hi i would like to get into cowboy action shooting . but i don't know what was appropriate cal. Bbl length so on and so forth don't want to look out of place thanks belt fed 30

Hi belt fed,
For basic equipment, you will need two handguns, one rifle, one shotgun, and leather, all appropriate to the cowboy era. Guns may be clones or of modern design e.g. Rugers.

Calibers must also be cowboy era using lead bullets.

Those who are competitive lean towards the smaller calibers for fast followup shots whereas others enjoy shooting the big bore calibers and everything in between.

Barrel lengths are whatever you prefer but due to the shorter ranges, shorter barrels are very popular for quick target acquisition.

This is barely scratching the surface and I hope Belle (who is our experienced CAS shooter) will join in with more details.

If you don't already know, there are sites dedicated to CAS which are very helpful, might try www.gunfighter.com (http://www.gunfighter.com) who has a resident gunsmith, Jim Martin, one of the best.

thanks but that is what i need to know what cal. and what types of guns . would like to get a colt if possible , should it be a single action also is 45 lc a good cal. thanks b.f.

Ruger, Berretta and Taurus all are making colt clones basically for the cowboy action shooting. They are much less inexpensive than the colts and excellent revolvers, you might give them a look. Copy's if the Winchester 92 rifle and the 97 shotguns are also available.

Let me put my initial response to you a little differently. If you are into CAS to win, your chances are better if you go with a .38/.357 and shoot light loads with it. If you just want to just enjoy the cowboy experience, you can go with the .45 Colt, .44 WCF, .44 Special, all the bigger bullets. Winners in CAS are determined by the number of hits on the target in the shortest period of time. The smaller calibers allow the shooter to recover more quickly to get back on target, a decided advantage. Yes, the single-action Colt clones are very popular and affordable and the .45 Colt (LC) cartridge is used a lot. Real Colts tend to be pricey so most CAS folks go with the clones. You will also need either a lever action or a pump action rifle. The caliber of which also falls into what I just explained. Last, you will need a shotgun. Double barrel side-by-side or single barrel pump or even lever action. All guns must be cowboy era correct. I would suggest you visit some of the CAS sites on the net and also visit a CAS meet at a nearby shooting range in person. Witnessing a meet will quickly answer many of your questions. The folks at these meets are very friendly and newbies are welcomed. Hope this answer is a bit better.

Marshal Kane has covered the important stuff pretty well, so I'll just give you some background on me and what I shoot & why.

Bear with me, it's gonna be long-winded! (and yes, I'm going to toot my own horn just a bit :D)

I have been shooting CAS since 1994, and along the way, I've picked up 3 Alaska State Ladies Championship titles, Southwest Regional titles, Louisiana State Ladies Overall Champion & 2 Blackpowder Champion titles, and 2 World Champion Ladies Frontier Cartridge Duelist titles. (Gonna go for the 3rd this year!)

Now for the fine print- what you read in this post are my personal opinion(s) and experiences. Not to be chisled in stone, because other folks will have opinions and experiences just as valid with other types of firearms.

In CAS, most (but not all) categories are based on the equipment you shoot and/or the propellant you use.

There are a few categories I don't shoot in, because I don't have suitable guns. I don't shoot in the Modern class - adjustable-sighted pistols, or the B Western - Win 92/94 for rifle, or Frontiersman (Frontierswoman?), which is for cap & ball pistols. I did have 2 pair of C&B guns, but sold them to get "new" toys. Other than that, the guns I have can be used in all other categories.


Currently, my personal main match set of guns are;

Uberti 1873 Border rifle in .357 (20" octagon barrel)
2 - Uberti 1871 Open Tops, Navy-gripped (smaller grips) revolvers in .38 Spl/.38 Colt with 4/75" barrels
Remington Spartan SxS in 12 gauge, hammerless 20" barrels
and, formerly my main handguns but now are my back-ups, I have
2 - Cimarron Model P revolvers, also made by Uberti, in .357 with 4.75" barrels.

All my guns have been "tweaked" and are much smoother and timed better than stock guns. I really can't call them true raceguns, because they still use original style internal parts, no short-strokes, titainium firing pins or aluminum carriers. They've just had parts filed/sanded to fit better and bearing surfaces polished well.
If you are an experienced gun tinkerer and fairly confident in your skills, you can do your own guns - there are some good videos out about smithing Cowboy guns.


Rifle
I use the '73, because in the beginning, I found a really really good deal on a 24" gun in .45 Colt. And Jimmy Stewart used one! I shot that several years, then made the caliber/barrel length change. The '73 has an elevator-style cartridge feed system instead of a ramp-style like the '92/94 and Marlins, and as a result, the '73 will feed just about any shape bullet you want. The 92/94s and Marlins can be MIGHTY particular about bullet shape AND overall cartridge length. The shorter 20" barrel is easier for me to manuever in tight spots, not to mention lighter. Mine has a crescent buttplate, which does fit different on your shoulder than a carbine style. Some folks find it a bit awkward, but it works well for me. I replaced the sights, put a full buckhorn rear on and a Marbles w/brass bead on the front. I use this combo like a ghost ring type of set up.

Pistols
I use the shorter-barreled pistols because between the top of my holsters and, uh, certain anatomical structures, there's just not enough room to pull a longer-barreled gun clear in a safe manner. Plus, its lighter weight vs a longer sight radius is a trade-off I don't mind making. In CAS, you generally don't have pistol shots in a main match more than 10 yards. With my Open Tops, I can, most of the time, hit a standard pepper popper at 25 yds one-handed, even with the rudimentary sights provided. The Open Tops are the guns I use in Duelist categories (shot one-handed) because the smaller gripframe fits better in my girlie hand for shooting unsupported. When I want to run really fast and shoot two-handed, I use the Model Ps. They are solid frame guns, unlike the Open Tops, and I don't mind running them hard.

Shotguns
In Blackpowder categories (which is what I usually shoot), you are limited to either a SxS shotgun, hammered or hammerless, or a lever action shotgun, so I use the Remmy right now. It is made by Baikal, imported by Remmington. It is, as the saying goes, "Built like Russian tank". I got this one, because the Stoeger I had was a 26", and sometimes was hard to swing in small places safely. I liked the looks of the Spartan (mine has the satin stainless receiver) and it's in 12 gauge.

When I first started shooting, I had two Rossi hammered coach guns, a 12 and a 20 (no longer imported). I sold those and picked up some Win 97 pumps (I was shooting mostly smokeless categories at that time). Later a Stoeger 26" sxs found its way to the safe, and now the Remmy. One of these days I may get a copy of the 1887 lever gun.........one of these days!
Even though I shoot mostly BP these days, I really like my 97's, I have 3, a 22", 28" & 32". Now, 97s have their own types of problems to worry about, they were, after all, Mr. Browning's MOST COMPLICATED gun design. But when they are slicked up and running good and the shooter is having a good day, they are VERY fast!

(Now, about the 12 gauge.......lots of people want to use a 20 gauge because of a past bad experience with a hunting load in a 12, or because someone might think they aren't big enough to handle it. My advice is.....Go with a 12 gauge - you can get VERY LIGHT target loads which will still work on knockdown targets and WON'T kick as hard as a 20, even in a coach gun! My heavy Blackpowder loads don't even kick as hard as Win AA Lite target loads!)

Caliber
Most of us who have been doing this for a while generally have both rifle & pistols in the same caliber to minimize any confusion at the loading table.

I started out with guns in .45 Colt, but along the way, I transitioned to guns chambered in .357 (but shoot .38 specials). I found that the .38s were the way to go for me for multiple reasons;
More economical to reload - less powder, easy to get brass
Less recoil for
1. faster target acquisition
2. easier on the hands & arms of folks with joint problems, arthritis and other disabilities.
And SO many different bullet weights, designs and loads to choose from! Probably one of the most versatile cartridges around. It can be loaded from snakeshot and mouse-poofs up to hot self-defense loads.

I sometimes will have lighter/heavier bullets and/or powder loads handy for special purposes. But my usual load for both rifle & pistol are a .357-sized 158 gr. RNFP squashed on .7cc Goex Cowboy/.5 cc filler.

Miscellaneous
You don't say what part of the country you're in, there may be a CAS club close enough for you to go to. And I highly recommend that you go to a few matches before you plunk down hard-earned yankee greenbacks on guns.

Most CAS folks at matches are happy to let you try out their guns, seeing how they feel & fit. Probably the mistake most often made by newbies is to run out and buy all new guns and THEN discover one or more just aren't what they wanted.

Think about what category you might want to start in and work around the gun requirements. The Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) is the oldest CAS organization and it governs our sport. The website has the Shooter's Handbook on it, which will spell out the categories and approved equipment;

www.sassnet.com (http://www.sassnet.com)

One last tidbit.....Leather. At some point you'll have to have leather gear to carry your guns. When you decide on your guns, and can afford it, spend the money and get GOOD leather, belts and holsters made to fit you AND the guns, not just sewn pouches that are "one size fits most". This is not just for looks - a well-made holster that fits the specific gun should retain the gun during periods of reasonable movement, and be comfortable to wear for a few hours non-stop.
If your guns don't fit well in the holsters, they can fall out or be knocked out and cause all sorts of safety issues. I even go so far as to use hammer thongs on my guns any time I am not on the ready line, just in case.

I hope this "novella" has answered some of your questions!
:)

thanks thats the answers i was lookin for i will check the cas sight out :D

Belle,
We're REALLY fortunate to have you posting on this site. That was an EXCELLENT post (covers everything) and I hope the moderators will put a "sticky" on it for other newbies. Best wishes on the competitions!

How are things going for you and getting into SASS/CAS?

Any pics of you in your new duds yet?

SFT, SASS# 35973, BOLD #557, TSRA-L, SCORRS, and numerous CAS clubs.

BTT- any comments or pics yet?

Nothin' there I can disagree with. I use 4 5/8" Rugers in .45 Colt. I also have a birdshead sheriff's model that I carry daily. LOVE that little gun! Barrels over 4" and under 5" are the norm.

A lot of people (including me) like the 1897 shotgun, but I think most of the top competitors are using side by sides.

Another thing to consider is the gripframe. A lot of folks simply LOVE the Bisley. You might try it, as well. In theory, it looks like it'd be better for shooting for accuracy. In fact, the name "Bisley" comes from a shooting club or match in England, I believe.

A lot of folks, especially SASS folks that shoot 3 days out of the year would have you believe that the first thing you have to do when you get your guns is change every spring and screw, as well as the basepin. HORSE PUCKY! Shoot 'em and see how you like 'em. You could probably do well to have a trigger job done for about $50, but it won't do you any good until you've shot a few thousand rounds and done a buttload of dry firing.

Remember to pay attention to your trigger squeeze, and only use your finger tip.

......just my 2 cents. Well, maybe a quarter, by the looks of it.

Nothing I'd disagree with but I'd add a couple of things:

I also shoot 45 Colt (wife shoots 38 sp). Sometimes load BP shells. But I shoot more for fun than for winning.
1) I prefer a 24" on my Uberti border rifle. I'm a big guy and the heavier barrel swings better for me. Wife likes a shorter barrel on her Marlin Cowboy.
2) I would recommend getting Wolf springs for Ubertis or Colts with a flat mainspring. About $20 at Brownells and 10 minutes to put in.(Keep your originals in case something breaks) I shoot two Ubertis but have 2 Rugers as backup (1 birdshead and 1 5.5").
3) I use one of my Rugers (old model Vaquero) as a bear gun here in the Cascades-it's a Bisley and handles recoil better with HOT loads.
4) New model Vaqueros fit smaller hands better.
5) Go to a match-you'll have people tripping over each other to loan you guns!

Greg vs isn't kidding; just put on a pair of old jeans that you've cut the back pockets off of (then later the belt loops too when you get some suspenders), a long sleeve shirt that looks at least partially correct (no button downs or designer labels), and pick up a $10 beater hat, then add some boots. You really will have folks lending you everything you need, and be sure to contact the club officer(s) beforehand so they'll know your size and that you are a newbie. You will have the time of your life! :D