Cowboy Action

We hold Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) matches on the third Saturday of every month, from 10am–1pm, and the AAF&G Action Pistol Range.

CAS is an Action Shooting Sport using firearms typical of those found in the “Old West.”  These include single action revolvers; lever action rifles, chambered in pistol calibers; and pre-1899 pump-, lever-action, or side-by-side double-barrel shotguns.

Additionally, competitors dress up in Old West period clothing, or as a character from a favorite “B” western movie or cowboy TV show.  These outfits include cowboy boots, spurs, chaps, western style gun belts and holsters, and—of course—a cowboy hat.

Finally, the shooter chooses a nickname reminiscent of a character that might have existed in the Old West of the mid-to-late 1800s.  Some shooters go to great lengths to match the persona of their character with the outfits they wear.

In carrying this western theme further, the group of people who participate in CAS here at AAF&G are collectively referred to as the Mill Creek Wranglers.  Those among Wranglers who help administer and run the matches are known as the Mill Creek Wrangler Regulators, and the core group representing the Mill Creek Wranglers on the AAF&G Action Pistol Committee is referred to as “The Wild Bunch.”  The leader of The Wild Bunch is our Trail Boss.  When the shooters are divided up into groups to shoot the courses of fire, each group is called a “Posse.”  The idea behind all of this is to carry the western theme throughout all aspects of the sport.

The characteristics of Action Shooting Sports include courses of fire where any, or a combination of the following aspects are present: shooting at multiple targets, sometimes targets of various sizes and at different ranges, from a fixed firing point; shooting at targets that move; shooting at reactive targets that fall down, swing, disintegrate, or activate other targets; shooting at targets where the shooter is moving from point to point; and changing or reloading firearms while shooting the course of fire.

The course of fire for our CAS matches consists of an array of rifle, shotgun, and pistol targets.  These targets are steel plates of various shapes and sizes, specifically developed to be safely used as targets with live ammunition (lead bullets only).  They are shot in a specified order.  Each of these shooting scenarios is called a Stage.  Sometimes the order of the targets coincides with a shootout scene from an Old West movie.  Often times the shooter is given a line or phrase to say prior to beginning to shoot, which relates to the shooting scenario about to unfold in the stage.  Additionally, some of the stages also feature props such as fake store-fronts, wooden horses, and such, to provide even more of an Old West feel to the stage.  Sometimes, the shooter moves from one point to another to engage certain targets.  Each stage is timed with additional time penalties added on for missed targets or procedural errors (such as shooting targets out of order).

Our matches generally consist of 4 stages.  Although the Mill Creek Wranglers are unaffiliated with any organization, our safety rules and stage design are taken from the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS). SASS has developed this sport and administers it on a worldwide basis.  Many of the shooters at our matches are members of SASS.  More information is available on the SASS website.

If you feel like CAS might interest you, come on out to watch one of our matches.  We are a very friendly bunch.  If there is time left after the match is finished, there are many shooters willing to let you try out their firearms and take a shot at one of our courses of fire.

The Wild Bunch
Mill Creek Wranglers
cowboy.action@aafg.org

Cowboy Action Shooting