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I think it would be a bit arderous to shoot a whole match with cap and ball and again would worry about being that guy that slows everything up. It would be fun if there was a side match that you could enter. One that was fairly common at IPSC matches BINTD was a straight up speed shoot. 5 steel plates with a rope reset lever. you could enter as many time as you wanted and the fastest run of the day won the pot. usually you get five runs for your money and threw out your slowest run so your score was your combined time of 4 best runs. for cap and ball it would be better to have it be two runs. again so you would not hold up the works too long. bring two pistols and have them both loaded before the stage. ..

It is tougher than running cartridges. However it is doable.mI have shot several tough six stage matches in a non-SASS category called Jesey Wales. You use up to 6 cap and ball pistols for the pistol, rifle and shotgun targets. Lots of fun!
 
Cowboy action shooters have been the most welcoming and helpful group of shooters I've ever encountered. But, like everything else, you have your occasional prima dona, that doesn't want to be bothered, asked questions of, or help anyone, but... for the most part, most folks will go as far as loan you guns and ammo if you show the least bit of interest. Most matches (monthlies) are attended by between 15-50 people, entrants are divided up into "posses" and run on one or more stages, between 12-17 folks are optimum, you will have a timer operator, score keeper, 3 spotters, an unloading table officer, the balance will be lining up to load up and shoot. If you shoot near the front of group, then man the unloading table while you charge your pistols for the next stage, you won't hold up the posse as they move from one stage to the next. Whether it takes you 60 seconds to shoot a stage, or 120, most match directors know the average time is about 90 seconds from one starting beep, to the next. With some shooters shooting a 3 gun, 24 shot stage in under 20 seconds, it averages out. Holding up the progress of the match will be the least of your worries. Remembering the shooting order after the buzzer sounds is far more problematic!

As far as modified guns go, having smoothed, reliable and well functioning firearms makes a match a far more fun experience. ..., or breaking parts on your sixgun, you'll soon either quit or get them tuned up. Trust me, my guns started out stock. ...,

BTW. ...,I carry my capper to the firing line in a vest pocket for the rare instance I have a cap fall off, or a faulty cap. My advice, contact the local club and let them know you're interested and what equipment you have, and how they'd like to see you proceed. If you any more questions ask away, I'll try to answer. Like I said, nearly 38 years of playing this game gives me a little perspective.
 
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At present all i have is one pietta but i am asking around and keeping my eye open for a pair of steel framed 58s. As far as the long guns, i am going to look in the used market and maybe meet folks that want to sell their gear.
I appreciate all of this information.
 
At present all i have is one pietta but i am asking arpund and keeping my eye open for a pair of steel framed 58s. As far as the long guns, i am going to look in the used market and maybe meet folks tgat want to sell their gear.
I appreciate all of this information.
It can become an obsession. I wasn’t in the game all that long, and it was some time ago, but for percussion pistols I still have 3 regular length 58s, 3 sheriff length 58s (all 45 cal) 3 regular length 51s, 3 sheriff length (all 36 cal) plus more extras of each than I am sure of. And plenty of extra cylinders. Then there was the conversion stage….

Wish you luck, whatever you decide to do.
 
I’m a life member of SASS but I quit a few years ago when all the targets were moved in close and it became a money and speed game instead of a marksmanship game.
How far were the targets before?
 
I’m a life member of SASS but I quit a few years ago when all the targets were moved in close and it became a money and speed game instead of a marksmanship game.
To be fair, most self defense is done up close and personal.
 
I got out of CAS years ago due to the increasing number of "speed freaks" and the fact that it was hard to compete without dropping hundreds of extra dollars in to an action job on each gun and shooting a thousand rounds a week. I don't expect to win but it's nice to have a chance, couldn't afford the action jobs, or the ammo to practice like that. Nor did I have the time. Oh well, don't really miss it.
 
I got out of CAS years ago due to the increasing number of "speed freaks" and the fact that it was hard to compete without dropping hundreds of extra dollars in to an action job on each gun and shooting a thousand rounds a week. I don't expect to win but it's nice to have a chance, couldn't afford the action jobs, or the ammo to practice like that. Nor did I have the time. Oh well, don't really miss it.
Im not there to win or spend too much. It will all just be about spending time with my old lady, cycling weapons, using old tech in the modern era, and meeting new folks.
That is the goal for us at present.
 
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I’ve shoot several matches over the years with my 1860 Uberti’s. My only modifications are the cylinder throats have been reamed to .4525 and hence I use .457 balls (like a Ruger old army). The other mod is the cap clearance groove on the frame has been opened up just like the originals. I do not have cap fragment issues.

I use 35 grains of whatever by volume. I believe any gun should be shot with loads in the manner in which they were designed. Period! Although felt wad between the powder and primer. I can go
Six stages without issues. We are permitted to load the cylinders behind the lines (no capping). At the loading bench I prick the nipples before capping and after caps are installed I make sure they are seated. The pricking and seating of nipples and caps is the most important step for me.

Good luck!
 
I’ve shoot several matches over the years with my 1860 Uberti’s. My only modifications are the cylinder throats have been reamed to .4525 and hence I use .457 balls (like a Ruger old army). The other mod is the cap clearance groove on the frame has been opened up just like the originals. I do not have cap fragment issues.

I use 35 grains of whatever by volume. I believe any gun should be shot with loads in the manner in which they were designed. Period! Although felt wad between the powder and primer. I can go
Six stages without issues. We are permitted to load the cylinders behind the lines (no capping). At the loading bench I prick the nipples before capping and after caps are installed I make sure they are seated. The pricking and seating of nipples and caps is the most important step for me.

Good luck!
Pricking the cap? I havent heard of that. Ill have to do some research
 
I haven't heard of pricking the caps either.
Where is that done? If directly on the face I'm assuming ignition doesn't flame cut the face of the hammer?
 
Most SASS clubs will have a special category for cap n ball, and group them in the same posse, so they don't "slow down" the rest of the shooters. And most of the guys that shoot in that category load paper cartridges using the Guns of the West kit.
 
SASS has a category just for you: Frontiersman; requires BP or a sub in all 3 firearms. Handguns can be any cap & ball revolver of .36 caliber or larger (less than .50, btw), 5 or 6 shots. 5-shooters must have the hammer rested on a pin between chambers. Unlike cartridge guns, there is no minimum power factor or fps... Additionally, cap & ball revolvers are legal in EVERY SASS category, so while my comments are directed toward Frontiersman, you can enter another category & shoot that heathen smokeless in your rifle & shotgun. A couple of the categories have restrictions on bore size and model rifle or shotgun, but that's a wholly different topic.

I'll answer your Shotgun question first. Just about any firearm has an equal opportunity to come off the assembly line on Monday and Friday. You pays your money & takes your chances. However, that said, I have a pair of IGA Stoegers I bought back in 1985 when I started shooting CAS matches. The only thing I've done to either was to disconnect the "auto" safety feature. Safety still works, just doesn't engage every time you open the gun. I prefer double trigger guns, and while most are set up with the front trigger being the right bbl, a lot of folks swap the triggers as they can engage the second (rear) trigger faster. I've left mine alone. Most speed freaks in this game use a single trigger gun, the SKB 100 & 200s being the most popular, with the Browning BSS a close second. The most work will be simply smoothing up the action, polishing the chambers to aid extraction, & smoothing, lightly removing square edges off extractors. "Funnelling" the chamber mouth is touted as being the cat's meow for loading ease, but, IMO takes years off the life of the gun. I've seen relatively new guns ruined by this butchery. The shotgun is where you win or lose a match, but... practice is far more beneficial than any so-called "trick" 'smithing.

I have used a ASM 1851 since 1986 when only one sixgun was required. It has been modified with a Manhattan conversion, & a Ruger handspring & plunger. I now have 5 Colt 2nd & 3rd Gen 1851, 3 of which have the same modifications as the ASM. I do have 2 spare cylinders, but... they're in reserve, not utilized for matches, just in my spare parts inventory. My guns also have "Heinie" trigger/bolt springs ala, a Colt Peacemaker (SAA). Mostly a drop in part but might need the trigger leg shortened a bit. I now use SlixShot nipples exclusively, (I've used Tresos and factory nipples, and find the SlixShots the best of all). I typically load the two guns I'm going to shoot for the day at home (powder, lube wad & ball only), and then can simply cap at the loading table, using the same cap one, skip one, cap four that one would use with any Colt type action, this sets the pistol up that after capping that 4th in row, pull to full cock and ease the hammer down on the uncapped nipple. I do charge all six chambers, but only cap the five. I've never had a chain fire, but one could happen, I suppose, any time. After shooting my stage, and clearing my guns, I set up on the unloading table (a position to ensure everyone's guns are fully emptied at the end of the stage), and charge my guns for the next stage. I try to ensure I shoot early enough in the rotation to accomplish this. It usually takes me between 3 & 4 shooters to charge my guns. Instead of a "Manhattan" conversion one can go with a "cap rake" to keep spent caps out of the action. An "Action guard" is a new to me thing, and I can see the benefit of having one installed, tho' I haven't yet. I load my .36s with 15 grains of Goex, (probably a little less as I load from a flask with my thumb over the spout and this makes a depression in the powder the spout holds), a lubed wad (usually from Cabela's, available on-line), and a .375 round ball. I don't bother with lube over the ball, makes a mess for questionable benefit. I don't know how using a sub could affect my reliability as I haven't used them as yet... (rather since I quit back in 1987 using "rust in a can," aka: Pyrodex). I can shoot all six stages at our monthly matches without disassembling the gun, or even really wiping 'em down. (Actually, I've fired several 3-day matches without cleaning or more than a cursory wipe down between day one and the end of the match). I doubt the most strident Pyrodex supporter would attempt that)! I use a Ted Cash snail capper, usually holds enough caps for a couple of monthly matches... may need topping off if not completely full to start. I prefer Remington #10s, but have used RWS 1075s & CCI #11s. Remington #10 have a longer skirt and hold better (IMO), but often need "seating" to be fully seated. I either use a bit of flattened antler as a "seater" or simply flip the capper around in my hand to use the backside of the capper to get the cap fully seated on the nipple. Failure to do so sometimes results in needing a second pull of the hammer to fire the cap, and that takes unneeded time. In my 30s, 40s and even into my 50s I was a fairly good competitor, winning several matches in my category... now in my 70s, I'm not so inclined and often find myself just loafing along, working on "clean" stages and matches. Frontiersman category requires one handed shooting, which I neither enjoy, nor practice at. So I'm slow... get over it, or practice... the 8th deadly sin IMO! LOL!

Lastly, the rifle: Fast shooters prefer the 1873. And to be fast it needs a short stroke kit. They can be installed by a competent mechanically inclined do-it-yourselfer. For the Uberti version, you'll also want to replace the lifter, lever & trigger block springs. I use SlixSprings in both my 1873s & 1860. Fast shooters prefer 38/357 chambering, but you'll probably need to anneal your brass to keep the action from fouling out, same with 45 Colt (all 3 of my toggle-links are 45s)... although I've trimmed my carrier block to be really loose, (taking about .005" off each side) and can run my rifle for that same 3-day match without bothering to tear it down to clean... Tho' in all honesty, I have noticed a slowing of it towards the end of that 3rd day! The .44-40 can be a bear to load if you're not paying attention to details, but is by far the cleaner option, as would .38-40. But... as with the .44-40 & 45 Colt, reducing BP loads is a bit more problematic (I don't care for fillers). I have my 1860 converted to fire the Cowboy45Special (a 45ACP length case with a 45 Colt rim) and can shoot as light as a 160 bullet with reduced powder charge with impunity. However, because it's a straight walled case, fouling is a problem. Because of the modifications to the carrier, I don't feel as confident thinning it down as I do with the factory carrier. I've just acquired an annealing machine and will experimenting with that in the next few months.

Here's a new book by an icon in the game: George Balyor's "Big Bad Book on Cowboy Action Shooting". I haven't read it yet, but if his articles in the SASS Chronicle are anything to go by, it'll be worth the investment.
Very interesting info. A little too intense for me being a dirt road plinker.
 
Wife and I started in SASS in 1996. Rules were simple then. No external modifications to the firearms and everything else was don't do anything to you guns that they didn't do or know about in the 1800s. Never knew anyone who shot Frontiersman that slowed anyone down every. Then people wanted to go faster and the "fast" shooters wanted to go ever faster,,, then the rules started to change... not so much in the rule book but in the interpretation. One top shooter wanted some external modifications that were not allowed. Got a manufacturer to make them to his specific specs and then it was not making any modifications.... it was like that at the factory!! Short stroke kits were not available during the 1800s but eventually they were allowed. Just a few remarks to see the other side of the story. Rant over!
 
Installing my new slixshot cones. They are a bit bigger and better looking with ports. Interesting, yet expensive. If i buy more cylinders i gotta buy more cones...lol
A cruel fact of any hobby. Smh
 

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Wife and I started in SASS in 1996. Rules were simple then. No external modifications to the firearms and everything else was don't do anything to you guns that they didn't do or know about in the 1800s. Never knew anyone who shot Frontiersman that slowed anyone down every. Then people wanted to go faster and the "fast" shooters wanted to go ever faster,,, then the rules started to change... not so much in the rule book but in the interpretation. One top shooter wanted some external modifications that were not allowed. Got a manufacturer to make them to his specific specs and then it was not making any modifications.... it was like that at the factory!! Short stroke kits were not available during the 1800s but eventually they were allowed. Just a few remarks to see the other side of the story. Rant over!
Cowboy action has been about speed from the very beginning... otherwise why time events. ..., Lowered hammers on sixguns, while visible, were allowed under the "my wife & kids need this modification so they can shoot..." whining. And while I can see .32 Single Sixes for the kids and smaller spouses, but you, big fella, at 6'2" and 200 lbs cannot possibly be that recoil sensitive!
So I just laugh, shoot my slightly modified Navies and go about my business. And tease the heck outta those that choose to shoot their gay, suppository micro guns.
I will say this, there isn't a single modification, or even several modifications that will allow a person to win a match without them also putting forth the effort to practice, religiously. I spoke to the International Champion a few times back in the 90s and asked him how much practice he put in before his first Championship win. He told me... "50,000 rounds, in just practice, not including any regular matches." There are folks that the competition is everything to them... then there are those that love the costuming and history of it... I'd say the vast majority are somewhere in the middle of the extremes of either vision. One of the founders told me he envisioned a costume contest with a shooting match thrown in on the side. But, as with everything in life, a little compromise greases the wheels and keeps the thing alive. So, be advised, it is neither strictly a shooting match nor is it a historical re-enactment. Historical accuracy is tolerated, but a little western fantasy is also welcomed! Be safe, Have fun, be safe, have fun. In that order. BTW, the rules can be found at: 2023 Shooter's Handbooks.
 
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