Cowboy action shooting 101: If you're not catering to modern-day cowboys, you're making a costly mistake! This basic primer will get you started

Shooting Industry, June, 2003 by John Taffin

John "Sixgunner" Taffin

The fastest-growing shooting sport continues to be cowboy action shooting. With over 100,000 participants, it shows signs of slowing as more shooters sport. This is good news for the gun dealer.

Perhaps you have ignored this lucrative segment of the market because you don't understand what makes it tick. Well, we're going to take care of that. By the time you've read the following pages, you'll have a basic knowledge of the sport and what products you should inventory. You'll also know how to get started in selling to today's cowboys.

High-Fun Factor

Cowboy action shooting started informally about 25 years ago when a group got together to shoot and have fun. Their guns of choice were the great firearms of the 19th century. Out of that humble beginning, the sport grew, spread across the country and over much of the free world.

The sport is based on accuracy and speed, however, the targets are normally large and up close. The vast majority of shooters, 95 percent or more, are not driven by how fast they can shoot, but rather how much fun they can have doing it.

It is one of the few sports that is extremely low on stress and extremely high on enjoyment. It is a way to escape everyday life, to gather with good folks and return to the days of the Old West. It is a chance to be a kid again.

Know The Basics Of Cowboy Action

First let's look at the basics of cowboy action shooting. A shooting match consists of several stages in which competitors normally engage metal targets with a pair of sixguns, a levergun and a shotgun. This means you have an opportunity to sell a minimum of four firearms to a new cowboy competitor. Plus, seasoned competitors are always adding to their cowboy arsenal.

The firearms used in competitions, with a few exceptions, must be the originals offered before 1898, or replicas. Since originals are rare, you'll sell a lot of replica firearms.

A normal stage requires shooting 10 rounds from two sixguns, 10 rounds from a levergun and two to six from a shotgun. This can vary, but does not greatly. In all matches, the number one requirement is safety. These and other rules are laid out by the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), the sport's main governing body.

Shooters may compete in several categories. Some of the categories require different firearms. However, the standard firearms are fix-sighted, single-action sixguns; lever actions of the type available before 1898, and a pump, lever or double-barreled shotgun from the same era.

Here are the competition categories:

Modern--Revolvers must have adjustable sights such as the Ruger Blackhawk.

Traditional.

Frontier Cartridge--Cartridges and shotgun shells must be loaded with black powder. Pump shotguns are not permitted.

Frontiersman--Same as Frontier Cartridge, except percussion revolvers must be used and they must be shot Duelist style.

Classic Cowboy is a new class. It requires two traditional revolvers, a 1evergun of the 1860 Henry, 1866 Winchester or 1873 Winchester type, and a double-barreled shotgun with outside hammers that must be cocked.

There are other details, but this provides the basics so you can speak the language. You can also see that if a shooter competes in more than one category, he often needs more than four firearms. Competitors often use eight firearms to compete in two categories. No other shooting sport requires the competitor to purchase so many firearms. This, of course, is excellent news for the gun dealer.

The Firearms Of Cowboy Action Shooting

Because of the rapid growth of cowboy action shooting, there are replicas of almost every revolver and levergun from the 19th century. Plus, there are modern firearms that are certified "SASS legal" for competition.

Revolver replicas include high-quality copies of cap-and-ball sixguns produced by Colt and Remington. Cartridge-firing revolvers include the Colt Cartridge Conversions, 1871-72 Open-Top, and Single Action Army. Also permitted are Remington Models 1875 and 1890, and Smith & Wesson's Model #3 Russian and Schofield model.

The modern sixguns allowed are Ruger's Blackhawk and the traditionally styled Vaquero. Two other high-dollar choices are the Colt Single Action Army, which is still produced; and the Freedom Arms Model 97 chambered in .38 Special/.357 Magnum.

There are also many levergun choices. Excellent reproductions include the 1860 Henry and Winchester's 1866, 1873 and 1892 Models. They are joined by the current Marlin 1894 and Winchester 94s. For competition, all leverguns must chamber a revolver cartridge such as the .45 Colt or .44-40. Competitors are not required to use the same cartridge in both sixgun and levergun.

Replica shotguns have recently become readily available. They include the lever-action 1887 Winchester, the pump-action 1897 Winchester, and several double-barrel models in concealed-hammers and outside-hammers styles.

The Right Inventory

Most shops, especially those just starting to cater to the cowboy action shooter, cannot stock all of the firearms available for the sport. The smart thing to do is to carry the most desired cowboy action firearms.