A little advice please

[Wally Montana]

A little advice needed from some of you knowledgeable percussion folks.

I have decided to try my hand at Cowboy Action Shooting in the near future.  Should someone new to the sport start with regular guns and ammo (I.E. not black powder) until they are comfortable with the sport or jump in to BP guns.  I have several colt 51 navies but have never tried to shoot them with much speed. 

I have a Henry big boy in 357/38 and one Ruger vaquero in 357 also.  What do you guys think?

By the way, I am 70 years old.

Thanks,

Wally Montana

[Major 2]

 someone new to the sport...Should

1.  attend a match or several and observe,  ask questions

2.  pard up with someone(s) a mentor if you will ...  willing step forward to lead you along

3. Cap & ball / percussion is a learning curve... find the mentor to help you along .

4. proceed at a pace where you are comfortable.

[hellgate]

Go to a shoot and observe. Let someone know what guns you have and odds are someone will loan you a SXS and maybe another pistol and you will be off & running. They might even let you shoot a stage that day to give you a taste. All you need is another single action 38/357 and a double 12ga and you are good to go, gun wise. Or you could do what I did and shoot one navy, the Vaquero, your Henry and borrow/buy a shotgun and you are also set. After a few matches you will know whether you want to go with the cap&ball guns or another 38/357. It is a whole lot less frustrating to start out with cartridges and later "graduate" to using the "perCUSSIN" guns.

[Wally Montana]

Thanks for the response Major.  I have been to a shoot and thanks to a couple of the members I got a good grounding in the rules and safety items.  I was allowed to shoot a stage with their guns and ammo which kind of convinced me that I like this sport.

I have had percussion revolvers for many years and am used to loading, capping etc.  I just thought it would add a level of complexity for a newcomer.  Shooting a stage showed me that your brain has a lot to keep track of without worrying about cap jams, etc.  I do like the percussion revolvers and would like to use them but I am not sure if I should start with them.

I will talk to the club members at the next shoot (Might be next spring as Montana weather can change pretty quickly).  They were a friendly group and I was very comfortable with them.  They made sure that I was aware of all the safety rules and guided me through the stage that I shot.  Nice group of people.

Wally

[Wally Montana]

Thanks for your advice to Hellgate.  That's what I like about CASCITY, lots of people willing to share information with the less fortunate.  Many Thanks.

Wally

[Slowhand Bob]

I know a lot of the guys can not abide the fancy roll your own modern stuff but why not try a taste of Frontier Cartridge Duelist.  This will get you over half way there as a transition.  Perhaps you could even transition the pistols, after getting comfortable with the bp cartridges.  Take the cap and ball pistols along to a few matches and swap them in and out with the cartridge pistols at your pleasure until you are comfortable with the newer notion.  This will require that you shoot FCD while using style pistols.  I had probably been shooting bp pistols as a loner for thirty years before joining SASS and I learned more about the guns and techniques in my first year than I ever new.  Friends and mentors are by far the beast way to go, If they really know what they are talking about.  (Some talk a better game than they know!) 

[Noz]

As was mentioned there is a learning curve to C & B. Shoot some smokeless first before jumping in to the realm of the Soot Lords.

[Wally Montana]

Many thanks for the advice Slowhand Bob and Noz.  I am leaning toward just starting with smokeless at first and then after the learning curve moving toward using the cap guns.  One of the members of the group that I visited has used black powder in the past at matches.  Hopefully, I can get some good advice from him as well.

Thanks again to all you experienced shooters for the advice.  Much Appreciated.

Wally

[Coffinmaker]

Asking for a "little" advise around here is like standing at the bottom of Hoover Dam and yelling "OPEN THE FLOOD GATES."  Be real careful what you ask for 

A caveat.  I shoot percussion.  Shooting Cap Guns in a CAS match is worlds away from playing with a Cap Gun casually at your local range.
Cap Guns are fickle, obnoxious, stubborn, and ornery.  Wait a match or two.  Then look into making them reliable.  Keep it simple.

Shooting BP and Subs is FUN.  Capital letter FUN.  maybe not so much your first matches.  Lots to pay attention to, without having to find the targets with Braille.  However, when ready, I do suggest first dipping your toe into the Dark Side with cartridges.  Keep it simple.

Starting out, Smokeless (cough, choke, barf, sneeze) is your friend.  Lets you concentrate on playing the game, rather than a whole host of other self imposed possibilities for miss-steps.  Take you time and enjoy the game.  Leaping into the deep end before you can swim is
not the best idea.  Keep it simple.

First and Foremost > HAVE FUN and be safe.

Coffinmaker

[Wally Montana]

Coffinmaker,

Thanks a lot for your advice.  I believe that I am going to go the smokeless route first and learn the game before venturing into the smokey realm. 

I have shot  my cap guns quite a good bit but not under any pressure.  After shooting a stage, thanks to Prairie Sage, at a local club I now understand a lot better about fat fingers and mushy brains.  An old guy my age should not push the envelope too far too fast.

I believe that I am going to like playing this game.  I have already got one son and a grandson interested in maybe joining me.  Dadgum grandson already outshoots me with .22's and he's only 12.

Thanks again.

wally 

[Major 2]

Here is little advice, I feel will make your experience with C&B more harmonious.

Coffin maker's advice to get your guns humming is a bonus 
suggestions such as , correct arbor length ,  good nipples ( Tresco or Slix shot ) , good wedge fitment are all good advice.

I will add, acquire a small sturdy table or gun cart with working surface to load on
( the idea here is not use the range loading table , be adjacent to it ,so the reload table RO can observe , just don't use space on it. ) 
your extra  tools , I:E:  Capper, powder measure , lube can or tube ,maybe you have bench ball seater (Tower of Power or the like) Powder flask , ETC/
These items tend to spread out , having your own table makes a more user friendly work station. Not to mention not in the way of the fast mover suppository loaders 

You will be slower and should be more deliberate in your loading of C&B , I have seen suppository loaders become down right anal sharing a loading table with C&B'er.

[Wally Montana]

Sounds like good advice major.  I will definitely remember it.  I have experimented with cigarette paper cartridges and while they are quicker to load I do not like taking the chance that a small hot piece will remain behind after firing.  I like my fingers the way they are.

Wally

[Coffinmaker]

I currently compete with Cap Guns.  I only shoot cartridge guns if weather drives me to it.  However, since I don't shoot inna rain, it's
not a bother.  Lets just say I shoot Cap Guns.
I don't load at the loading table.  The only thing the loading table is for is Capping my Guns.  I load at the unloading table.  You can load Cap Guns anywhere.  You can only "cap" at the loading table.  Capping doesn't take much longer than loading cartridges.  I suggest they just go around me if their inna hurry.
If some self-impressed clown gives me a hard time, I recommend they seriously demonstrate Ariel Fornication with a Rolling Pastry.  You take all the time it takes to correctly and safely load your pistols.  PERIOD.  I personally use an "off the gun" cylinder loading stand.  I find it works for me, much better than fumbling around loading as out ancestors did.  After all, they (our ancestors) aren't here to give a care how we load.

Coffinmaker

[Blackpowder Burn]

I'm one of those oddballs that prefer to load "on the gun".  I put together a loading box that serves to carry all of my supplies as well as being a loading stand for the revolver.  I simply carry it to a convenient table near the stage, open load my guns.  Quite simple and keeps everything organized in one neat package.  I've used it for my ROA's, Colts and Remingtons.

[Coffinmaker]

  Ha!!  Organizational skills such as those just demonstrated are despicable     You should be hauling separate little boxes around, full of balls, 'n' powder, 'n' caps, 'n' Stuff.  Loads of ...... Stuff.
I forgot to mention, If some Cretan has already claimed the unloading table, usually the next stage is vacant and I can use the loading table for the next stage.  Also, most ranges where you play this game have all sorts of spools 'n' odd tables around you can use.  Just don't be bullied cause you shot Cap Guns.  Cap Guns are after all, the original definition of "Period Correct" (Gawd but I hate that term).

Coffinmaker

[hellgate]

My usual hangout is at the UNLOADING table where I clear the shooters coming off the line while I load my pistolas. That way I am still helping the posse while I charge the chambers. I don't use a stand but to each his own.

[Coffinmaker]

Hellgate .......

Ditto!!  I'm usually reloaded in three or four shooters.

Coffinmaker

[Blackpowder Burn]

I do the same.  Takes me about 2 or 3 shooters. 

[Wally Montana]

Many thanks to all you folks who gave advice and comments.  I have decided to just get another Ruger Vaquero and do smokeless for a while.  After I get used to how all this works I will learn to reload and then try black powder cartridge.  After I get that sorted out I still want to do Cap and Ball. 

There's just something about those cap and ball guns that draw me.  The Colt 51 navies have always been the best looking guns out there to me.  I have an civil war era picture of my great-great-grandpa holding one across his chest and looking fierce.

I really like your loading box Blackpowder Burn.  Hope you do not mind my using some of your ideas in making one of my own. 

Again, thanks for the help.  I do appreciate it.

Wally

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Wally, and welcome to the darkside.

Those RVs will handle full throttle black powder loads just fine.  Just make sure the barrel to cylinder gap is between 5 and 8 thousandths of an inch.

When you're ready for C&B, load 'em up and enjoy the sport.

DD-MDA