Hello All,

Old SASS shooter, just joining the forums and wanted to say hello.

Jerry

good luck

Welcome!

Welcome to the Fire. Sometimes one needs a thick skin.

The Fire is not too unlike eating chicken wings, you swallow the meat and spit out the bones...

Some around here don't understand the difference...

If you're an "old SASS shooter", you've got to be all right. The "cowboy way", for sure.

DF

I'll second all these. Especialy Dirtfarmers' chicken wings.

How do Sir, pull up a log and set a spell.

Welcome, from a fellow sass shooter.

Welcome to the 'Fire!

If you shoot old SASS'es, TLEE had better start worrying!

Ed

Welcome

and

Hi

Snake

Welcome to the fire, pull up a log and spin us a yarn or just kick back and pop in the odd comment. Around here odd comments are the norm lol

Yes! Welcome to the 'Fire! I'm not a new member, but I am new to SASS and am contemplating taking the plunge. As with any shooting sport it takes a serious outlay of cash to get started; when you're broke buying anything is a serious outlay of cash. Two pistols, a lever action rifle and a scatter-gun, all period correct. I don't know where to start. Terry? HELP!!

Start by turning up and expressing an interest, you'll be swamped with offers to shoot everyones guns.
Take along a box or two of shotgun shells and a good attitude and you'll be away laughing.
I had to borrow pistols for my first six months shooting and I never went short of guns.

You are right about that, Maarty. I always take two complete rigs with me to a match in case some newcomer is there and wants to shoot.

Terry, There are lots of different choices, none of which is bad. Some are, however, more expensive than others. Which choices you make depend on what games you want to play. If it just SASS, then a pair of Ruger New Vaqueros in 357 Mag, a Uberti 1873 in 357 or 38 Special, and a Stoeger Coach Gun is all you need to play with the big dogs. (I have Marlin rifles, but most top shots seem to get an 1873 eventually.) If you want to do Wild Bunch you might want to get a bigger rifle and an 1897 shotgun. Fast Draw requires a 45 Colt revolver if you want to play that very fun game. If you want a minimum rig to do everything then you can get two 45 Colt New Vaqueros, a 45 Colt rifle, a 1911 for Wild Bunch, and an 1897 shotgun. All are quite available in adds in the Cowboy Chronicle. It does get a little on the pricy side at times.

Enjoy happy day your full life.


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everyday eat some beef get good health.

.45's are OK if you're going to do BP. They can also be the beginners nemesis. They cost more to load for, kick more and put the shooter at a disadvantage competing against .38 Spec. shooters. I started with all .45's and now have all .38 Spec's.

My .45 Colt Cowboy Marlin is a super slick rifle. I kept getting hot gas blow back in my face, because with low pressure, low velocity CAS loads, thick walled .45 cases won't expand enough to form a seal against the chamber wall.

I turned that gun into a 'Diller Killer. I took the sights off, put blanks in the slots. I mounted a Bushnell Holosight and stuck a high leather comb on the stock for good cheek weld/eye alignment. I loaded 300 gr. lead and jacketed bullets to max vel. with H4227 powder. No blow back with those loads! And it's a fast, deadly rig, the round equivalent to many 45-70 loads (Trapdoor level, for sure).

My current CAS rifle is a Pioneer tricked out, short stroked, .357, '73 Uberti Carbine with custom wood. I load .38 Spec. brass with long, Moulten Lead 147 gr. bullets (check them out on line) to achieve .357 COAL with .38 Spec. brass. Works great. Those bullets lead up my Colt Revolvers, so I use conventional lead bullets in them.

DF

Just the beginning. Ammo and travel money hurts too. I had to give it up, and sold everything. Stupid move. Now i've got the itch again.
I think the last breath I take on earth will be when i'm buying something.

Look on line and the SASSnet site for good, used stuff.

DF

Howdy! when I started SASS/CAS a few years back I initially went with a pair of Taylor & Co. .45 SAAs, and and Uberti lever gun to match. I then picked up a Rossi coach gun (not my smartest purchase, but it worked okay) and a double holster rig from Kirkpatrick Leather. By the time the dust had settled I was out a tad over $3000. After about my third or fourth shoot I sold the .45 revolvers and lever gun to another "newbie" and moved over to shooting .38s -- vastly less expensive since I don't reload (yet). If I had shopped around I probably could have put everything together for about $2000. Live and learn, as the man says. Live and learn.

You have just seen the beginning of GENEROSITY in the Cowboy Shooting Fraternity = SASS. You have gotten free and good advice. SASS folks are friendly and fun, so kick back and enjoy your new amigos, then remember to make the same offer someday (in the same Cowboy Spirit) when another new shooter joins the posse.

That's a good idea for a newbee to take along some 12 ga. dove loads, especially at this time of year, to trade for the use of some good guns. Nobody expects it, but it is considerate and appreciated.

Yeah, the cost of these rigs is more than some shooters can pony up all at once. Our club started on a shoestring. Nobody had an actual set of guns, but we all had the itch! Without leather, we shot with guns on the cheapy tables we built. We cobbled together our costumes from all possible sources, built modular stages, bought steel, guns, timers and accessories and within a year we were actually making plans for an annual shoot.

That was successful beyond our wildest imagination.

We have all appreciated how tough it is to start from scratch, but succeed anyway, the Cowboy way. Now we feel like we are part of something big and FUN with a capital F.

The important part is the friends you make. Everything else is just stuff.

Have fun!

If you are an Olde SASS shooter, meaning of advanced age and SASS experience, tell us how YOU did it, what to emphasize and what to avoid.

Welcome to the 'Fire!

Border Doc

WOW am I ever late on this..........

The Uberti pistols are the least expensive way to go and ya really gotta shop for the rifle. .38/357 are the best for ammo prices and easiy to shoot. The Stevens 311 and it's brethren are the best doubles for the money and can be had quite reasonable. I also prefer 20 Gauge. The hammered guns are slower BTW.

High end leather is nice but I got along very nicely with stuff from Western & Wildlife Wonders as made by SASS member Tee Pee Creeper. http://www.westernandwildlifewonders.com/shop/catalog/index.php

SASS is a hoot. I started several years ago and wish I had started earlier. Google Buccaneer Range Regulators to see some of the Carolina action. There are several sets of pictures in the site.