 51.  I still do it for the fun, and have let any competitiveness  rub off on others!        Makes it easier to sleep at night at a major match!

PS
The only reason I even know what place I had is because I do all the scoring for our club.    Otherwise I probably never ever look at the score sheets.    As everyone else has said do what you enjoy the most!!!!

[Will Blastem]

Ya gotta do what makes YOU happy. What the rest of us thinks ain't don't mean nuthin...If you are doin it professionally You prolly will need to do things not always the way YOU want but what will make ya  money, but if it's a hobby...it don't matter a hill-O-beans ceptin what makes you happy ...That's my advice...and it's prolly as good as what ya paid fer it

[Lucky Irish Tom]

I have shot in most of the categories within SASS except for the age categories I am not yet eligible for.  I have some certificates and some plaques stuck away somewhere from when I shot smokeless.  Never really started having any fun till I started shooting Black Powder.  Now I don't even look at the finishing list because it doesn't matter any more.  As long as I can spend time with friends and have fun the numbers don't matter.

If you feel like you have to prove something to yourself, change categories or do what feels right even if it means going after some buckles, plaques, or paper.  Just be sure and check to see if you are still having fun.

Arcey and the fellow he was talking about are what got me started trying the Holy Black and I haven't looked back since, I leave every match I shoot with a big ole grin on my face, that to me is the enjoyment of the sport.  I no longer need an award to validate that I had a good time.  Whatever you decide I hope you keep having fun, cause if you do whether the shoot is a good one or a bad one becomes secondary!

[Howdy Doody]

I had fun the whole time.  It wasn't until I saw the scores that I didn't have fun.  I tell myself not to worry about it, but I do.

Howdy Pard, I had it in mind to get to sit a spell and talk with you at the JWSO. It didn't work out though as I was on differnet posse on night shoot and match. I loved your hat though. Cool.

I'd have told you that some folks shoot the way they want and don't give a hoot about winning the class and some get upset if they don't win it. I, for example when starting out, thought I would like to be a top gun shooter and studied some of the faster folks, even practiced. I found that I really didn't have the time or dedication to press on with the desire to win my class. So, I took stock and thought about what I liked about CAS, and I decided that it really wasn't the competitive thing, but the people and the fun that made it so enjoyable to me. So, I slowed down, trying to shoot clean matches, having fun with others and then, then I found the answer. It was blackpowder. I got into that and it opened up a whole new thing. I started to have more fun than ever and I have stuck with BP since. Sure, I have shot all the BP classes and sometimes even shot C&B in the FCD class, when there wasn't enough frontiersmen, but it was still me against me. I am sort of proud of the clean matches I have shot, but I forget about how long a stage takes me to shoot. I am easily shooting stages 20-30 seconds longer than I did as a smokeless shooter. We had a BP shooting gunfighter on our posse at the JW and he had a lot of fun, even though he was scored with the other gunfighters. BPGF will probably be a class in the not so distant future, one of the Wild Bunch shoots like that and is always pushing for the class.


So, what I am saying is to figure out where you want to go with this thing and get some more matches under your belt too. Any chance you can make the Gunfight Behind the Jersey Lilly in October? If so, you ask to shoot with me on posse 2 and the BP posse of Dammitt Gang members and we will have a night shoot there too. That is a match that is as big as any around here. Vendors, super entertainment and one heck of a lot of fun. I can make you comfortable shooting with us and you are more than welcome at The Cowboys pard. It will be videoed for the Cowboys TV show and maybe you will be on it. I guarantee that the hat will catch Wolfbanes eye. See if you can make it.

[litl rooster]

I had fun the whole time.  It wasn't until I saw the scores that I didn't have fun.  I tell myself not to worry about it, but I do.

You mean they keep score at these matches?   Just hit delete when they send them to ya...Ya won't regret it then.

[Sespe Badger]

Howdy Pard, I had it in mind to get to sit a spell and talk with you at the JWSO. It didn't work out though as I was on differnet posse on night shoot and match. I loved your hat though. Cool.

I ended up leaving before the Saturday festivities due to work.  Just took another look at the Jersey Lilly dates and I should be able to make it, providing the winds don't start up.  I had to order some more brass, though.  I came home with only 4 loaded SG rounds left!  So lots of loading needed between now and then.  And I promise not to worry too much about my scores.

...And the hat looks nice, but let me tell you, it gets a mite warm.   

[Howdy Doody]

If you can make the GFBJL, I guarantee that you will have so much fun shooting the holy black and hangin' around with the Dammitts that scores are the last thing you will care about. You did get your Dammitt badge from the night shoot didn't you?
I wish we had been on the same posse at JWSO, but sign up with us for GFBJL. Let me know if you can make it for sure. I can pull strings. That is different huh?. Usually someone is pulling my strings. Posse two fills up fast and you can only have so many. We keep up though, even if we do lay down a cloud of smoke.  Bring the hat. It won't be so warm in October.

I have plenty of shotgun loaded up, so just say you need some and I'll bring 'em.

[Noz]

I'll tell you what the scores are for.
Me n Bois d'Arc had a hellofa gunfight at the Rukus in the Nations, Oklahoma State Championships. Since we couldn't actually shoot each other we had to go to the score.
He won, but there were a lot of whoops and hollars before it was settled. Yup he came in 89th and I came in 99th.
We had just as much or maybe more fun than the top shooters. Got to shoot a lot longer too.

One disturbing thing though. We are overselling our sport. More and more black powder shooters at these big matches. Some of them are actually serious about it.

[Sespe Badger]

If you can make the GFBJL, I guarantee that you will have so much fun shooting the holy black and hangin' around with the Dammitts that scores are the last thing you will care about. You did get your Dammitt badge from the night shoot didn't you?
I wish we had been on the same posse at JWSO, but sign up with us for GFBJL. Let me know if you can make it for sure. I can pull strings. That is different huh?. Usually someone is pulling my strings. Posse two fills up fast and you can only have so many. We keep up though, even if we do lay down a cloud of smoke.  Bring the hat. It won't be so warm in October.

I have plenty of shotgun loaded up, so just say you need some and I'll bring 'em.

I'm paid, I'm registered, and I requested Posse 2.  Dividing my time now between work and 2 extra projects for work.  In the edges I'm reloading.  Got all the brass cleaned from JWSO and got a whole bunch more bullets cast today.  Things are looking good...

[Howdy Doody]

Good deal pard, now I will email the powers to be and see if I can seal you into the Dammitt posse and you will have so much fun at GFBJL you will wonder why you hadn't done it before. I think you can expect about 500 shooters for this one. Save some coin, because they always attract some nice vendors too. 

[Sespe Badger]

Good deal pard, now I will email the powers to be and see if I can seal you into the Dammitt posse and you will have so much fun at GFBJL you will wonder why you hadn't done it before. I think you can expect about 500 shooters for this one. Save some coin, because they always attract some nice vendors too. 

I just got my receipt, and I'm on the "N/A" posse.  Since I don't think that means Native Americans, I think they didn't notice my request...

[Sespe Badger]

Shot 8 out of 14 in our monthly match today.  Okay, #14 was my newguy buddy trying out the sport for the first time.  But 8 out of 13 as the only gunfighter and the only BP (besides my newguy) was pretty good. 2 of 6 clean stages.

I feel better now...

[Howdy Doody]

Sespe, I'll give Sassparilla Sandy and email and request you shoot with us on posse 2 the BP posse and Dammitt gand.

[Sespe Badger]

With Thunder Valley coming up, I decided to try different styles.

Now, I don't have my own timer.  And I don't have a private range in my backyard.  So I set up the video camera and taped myself dry-firing a course.  Then went back with the stopwatch and watched it.

My course was simple.  On start (hitting a bell), with first pistol alternate on 2 targets.  With 2nd pistol, do the same.  Then re-holster 2nd pistol and hit the bell again.  My stopwatch went from bell to bell.  Of course, since I was dry-firing, I never missed.

What was interesting was the times.  I'm too embarrassed to give actual numbers, but with gunfighter as the standard, double duelist was 23% slower!  Traditional was only 1.3% faster.  I really thought that would be faster.

So, I have several conclusions to make:

1)  I actually am slowly improving at gunfighter, and should stick with it. 

2)  If I think I want to shoot some stages traditional, I better start practicing my transitions.  Watching the tapes showed all the time was sucked up re-holstering.  (To be fair, I have never practiced any other style than gunfighter.)

3) Double-duelist FELT much faster to me than the other styles.  But the times proved otherwise.  Santa needs to bring me a timer for Christmas.

or

4)  Forget the timer, Santa.  Bring me more black powder and I'll keep making happy smoke slowly.

But Good News, Howdy!  I finished 3rd in Class at the Jersey Lilly!*




*of course, there was only 3 of us in the category

[Fairshake]

 ;DThis is my first post on this site. I'm a member on the Cast Boolits site under the handle Cajun Shooter. My SASS handle is Fairshake. I'm 61 and retired due to 4 bad disc, L-2, 3,4, 5. I had a pump emplanted that puts pain medicine in my spine and is refilled every 2 months. I'm a former Deptuy Sheriff in Baton Rouge, La. I've been shooting SASS just this year with smokeless 45 Colts to have fun. A "Gamer" came up to me and said that "If you quit shooting them 45's you would finish alot better" I looked at him and said "I bet you can't see the forest because of the trees" He walked away scratching his head. Now the reason for my post under this thread. I'm going to start shooting the "Holy Black" so that I can go even higher in my enjoyment. To Hell with where I finish and if I win the right to "Buy" a belt buckle. I've been helped along so far by Springfield, Muddy Creek Sam, Fingers McGee, and Dick Dastardly. I'm waiting on my order of BP to finish the supply end. As far as I'm concernd it's the gamers who have it wrong and we should change nothing about the way we shoot.

[Cuts Crooked]

Howdy pard, and wlecome to the Den. SOunds like you have gotten some good advise from some fine Darksiders, and yer well on yer way to becoming addicted! 

I'm a former Deptuy Sheriff in Baton Rouge, La.

You should stop in at ther BOLD section and introduce yerself. BOLD is an outfit fer Lawdawgs and retired Lawdawgs who are Cowboy Action Shooters. try this link http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?board=16.0

How are things down in LA? Ain't been back since I was deployed to Naw'Leans after Katrina. Sumday I gotta git back down yonderways ta see how things look now!

Yer Pard,

Cuts Crooked

[Fairshake]

  Thanks for the welcome Cuts. I had already signed up at the BOLD site but didn't take time to write an intro, which I need to do. Seems like I'll be spending more time here at Cas City. The folks are just as nice as at Cast Boolits and bready to lend a hand. In fact I've seen a few that are over there as well. Be seeing ya and by the way I have read a bunch of your post and they are full of info. Down the trail Fairshake

[Sespe Badger]

Hey Fairshake, good to meet you.  Mayhap we'll shoot together sometime.  Let's have a "cops vs firemen" shoot.

After all, you know what cops and firemen have in common, right?

-They both grew up wanting to be firemen!



(Bring it on, lawdogs.  I'm sure you've got some...)