Cowboy Guns Competition without Costumes

EdInk · November 13, 2009, 06:58 PM

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?

Fingers McGee · November 13, 2009, 07:49 PM

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

EdInk · November 13, 2009, 09:29 PM

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?

Malamute · November 13, 2009, 10:19 PM

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.

CraigC · November 13, 2009, 11:26 PM

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.

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???

arcticap · November 14, 2009, 03:10 AM

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.

Quote:

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.

darkgael · November 14, 2009, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way?

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

Delmar · November 14, 2009, 05:24 AM

Quote:

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

So put an event together. If people are interested, they will show up!

Uncle Buck · November 14, 2009, 06:54 AM

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.

Hawg · November 14, 2009, 11:19 AM

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.

B.L.E. · November 14, 2009, 11:20 AM

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!!!!"

Hkmp5sd · November 14, 2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

They will not allow me to wear a ball cap.

Get yourself a reproduction 1876 baseball cap.

Meets the "all clothing must be typical of the late 19th century" requirement.

Jbar4Ranch · November 14, 2009, 11:37 AM

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"?

Well, OK... maybe just a little.

C'mon, the costuming is a major part of the game!

Sarge · November 14, 2009, 11:47 AM

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!

Jbar4Ranch · November 14, 2009, 12:10 PM

Part of the attraction of B Western category is to look just a tad silly.

EdInk · November 14, 2009, 02:44 PM

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.

Don H · November 14, 2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B.L.E.

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!!!!"

It appears that they mostly did in Oregon:

And Dodge City:

And Texas:

Captain Hughe's Texas Ranger company, 1894

TomADC · November 14, 2009, 03:36 PM

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.

EdInk · November 14, 2009, 04:04 PM

Another vote for guns over costumes.

Not Cool:
http://www.flagshipfancydress.co.uk/...tume-289-p.jpg

cool:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/P97/Vaquero1.jpg

I think most will agree.

spitpatch · November 14, 2009, 07:34 PM

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.

Uncle Buck · November 14, 2009, 08:38 PM

I did not mean to say I would not participate in the shooting because of my hat. I could either go hat-less or wear my rain hat. I fully support the cowboy shooters, because with them it is much more than just shooting. The camaraderie and family atmosphere can not be beat.

Sarge · November 14, 2009, 08:41 PM

Damn, that's a pretty Vaquero. I'm gonna link it to display, even though you didn't Ed. It'd be a shame not to.

Claude Clay · November 14, 2009, 08:57 PM

besides CASS -- the hard wear and the soft wear there is forming 'the zootsuiters'. i had an idea a few years ago that the CASS had been around long enough for the children of the cowboys to have grown into the roaring 20's.
a bit of research showed that my idea was happening already.
check it out

but ya still gotta get dressed.....

EdInk · November 14, 2009, 09:25 PM

You didn't want to post the other pic for me? LOL

Yeah, I think it is probably the prettiest gun I've ever seen.

Uncle Buck · November 14, 2009, 09:31 PM

Where could I get grips for my New Vaquero that look llike that? I wonder what they would cost?

November 13, 2009, 06:58 PM	#1
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	Cowboy Guns Competition without Costumes 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?

November 13, 2009, 07:49 PM	#2
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2008 Location: High & Dry in Missouri Ozarks Posts: 2,113	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 __________________ Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee - AKA Man of Many Colts - Alter ego of Diabolical Ken; SASS Regulator 28564-L-TG; Rangemaster and stage writer extraordinaire; Frontiersman, Pistoleer, NRA Endowment Life, NMLRA, SAF, CCRKBA, STORM 327, SV115; Charter member, Central Ozarks Western Shooters Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision see things as they are, not as they should be. Ambrose Bierce

November 13, 2009, 10:19 PM	#4
Malamute Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2004 Location: Rocky Mts Posts: 859	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. __________________ "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-

November 14, 2009, 06:54 AM	#9
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	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. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

November 14, 2009, 11:37 AM	#13
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	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"? Well, OK... maybe just a little. C'mon, the costuming is a major part of the game! __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

November 13, 2009, 09:29 PM	#3
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	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?

November 13, 2009, 11:26 PM	#5
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	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. 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???

November 14, 2009, 11:19 AM	#10
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	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.

November 14, 2009, 11:20 AM	#11
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	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!!!!"

November 14, 2009, 11:47 AM	#14
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	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! __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice. Last edited by Sarge; November 14, 2009 at 11:51 AM. Reason: LOLZ

November 14, 2009, 12:10 PM	#15
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	Part of the attraction of B Western category is to look just a tad silly. __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

November 14, 2009, 02:44 PM	#16
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	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.

November 14, 2009, 03:36 PM	#18
TomADC Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: San Diego County Posts: 795	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.

November 14, 2009, 04:04 PM	#19
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	Another vote for guns over costumes. Not Cool: http://www.flagshipfancydress.co.uk/...tume-289-p.jpg cool: http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/P97/Vaquero1.jpg I think most will agree.

November 14, 2009, 07:34 PM	#20
spitpatch Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 171	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.

November 14, 2009, 08:38 PM	#21
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	I did not mean to say I would not participate in the shooting because of my hat. I could either go hat-less or wear my rain hat. I fully support the cowboy shooters, because with them it is much more than just shooting. The camaraderie and family atmosphere can not be beat. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

November 14, 2009, 08:41 PM	#22
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	Damn, that's a pretty Vaquero. I'm gonna link it to display, even though you didn't Ed. It'd be a shame not to. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

November 14, 2009, 08:57 PM	#23
Claude Clay Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2007 Location: CT Posts: 325	besides CASS -- the hard wear and the soft wear there is forming 'the zootsuiters'. i had an idea a few years ago that the CASS had been around long enough for the children of the cowboys to have grown into the roaring 20's. a bit of research showed that my idea was happening already. check it out but ya still gotta get dressed..... __________________ NRA Instructor -- NRA Basic Pistol & Re-Loading Make a fire for a man and you warm him for the night Light him on fire and you warm him for the rest of his life

November 14, 2009, 09:25 PM	#24
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	You didn't want to post the other pic for me? LOL Yeah, I think it is probably the prettiest gun I've ever seen.

November 14, 2009, 09:31 PM	#25
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	Where could I get grips for my New Vaquero that look llike that? I wonder what they would cost? __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

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