Cowboy Guns Competition without Costumes

E

EdInk

New member
I've been asking about it and after searching this board it seems to be a shared interest.

Would you be interested in cowboy shooting matches if you did not have to dress up in the costumes?

If you currently shoot cowboy events would you be deeply upset if participants had the option of wearing a costume or not, knowing that it would bring alot of new shooters into the game?
 
You do not have to be dressed like someone that stepped out of an 1880s photograph in order to shoot in a SASS Match. While the SASS Handbook says:

Cowboy Action Shooting™ is a combination of historical reenactment 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.

A long sleeve western shirt, cowboy boots and non-designer blue jeans will meet the "or Western Television Series' criteria.

NCOWS now, that is a different story.

FM
 
I don't want dress up like a cowboy at all! I want to wear regular clothes. Maybe it's just me but I think the whole dressing up is great if you're into playing pretend but I think there are alot of people who are turned off by the costumes.

Kind of like an armed star trek convention. Nothing wrong with liking Mr. Spock but when you start wearing the ears it's a whole different thing. Slot of the SASS seem real nice that I've talked to online but I simply can't convince myself to dress up even in the minimum attire. It is corny to me. I think the important thing us the love of the guns. Maybe even have a seperate division or something? The costume guys could enter both by saying that's hoe they normally dress.

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way?
 
I've played cowboy shoots and had fun, I've also shot my older type guns in modern shoots, which was also fun. I may be more likely to shoot "cowboy type" shoots if the dress wasnt as much of a part of it. For some, thats a big part of why they shoot cowboy shoots, so I guess that's why its the way it is.

I reckon I don't want to dress a particular way to go shoot either. I dress a little different than most people in the 21st century, but not exactly cowboy.
 
The difference is that Star Trek is science fiction and people really DID dress like they do for CAS 100yrs ago. I would probably qualify for a CAS match about 90% of the time when I'm just going to town to buy cattle or poultry feed. To me, lots of "modern" dress is a hell of a lot sillier than a Stetson and a pair of Tony Lama's. Folks don't seem to have too much of a problem with pants hanging under their butt cheeks, backwards hats and big fat gold chains. So I don't feel too silly in my cowboy hat and one of fourteen pairs of cowboy boots. :rolleyes:

To keep things in perspective, the age of modern man is about 10,000yrs. Is it really that big of a deal to dress like they did 100yrs ago???
 
The dress code does help to keep certain folks away so that all of the others who are serious enough about the sport to meet the minimum dress requirements don't have to wait all day to shoot.
Apparently the requirement works. :rolleyes:

I don't want dress up like a cowboy at all! I want to wear regular clothes. Maybe it's just me but I think the whole dressing up is great if you're into playing pretend but I think there are alot of people who are turned off by the costumes.
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dress

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way?
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No, you are not. Reenactment - while fun and interesting for some - is not for me, not at any level. The shooting, though, looks like a whole lot of fun.
Pete
 
The only part of the cowboy shooting that I do not fit into is the hat category. They will not allow me to wear a ball cap. The only time I wear what could be considered a cowboy hat (or any other type of hat for that matter) is when it is raining.
But I think it is a good idea to try to set up a match on your own. Word of mouth may get it to take off and you'll be having lots of fun.
 
To me the outfit is half the fun right down to Mexican spurs with big rowels and jinglebobs. If I want to shoot in everyday clothes I'll do it in the back yard.
 
I'm just wonderin', did everyone wear a hat in the 1890's? Were people "naked" without a hat on? "Don't come in, I'm not wearing my hat!!!!":D
 
How about the flip side of the coin?

"I like the costuming, but I wanna shoot my 686 & Beretta 92, Marlin Camp .45, and Benelli shotgun instead."

Wear the clothes, or stay home. How could anyone ever look on this as being "corny"?
GoodGuyJbar.jpg


Well, OK... maybe just a little. :D C'mon, the costuming is a major part of the game!
 
CAS ain't my thing but its somebody's thing, so they can shoot it however they please. The salient point is that regardless of our individual opinion of the game, it gets a lot of folks out shooting- who might not otherwise. Shooters really do vote, although you couldn't tell it by the '08 election. When they're galvanized however, we have a '94' and politicos tend to remember those for a long time.

The get-up is part of the game. You wouldn't participate in a Civil War reenactment dressed like Liberace, so I guess I don't really get it.

PS...LOL Jbar4, ...If I had to wear a sky blue, crotch length scarf like that- I want a gun in each hand too!
 
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You can shoot your modern guns dressed like a cowboy!

That is exactly the point. You can wear your spurs that jingle jangle and shoot any other competition. I think it is ridiculous to require people to look like an extra on Bonanza to shoot in otherwise cool event. I think it is just snobbery. It isn't a reenactment of Dodge city, it's a shooting competition.

Muzzle loading shooters don't have to dress up in racoon caps to shoot. It is not relevant to the shooting in anyway. People should decide do they enjoy shooting or playing dress up? One is more important or it least it should be IMO.

If there are any SASS type club members reading this does yooir particularclub ever allow people to shoot it regular clothes or do you shun them away.
 
B.L.E. said:
I'm just wonderin', did everyone wear a hat in the 1890's? Were people "naked" without a hat on? "Don't come in, I'm not wearing my hat!!!!"
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It appears that they mostly did in Oregon:
Lords-Toledo%20Men%201890.JPG


And Dodge City:
11.hat.jpg


And Texas:
08.CoD.1894.75.jpg

Captain Hughe's Texas Ranger company, 1894
 
I just joined the SASS but will probably let my membership expire, I don't think the whole dressing up is for me, BUT those that like it sure look like they have a lot of fun, my local club has a SASS group they do the whole thing but I can't stand cowboy boots, I've never found a pair I like and I've owned many different ones.
But for a hat I'd get one of the chin strap type and just let it hang.
 
Dress

I did not like the idea of dressing like a cowboy. BUT I do now out of respect for the guys in our club that built the cowboy town. Like most clubs only very few do the work, I am sure most of you whitness that in your club's. If you have ever run a shoot of any kind it's not that easy. So if we want to shoot those targets and guns of that era I can't see what would be so hard to at least do the minimum considering all the extra work others are doing. I bought my hat at a garage sale for a buck and wear an old pair of wellingtons I had laying around.
 
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