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By Katie Ferraro-Creigh
It will help if you are a kid at heart and still interested in playing cowboys and outlaws. If competition is your thing, that's quite all right too, as long as you go about it in a friendly way and follow the "Code of the West" or as it is known in Cowboy Action circles, "The Spirit of the Game." In CAS (Cowboy Action Shooting), attitude is just as important as equipment and skill. One of the easiest and most informative ways to get involved is to check out the Single Action Shooting Society, the governing board of CAS. Contact the SASS office and employees will send an information package that contains The Cowboy Chronicle, the monthly publication of SASS/CAS. The Chronicle has a listing of all SASS affiliated clubs in the world, location of the range, and the contact person. Find a club in your area and observe a match in progress.
As for guns, you will need two single action centerfire revolvers in Cowboy style, either original or replicas, and they must be .32 caliber or larger. The most popular handgun in the West was the Colt, closely followed by the single action Smith & Wesson. Remingtons and Merwin Hulberts were also widely used. Early Rugers with adjustable rear sights are allowed with one restriction...you must shoot in the Modern Category. There are many replicas to choose from. Try several before buying. Next, you will need a centerfire lever-action rifle in a handgun caliber with a magazine capacity of at least nine rounds. It will simplify your ammo or reloading requirements if the rifle is the same caliber as your handguns, but is not necessary. As with revolvers, originals or modern day copies are both allowed. From Winchester to Henry's to 94s to Marlins to Italian copiesmost will do quite well in the sport-and the same as with the revolvers, rifles must be .32 caliber or larger. To complete your necessary CAS firearms, you will need a shotgun. There are three basic types: a lever action, a pump action, or a side-by-side. The lever and pump actions must have external hammers and have been manufactured prior to 1899 or a replica thereof. The side-by-side can have external or internal hammers and can be of modern manufacture. The only restriction of the side-by-side is no automatic ejectors. For your information, if the shotgun you want to use has automatic ejectors, a gunsmith can remove the springs without changing or harming the gun. The shotgun must be either10, 12, 16 or 20 gauge.
Ammunition used in CAS matches must be all lead, no half jackets or gas checks allowed. The maximum velocity for handguns is 1,000 fps and 1400 fps for rifles. One doesn't need magnums, so start with a lesser velocity and experiment with what works best for you. Shotgun loads must be #4 field loads or smaller. I have found that low base 7 ? shot or "feather weight target" loads suffice to knock down any shotgun target.
Leather holsters are required for your pistols and can be as ornate or simple as one wants. It is recommended that one wait until pistols are chosen before deciding on the holsters. Pistols need to slip smoothly from and back into the holsters. Choices are innumerable and tempting, so try as many as possible before making your purchase. Your "leather" as with your firearms will be used every time you shoot and needs to be "a part of you." Another recommendation is to have ammo accommodations for your pistol/rifle and shotgun on your belt, although a separate shotgun belt is acceptable.
And speaking of persona, picking an alias is probably the hardest part of getting started in CAS. One doesn't shoot Cowboy matches using one's real name. No two people can have the same alias and with over 70,000 already taken, one needs to be very inventive. One of my favorite, inventive aliases is "Amanda Slap" (a man to slap). Another is "Quiet Burp," a tongue-in-cheek reference to Wyatt Earp. Some couples choose names that compliment each other. For example, Texas Jack Daniels, aka Scott Love (can you guess his favorite whiskey?) suggested his wife, Cindy, choose the alias Shotglass so he would always have one with him. As you can see, CAS is full of creative and humorous dudes and dudettes. After you have acquired your basic firearms and determined your alias, one can turn one's thoughts to the many accessories one can't live without. A caution: don't be discouraged when you see a cowboy or cowgirl all decked out in their cowboy fineries. Everyone has to start somewhere and no one will put you down for not being dressed head-to-toe cowboy your first six to nine months. Patiently build your wardrobe as you can afford it with the things you like and that fit your persona. Some accoutrements a woman may eventually want to add to her wardrobe would be a cape or fancy evening cloak. Frilly hats, gloves, and ball gowns work well for evening socials. Pin watches and period correct jewelry, such as cameos, are readily available at reasonable prices. Added accoutrements both women and man might want to have are tall, turn of the century, hand-made cowboy boots with shiny spurs and fancy spur straps, or chaps. A nice lapel vest with a pocket watch and chain, or watch fob can add to your image. With the popularity of CAS, manufacturers and vendors are making any and everything one needs from clothes and boots to belts and holsters, all in the late 1800s styles. And all of this extra, but somehow necessary, gear, makes for an easy gift list for anyone involved in CAS!
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So you want
to get started in Cowboy Action Shooting? Okay, pull up your
bedroll, get a cup of coffee from the chuck wagon, and we'll
sit by the camp fire as I tell you how to go about becoming involved
in the fastest growing shooting sport today.
Cowboy Action
Shooters are some of the best people around. They will not only
answer your questions enthusiastically, but will also allow you
to try the different types of guns they use and their gear as
well. I would highly suggest joining SASS, as affiliated clubs
follow the rules and you can shoot at several different clubs
and still know the rules. For further clarification, SASS/CAS
is a fantasy Old West shooting group, not a period or historical
group.
SASS/CAS
has a hard and fast rule of "no external modifications on
any firearms, period." That means no target grips, no orange
front sights, no porting the barrels, changing the hammers or
angles of hammers. The rule book is small and goes into more
detail and you will receive one, when and if you choose to become
a SASS member.
Most matches
are four-gun affairs and one must have all equipment on the ready;
consequently, one will need something in which to haul it. Several
years ago, a shooter named "Long Shot" devised the
perfect solution to the challenge of having all your equipment
for the match and transporting it-so the "gun cart"
was born. A gun cart can be as simple as on old wagon, or as
complex as a motorized miniature covered wagon. Many matches
have gun cart rentals for as little as $5/day or one can share
a cart. 
Costuming
is one of the most unique aspects of Cowboy Action Shooting.
One can dress as Belle Star, Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley, Big
Nose Kate, or somewhere in between. The men can deck out as Roy
Rogers, Gene Autry, Hoppalong Cassidy or whomever the imagination
and clothing can create. A word of caution: pick an alias and
develop your character before buying clothes. Let your "persona"
be your guide to clothes, as well as your leather holsters and
gear.
Having been
a part of CAS for ten years, I have found it to be the best shooting
sport for the entire family. While my sons were at home, we "played
the cowboy game" and enjoyed being together, as well as
putting together costuming. Some of my fondest memories and best
pictures are of our Old West exploits and the friends we have
made. And as my participation in this fast growing sport continues,
I have also discovered that Cowboy Action Shooting is the only
sport where the men talk costuming and the women talk guns. 
