costume question

[Delmonico]

No matter what the group, it's still a game with the rules of the group.  A little tongue in cheek joke but pretty true as far as those old time cowboys in the book, few if any would have all the guns required and few would or could afford the ammo to finish a match.

Although the targets are still steel and don't shoot back, perhaps the closest anyone will get to being close to historically correct would be the GAF Muster near Sargent Nebraska at Colonel Pitspiter's place. 

Two guns or in some classes one gun, no tin roof to stop the sun on the range, targets far enough out to be hard to hit and sometimes a difficult shooting position, btw that is a 1868 trapdoor being shot:



Proper old West scenery:



Sometimes interesting weather:





Decent historically correct food:



Historical camping:







A siesta in the heat of the afternoon:



Clothing you seldom see elsewhere:





An interesting mix of firearms you sledom see shot anywhere, when was the last time you saw a Canadian Ross or a Swiss Vetterli on the line, or Krags:





A small group but last year there were only two who shot there that traveled less than a 100 miles, most were several hundred, they made the trip because there is no other shoot like it.

For more info on this years shoot:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,45111.0.html

[Pitspitr]

Gratefully there wasn't much wind when a certain person shot that vetterlli or there might have been more than clothes you seldom see other places.
Delmonico forgot to mention you don't have to dress military or shoot military guns to shoot with us.

[Delmonico]

I also forgot to mention that if you have heard that it is hard to get into camp with your low slung car:







We offer free shuttle service to camp from Pitspiter's house.

And his driveway is well marked:



We also offer both bath and shower facilities:





As well as an outhouse with real toilet paper, none of the more common Period Correct corn cobs although I could get some if someone really wants to rough it.

[Delmonico]

Also more modern lodging is available near by.

We also offer an on-site guest house for those who want to camp but don't have their own tent:



Also we have a dish washing station with hot water for washing your mess kit:



As well as dual wash basins and dual mirrors for shaving if desired:



As well as plenty of decent PC grub as I mentioned before:





If you don't gain a couple pounds you ain't trying.

And the coffee is fresh ground every morning:

[Cliff Fendley]

I guess I found it odd that one of the most authentic categories for the guns and shooting style itself requires dress that is not so authentic.

[Delmonico]

I guess I found it odd that one of the most authentic categories for the guns and shooting style itself requires dress that is not so authentic.

It's what the majority of the world thinks is authentic. 

"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

Dutton Peabody in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance


Sad but true, but then to be truthful most of the Old West was boring anyway.

[Jefro]

I guess I found it odd that one of the most authentic categories for the guns and shooting style itself requires dress that is not so authentic.

Whoever said any of this was authentic , it's a mix of the old west and western screen dress. I've seen shooters from both NCOWS and SASS that don't look authentic. And I've seen shooters in the two costume categories that were very accurate. The sod buster look with a plains hat is more accurate than most. As long as you play by the rules it's your fantasy to have fun with. The Judge never did claim to be historically accurate.

"Everybody seems to think we're a period shoot, but we're not. We're a fantasy cowboy acting shoot." - Judge Roy Bean


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Cliff Fendley]

Does your hat count as one of the five mandatory items for Classic Cowboy? The way it reads it's not real clear to me. It specifies the type of hat but not sure if it means the hat is considered one of the listed items.

[Delmonico]

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I know I've POed some people over the years, but one should never mistake any kind of CAS Shooting for Living History, because when you get right down to it the steel targets, the timers, the safety glasses, the ear protection, the bologna sandwich on Wonder bread in a plastic bag for lunch are all so far from historical correct it ain't funny.

Us who do living history in public places and really try hard can't even do it because common sense says no drinking out of the creek and what a heath risk if everyone pooped in the woods.

[Camille Eonich]

I've just had a costume observation.

I shoot NCOWS but I've been considering branching out a little.

In considering what class I might shoot in SASS I was excited to see the Classic Cowboy class......then I saw the unusual costume requirements.

For fun I looked through the pages of the Time Life book Cowboys and couldn't find a single picture of a real old west cowboy who's dress would allow him to shoot in the SASS Classic Cowboy class. LOL

This caught me off guard since I've heard other folks gruff on the so called strict dress requirements of NCOWS.

I'm finding if you want to shoot your firearms historically accurate that SASS is far more restrictive, and requires you to wear combinations of articles that you would have very seldom seen a Cowboy wear all at the same time.

You can shoot your firearms any way except gunfighter in the age based categories and you could wear your historically accurate clothes too.  Duelist would be another good category that doesn't have the clothing requirements but does require one handed shooting.  Note that these categories also do not have the same firearm/caliber requirements as Classic Cowboy either.  I'm not sure how that you are getting that SASS is more restrictive than NCOWS.

[Cliff Fendley]

Please don't take this wrong, it's not a problem but more of a curious observation.

Classic Cowboy is the only category I'm talking about, the rules seem to contradict themselves requiring more authentic guns, ammo, and shooting style but require a costume with articles that most Cowboys would not have likely had on. As the name says, I would think you would want to dress like a "Classic Cowboy" and not an early wild west show performer.

Does my hat count as one of the five items?

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Classic Cowboy is the only category I'm talking about, the rules seem to contradict themselves requiring more authentic guns, ammo, and shooting style but require a costume with articles that most Cowboys would not have likely had on.

Costuming: Must choose at least five of the requirements listed below. All clothing items must be worn appropriately during all shooting events and awards ceremonies. Chaps, spurs, cuffs, tie or scarf worn loosely around the neck or with scarf slide, vest,
pocket watch with full length chain, jacket, sleeve garters, knife, botas, leggings , braces; no straw or palm hats allowed.

Chaps
Spurs
Cuffs
Tie or Scarf
Vest

Cliff would not a classic cowboy have worn the above 5 items?  Seems to me that a Classic Cowboy of say 1890 could be construed as a cowboy on the town, in town or just wondering around, while not actually working.  This would add other items such as the pocket watch, sleeve garters.

What a classic cowboy probably would not have had, working or other wise, was 2 revolvers, a shotgun and a rifle.  Perhaps 1 revolver and a rifle?

Now about that hat ... good question because I agree, it seems like it is in a gray area as written.

[Camille Eonich]

No hats don't count as a 5th item.  They are limiting the material that the hat can be constructed from.

[1961MJS]

Hi

I ain't wearin' Spurs.  I just KNOW that I'd end up landing on both knees with my rear end on my heels.  I'm over 50, wonder how much air I could get?

The knife is looking better and better.

later

[Cliff Fendley]

TwoWalks, It seems like that would be right but if you look in old photos its hard to find any real cowboys that have all those items on. If they have the chaps, spurs, and cuffs they may be wearing a scarf for dust but usually wont have a vest and no need for arm garters with the cuffs. If they wear their vest and tie and pocket watch they don't have the spurs and chaps. The fifth item usually puts together the combination that wasn't worn. That's why I asked about the hat.

In other words you start combining working cowboy gear with going to town clothing but in reality most rare photographs of cowboys out working most don't have more than two or three of those items.

Your right about the guns too, that's probably why working cowboy, one pistol and one rifle is by far the most popular class in NCOWS. In fact it is very rare in a real photos of working cowboys for them to be wearing a gunbelt.

As I said no problem just an interesting observation. I think I can hang a knife on my gun belt and my normal NCOWS outfit will be OK.

[Delmonico]

As I said I myself really don't care what one can and can't wear to any CAS shoot, but Two Walks, I will agree with Cliff there are plenty of cowboys who were photographed with one or more of those items missing.  The chaps on the Norther Plaiins comes to mind in a lot of pictures.  There is no sense wearing or even own chaps if you have to ride miles outof the way to find brush enough for them to be useful. 

[Whiskey Banjo]

Im sorry but owning and wearing a pair of chinks or chaps is a little ridiculous if theres no horse involved. Just my opinion. Chinks and chaps serve a purpose, and its not to shoot. Its pretty clear sass caters to more of a hollywood portrayel then what was actually going on and being worn in the 19th century. Absolutely nothing wrong with that tho, but u wont see me showing up in chinks to a shoot. Unless of coarse its a mounted shoot.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

As I said I myself really don't care what one can and can't wear to any CAS shoot, but Two Walks, I will agree with Cliff there are plenty of cowboys who were photographed with one or more of those items missing.  The chaps on the Norther Plaiins comes to mind in a lot of pictures.  There is no sense wearing or even own chaps if you have to ride miles outof the way to find brush enough for them to be useful. 

I agree with both you and Cliff.  My point I guess was how easy it would be to include five items, depending if the cowboy was actually working or headed into town on a Saturday night.  Instead of Chaps, they might add the pocket watch.  Instead of Cuffs, they might have a knife on their belt.  Now from a personal view growing up on a ranch where there were really a couple of old guys, they probably would not as a general rule have 5 of those items.

Boots arrived Wednesday ... very happy fellow, shooting tomorrow and feet will thank you also. 

[Camille Eonich]

I would think that a knife would have been a staple for a cowboy whether in town or on the ranch but that's just me.  I know I don't go anywhere without one.

[Delmonico]

I would think that a knife would have been a staple for a cowboy whether in town or on the ranch but that's just me.  I know I don't go anywhere without one.

Yes but it would have folded and fit in a pocket.  To be truthful a cowboy carring a side arm on his hip at work would have been rare. 

I can find pictures of cowboys wearing turtle neck sweaters if you want, late 1890's to about WWI.  Newsboy type caps also and bib overalls, boiler suit aka coveralls, clod hopper lace up boots and I can even find a few on the sorta fat side.