Question re: practicality

ElMuertoMonkey

How practical is cowboy action shooting? I know the cowboy era is over and done with, but I can't imagine that any pastime that requires that much shooting doesn't teach you a trick or two.

Mind you, I'm not saying or implying that I think cowboy action shooting is useless - far from it. I'm actually wondering how useful it is and in which ways it is.

Noah Mercy

Actually, it teaches all the basics of shooting; safety, target acquisition, sight alignment, and trigger control, and does it in a fun, low-pressure environment. Good scenarios will involve shooting through, over, or around obstacles and include movement. It also teaches the manual of arms for several different firearm types. Shotguns can be a side by side (with or without external hammers) or a Winchester 97 pump. Since only two shotshells are to be loaded at a time, there are a couple techniques which have evolved for quickly reloading the pump guns...they work equally well with modern shotguns. As for the handguns, since you shoot two of them most of the time, you get a lot of practice with drawing, transitioning, and holstering. You will also learn how to acquire a "flash" sight picture and maintain it while traversing multiple targets. Rifles can be either lever or pump action and the skills required are similar to those of the handguns...quick target acquisition and traversing.

There are also side matches at some shoots. Long range pistol, pistol-caliber lever gun, and rifle-caliber lever gun/ pocket pistol/ derringer. The long range events require the same marksmanship skills as any precision shooting event using open sights. The pocket pistol and derringer matches require skill with small concealable firearms.

The club I am VP of came up with a "cops vs. cowboys" match several years ago. It has since spread all over the US. We shoot our single actions, SXS scatterguns, and lever action rifles. They shoot their Glocks, Remington 870's, and M16's. We have to draw one revolver, shoot the five rounds from it, reholster it, draw the second handgun and shoot it...they can load ten in the mag. Despite the perceived advantages of the modern firearms, guess who wins the LEO vs. old west shooters?

[:D]

macabest

Monkey, All of what Noah said is true. I would like to add it's FUN, and you meet a lot of really nice people. My son and I have been doing it for about a year now.
Noah, The reason the cowboys beat the cops, even with the percived disadvantages. We love our guns and practice with them. We know them inside and out. We probably shoot more in one match thn they shoot in a year. Guns are "toys" to us and "tools" for them.
Marc
'Bigg Lead Foote'

ElMuertoMonkey

Noah,

Thanks for the very detailed response. I figured as much, but it's nice to have a firsthand account of things.

And I did not know that about the cops vs. cowboys competitions![:0] Verrry interesting.


macabest,

Guns are "toys" to us and "tools" for them.

A very interesting and clever way of summing up the advantages of one group over another. I think the man or woman that enjoys their hobby will always win out over the one that has to do it for a living.

andersk

And on the fun part of it all ... I've seen this at our club "Cowboy Shoots," it let's you be a cowboy for a day! Now, that's gotta be FUN![8D]

My cowboy name is "Chuckwagon Kenny" ... as you might guess, my wife and I do the cooking at our club "Cowboy Shoots." What a riot![:D]