Looking to get into Cowboy Action Shooting

[ggeilman]

My wife and I are looking to possibly get into Cowboy Action Shooting. Problem is I don't have a shot gun and none of my levers are in pistol calibur. All I have is 30-30 and 45/70. I don't want to have to go out and buy new rifles or lose a lot of money on a trade. What can I do? I have one rifle I can trade, but paid a high price for it.

[PlacitasSlim]

Find your local SASS club and contact them. Tell them the situation and that you would like to try it. We have people shoot with us all the time that don't have guns or ammo and don't yet belong to the club. They can help point you in the right direction to get what you need.

[Lazarus Longshot]

What Slim said!
 Go to http://www.sassnet.com and find a local club. I shoot at four clubs regularly, and we always have extra guns for someone who wants to shoot. It's a good idea to contact them ahead of time, though, so that there's no question of having the guns there. Plus, we can usually scrounge up leather for someone, if it's necessary, and we have some lead time. A couple of clubs even have loaner gun carts, but there's usually space on someone's cart for a newbie!

Although we usually have enough ammo, if you're going to shoot an entire match, it's courteous to bring your own ammo. So there's another reason to contact the club ahead of time, so as to bring the right caliber.

Once you're involved with a club, you can usually find some good deals on guns. Someone's always selling or trading something!

[ggeilman]

Ok, I can understand why SASS does not allow modern rifle caliburs and possibly see why not 30-30 (although the 30-30 was a calibur used in many John Wayne movies and is periodic 1894-95), why are period rifle caliburs such as the 38/55 and 45/70 not allowed? I had got the impression that the 45/70 was common to CAS? My other question, we were looking to possibly eventually getting a Lightning. Is this even going to be allowed as it is a pump action rather than a lever?

[Lazarus Longshot]

The rifle calibers could pose problems because of the distances that the rifles are used. At the ranges the main match rifles are shot (recommended 13 to 50 yards, usually towards the close end of that range), target damage and splatter with the rifle calibers become real issues. That is one reason that the pistol caliber rifle is required. Plus, them's the rules: pistol calibers only in the rifles for the main match!

All the rifle calibers you mentioned (including the 30-30) are used in long range, and in some specialty side matches (such as Plainsman). 

The Lighting pump rifle is absolutely legal.

You might go to the SASS website and check out the Shooter's Handbook and the RO1 and RO2 manuals, since they are available online in PDF format. All this info is available there, and will answer a lot of questions for you. Here's the url for the handbooks: http://www.sassnet.com/Shooters-Handbook-001A.php

[PlacitasSlim]

Back splatter is a real problem. The wild buch set up the rules on pistol calibers for safety and the territorial govenors reinforce this every year. When I see rifle calibers being used, it is normally out about 100 yds. One club I shoot with has a range rule against rifle fire in the bays we are permitted to use. Their safety committee has allowed us to use pistol calibers there with the SASS velocity regulation limitations, but no rifle calibers.

[ggeilman]

Yeah I would have a hard time seeing rifle caliburs at less than 50 yds and then only with proper back stops. Didn't think of the practicality and safety aspects. I have bee reading the shooters handbook which is why I was asking the question.

[ggeilman]

Update:

I bought my wife a Taurus Thunderbolt in 45LC and we went to our first match on Saturday. Had to borrow one revolver a new model Vaquero and a shotgun, one of the Remington Spartan S220's. We weren't real impressed with either the Vaquero or the Spartan. The Vaquero didn't index well and shot to the left. The Spartan shot high and my wife ended up with a huge bruise on her arm. So we are looking around for a shotgun and another Cattleman. Otherwise we had a great time and want to go back again.

[PlacitasSlim]

Check around at your local ammo suppliers for Win AA Featherlites. They should cure the bruise problem

[Lazarus Longshot]

Be sure that the shotgun is cut down to fit your wife! A too-long length-of-pull, even with light loads, will absolutely beat her to death.  We've had ladies who were going to give up shooting while sharing their husband's shotgun. Then they used my wife's gun and loved it. Make sure she leans into it so her body absorbs the recoil, and holds the gun tightly against her shoulder.

Even though you didn't mention it, don't get her a 20 gauge unless you load your own shotshells. Until Winchester actually starts producing their 20 gauge Winlites, the combination of a relatively light 20 gauge shotgun and relatively heavy available commercial loads results in MORE felt recoil than a 12 gauge with Featherlites.

Placitas Slim is right about the Featherlites. That's what we shoot also. The "Featherlite" monicker is what most shooters call the load, because there's a feather on the box and on the shell. They are marked "Low Noise, Low Recoil," and the Winchester number is AA12FL8.

My wife shoots a Coyote Cap/IAC '97 and a Stoeger SxS, both cut down to 12 1/2" LOP. I can shoot 'em, but I have to have my thumb surgically removed from my mouth afterwards....

[ggeilman]

We were using xtra lights as it turns out. I bought a case of feather lights yesterday. Cap is finishing an 1887 wcse for her and we will have to fitted when it gets here. I ordered a Model 99 1887 wsce and it should be here this week. It may be a learning curve, but Cap assures me that it is nothing that the wife shouldn't be able to learn and handle. Figures, she gets a pump in the rifle and a lever in the shotgun.