Sad state of affairs

[Major 2]

Lately there has been an absence of new posts or even comments to old posts, Perhaps, only 2-3 daily on somedays.
This morning, only one so far and it was a SPAMMER (I reported), and this one.

Of Course, its early yet just 7AM on the East coast, but I fear apathy may had affected CAS City.
Whether it's just the time year or the new format or something else, I don't know.
What I do know, there is little participation.

I'd sure hate to see the board dry up and blow away.

   

[Cap'n Redneck]

This side of the pond hunting season starts today, so a lot of my pards have "run for the hills"...!
Let's hope activity on the board picks up when the freezer has been filled and the weather is more conducive to sitting indoors hacking away at the computer keyboard..?

[Lucky R. K.]

I must admit that I do not like the new design. There is not enough contrast in light and dark (too much light) and, I just think it ugly. Just my two cents worth.
Lucky 

[St. George]

The C&WAS population is aging rapidly and finding other ways to spend their disposable income - there's little interest among younger shooters who demand more action in their activities that includes a more 'video game' aspect - and that is something they can do at home.

These shooters didn't grow up with Saturday Morning Westerns, and oater TV shows - they have close to zero exposure to it and aren't at all interested in black and white depictions of the Old West, besides - today's production values make their leisure time far more visually interesting than re-runs of old TV shows on METV,

This is an expensive game all across the board - no matter how much the rules are expanded for a new shooter, and a young guy is more concerned with a second job so he can make rent and feed his family - and you 'all' remember those days...

'These kids today' don't have the same interest in history - and for the most part, neither did we until our lives settled a bit to allow us the time, so there's that.

There's also the fact that when they do learn that something didn't happen or didn't exist during the era, and they think it ought to have, they lose interest when revisionist history doesn't quite work out for them, so they drop away.

I agree, this is a conundrum - what with getting young shooters involved in what's viewed as Grandpa's Game, getting them financially squared away enough to burn ever-expensive ammunition in large quantities and not feel the pinch, and then - getting 'their' kids interested enough to carry on the game is going to be a tough row to hoe.

A lot of guys gravitated to C&WAS because they tired of IPSC gamers but then, they turned it into 'IPSC With Hats' and that soured a lot of non-gamers - it's a wonderment anyone still heads out on a Saturday - maybe we all suck at golf, and can't keep still enough to fish...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Froogal]

I don't know guys. I am still trying to figure out why my new rifle is SO heavy, and how come my handyman jack gained 50 pounds while NOT being used?

[Abilene]

St George - very well said and all true.  While we had westerns ingrained in us from growing up with them, at least there are still movies and a few cable series being made.  I think the Red Dead Redemption game has probably garnered a few new cowboy shooters.  But it is a definitely a conundrum.

I know a lot of clubs are on facebook, and a lot of their members would rather chat about these things locally with their fellow club members than globally on forums like this.

[U.S.M.R.]

Major it's not just here. Shiloh Rifle forum is the same way. I think the high price of and limited supply of reloading components and ammunition may have something to do with it. Also slowly and surely we are losing places to shoot. One of my doctors that likes to shoot told me between the range fee and the price of ammunition he can't hardly afford it anymore.

[Major 2]

Thanks for the replies, they have helped with daily post count 
I will agree, CAS is aging out. But I think we still like to "bench race" as it were!

Don't cost nothing to come here and just muse, chime in ...

Let's not let a good thing end   


 

[Froogal]

Here's to hoping the sport survives. Attending the monthly shoots is just about the only social activity that I participate in.

[Johnny McCrae]

I miss the icons by the topic title and the "like" feature but otherwise the new forum works for me. I also think posting pictures is a bit easier for me.

Father Time has forced me to give up shooting CAS matches but I still enjoy visiting this forum. It was on CAS City where I discovered SASS, NCOWS and Cowboy Action Shooting back in 2005.

I've made some good friends and would hate to see CAS City go by the wayside.

Just an old codgers humble opinion.

[Abilene]

...Just an old codgers humble opinion.

Codgers rule!   

I'm just a codger-in-training, 3 score and a dozen. Got some aches and pains but I can still move okay and see and hear okay.  My brain doesn't always tell me the right thing to do.     I'm extremely lucky that I can shoot every weekend at 4 clubs, 3 are about an hour and one is 90 minutes.  They all are down somewhat in attendance from, say, ten years ago, but not a huge amount. Mostly recovered from Covid. We had 44 shooters Saturday at Plum Creek.  Attendance is usually down in the summer as the heat, which is increasing, gets harder to take as we age.  There are new shooters coming in, not a lot but at least some.  So, it's not too bad around here but sure, you can see it coming.  I sorta think I'll probably be gone or have to hang it up before CAS is totally kaput around here (Central TX). 

As to things here being slow, the users here are aging, too.  Maybe just spending more time going to and from the bathroom, so less time to post?  I know a lot of people do read here and the other Wire without posting.   Maybe they're shy.

[Professor Marvel]

St George nailed it.

New guys see this:

Even a plain Pietta .45 Colt SAA msrp is $540 so $1100 for two
1873 rifle msrp $1600
Double shotgun list $600 to $1200
.45 colt (the iconic caliber) at $1 a round (when you can find it)

How much ammo?

For a typical monthly match of six stages take at least 200 rounds of rifle and pistol and 50 shotshell


So about $3500 min to get started, then burning up about $150 to $220 for just for one match of cartridges

And you still have to find and get to a match AND PAY TO Play
Then the clothes.

So the kids look at a
good double stack 9mm ~ $350-$450
9mm ammo still at ~ $11 to $15 a box
And an AR clone ~ $500
5.56 ammo at ~ $15 for 50

Go play at Any public range or state open space.

They can be well equiped for home defense with two guns, go play army with their friends and ring steel
A hell of a lot cheaper than playing cowboy and getting told by old farts their clothes aint right, their guns aint right, and then listen to hivernaughts like us whining waxing poetic about the good old days
And historic accuracy.


It is literally like when I was getting into muzzleloaders in 1970. Dixie and emf was it.
At least bp and caps could be got. But shooting venues were few and far between.

Time marches on.
As the roman whispereded in the general's ear

"Sic transit gloria mundi"

Yhs
Prof mumbles

[Froogal]

Reloading is also becoming prohibitive. Not too many years ago a brick of 1,000 primers was priced under $30. Today that same brick of primers will set you back for about $90.

I used some of my Unique powder a few days ago. Price sticker on the lid was well under $30. Today, that same one pound container is priced at over $40, but it is out of stock everywhere.

[Major 2]

All you say is true, time and tide wait for no one....Yup! prices are in the stratosphere.

BUT my point is, WE can still come here for FREE and discuss, brag, rant, show & tell, Bi*ch or just flat out tell a whopper.
Maybe Chat with old pards, Post photo, review a book or film or just discuss the weather over coffee in your neck of the woods.

It don't cost nothing... 

We have lost many pards to Father time, less not loose due to Avolition.

Put in the effort, even if it's to tell me I'm full of beans 

Here's to looking for you in the funny pages 

[Coffinmaker]

  Well Schucks

I really don't mean to be walking around with my Nail Gun, but I are.  Unfortunately, about a Lustrum ago I began to lament our game is shrinking.  Imploding if you will.  Many scoffed and brushed the thought off.  Never happen.  Happening and has been happening and will continue to happen for most of the above mentioned reasons. 

The Good Perfesser forgot to include the cost of Leather to play the game.  Tack on another three to five hundred bucks.  THIS is unfortunately NOT an inexpensive game to play.  Plus there is no where near the motivation that existed when us well seasoned players started this game.

The decline in participation here at CASCity pretty much mirrors the decline in the active players of the game.  Both, will continue, unfortunately, to decline.  Both are sad.

Biting, kicking, scratching, screaming every step of the way, but the handwriting is on the walls.  Just a matter of time.

[Froogal]

Before I got involved in this game, I was doing the antique and classic farm tractor game. THAT game can get to be REALLY expensive REALLY  quick, but just like this shooting game, the old tractor hobby is dying out also. The young folks didn't grow up on a Farmall H, or John Deere B, and way too few of them had the luxury of even growing up on a farm, so I guess it doesn't mean anything to them.

For what it's worth, I watch at least one rerun of GUNSMOKE every day, and when I get to the last episode, I'll start over again.

[Coffinmaker]

  Hey Frugal

PALADIN !!  Yepper > Wire Paladin, San Francisco, Absolutely!!

[Johnny McCrae]

BUT my point is, WE can still come here for FREE and discuss, brag, rant, show & tell, Bi*ch or just flat out tell a whopper.
Maybe Chat with old pards, Post photo, review a book or film or just discuss the weather over coffee in your neck of the woods

I started shooting SASS and NCOWS matches in 2007. As I remember, my firearms cost $2100. I made my own leather and a .38 Special reload cost me around $.09 each.

Two of my other passions outside of Cowboy Action Shooting were Skiing and Harley's, both of which I've given up. Harley's have become expensive but skiing has become much worse. In the 1970's you could buy a good pair of ski's and boots for around $350. Now you're looking at $1200 - $1500. But worse, an all day lift at Vail in the 1970's was $18.00. Now its $269.

I ain't complaining. I skied up to 75 and shot CAS up to 80.

[Professor Marvel]

Johnny, froogal, and coffin:

Yup its all getting more expensive, and interest is dying out.

I managed to worm my way in cheap in 2005, with the Rem 1858's and Colt 1851's I alraedy had, cheap cabelas leather and clothing from rondy's . I traded my Marlin 1895 45-70  for a yellowboy and shot my stoeger double. A couple local clubs in Colorado let me shoot as a "guest" . Once a month was great
And i was happy.

Moved to NM and shot here, collected conversion cylinders and a couple vintage hammered double shotguns.
Still happy.

I am basically wearing the outfits as daily clothing these days. Including my kilts. Anderson clan, black watch and stewart.
Wanna have fun and freaque the neighbors? Wear a Kilt, tshirt, tight boots, gunbelt with Remmies and 14 inch dirk!



Still happy.

Then Mrs Marvels joints began to decline, she cant ride far anymore, and As the ranges and clubs dried up I cant justify many hours on the road each way just to show up, shoot, and leave. The shooters just dont wanna hang around at all like we did at the rondesvous.... So why bother going at all?

I am actually looking into how quiet a supressor can make things. If it is quiet enough so it does not bother the 3 neighbors I have then I am home free. Set up a 15-20 yard pit range and phhht away!

Ahhhh a suppressor on an 1858 and a yellowboy!
Wouldnt that be fun, just to screw with certain folks?

Oh look Teddy Roosevelt already did it to a Win 94 !

https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/teddy-roosevelts-suppressed-rifles/

[Coal Creek Griff]

"Wear a Kilt, tshirt, tight boots, gunbelt with Remmies and 14 inch dirk!"

Oh man, do we NEED a picture!

Griff