Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Cowboy Action Shooting Looking to get into Cowboy Action Shooting

Anyones take on shotguns and lever action choices? Is the Henry .357 Big Boy okay? Any help would be appreciated.

Yes that would be fine. BUT before you buy it would be a good idea to go to a couple matches first. Ask around, and most likely you'll have a couple pards want you to shoot their guns. Don't worry, they will be right there with you "helping". I spent alot of money buying the wrong stuff, so figure out what you want BEFORE you buy it. WAY cheaper..

It is also a good idea to shoot the same caliber for rifle & pistol. That will be less of a hassle than trying to keep track of 2 calibers. Do you reload? If so great, if not, you might want to start thinking about it. Is cheaper in the long run, and you have ammo to YOUR specs. be it smokeless or black powder.
If there is a S.A.S.S. club near you they should be more than willing to help someone starting out.

If there is anything, or you have more questions, let me know. Shooting cowboy is a HOOT!!
Regards,

Knarley Bob
SASS # 79005

Cowboy action is a lot of fun. Various people have various reasons for what they shoot and why. Personally, I am only interested in real vintage guns but they aren't cheap. The vast majority of people shoot Marllin rifles, Uberti revolvers and 1897 Winchester shotguns.

I have never been a fan of Henry rifles, as they are only similar to real lever action rifles in they have a lever. 38 special seems to be the favorite chambering and the Ammo is cheap and plentiful.

Check around, you can find used Marlins, Ubertis and 1897's at reasonable prices and get to shooting a real fun sport...

Excellent advice. We have a SASS club near me and I will check their schedule and get to a few matches. Looks like a lot of fun from the videos I've seen. Plus the shooting seems to be close enough these old eyes won't hurt me too much.

Yes I reload and had been planning on staying with the .357 rifle and pistols.

Shotguns, it appears, the double barrels are quicker than the 1897 pump. Or maybe it looks like reloads are less complicated. But that may not be the way it works out in real time.

We still have gun shows here and I notice quite a few cowboy action guns for sale but your right shrapnel they're pretty proud of them. Thanks for ya'lls input.

You won't see many Henry rifles at CAS matches, 66/73 clones rule. They feed slicker than '92's or even Marlins. The ctg. enters the chamber in line, not at a slant.

You'll have to decide if you're a double guy or a '97 guy. Good advice above.

Pistols, well there are several ways to go. Going to a CAS match and asking around is great advice.

Try to know what you'll like before spending the money. They never sell for as much as you pay.

DF

Jim Taylor used to shoot CAS before he went to Africa to live. He wrote a pretty good article in Gunblast about getting started. Just google him and gunblast.

Used to do it a lot, until my eyes got worse. Great way to spend a day out. If your interested, I do have a Cimarron arms 1873 clone in 38/357, a good starter double 12 and a couple of gun belts. Rifle has only a couple hundred rounds down the tube and has had the action worked and is slick as snot. Double has probably 3 to 4 hundred and has been worked as well and barrels chopped 4 inches. let me know if you have any interest and I will dig them out and take pics..

Note: Used a pair of stainless Ruger SAA with birdshead grips in 38/357 as my wheel guns but not looking to sell those.. Nice to keep the same caliber as mentioned before and bullets are dirt cheap.

I wouldn't bet too much on the doubles being faster than them '97's. I have seen guys runnin' them that know how to run'em and holy cow!!! I'm still tryin' to master my double.
The '73's can really be turned into "race" guns, that's why they are real popular.
I have worked on the wife's 1894 Marlin, that gun will run as fast as one can run it. I'd suggest if you get a Marlin run the .357 OAL length, her gun REALLY prefers them.
Don't worry about running "Vintage" guns, you'll ruin them. They were not made for racing. The Ruger Vaquero's are pretty bullet proof, both the wife and I run them. Uberti "Cattlemen" are good too, I own a pair of them also.
If you are looking at doubles, make sure that you can cock BOTH barrels at the same time. I had some "Vintage" guns that took a come-a-long to cock!
Well, gotta go to a gun range meeting, see ya later.
Knarley

Forgot to add, stay with .38 Spec/.357 unless you're going to the dark side, then go with .38-40's. IMO, stay away from .45 Colt.

DF

You can get Rugers slicked up to "run like a Colt", 4 clicks, etc. This one is short stroked and is super fast. Compare hammer positions at full cock with Colt SAA. Notice hammer notch for transfer bar welded up. These are loaded like a Colt with hammer on an empty chamber, no transfer bar.

Wow, did not realize how involved this can get. Short stroking hammers, beveled double barrel shotgun chambers. Looks like a lot to learn but yall's enthusiasm is catching. Found the Jim Taylor article thanks. Why stay away from .45 LC? Weight? Recoil? I obviously need to get to some practices and matches to see what this is all about. Looks like a heck of a lot of fun.

This really isn't true, it is just not cheap. I shoot first generation Colt SAA in 38-40, 44-40, and 45 Colt. I shoot double barrel hammer guns in a 1878 Colt and a 1867 vintage George Daw underlever. I only shoot original guns from '73 Winchesters to Colt Lightning, Marlin1889 and 1894, Winchester 1892, Whitney Kennedy and there isn't much out there in the modern or stroked category that will hang with a Colt Lightning...

The Lightning can be fast, but it's a skill and looks like Shrap has it down.

Yes, it can get involved. The '73 clones can be short stroked, slicked up to an almost unbelievable degree. Here's a couple of race guns, the Carbine by Pioneer with wood I fitted. The rifle is a Cody matic with custom features.

I eventually sold the rifle, put the engraved side plate on the Carbine. Sorta flashy, but this is CAS...

DF

Then there's the Coyote Cap '87, which can be fast in practiced hands. It's fun to watch a master run an '87.

DF

Then if you wanna get real flashy...

DF

TTN Colt clone with some slicking up, triggers swapped, front on left, back on right for faster action. Colt checkering pattern, ebony forarm tip.

To me, these hammer guns are hard to manage, but some can run them super fast. Like the '87, it's neat to watch a real master runs these guns. They can cock, unload, reload in the blink of an eye.

DF

Part of the fun of CAS is picking the historical era you want to "live in" and dress up accordingly. Some of the guys live in the "gunfighter era" of 1865-1870 and look like a bunch of Civil War vets. Josey Wales, with Dragoons, '51 colts, and Yellow Boy rifles shooting black powder ammo. Others are in the 1890s, with top hats, pump guns, and Bisley Colts.

If you load BP in a rifle, you want to choose a bottleneck cartridge instead of .45 Colt, to keep some of the crud out of the action. Otherwise, .45 is fine IMO.

I shoot an 1894 Marlin in .45 Colt. I also shoot American Pioneer powder, which is a BP "Sub".
I wish I knew what I do now before I bought what I did!!!
My rifle is pretty much clogged after a match. If I had gone with a 44-40 or a .357 I would be way ahead.
The wife shoots the same powder in hers, at the end of the match, run a patch or three down the barrel and good to go. Mine, the action has to come apart, ALL OF IT to get the crud out of it. BUT, I likes the smoke. I'd run Black, but dealing with having to use special lubes is too much of a hassle.

California Kid:

When I briefly shot Cowboy, I found that the Colt 1860 Army grip worked best for me. As Jeff Cooper said, the handgun is the most personal of weapons. Try every variety you can, and use what works for you. Good luck!

Thanks for all the good advice. The lever action shotgun is pretty amazing. Did not know they even existed.

I guess they worked, never shot one. Back in '68 I worked for an old boy who owned an auto parts store and kept a lever shotgun in the office - in case of trouble, I guess.

doesn't get better than the colt SAA. its a collectible

Saw a New in Wooden Presentation Box Colt SAA today. Made in 1967, never fired in .357 mag. $2200.00. It was presented to a man who kept it locked up in his safe since then. He passed away and his kids were selling it. Too bad his name was engraved on the back strap. Hate to spend that kind of money on a gun with someone elses name on it.

Oh my! Aren't these stand-outs?

I am currently living only 20 miles of country roads from Founders Ranch in Edgewood, NM, where so many of the CAS competitions are held, so I am getting interested. Also, my gunsmith is deeply into it and is a judge at the contests, so I will check with him.

I have a lead on a pair of well-used Colt SAAs in .44 Special that are tempting me. I used to have a 3rd Gen in .45 LC that I always loved, especially the fit, but cashed in when I moved to Japan, so I am very sold on the brand.

I also have another .44 Spl Smith and dies so the pair would be an easy choice for me in terms of reloading. They are definitely more costly than Ubertis and other clones, even with their condition, but then they retain value, too.

Any thoughts, pro or con?

I'd guess recoil. The .357s are so popular, I'm told, because most shoot .38 Special CAS ammo in them which is far more light. Those who know more can correct me.

Colts cost more than Italian clones or Rugers, but they're worth the money in durability and investment value,IMHO.

I shoot a pair of First Gen SAA's with BP cartridges (45 Colt) and I wouldn't go back to the others. Rugers are big and heavy, Uberti's are OK but the guts can be soft and may need work after a while. Colts just plain work and they're a joy to shoot.

I mostly shoot cap-and-ball pistols whenever I can: I have a pair of Pietta .36 cal Navy's, a pair of Uberti .44 cal 1860 Army Colts, and a pair of Uberti 1858 Remingtons. I far prefer shooting the 1860 Army's to the others. I'm considering buying a pair of real Colt 1860's, though, for the same reasons as above. If the times between strings at a match are close, I will shoot cartridge guns. It takes quite a bit of time to reload C&B guns.

In my book, shooting SASS with anything other than black powder guns & cartridges would be no fun. Unlike the hi-speed "gamers", who typically shoot big Rugers with mouse-fart 38 Special loads with no more recoil and blast than an air pistol, I shoot full-power loads in my pistols and long arms, just like the Earp Bros., Doolin-Dalton gang, Pat Garrett, and the Kid did. The blast, fire, and smoke, are a hoot for me, the other BP competitors, and the spectators too. I shoot my BP pistolas with one gun in each fist, Gunfighter style, when permitted by local club rules; where not permitted, I shoot my pistols in series, 5 shots right-handed then 5 shots left-handed. Just like the old boys did it.

I use the same BP or BP substitute load in 45 Colt in both my pistols and my rifles, 35 gr of American Pioneer or 33 gr of Goex FFFg with a 250 gr bullet. American Pioneer is nice for faster loading, as it will meter through a powder measure without risking an explosion.

I use a Uberti 1873 replica for my main rifle, but have a Rossi 1892 for a backup. My primary shotgun is a Hopkins & Allen mule ear coach gun with 20-inch barrels. I load my shotshells with 1-1/8 oz. of birdshot over 65 gr of FFg Goex, and I sometimes mix some red chalkline chalk dust in with the shot so as to paint pretty pictures of red smoke to go with the yard-long flames that shoot outta my muzzles.

Most Darksiders (BP shooters) don't even try to compete with the mouse-fart-Speedy-Gonzalez crowd. We shoot loud and slow, but we aim to shoot a "clean" stage each time we come up to the firing line. Since we can't shoot fast, we strive for accuracy.

Of course, you may prefer to shoot mouse-fart 38 Special loads and ultra-light shotshell loads, and that's just fine. Not all men are called to shoot the Holy Black.

Way to go. The first match I watched, the outfits were far more spectacular, oh those Soiled Doves, than the shooting. As you say, like pellet guns. Gamers get very, very good at whatever the game is but seem to get very boring doing it. To stand and bark in a swirl of smoke and sulfur, disappeared from view and still spitting lead, now that's a show.