Cowboy Single Action

C

cavelamb

New member
Thinking about doing some CAS shooting with the local group.
I've about settled on a .357 caliber.
I already reload for my 30-30 (not allowed) and would like to
reload for the cowboy stuff as well.
So a single caliber seems reasonable.

Don't have bottomless pockets, but would like to be competitive
on the shooting line.

Who prefers what?
 
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Those two manufacturers and even more are making or contracting to have Uberti or Poiettia build and re-label revolvers for them! FIE had a German Company under contract for both Rimfire and Centerfire S/A's. The Italian manufacturers are very skilled and competent in building these S/A's. They areclose toleranced and built with modern materials making them probablly even BETTER than the origonals! Todays equipment can hold tolerances at thousands of an inch on every piece.
There are even some Factory Customs like the Taylor Smokewagon for one, built with custom spring kits and hand fitting.Optional special barrel lengtnhs foor mounted ridin exhist and were built specifically for that portion of the sport.
Standard revolvers have beenknown to shoot thousands of rounds without a hitch!
If at all possible, do as I did and buy a Ruger Vaqureo. It is chambered in .357 Nagnum and just shooting .38 specials through it, the chances are it will last forever! It's designed for a diet of factory. 357 Magnums without harm! The Rugers are overbuilt and tough as hell!
There are 2 models of Vaqueros, the first mostly just a Blackhawk (slightly larger frame and all) and the New Vaquero, still overbuilt but sized more to the size of the origonal Peacemaker. Rugers have one greatpoint! All springs are coils diminishing the failure rate of the spring to near zero! Yes they cost a little more but you get way more than you pay for.
Choose whatever you can afford and if you stay with the major manufacturers, I doubt you'll be dissapointed.
Remember, for CAS sgooting you need two revolvers. It ain't a cheap sport! Weapons, clothing and acessories can easilly get costs up to the $3000 range for starters! I tried but my other shooting intrests didn't allow me to join into CAS.
Good luck getting started and remember it's all about fun with a strong emphasis on SAFETY!..
ZVP
 
I also like the Uberti Cattleman, or in my case the rebadged Cimarron Model P. But even though 357 Magnum is a smart choice, authentic Cowboy Single Action screams 45Colt or 44-40. I got the 45Colt.
 
If you plan on competing in CAS matches on a serious basis, you will be throwing a lot of bullets down range. I don't think there are many sa revolvers that are made any tougher than the Ruger. Personally, I'd get a Vaquero-which is what I did. Which isn't to say that other sa revolvers won't do the job; just that Ruger sa revolvers have a well-deserved reputation for being durable in the extreme and, as pluses, are relatively affordable and are made by a company that stands behind their products in the unlikely event you ever need a repair.
 
Other factors aside, I don't like .38 or .357 (or smaller) in a SAA type revolver simply because they are heavy. The cylinder and barrel are sized for a .45 and when the hole is smaller, there is more steel left. Some folks might not care, or even notice, but I do.

Jim
 
... & a lever rifle & a shotgun... for most matches...

I shoot classic cowboy, so I shoot 45 Colt out of a pair of stainless Ruger Vaqueros ( mine are montados... a slightly different variation ) Ruger polishes the stainless to where they look loosely like nickel guns & are flashy for CASS, the polished finish is easy for the shooter to touch up blemishes... my rifle is a limited edition Rossi stainless & brass rifle, & my shot gun, is an antique Husquvarna side by side double, hammer gun, that I trimmed to 22"...

I have another set up for MRS, a stainless pair of Ruger Vaqueros in 357, & another limited edition Rossi ( pre safety ) engraved saddle ring carbine in 357 ( I load 38 special for MRS cowboy use ) her shotgun is another Husquvarna side by side double hammer gun, with 20 barrels...

the 357 Rossi I used the 1st year, but it's much "easier" if all your guns use the same ammo, so I bought the lever 45 before my 2nd season... 1st year for MRS, she used a pair of stainless Single Sixes in 32 H&R magnum... & I traded for the pair of 357's last year

BTW... the 32 is the "gamers" choice, as they are the fastest shooting, the single sixes are lighter, as the gun was designed as a 22, & they later chambered it for 32... I load a medium pressure Trailboss powder charge in all my loads, except for the shotguns, which I use reduced recoil factory loads... if your goal is to be the fastest, you'll want the smallest caliber, with the minimum loads needed to meet standards...

Me... I just keep a spread sheet, & try my best to shoot "clean" ( which takes more time ) & to try to better my score each time I shoot... I never worry about the other guys scores, & when I shoot, you can tell I'm not shooting mouse fart loads
 
most stages require 2 - 6 guns with 5 rounds each, one lever gun with 10 rounds, & one shotgun with 4-6 rounds... at least around my neck of the woods

you can see I'm partial to the stainless rugers here...1st row are the 32's, 2nd row are the 357's, 3rd row are the 45's



 
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Magnum Man,

I've been reloading for my 30-30 Winchester '94 long enough now that
I know I want to load my own cartridges for the pistols too.

I have a single station Rock Chuckler, and that's been plenty good enough
for me. I take my time, no rush, no frustration there.
It's enjoyable work.

While I'd love to have a 44-40 Winchester, we have two girls in college,
so most of my mad money goes to UT. Maybe some day?
My wife wants a small wheel gun to carry. That will probably be
a .357/.38, so I thought why not standardize on that and reload for ell
of 'em.

Doubt I'll ever be a quick draw artist.
I was thinking more of a simple working cowboy persona for this gig.

But I'm really worried about my wife here.
She wants to be a dance hall floozie with a derringer in her garter belt!
She also made a couple of remarks about that short barreled Sheriffs model... :eek:

I'm wondering if this dress-up play-acting cause repressed personality issues to surface??
 
G Willikers
If you're serious about doing cowboy shooting, start here:
http://sassnet.com/
And attend a couple of events to see what's what.
Click to expand...

There is a club over near Mansfield (south east of Fort Worth).
That's about 20 wiles west of us.
We are going to visit in a couple of weeks at their next meet.
They said, "bring a couple of boxes of .38 and plan on having fun!"

Sounds like it might be just that.
 
I'm on the opposite side of the country, but think you'll find cowboy shooters to be a pretty friendly group... likely to offer letting you shoot their guns...

BTW... there are always used guns for sale, as the other shooters "upgrade" so if you're doing it for fun, you can get into it slowly...

my 1st year shooting, I often shot against a gal, whose man was into it, & she was shooting with his hand me down, she had one 357 revolver, & one 45 revolver... BTW... that 1st year, she often had a better score than I did :o

even if your calibers don't match you can still have fun... & I definitely agree, you'll see the hidden flamboyant sides to these shooters...

mine & MRS persona is of a hard working, but "better off" cattle buster couple... being in classic cowboy class, requires some costume... I generally wear chinks, a well worn pair of cowboy boots with spurs, a pair of button fly jeans, that I added suspender buttons to, a pair of suspenders, a western shirt, a vest, & a vintage working mans pocket watch... oh... can't forget the hat ( I never dress cowboy outside of shooting, yet have 3 decent wool felt hats )... around here they don't like the straw hats, & the wool can be quite warm in July... I'm guessing TX may be more liberal in the hat department ???MRS usually just jeans & a shirt, but if you attend any of the state or regional shoots, you'll find vendors where you can spend a lot of money on women's costumes
 
To play the game, you'll need the four guns mentioned. Plus leather for the two handguns. It's like golf, somewhat, in that you don't play with just one club.
The .38 caliber is quite common because it's cheap to load for & offers less recoil.

Local clubs will typically have members who'll let you borrow to get started, but you can't run off other people's equipment indefinitely.
Denis
 
Local clubs will typically have members who'll let you borrow to get started, but you can't run off other people's equipment indefinitely.
Denis
Click to expand...

Wouldn't dream of it.

My wife's father got to get two guns a year - one for his birthday, one for Christmas. I think I can work with that...
 
I attended my first cowboy match four years ago. I showed up with a couple hundred rounds of .38 Special ammo (lead bullets at a modest velocity that met the SASS requirements) and a box of 12 gauge game loads.

People loaned me guns all day. I was able to try a variety of different guns which helped me make informed decisions. Avoid buying the WRONG guns and then having to buy again.

The .38/.357 is an excellent choice. Easier to shoot and much less expensive to feed than the larger calibers. In our local club matches we shoot 120 rounds out of the revolvers and rifle in each match. The savings add up. That said, if someone just wants to shoot a large caliber, go for it.

The Rugers are very popular. I shoot Ruger New Vaqueros and think they are great. The Colt "clones" (primary Uberti and Piettas) have a different feel that some folks prefer. Any of these revolvers will serve, so try them all and get the one that "speaks" to you.

Almost every month someone in our club there are used guns for sale. Many of them have had action work. Often you can get a "race ready" gun for less than the cost of a new gun, and save yourself some money and trouble.

Cowboy action shooting is a blast. A great group of folks.
 
And you'll be shooting moderate to low velocity straight lead, so don't show up with jacketed or +P stuff. :)
Denis
 
You'll do a LOT of shooting

If you run a colt repro then you will need a box of spare parts to replace them when they start to wear out.

If you go with Ruger then you won't need that parts box.
 
Actually, I didn't.

Why do I need two?

(Not that I have an emotional problem with buying two!)
Click to expand...

Howdy

Because that is the way the game is played.

When Cowboy Action Shooting started back in the 1980s, it started out pretty much as a one pistol affair, but very soon pretty much all the clubs went to two pistols. Why? Because they could. It actually does not say anywhere in the rules that two pistols are required, but that is the way almost every scenario I have shot in the last ten years has been written. There are always a few who gripe that most real cowboys did not have two pistols, but mainstream CAS is not historical re-creation, it is a fantasy game, and two pistols makes for more shooting, plain and simple.

You might want to check out the Shooter's Handbook:

http://www.sassnet.com/Downloads/SASSHandbookVers19-2014.pdf

Yes, most shooters who are serious competitors shoot 38 Specials in both their pistols and their rifles. Many shooters who just have to have a 45 eventually discover that they are not competitive unless they download the cartridge to recoil levels of a lightly loaded 38. 45 Colt often does not do too well when loaded that lightly.

Then there are guys like me who march to a different drummer and don't give a hoot how fast we shoot. I shoot 45 Colt, 45 Schofield, and 44-40 all stuffed to the gills with Black Powder.
 
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