Mounted Shooting

I got an actual REQUEST! This is a first for the GunBlog! Hooray!

Ashleigh would like me to talk a little more about cowboy action shooting and mounted shooting. So here we go:

Mounted shooting is a cool off-shoot (pun alert) of cowboy action shooting. Cowboy action shooting, or single action shooting, got its start in the '80s in California. Essentially, cowboy action shooting any sort of shooting competition, usually practiced in period Western costume, wherein the competitors exclusively shoot firearms with the sorts of actions that would have been found in the mid- to late-19th century. This means, as far as handguns are concerned, single-action only. You will remember from previous entries that single-action guns have to be thumb-cocked first. What you will typically see at a cowboy action shooting event: single action revolvers, lever action rifles with an external hammer (usually chambered in pistol calibers), side-by-side short barreled shotguns and/or old-style pump shotguns (also with external hammers). There are specific exceptions to these requirements--Winchester makes a lever-action shotgun and Colt makes a pump-action rifle (thanks, Wikipedia!). The guns don't have to be original vintage--reproduction guns are preferred by most competitors because they are cheaper and more safe. Plus with CMSA shooting, you will drop your gun in the dirt a lot. So you don't want to drop a pricey antique.

There are many different sanctioning bodies for the different competitive ranks. There is an official Cowboy Action Shooting group (CAS), the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), National Congress of Old West Shooters, Western Action Shootists' Association, etc. I believe that the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) is a branch of SASS, but i'm not 100% sure there. I'm a lazy typer so i am going to use CAS to refer to any of the cowboy shooting competitions that are done NOT on a horse, and CMSA to refer to the ones that are done on a horse.

Competition in a CAS match generally requires four guns: two period revolvers, a shotgun and a rifle chambered in a centerfire pistol caliber of the type in use prior to 1899. Some CAS matches also offer side events for single-shot "buffalo rifles", derringers, etc. Competition is made up of stages, which are always different depending again on the event. Usually, stages typically require ten pistol rounds, nine or ten rifle rounds, and two to eight shotgun rounds. Targets are usually made of steel so that you can hear a hit. Any misses will add 5 seconds to your time. Unsafe behavior is 10 seconds or a DQ depending on what you did. :)

Competition in most CMSA matches requires at least two period revolvers since most courses involve shooting 10 balloons. Sign-up is pretty much the same as a gymkhana or western gaming event--you pick the patterns you want to run, sign up for them, and wait your turn. It is my understanding that CMSA competitors are ONLY allowed to shoot .45 Long Colt caliber revolvers since the event, not the competitor, supplies the blank-loaded ammunition for the competition. That is an important distinction--CAS events use real bullets and shoots real targets, CMSA uses blanks and only shoots balloons.

Lots of companies make replica firearms for these types of events--Ruger, Colt, Uberti, etc. Even the cheap guns are still pretty expensive ($500-$1000) unless you find them used and beat-on. These guns should also be taken to a good gunsmith who understands CAS shooting so that he can do Gunsmith Magic and make the gun easier to cock, lighten the trigger, etc.

It depends on which organization is sanctioning the shooting event, but most require that the competitor wears period costume, although safety glasses must be worn while shooting. I do not believe safety glasses are required for mounted shooting events, although no one would fault you for doing so. I personally am Safety Ranger and always wear glasses and earplugs when mounted shooting, and my horse has earplugs as well. I do not believe that you are penalized for wearing a helmet either, even though that's obviously not period-correct.

CAS matches usually have the shooter competing against the clock, with the fastest time winning. You will remember from my previous post that the "six-guns" are always loaded with only five rounds, with the empty chamber under the hammer. Same with the revolver rifles, and the lever-action rifles do not have a bullet in the chamber until the shooter is on the clock. Similarly, shotguns are usually not even loaded until the timer is running.

Cowboy action and similar organizations are SUPER BIG on safety. At a normal shoot, the guns are kept unloaded except when the shooter loads his gun at a designated "loading table," shoots the stage, and then goes to an unloading table to unload the revolvers and prove that all guns are empty. There is a pre-designated Range Officer who is responsible for safely conducting the shooter through the stage, and it is his/her job to watch the shooter and firearms very closely and immediately stop the shooter if the shooter's gun or ammunition is defective or unsafe in any way. If i am remembering correctly, CMSA events usually have a knowledgeable "loader" who loads your firearms for you so you don't have to juggle horse and guns.

Holy crap, I have been relying on Wikipedia heavily for verification of this information since i have never shot a CAS competition before, and check THIS out:

"While various sanctioning organizations have differing categories, typically such categories would include the following:

• Traditional - Shooters use only pistols with fixed sights.

In 2009, The Single Action Shooting Society split the Traditional category into the following two categories:

• Cowboy - for shooters of all ages.
• Wrangler - for shooters 36 years of age or greater.

• Modern - Shooters may use pistols with adjustable sights.
• Frontier Cartridge - Shooters use black powder rather than smokeless powder in all their guns.
• Frontiersman - Shooter uses cap and ball revolvers, shot duelist style, and side-by-side double-barrel or lever-action shotguns.
• B-Western - Shooters wear clothing inspired by the B-Western films of the '30s and '40s, starring Roy Rogers, William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, and others. "Buscadero" type gunbelt/holster rigs are required, and the shooter must wear spurs.

In addition, there often are categories based on how the shooter fires his guns, such as:

• Duelist - Shooter uses only one hand to fire pistols.
• Gunfighter - Shooter uses two pistols at once when the stage allows, otherwise shoots right-side pistol with right hand only and left-side pistol with left hand only.

All of these categories may also be shot as women's, junior, or senior categories. There is generally no men's category per se, and women may shoot in the same category as the men.

There are many other categories, especially at the local level, but the above are representative of the main types of categories one finds at cowboy action shooting events.

In addition to percussion (cap and ball) weapons, many firearms are center-fire .32 caliber or larger with pistols and rifles chambered in .38 Special and .45 Colt being very popular. Ammunition is generally loaded at medium to full power levels, although many junior shooters or women prefer to shoot lighter calibers (such as .32 and .38). A noted trend among some shooters is to use light loads to reduce recoil and improve their times, this tends to run contrary to the "Spirit of the Game".^[1]"

^{That is BANANAS!!!}

^{Sign me up for B-western though, my boyfriend tells me I look like Dale Evans. :)}