Living the dream

Sometimes in life we take things for granted. I was raised a cowboy, I had my first gun set, cowboy boots, hat before I could walk. I was practacly raised from the back of a horse. I can't even remember learning how to ride it was just something we did. I was riding horses throught the sale ring in Salida Colorado at age 5. Our whole family were rodeo cowboys and my mom ran barrels. We learned to compete by practicing with people that were better than us. We learned to shoot and carry guns safely around age 8. As we got older we got to set up hunting camp up in the mountains for an outfitter in in our area.

I didn't start fast draw until January 2012. I always knew about people that didn't have the opportunity to grow up as I had wanting to be Cowboys. Young boys dream of being Cowboys some of them their whole life. Being on the other side of the fence I never really understood that. I guess I never really understood how lucky I was to be a cowboy either. I hear the stories of people wanting to be Cowboys even more than before since I started shooting fast draw and quite frankly at times thought it funny city slickers trying to play cowboy. Well I get it now.

This past weekend I got a taste of that cowboy fantasy world. The Old Pueblo Gunfighters hosted a CFDA event in Tombstone, Arizona. I know I don't have to tell you the historical significance of that old west mining town and the most famous gunfight site in history. The feeling of nostalgia hit me the minute we topped the hill and got the first glimpse of the town from a distance. I imagined how the Earps felt when they topped that hill horseback after a long hard journey riding to that destination of opportunity. Stepping out of the car onto the streets of Tombstone I imagined that it was 1880 and not 2015. I walked though the gravel pathway to the shooting area as if I were a gunfighter. I imagined kicking up the same dust as Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday, Johnny Ringo, Curly Bill, Sherif  Behan, the Clanton's and McCloury's did back in that famous time of the Cowboys.

I kept the fantasy going staying in character every time I stood on the shooting line imagining that Johnny Ringo was on the other side of that line facing me in a deadly dual. A gunfighter looks for a sign the other guy is getting "Itchy". When the light came on that target I imagined that was the "twitch" in his eye that he was going to pull out his gun and shoot me down. I had better be faster or I would be toes up in that dusty street being fitted for one of those pine boxes we walked by on our way in to the shooting area.

It was the first time in my life I actually took the opportunity to "play" cowboy. It was thrilling and exciting so yeah, now I get it. Even for just one day I allowed myself to live the dream of being a cowboy just like a lot of you have. It truly was one of the best days of my life and I think I shot better than I ever have before putting myself in a position to dream of being a cowboy.

"Regulators! Mount up."

Lessons learned in Tombstone

It was a great venue, a great day, and a well run shoot, but there are always lessons to be learned.

There was an abnormally high number of no hit times.  That must have resulted from either the netting being too tight, there being a hard surface behind the netting or the backstop being set to close to the netting.  Anyway it really slowed down the matches.  We don't have this problem with our range, but it is good to note in the event someone wants to move the targets closer to the back stop.

Money was paid out to the top five and it was a last man standing event.  Since the final five shooters were very consistent in their times and accuracy a comparison can be made between last man standing and magnificent five format. (Analysis of men matches only, assuming the same speed and accuracy) All matches among the top five were decided in 5 shots or less, everyone shooting better than 60%, with the top two shooting 80% or better.   Therefore among the top five all matches were decided on speed.

Number of Rounds:  There were 5 regular rounds and 4 bye rounds necessary to sort out the top five. 4th and 5th place were not determined on the firing line.  Both went out in the second round of the top five after a bye and I don't know how the placings were determined whether by time out or first out.  It is normally customary to shoot this off because money is involved but that was not done. (I don't think it was done but I may be mistaken cause I was distracted by the pretty girl in the front row.) So there should have been 10 rounds instead of 9 rounds.

A magnificent five shoot off would have taken  five regular rounds.  A round of two shooters, three rounds of 4 shooters and a round of two shooters.  There can be no bye rounds in a magnificent five format.

Wear and Tear on the Shooter:  Alleluia shot in 8 of the 9 rounds (4 bye rounds and 4 regular rounds), Spraying Lead Ned shot in 7 of the 9 rounds (4 bye rounds and 3 regular rounds), Rodeo shot in 6 of the 9 rounds (4 byes and 2 regular), EB and Pillsbury both shot in 2 of the 9 rounds (1 bye and 1 regular).

In a magnificent five format, EB would have shot in 2 rounds finishing 5th,  Pillsbury would have  shot in 3 rounds finishing 4th, Spraying Lead Ned would have shot in 2 rounds to finish in 3rd place,  Alleluia would have shot in 3 rounds to finish in 2nd and Rodeo would have shot in 2 rounds to finish 1st.

Final Placings: Because the quickness of the final five shooters was so well delineated and because everyone was shooting better than 60%, the final placings would have been the same whether in last man standing format or magnificent five format. However, if any of the shooters dropped below 60%, format may have made a big difference.  In magnificent five the seeding would have been Spraying Lead Ned, Rodeo, Alleluia,  Pillsbury and EB.

Last Man Standing v. Magnificent Five: When shooters are consistent, the biggest difference between the formats is that Magnificent Five will be determined in five rounds whereas Last Man Standing may take up to ten rounds counting byes.  The other difference is that if you have a clinger  (clinging to that last X) he may have an abnormally high number of rounds, the Magnificent Five spreads the wear and tear out.

Winter Range is Magnificent Five!!!!!!!!!! February 28, 2015.

For those of you that missed it, the venue was awesome.  It was set in a natural boulder walled  terraced location,  targets were set up in the Oriental Saloon, score officials set up in the next door hotel and bordello with the sheriffs office and jail at the end of the street. The terraces were paved and wide enough for shooters chairs.  The boulder wall gave radiant heat and protection for the wind.  Tourists observed from the lookout on top of the boulder wall.  Best venue for observing that I have ever seen, better than Nationals and World.  Speaker system could have been better.  Great little cafe on site, locals say best food in Tombstone.

Here is  photo of the site before it was cleaned up by Old Pueblo Gunfighters taken from the lookout above the site:

Tombstone gave credence to the Appaloosa saying, "Quick only does you good,  if you can hit that which  you are trying to be quick about!"

Dismal a'comin!

I make this post for those who may have some trepidation of having a 7 year old come to the line and for parents and grandparents to view.  Dismal has really progressed with the help of the Shady Mtn gang and especially Thirsty. What is impressive is his gun handling and knowledge of the rules.  He is probably safer than some of our other shooters.

Here is Dismal v. Arizona Ranger, Arizona State Champion.

 Here is a one shot video showing his gun handling skills, note Thirsty walks away from him comfortable with his competency, and note how he looks to be cleared after unloading

Here is a photo of Dismal (#19) with the last Youth Arizona Sate Champion, I believe Arizona Ranger's son.  This was taken at the first fast draw match I attended, Dismal was along.  Got us hooked!

Many thanks to Thirsty for working with these young folks.  Alleluia.

Added prize money introduced to Cowboy Fast Draw

It was an honor and a thrill for me to become the Southern Territorial Champion last year. Windmill Kid among others are interested in promoting fast draw and advocates larger prize pools for shooters. As reining champion I wanted to do my part in not only promoting this years Southern Territorial Championships but the whole sport of fast draw.

I was able to sit down with Windmill Kid at the Colorado State and Four Corners Territorial to pitch an idea to help boost the prize pool and possibly give shooters another chance to win some money that don't normally get the chance to place in the finals. He liked the idea so I came home and went to work to make it happen.

This is the first time anyone has done this. Feedback on Facebook in the group Gunslinger Forum has been positive and some commented that it would actually make them consider paying the entry fee and coming to Odessa to compete for added prize money.

I was able to secure a $400 sponsorship to fund a $100 bounty on the current champion for each X put on him. It is a 4 X contest so anyone that draws the champion in the main match can have a chance to win the $100 bounty bonus until the champion X's out or the champion reaches the final round even if they do not place in the finals. Any bounty money not claimed will be retained by the champion.

The West Texas Rangers put on an excellent shoot and almost all of your meals are included in your entry fee. For real down home hospitality and a fun shoot mark this one on your calendar to attend this year.

See ya on the range,

Rodeo Romeo

FASTEST GUN ALIVE...A Showcase of “True Grit.”

FASTEST GUN ALIVE...A Showcase of “True Grit.”

Since most of our minds reside in 1880's, it was exciting to step back to a bygone era and fight it out for the honor to be called the best gunfighter in the world.  As a rookie to cowboy fast draw the entire event at times appeared to be much like the Buffalo Bill Wild(er) West Show.

More often than not your final standing was determined by a “single shot/hit.”  If the fastest, you won!  The crowds would then cheer as the announcer stated your alias and home state.  You stood there trying to look like it did not make a difference but you were cheering wildly inside.  If not yours, you walk off with true cowboy pride.   No one was there without extreme courage and commitment.  For over 85% of the shooters all you win is a “X.” To take home a prize from this event is the exception.   Those who won definitely did so by overwhelming skill and very little luck.  All of the 200 plus shooters wanted to earn the Top Shooter belt buckle and it showed.

Stud expressed to me, in his funniest cowboy manner, how strange it was to shoot against an octogenarian who said he had a pacemaker and only one good eye.  They blasted away and once again that last shot got Stud an “X” on his score sheet.  Later in the day, this winning elder statesman took a nap and ended up with an “X” for missing a follow-on match.  True grit is really just that.  Every cowboy with a sidearm and name tag came to play.

My final “X”, during the main match, came from Hell on Wheels.  This cowboy was not limited at all by his wheelchair.  He could drive nails in with each shot.   Those nails were putting the finishing touches on my coffin.  My age related ailments seemed minor when compared to this cowboy's true grit to get here and then win. Just before shooting me out of the match, Hell on Wheels had won the Quick and the Dead match defeating three dozen standing cowboys capable of all types of body English.  Hell on Wheels will always be a role model for me.

I watched in amazement as the "youth-boys" shot on our range between one of our matches.  The young-ins was shooting in the .4s and .5s with some in the .3s. While other members their age sit around playing video games and tweeting these youngsters were learning the cowboy way of life.  In this old cowboy’s opinion, in the end they will be much better off.   One family had three generations of shooters in the contest.

In my case, I was given the opportunity to compete against the top shooters we see all the time named in the Gunslinger's Gazette.  It was ugly at times but I did manage to win a match each day keeping me alive for another round.  I am proud to say: “I am the 132nd Fastest Gun Alive!”

Noah Chance asked me at the Awards Reception if I had a “fun time.” His cowboy friendly attitude is directly responsible for getting me into the sport. I paused on my answer since I was exhausted and already pre-occupied on how to get back to the 21th century.  But then it hit me. I did have “fun” sharing in others’ successes.

Thirsty got an award as a top five shooter in the Shootist category.  He had just taken up shooting a long gun and was glowing with pride.  Miss Kitty was given a Top Hand Award for all her volunteer efforts with the AZ chapter.  This year only 46 people were recognized with this national award.  She too had that look of inner pride that comes from a job well done.

Rodeo Romeo and Dry Gulcher ran the charity auction raising thousands of dollars for the Shoot for the Stars Scholarship Program.  Here were two AZ cowboy brothers doing their part for the association in outstanding style.  I saw Yowee, late Saturday afternoon, running across an open field (clutching her six gun and holster to her hip) with the latest line up for the Resurrection Finals.  Then all of a sudden off she goes at a full gallop back to the scorekeeper’s booth.  Yowee was definitely showing her “grit” to keep everything running smoothly.  She is always a great source for assistance to our members.

All of the AZ Gunslingers and Rio Salado Vaqueros took a very active part in the event and made me proud to be a member of both groups.  Shady Mike, Thirsty, AZ Thumber and Muletrain definitely provided me with the encouragement and the training I needed to compete.  Except for that single shot, in three matches, I almost won a buckle.  I actually pushed several of the fastest in the world to a 2-2 tie.

To my extended cowboy family “Thank you!”  Your support is greatly appreciated by this super senior cowboy who simply wants to be a  gunfighter and not feel like life is passing him by.  Without friends like you all, I would be lost in an era ran by computers and not cowboy ethics.

Just remember, often times being a gunslinger has less to do with the gun and more to do with your grit to get things done in the cowboy way. So put those reins in your mouth and practice, practice, practice for next year.  Remember the Duke! His way should be your way! So Charge!

Boss T

Boss T 's report

IDAHO STATE Championship Matches
From the very moment that I got off my rental horse in Nampa, Idaho I knew that these cowboys really meant business.  Shooters were there in force from a half dozen states converting the parking lot of the Boise Gun Company into a cowboy town.  It took over 5 minutes to call roll.  The 7th Calvary did not have this many cowboys.  The cowboys shot on one range and the cowgirls shot on a second range.  There was a large cleaning area and plenty of practice area for dry firing. Ruger Firearms was there filming the event for a TV movie on cowboys of the modern west.
After a hardware and leather inspection shooting began right as the outhouses were delivered.  Offloading the outhouses from the high bed truck provided a great deal of entertainment with a loud applause after they finally hit the ground safely.
I got to meet the CFDA’s top hand, Quick Cal.  We took a selfie and he thanked me for coming to Idaho.   Cal invited me to his ranch in Nevada for lunch.  He seemed to know everyone and kept inviting cowpokes to lunch during the first week in October.  He must have a big bunk house near Fallon , NV.
It was my honor to shoot with fellow AZ Gunslinger, Old West.  He was in two categories and I was in the Cowboys from AARP category.  I made it to the Top 5 Match finals for my category and lasted one round.  Old West was in top form and earned the right to fight against the very best in the group.  I have not seen the results but I know he did well and stayed for the main match the next two days.    As a true cowboy, I meandered off for two days of fishing with my kin.

Boss T

Target Progession II

For those who do not want to use a chair, you can make a nice frame out of pvc 1 inch pipe for about $25.00.  What is needed is 3 10 ft 1 inch pvc pipes, 10 tees, and two 1/4 inch threaded rods with wing nuts.  It takes maybe an hour to cut the pieces with a hand saw.  I did not use any glue, may or may not be needed.

The bottom legs are 30 inches and the top target holding legs are 23 inches.  The spacers are 21 inches but could be longer if you want it wider, that is just what fit my ballistic backstop from my chair.  The spacers between front and back is just the distance that the tees on the bottom required.  There are two threaded rods with wing nuts between the front and back.  You need four 2 inch spacers for the bottom tees.  Bottom back legs are about 16 inches

Show with ballistic backstop and with the bucket to catch spent wax.  Note the cords on top to hold the cardboard.  I may or may not drill holds to fasten the cords at different heights.  Still a work in progress.

I have not used it yet but it should work well.  If the joints loosen up with use, I may have to glue them.  For those of you that spray wax more, maybe a little wider would be better, but for me this width works just fine.  I intend to get a light canvas that wax will penetrate for the front instead of cardboard and then stick 6 inch targets on it.

Anyway, no glue yet so it can be taken apart if it becomes an auction or gift item.

Someone sent me this: