First Match

[Camille Eonich]

Awwwww c'mon, y'all.  It's my first shoot this week........................

..

Then I'm going to two first shoots this weekend. One on Saturday that will be the first shoot of the week and one on Sunday that will be the first shoot of next week.   

[Tensleep]

Sounds good to me....

Think I'll do the same. 

[Micheal Fortune]

Went to one Saturday, that was the last of the off season shoots......

Now this Sunday coming up, is the First shoot of the new season.........does that count??   

[sweettooth]

 Howdy first I dont know alot about cas history what is cas L? I have been wondering that since I first started coming to this web site ? o.k my first shoot
  My wife and I were cruizing the hill country on the bike and we happened on a big shoot. Lots of shooters and lots of vendors.
I talked with several shooters and watched some stages thought this is great dress up like cowboys run around objects and shoot 3 different guns . Whats not to like. Told her someday Im going to do this.
  Well this year I happend on this web site and decied its time order a pistola from the marshal bought a marlin cbc already had a vaquero and went to my first match a gentleman who has become a friend loaned me a shotgun.
  First match of the year Jan something lots of shooters . lots of costumes I loved it
Loaded my pistols hadnt had a chance to shoot the navy arms yet and buzz great ro helped me through it, move here, now this ,
shotgun next he said I was in a fog. Got to the shotgun new shotgun mule ears a foot apart it was like try to work a combination lock . They timed me with a calender, scored my pistol misses with a calculator .No rifle misses the corp teaches well.
But I was hooked . Started hanging out on this board asked a lot of questions got a lot of good answerers, it kept my intrest up as the weather was not great for shooting. Worked on building the corect equipment with your help . I was so embarrased by my times I found a club that had a 2 day practice session. That helped a bunch. Never could get the hang of firing a wheel gun 2 handed my left hand goes to the 1911  position to natuarlly.
  but a pair of 5 1/2 opentops work just fine for double duelest
  Well  in April I will be shooting at that match I watched 2 yrs ago by motorcycle. Im still new but now they wont need a calculator or calender I HOPE .Even if they do the amount of friends I have made just since Jan is amazing .
           Lots of thanks to all the people here.  Your Pal Sweettooth
  P.S. Got my 73 slicked up dont need wraps. cats are safe and sound Mam.

[litl rooster]

I'm with Arcey going to shoot my 1st match this week, also.

Can't believe I am still here a year later, Still on my 2nd stage too. I have learned it's not how fast you are.........It is just plain fun and the people are the best.

[Tensleep]

Sweettooth...........

CAS-L is (because of it's continued life here) the grandfather of Cowboy Action Shooting on the internet.
It was started in 1995 by Marshal Halloway as an email list for cowboy shooters about cowboy shooting.

The Marshal was in Norway  and connected with folks interested in cowboy shooting world wide. Think that wasn't strange? 

CAS-L was the way that we (us old farts called Ghostriders now) communicated with each other and learned things like Nevada Sweep and where to get the best deal on leather, guns, lead, parts and such. It also caused many of us to form a bond that lasts til this day. I met one of my very best friends on CAS-L and I am proud to say that friendship continues to this day.

Now as for Marshal Halloway, he is one of the best, and his energies can be seen in what we have today in Cas City.

[Missouri Marshal]

Got my first shoot comin' up Saturday.  Can't wait!

Well I bet it's your first shoot like this one will be!  I am truly honored that you will be part of it.  Yeeee  Haaawwww!

[Arcey]

Yeah it is.

Thankee, sir.  We'll both be honored.  No doubt.

[McMate]

So many pards, so much fun.

First match.....can't remember much, but can remember where..............


Lost River......Home of the Dusty Trail Posse.

Thank you Tensleep and Mz. Annie

[Digem Deep]

Well it's been a few years since my first match, but here goes. No one around here really knew about CAS and they just put on something they viewed as a cowboy match. The only cowboy gun I had was a Marlin 336 in 30-30. Yep we could shoot them in this match. Borrowed a pistol, and a shotgun. Most round counts were 10 pistol and we only shot 1 pistol so there was a reload on every stage. Started with 6 in the rifle, sometimes loaded more . We shot bowling pins with the rifles at 50 to 75 yards, boy a 30-30 really tears them up. Most pistol targets were 15 to 30 yards away.

I wasn't really nervous at my first match, been shooting competition for years, PPC and NRA Action. Went and had a ball. And I guess what really hooked me, I took second place. Next match got cocky, come in dead last.

I got hooked so bad that I wanted more, and the club that hosted the match only had 3 per year. Couldn't justify buying the guns to be used 3 times a year. Went to my home gun club and started our cowboy matches. The early days was unusual. We used a combination of steel and cardboard targets. Most all targets were KD's. and if they didn't fall they didn't count. Rifle targets often were clay pigeons at 25 yards.

This game has changed. I think for the better. MUCH safer than when we started. More action. And more pards to have fun with and to share the excitement with. But my excitement for the game has not changed.

Dig'em Deep

[sweettooth]

 Thanks for the backround Mr. Tensleep  (mr being a sign of respect} Im sure a lot of us have been wondering
  who the ghost riders were. I agree that Mr. Marshal is tops.

[Wildcat Will]

My first shoot was 7 years ago.  I had been reading about SASS in the gun mags and thought it would be fun. I was down in SC and found a club in Columbia,  Palmetto Posse.  I called the lady running the thing and asked a couple of questions.  I had a pair of Blackhawks and had bought a pistol rig but did not have a rifle or a shotgun.  I wish I could remember the lady's name but she told me to bring a box of 12 gage shells and gave me the directions.  I had absolutely no plans on shooting.  I was going to watch and see what was what.

Well that was not going to fly with that group.  They asked what I had brought and someone told me I could use his rifle and shotgun.  That fella was Bullwacker.  He still shoots down in SC and I had a chance to shoot with him last year twice.  Once at Pigeon Forge and once again in Roanoke at the VA state shoot.

Anyway I told him that I had never shot a pump before.  He ran me through the motions and asked about a lever rifle.  I had shot one once and felt I could figure it out.  They lead me through the loading table rules and explained the safety issues at the line.  You want to talk about nerves.  Yea they were there.  But just like others have mentioned they all went away when I heard the beep and started shooting.  It is funny that my wife and I still joke about that first stage.  I told her when I got home that I had my back to the targets and had to yell "Its my birthday" and then turn around and start the stage.  I could not tell you anything about how I did.  All I can tell you is I had a grin on my face for week.  The sound of hitting them targets had me.

The people!!!!!   Heck folks helping you and letting you borrow their guns.  I did not have a shotgun for thre more months or a rifle for almost six months.  No problem people let me try theirs and I think it was great.  I figured out what I wanted. 

As for one of my funny experiences early on.  My first annual, was at Givhans Ferry.  I loaded everything up and holstered the pistols.  I was standing there, told the RO I was ready.  Grabbed the rifle and went through the sequence without any trouble.  Reached for my first pistol (I was not shooting gunfighter at that time) and pulled and pulled and nothing happened.  I had my hammer strap on the pistol.  Needless to say that was not my best stage.  But I got a good laugh out of it.  I got reminded, with a grin, by the RO for the rest of the day about them straps. 

This is a great sport, but it is the people like MM, Arcey, Sleep, Bullwacker and (God bless him) VA Wildman who keep me coming back. 

[Coop Trawlaine]

OMG, my first shoot.  Shudder at the memory....but had a dang good time.

Now I never did any competition shooting afore, so this was totally new to me.  I got invited to come and that guns and ammo would be supplied to me, I only had one pistola at the time and it was a wall hanger that needed work but looked good in leather.

Anyway, a pair of vaqueros were slipped into my leather and on the first stage, pistol targets, first 5 shoots and I missed three and dang they was so close I almost felt I could reach out and touch them.  That wasn't too bad, but I had a habit with my old wallhanger of practicing fast draw and spinning the iron back into leather.  You guessed it, that is just what I did without even thinking.  My red face contrasted nicely with my black outfit.

Anyway by the fifth stage I was settling down and doing much better, but with the nerves and first time, I didn't finish the next two stages, just too dang tired and was afraid I would shoot myself in the big toe or worse.

I am hooked, I still have mucho problems but I am getting past them, some by improvement other problems by just laughing them off and having fun.

[Major E A Sterner]

Wow, Great Thread, Lets see, my first match was on March 16 1997. I had been talking to Pards from Cas-L, One, The notorious Catskill Bob, invited me down to his club to shoot.It was a sunny day but the temp never went higher than 28 degrees. I was shooting a Stoeger 20 guage SxS, a Win 94 trapper in .45 colt, a New model Blackhawk in .45 colt and an Old model Blackhawk in.357.
They had their safety meeting and then we went to shooting. I got to shoot first on EVERY stage. I had a great time, met some even better Pards and have been going back ever since. Was I nervous? Ya couldn't tell, because everyone there was shakin from the cold...
Oh, I almost forgot, I went back the next month and they were handing out Coffee mugs whit the top 3 finishes in each catagory. I was shocked to hear my name called out, I came on 3rd place Modern. It's a "Trophy" that I still have and cherish. wish other clubs would do that.

[Pinto Being]

Wool,

That first match ain't exactly what you would call "clear in my mind."  It was some time back, now.  So, the memory ain't what one would consider sharp, or even in focus, neither one.

But, I do remember walkin' up to the loadin' table and thinkin' that this shootin' game must be just like huntin'.  And I knew how to hunt.

So, I loads up my store-bought .45 LC rounds in my brand new, never-shot-before Vaquero, and in my used ASM Dakota.  Then, I loads up the same rounds in my brand new Rossi Puma.  Then, I sticks about 6 rounds of 12 gauge in my pants pocket under my right holster.  And I proceeds to the line.

Never havin' shot in any type of organized shootin' sport before, the timer had to hit me on the shoulder to tell me to start shootin'.  I didn't hear the beep. I was in my hunter-ZEN mode.  Haw! Haw! Haw!

The shootin' part is pretty fuzzy now, but I remember tryin' to figure out how would be the best way to hold my hogleg with two hands.  Out of the 10 shots with the pistolas, I must have used 4 or 5 different grip techniques. 

I knew that when it came to the rifle, I would really shine.  I knew how to do that!

So, I cocked the rifle and pulled it up real snug to my shoulder.  Then, I saw that knock down rifle target way out there and took steady aim.  Bein' careful not to spook the target and the ones standin' near it, I let out my breath after getttin' a good bead, and slooooooooooowly eased the trigger back.  Bang!  Clang!  YeeeeHaw!  (I remember lookin at the timer and grinnin')  "Heck, this is easy," I thought.  I dropped the rifle to hip level, and racked it again.  Then I proceeded to do the same thing with the remainin' 7 rounds.  I hit ever' one and each shot was absolutely dead center.  Them targets went spinnin' and flyin', never again to roost on that ol' target rack.

The shotgun was a little spookier.  I knew that I had to do it fast.  So, I reached under my holster, into my pants pocket and pried out not one, but TWO shotshells at the same time.  I loaded 'em into my Stevens 2-by-each, one at a time.  And then I had to work a bit at gettin' those 28" barrels up in the air and the action closed up tight.  But, I eventually did.  I pushed the safety off and swung the butt carefully and slowly up to my shoulder, so as not to spook the targets.  I took very careful aim, released my breath, and squeezed the first trigger.  BLAM!  I hit that swingin' target dead in the center of the mass.  No shoulder shot here, it was a head shot for sure.  Heck, that was easy!  It wasn't like I was gonna ruin the "head" or nothin'.  Then, I methodically proceeded to do the same for the next 5 shots.

Turns out, I had 4 pistol misses but shot the rifle and shotgun clean!  YeeeeeeHaaaaaaw!
Oh, I saw the sidelong glances and smothered grins of the other shooters, but I had survived my first stage!  And besides, I didn't know what the Hell they were chucklin' at anyway.  Ignorance is bliss.  Haw! Haw! Haw!  I thought they were grinnin' 'cause of my dead-center accuracy and methodical shootin' style.  Worked for me.

Thanks for stayin' with me all this ways, pards.  There's a point to this. 

Nowadays, whenever I am mentorin' a new shooter and s/he says somethin' like:  "Well, I ain't exactly new to shootin'.  I been huntin' all my life,"  I kind of grin.  Usually my response is somethin' like:  "Wool, if you already know how to shoot, this match ought to be a piece o' cake!  Just listen to me and I'll try and give you a few tips along the way."

There ain't nothin' like your first time...

Ride on!
   

[Camille Eonich]

Excellent story Pinto!!!   

[Pinto Being]

Wool, thank you Miss Eonich, Ma'am.

To my mind, this "First Match" thread is about as slick as a newborn calf.  Been doin' some serious chucklin' readin' ever'ones stories here.  They make for great conversation when we are workin' with brand, spankin' new shooters.  Sort of let's those newbie folks know that this ain't just a game, it's an adventure!

Sure would like to read some more!

Ride on,

Pinto

[Judge Jake McCord]

My first shoot, and Sinister Sue McCord's, was just today! Great fun: but too blamed hot! We quit early, due to being overheated, and running out of shotgun shells. But we can't wait for next match! 

Judge Jake McCord

[Tony Two Crows]

I attended one shoot in March to check it out.  I picked brass and talked to folks about their firearms and why they shoot.  I had a great time just watching and learning.  I was hooked.  I scrambled to get firearms together and built my cart from scratch out of plywood and a hand truck.  Next month I showed up with all my gear ready to give it a go.  I studied the stages and tried to remember all the transitions..I was doing great...'til I started shooting.  The buzzer sounded and I went blank.  I was so nervous I'm surprised I kept all my fingers and toes.  I vaguely remembered what to do and I did get a few things in the wrong order.

I got through the first stage...then the second...finally I had completed my first match and the whole posse started applauding.  I thought a movie star had arrived...it was for me.  They welcomed me into the "cowboy way".  I was a part of a group and it didn't matter how I shoot...just that I'm there.  I'm not the crackest shot in the corral, but I still have a ball doing the best I can every month.  Last week I stopped worrying about the clock and just did the best I can.  I only shoot once a month...and try to get to the range as often as possible...but the score is secondary to the friendship and common bond we share of mutual respect and a love of our rich american heriitage.

[Arcey]

I always tell new shooters not ta lose their minds when the beep goes off.  Tell 'em there ain't a target they can't hit but they ain't gonna win, just forget that for now.  Relax, shoot the targets 'n have fun. They don't listen.

Had this one ole boy.  He'd been shootin' K-frame Smiths fer years.  I'd shot the same with 'im years 'fore I ever heard ah CAS.  Had 'im two brand new stainless Vags.  Real pretty.

First stage, first time.  I got the clock.

'Shooter unnerstan' the course ah fire?'

'Uh huh'

'Shooter ready?'

'Uh huh'

'Standby'         BEEP

He pulls one them Rugers.  Gets 'isownself on target 'n 'e stands there 'n 'e stands there.  No bang.  Now, his hands are tremblin'.  I look – weren't hard ta see.

Put my hand on his shoulder, got close ta his ear 'n said, 'Bruce, ya gottah cock it.'

If y'all seen that before – sorry.....