New shooter orientation

Now if you are looking for some "down-loadable" videos of what we do and how to get started then click on the links below. They have been recommended by our new T.G. as a good look-see...

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Cowboy Action Shooting will be held at Rio Salado Sportsman's Club. Matches are held on the first Saturday of each month on the Practical Pistol Range. Sign up will be between 8:00 & 9:00 am with the competition starting at 9:00am Contestants will compete with firearms typical of the Old West. Entry fee is $8.00 for members and $10.00 for non-members.

The main match will consist of between four and eight stages (depending on weather and the number of contestants) in which we will fire on steel targets. Scoring will be based on accuracy and speed.

Prior to the main match there will be long range pistol and rifle events held on the High Power range on the north end of the Practical Pistol bays. Categories are Long Range Pistol, Lever Rifle-Pistol Caliber, Lever Rifle-Rifle Caliber and Single Shot. The cost for each side match is $3.00. Fees are paid at the site of the long range match - NOT at the stat. house.

At the conclusion of the match there will be other side matches prior to handing out match awards (also depending on the weather - not during the summer). These matches include Team shoots, Pocket Pistol, Derringer, 22 caliber or Top Gun. There is no additional charge for competing in these matches. Certificates will be awarded for best men's and lady's costume and for clean matches.

EQUIPMENT and SHOOTER CATEGORIES
Originals and reproductions of firearms manufactured during the early to late 1800's including Colts, Winchesters, Remingtons, Smith & Wessons, Marlins, Sharps, and Henrys are allowed in SASS competitions, so long as they are in safe shooting condition.

RIFLES (Main, Team and Side matches (not Long Range or Precision Rifle)
Any lever or slide action, tubular fed, exposed hammer rifle or carbine manufactured before 1899, or any reproduction thereof.

Centerfire, .25 caliber or larger.
Rifle must be in a "pistol" caliber (e.g., not .30-30, 30.06, or .45-70)
Only open iron sights or original style tang mounted peep sights are allowed.
Barrel must be BATF legal, over 16" in length.
Rifles with box magazines may not be used.

SHOTGUNS
Any side by side shotgun typical of the era without automatic ejectors, with or without external hammers, with single or double triggers. Any lever action or pump shotgun with an exposed hammer (e.g., Winchester Model 1887 or 1897). Military configurations are not allowed.

No larger bore than 10 gauge and no smaller than 20 gauge.
All shotguns must have a BATF legal barrel, over 18" in length.
Number 4 lead birdshot or smaller must be used in all events (no steel or plated shot).
Magnum and high-velocity loads are not allowed.
Pump and lever action shotguns are allowed to load no more than two rounds at a time in the main match stages unless specified in the stage description. Single loading the pump/lever shotguns is always acceptable. In team events, shotguns may be loaded to their maximum magazine capacity.

REVOLVERS
Cowboy Action Shooters are divided into classes based on the type of "six-gun," propellant, and shooting style he or she uses. Shooter classes include Traditional, Modern, Black Powder (also called Frontier Cartridge) and Duelist. We also have Junior and Senior classes as well as Women's Traditional and Women's Modern. Other Women's classes may be made available if there are enough contestants to justify them.

Although the .32 caliber revolvers and .36 caliber cap and ball pistols are legal, they may not be powerful enough to handle all reactive targets. To the extent possible, reactive targets are set to fall when squarely hit with a standard .38 Special 125 gr. factory load.

MODERN
Any .32 caliber or larger single action cartridge revolver with adjustable sights.

Two Traditional revolvers cannot be used in the Modern category. For two-revolver stages, it is permissible for one revolver to be a Traditional style handgun. For one-revolver stages, a Modern handgun must be used.

Examples: Colt New Frontier, Ruger Blackhawk and .32 caliber Single Six, and Ruger New Model Bisley.

TRADITIONAL
Single action cartridge, percussion, or blackpowder cartridge conversion revolver manufactured prior to 1896, or reproduction thereof.

.32 caliber or larger.
Must have non-adjustable, traditional, notch-style sights. Dovetailed front or rear sights are acceptable for blackpowder cartridge conversion firearms if they conform to sights commonly found on the originals.
May use any appropriate propellant.

Examples: Colt SAA; Ruger Vaquero; Smith & Wesson American, Russian, or Schofield; Remington Models '75 or '90; Bisleys; and their reproductions.

The Ruger Old Army percussion revolver with traditional, non-adjustable sights is a "Traditional style" pistol. The same gun in the model having adjustable rear sights must compete in the Modern category.

BlACK POWDER (FRONTIER CARTRIDGE)
Traditional style percussion or cartridge single action revolvers of original manufacture prior to 1896 or reproductions thereof.

.32 caliber or larger.
Must use blackpowder in all loads (rifle, six-gun, and shotgun).
Must use a side by side or lever action shotgun in the main match stages.
Any SASS legal pistol caliber rifle is acceptable.

NOTE: Frontier Cartridge competitors may use any SASS legal firearms and propellants in team and side matches.

DUELIST
Requires a Traditional style single action revolver cocked and fired one-handed, unsupported. The revolver, hand, or shooting arm may not be touched by the off-hand. Any SASS legal shotgun, rifle, or propellant (blackpowder or smokeless) may be used.

GUNFIGHTER
The Gunfighter category is described below, however, currently it is not a separate class for the monthly matches at Rio Salado. Contestants who wish to shoot gunfighter style must have the approval of the match director and will be scored as part of the Duelist class for award purposes.

This category is sometimes called "double duelist" and requires two Traditional style single actions, both shot Duelist style, one right handed and the other left handed. Any shotgun, rifle, or propellant may be used.

When the stage calls for ten pistol rounds in a single sequence, the Gunfighter shall engage the targets with a six-gun in each hand, shooting each gun alternately, and shooting the targets in exactly the same sequence as prescribed in the stage scenario (e.g., if the stage calls for sweeping a bank of targets left to right and then right to left, the Gunfighter will sweep the bank of targets left to right, firing each pistol alternately, and then sweep the bank right to left, shooting each pistol alternately). If only a single pistol is required for a stage, either pistol may be used.

Two standard holsters are required, one on each side. No cross-draw configurations are allowed.

Both pistols may be cocked at the same time, but must be shot one at a time to facilitate scoring.

In the event of a malfunction while using both pistols, the Gunfighter will keep both pistols pointed in a safe direction, shoot the functioning pistol empty, and holster it. If the pistol that malfunctioned cannot be cleared, it will then be handed off to a Range Officer or otherwise made safe and the stage completed in the best manner possible.

At no time is it acceptable for either pistol to be held in an unsafe position (e.g., one pistol behind the other).

WOMEN, JUNIOR, and SENIOR, COMPETITORS
Without obligation to do so, any match may define additional shooting categories for women, junior, and senior competitors. These categories incorporate the following standards.

"Juniors" are defined as persons aged twelve through sixteen. The category may be subdivided by gender. Caution is urged in allowing competitors under age 12. Parental consent is required for all competitors under twenty-one years of age.
The women's category may be subdivided according to the use of Modern and Traditional handguns as well as shooting style, e.g., Lady Duelist. (Currently Rio Salado has Women's Modern & Traditional classes only)
"Seniors" are competitors 60 years of age or greater. Senior Duelist is a recognized senior category.

Note: Only juniors may shoot as Juniors. Only females may shoot as Women. Only seniors may shoot as Seniors. There are no men's categories. No competitor is compelled to shoot in one of these categories by reason of his or her age or gender. A competitor may compete in any category for which they qualify. Any woman, junior, or senior who wishes to compete under one of the six basic shooting categories may do so. For example, a junior female shooting a Colt one handed with blackpowder rounds may elect to shoot as a Junior, a Woman, a Traditional, a Frontier Cartridge, or a Duelist competitor.

FIREARMS RESTRICTIONS

Firearms of all approved types should be maintained in as original exterior condition as possible. The firearm must "look" period
No visible external modifications other than (non-rubber) grips, recoil pads on shotguns, and leather wrapping (e.g., rifle levers) are allowed
Contemporary rubber grips, modern target grips, and grip tape are not allowed. Replacement grips of wood, ivory, pearl, stag horn, bone, and the like are perfectly acceptable so long as they are not severely customized to constitute a "target" grip. That is, they must be of original shape and scale.
Minor exterior modifications and cosmetic engraving are acceptable so long as the overall outward appearance of the firearm is not altered. Cosmetic embellishment such as engraving is permitted to the extent it does not create a competitive advantage. For example, back strap checkering or stippling is not allowed. Engraving your alias on the back strap is permissible.
Modifying the stock length to fit you or changing a barrel to a different legal length is acceptable.
Colored sights and sight inserts are not allowed. Sight outlines or inserts must be blackened or removed (e.g., Marlin's Cowboy Rifle factory sights).
Trigger shoes, compensating ports, counter weights, bull barrels and all other such modifications are prohibited.
A stage disqualification is issued for use of any nonlegal SASS firearm at matches above the club level.

General "Spirit of the Game" guidance....if you have to ask permission to use something because it offers you a competitive advantage, the response will nearly always be "no".

HOLSTERS, CARTRIDGE BELTS and BANDOLEERS

All handguns must be carried in a safe holster capable of retaining the firearm throughout a normal range of motion.
Holsters must be located one on each side of the belly button and separated by at least the width of two fists.
Cross-draws may not depart from the vertical by more than 30 degrees.
Ammunition required for reloads during the course of any stage must be carried on the shooter's person in a bandoleer, belt, pouch, or pocket. Rifle and pistol ammunition may not be carried in a shotgun loop, the mouth, ears, nose, cleavage, or any other bodily orifice.
Bandoleers, cartridge belts, and pouches must be of traditional design. That is, modern drop pouches, combat-style shotgun loops, wrist or forearm bandoleers, and such are not allowed. Pouches shall have a flap and must carry their contents loose, with no special provisions to organize the contents for rapid retrieval. Leather belt slide ammo loops are acceptable.
Cartridge loops must not have a metal or plastic liner.
Ammo belts must be worn around the waist (at or below the belly button).
Shotgun ammo loops must conform to the shooters contour (i.e., not tilt out from the belt).
Cartridge loops mounted on a firearm's stock or forearm are not allowed.

AMMUNITION

Revolver ammunition must have a muzzle velocity less than 1,000 fps. Rifle ammunition must have a muzzle velocity less than 1,400 fps. Ammunition suspected of exceeding these velocity restrictions may be examined by the rangemaster. Shooters may be held responsible for damage caused to a target or injury to personnel due to "bounce-back" because of illegal ammunition. This major safety violation is grounds for "instant disqualification" and ejection from the match.
Revolver and (main match) rifle ammunition may not be jacketed, semi-jacketed, plated, gas checked, or copper washed. It must be all lead. "Moly" coated bullets or equivalent are acceptable.
Revolver and rifle ammunition must be of "single projectile" design. "Multiple projectile" bullets are illegal.
Ammunition with bullets recessed below the case mouth is disallowed.
Throughout this manual, blackpowder means blackpowder, Pyrodex, Black Mag, or comparable propellants. Any combination of smokeless and blackpowders (so called duplex loads) is specifically prohibited.

TARGETS
Cowboy Action Shooting^TM is not intended to be a precision shooting competition. Small targets and long distances take the "action" out of the game and make it more discouraging for newer shooters.

Both experienced and inexperienced shooters want hits on their targets. Some folks just hit (or miss) a little faster than others. Too many misses, or the perception the targets are too difficult to hit, discourage folks from continuing to play, especially the less proficient shooters.
Ask any experienced Cowboy Action Shooter, and she or he will tell you there is no such thing as a target too big or too close to miss!

Metal and paper targets of generous size are used. Reactive targets such as pepper poppers and falling plates are used when practical to enhance shooter feedback and spectator appeal.
Targets are set at close to medium range. There are no absolute rules, but we suggest the following distances, by firearm, if using a target approximately 16" X 16":
- Revolver - 7 to 10 yards
- Shotgun - 8 to 16 yards
- Rifle - 13 to 50 yards

SCORING and TIMING
Rio Salado Cowboy Action Shooting Society matches are scored based upon elapsed shooting time and penalty points for missed targets and/or course violations. Each stage is scored individually and combined scores will be used to determine the competitor's place of finish in the match.

Each missed target results in a 5 second penalty. Unintentional course violations ("Procedurals") result in a 10 second penalty. No more than one procedural penalty will be given out per stage.

Minor safety infractions occurring during a course of fire that do not directly endanger persons will result in a ten-second penalty. "Minor" safety infractions are occurrences such as failure to open a long gun's action at the conclusion of a shooting string or failure to return a handgun to a holster at the conclusion of a shooting string..

CLOTHING and ACCOUTERMENTS
Cowboy Action Shooting^TM is a combination of historical re-enactment and Saturday morning at the matinee. Participants may choose the style of costume they wish to wear, but all clothing must be typical of the late 19th century, a B-western movie, or Western television series.

There is a great deal of emphasis on costuming because it adds so much to the uniqueness of our game and helps create a festive, informal atmosphere that supports the friendly, fraternal feeling we encourage in our competitors.

All shooters must be in costume, and we encourage invited guests and family also to be costumed.

Denims of the Wrangler, Levi, and Lee variety are acceptable. Designer jeans (the ones with the colored piping and name embroidered on the pocket) are not allowed.

Contemporary cowboy shirts with snap fronts are okay, but not even very B-western. Inexpensive cotton work shirts with button fronts are available at Sears, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and J.C. Penney stores. These are much more representative of the type of shirt worn in the late 1800's.

Tennis shoes/sneakers are not allowed. If you can't afford cowboy boots than a pair of leather work boots will do fine.

Visit with the other shooters at your local club. They have great ideas about how to assemble a Cowboy Action wardrobe.

OUTLAWED

Modern shooting gloves
Short sleeve shirts
Modern feathered cowboy hats (Shady Bradys). Straw hats of traditional design (e.g., Stetson, Bailey, sombreros,) are acceptable.
Designer jeans
Ball caps
Tennis, running, jogging, or aerobic shoes (Indian moccasins work well for relaxing after a long day in boots.)
Clothing displaying manufacturer"s or sponsor"s badges or logos.
Nylon, plastic, or Velcro accouterments