We need new blood to keep NCOWS going

[Gomezy3k]

Life member 153
In the years I have been getting The Shootist I noticed something.  Where are the young shooters?  It looks like most of the members are getting as old as I am (68) or close to it.  In the last issue of The Shootist I only saw 4 or 5 young people.  We need to figure out a way to bring in more young people to shooting.  I am not sure how to go about it so figured maybe others can come up with some ideas.  Since I am the only NCOWS member here in Vegas (that I know of) I shoot with the SASS group and they are pretty much in the same boat.  I don't recall any young shooters in any of their posse's either.

Anyway just thought I would throw in my 2 cents and see what everyone comes up with.

[Coffinmaker]

Well .... Actually .... Nah, no help here.  I'm not an NCOWS member (almost, once) but just thought I'd offer that NCOWS and CAS are inna same boat.  Too few newbies.  Kids aren't running around the neighborhoods playing Cowboys and Indians anymore.  Sad.

PS:  Forgot to add (almost), the newbies we have in SASS are really winning real regular.  Youth is totally wasted on the young.

[Major 2]

Reality has or lack of it has settled in

anyone beyond our Baby Boomer Generation & Generation X  are exposed to electronic games & gadgetry,

Unless Xennials 
Millennials
Generation Y, Gen Next - iGens Generation and Gen Z go with a HIP Granddad  (US) The hobby is lost in 10 - 15  years 20 tops

Gloomy yes.... a few sparks exist a hand full of youths will attend....

[Pitspitr]

Kids aren't running around the neighborhoods playing Cowboys and Indians anymore.  Sad.

Well, if you think about it, how much fun would it really be playing "bovine persons of indiscriminate sex and native americans"?

[Major 2]

"bovine persons of indiscriminate sex and native americans"?  indigenous persons  ?

[Pitspitr]

Yep, exactly! Besides, can you really imagine the fuss you'd have if the neighbors saw you chasing a kid in mocasins with a feather on his head with your finger, or God forbid, a pink or purple toy gun pointed at him or her or xi 

[Major 2]

they suspend kids today in schools for pointing a finger even if they don't say bang

Then there is case where a 9 year old bit his peanut butter sandwich in the shape of a gun and was expelled ?. EXPELLED for a fricking sandwich shape   

[River City John]

Then again, I recall indiscriminate sex as still a thing among youth . . .

[Pitspitr]

Well there is that 

Maybe "undetermined" was the word I should have used?

[bowiemaker]

One of the hottest video games in the last couple of years is Red Dead Redemption which has a lot kids playing old west scenarios and has got their attention. There are even some airsoft fields with western towns playing a more real-time version of the game. However, these days if a kid said he wanted to go shoot real cowboys guns his mother would go nuts and the kid would get kicked out of school for mentioning it.

[Tascosa Joe]

We have a few kids, that shoot with us (Berger Sharpshooters and the South Carolina bunch) from time to time.  They are the grand kids of several of the posse members.  Several of them are in there 20's and off to the military or college, which has slowed their participation.  A decent western has not been produced in years, i.e. one that you could take an 8 or 9 year old to see because of the language.  Movies and TV westerns is a big part of why we do this.

[Books OToole]

Trap, I and Col. Diamond have become involved with the 4-H Western Heritage Program.  It is kinda like NCOWS for kids.  They shoot old west style arms, develop personas and learn how the old west really was.  I would encourage posses to look into this program.  We have 3 or 4 4-H WHPs going in Kansas and 2 or three in Missouri.  They are also in California & Montana.

If you are interested in getting one started in your region, I would encourage you to contact Trap.  He started in in Kansas and has mentored others.

Books

[Jeremiah Jones]

We have priced, ISPC'ed and tuned guns to the point that we discourage young'ns.  Remember 30 years ago: stages shooting from a wagon, stages shooting from a saddle on a barrel, If the Duke would have carried/used/worn it, it is good to go, life size targets.  A lot of fun for F(funny) New Guys.

Now not so much:  need 4 guns (~$2,000), need them tuned (~$1,000), need ~$500 in clothes; then stand upright while shooting at lightning speed at steel targets you could hit by throwing your bullets.

[River City John]

Preaching to the choir, Jeremiah . . .

RCJ

[Dave T]

I would add that another problem is that history, particularly American history hasn't been taught in school for years. What passes for "history" in school is an indoctrination in political correctness.

Jeremiah's points, no knowledge of history, and the general anti-gun attitude from politicians and educators are all combining to kill off what was a lot of fun in the immediate aftermath of the first End of Trail match back in the 1980s when I first tried CAS.

In 1994 I started my own business and had to sell my 19th Century guns to fund it. When I was again in a financial position to get involved, I found it had turned into IPSC in boots. After watching a match in the early 2000s I decided not to get involved again. It had become kind of silly. Sad really.

Dave

[OklaTom]

We have priced, ISPC'ed and tuned guns to the point that we discourage young'ns.  Remember 30 years ago: stages shooting from a wagon, stages shooting from a saddle on a barrel, If the Duke would have carried/used/worn it, it is good to go, life size targets.  A lot of fun for F(funny) New Guys.

Now not so much:  need 4 guns (~$2,000), need them tuned (~$1,000), need ~$500 in clothes; then stand upright while shooting at lightning speed at steel targets you could hit by throwing your bullets.

This sounds more like SASS than NCOWS. 4 guns are not required in NCOWS, though if chosen as the class, all four can be used. We do not permit short stroking, so that expensive "tuning" goes away.

[Abilene]

You can still get started in SASS for about what you could have 20 years ago.  But yes, that is still expensive.  Going "IPSC" with modifications and such is a personal choice, not a requirement.  Fortunately, I can still play their game my way.  The most expensive parts I've had to buy have been a few springs.  Being single, I can spend my money on what I want, but have chosen to spend it on more and different guns.  I'm even getting a little faster, breaking 30 seconds regularly  .  I still enjoy watching the fast guys, they have fun with their short-stroked Rugers and gamy-looking leather.  The nit-picking-details of the ever-growing rulebook can get a little tedious, but it tends not to bother me since I don't push the envelope.  Anyway, that's SASS.  Lowered participation in NCOWS and SASS I think are both due to the primary audience, us, getting old.  Other reasons, sure, but growing up with westerns really ingrained it into our psyche.

[Cliff Fendley]

We have priced, ISPC'ed and tuned guns to the point that we discourage young'ns.  Remember 30 years ago: stages shooting from a wagon, stages shooting from a saddle on a barrel, If the Duke would have carried/used/worn it, it is good to go, life size targets.  A lot of fun for F(funny) New Guys.

Now not so much:  need 4 guns (~$2,000), need them tuned (~$1,000), need ~$500 in clothes; then stand upright while shooting at lightning speed at steel targets you could hit by throwing your bullets.

As OK Tom mentioned, you are not describing NCOWS at all which I feel needs to be mentioned again since we are on the NCOWS page and I don't want people to be discouraged by your post.

Maybe half of our shooters shoot more than two guns, none of the short stroke race tuning is allowed, you can get into a basic outfit for really no more than a person would pay for a set of modern everyday clothes.

However I do agree this is the perception many get which may discourage a lot of potential new members which once again I would stress this is not required to play the game and have fun. In fact the ones having the most fun are probably the ones not playing the race game.

[Jeremiah Jones]

Regarding my earlier comments.  I did misstate the number of guns required for NCOWS. I stand by my comments regarding ?Tuning?.  This is philosophical, but to me, tuning is more than short stroke kits.  If you disassemble a gun that works fine to replace springs, hone any hint of a burr, hone the chambers of a shotgun to make shucking shells easier, etc. you are tuning.  There is nothing wrong with this, I have tuned my guns.  But it is another step between a FNG and old hands.

[OklaTom]

Regarding my earlier comments.  I did misstate the number of guns required for NCOWS. I stand by my comments regarding ?Tuning?.  This is philosophical, but to me, tuning is more than short stroke kits.  If you disassemble a gun that works fine to replace springs, hone any hint of a burr, hone the chambers of a shotgun to make shucking shells easier, etc. you are tuning.  There is nothing wrong with this, I have tuned my guns.  But it is another step between a FNG and old hands.

Point taken. However, the cost of this type of tuning won?t approach that $1000, unless one takes their firearms to the wrong person to do the work. If one can do this for themself, cost is around $30 to $50 per gun, which includes some extra for the cost of stones. If one does not have the know how to do it, then my advice is to check out pricing and reputation carefully from several places before spending the money. Sometimes, it will cost more because you?re buying a name. The new person should comparison shop. A good example is a Pietta made revolver needs no tuning out of the box, and is usually a few dollars less than a Uberti made revolver. Buying a rifle or, if you want to go 4-gun, a shotgun, the same comparison shopping needs to be done.

All that being said, NCOWS matches tend to be less of a race anyway, by virtue of their rules against any modifications beyond springs and some polishing.