August 30 - September 1, 2001

HE SASS NORTH CAROLINA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP match was not only the fourth match I ever shot, but also would be the first "big" shoot I ever attended. I packed all my gear (and the dogs) into the truck and cruised to my parents' house in Salisbury. I had most of what I needed and waiting for me was the snappy new gambler's dress shirt, vest and tie that my Mom had made for me and the prairie dress for Wiz. I was looking forward to the whole thing — oddly enough, I was excited but not nervous. I guess that's because I didn't have any high expectations of myself, except to have a good time.

Thursday, August 30
The skies were cloudy and threatening rain, but there were vendors to visit and side matches to shoot and new friends to meet. I'd never been to the shooting range in Salisbury and as I drove in I was awed by the facility that the Rowan County Wildlife Association had and all the renovations that had been done. It must be one of the finest ranges on the entire East Coast. Amazing. I picked up my shooter's packet at the range clubhouse and won a gift certificate for a box of 500 new brass .44-40 cases from Starline. Yay! I can surely use those! I saw a couple of my pards there, and met the Cajun Kid (SASS #5690) who was the match director. Right up front, I want to say that he and all the folks that gave their time and effort put on one hell of a fine match for us all.

My new brim.

Wandering along Vendor's Row, I looked at a few new straw hats at the Tonto Rim tent which would be a good summer replacement for the heavy leather lid I was currently sporting. Needing the Wiz's OK before a purchase, I told the gent I'd be back tomorrow to make sure The Wife approved of the hat. Continuing my stroll, I spotted a pair of black denim pants that were on a closeout sale in the T.B. Enterprises tent. I called Wiz and cleared the purchase with her, since I needed a pair of black trousers to go with my outfit for the Casino Extravaganza on Friday night. As I finished the transaction, I met Buck Justice (SASS #4050) sitting outside the tent entrance. He'd been helping T.B. with the setup, they'd come up from Georgia and we ended up spending a good part of the day talking and shooting together. We decided to shoot the Speed Rifle side match. Me, because my pard Carolina Leadfoot was running the match for a bit and I figured it'd be nice to put a few rounds through the old Winchester. Buck wanted to shoot his old Colt Lightning pump-action rifle to see how it'd do. He said it wasn't something he shot very often and it wasn't the quickest shooting rifle around. That was no lie, since as he worked the pump, it hung up a bit and Buck ended up ejecting a couple of rounds (and taking the misses). Don't remember what his time was, but it wasn't like I had a chance at winning, either. I shot the 10 rounds in a little over 12 seconds; the winner (and I forget who it was) did it in under 5. Yowza.

I thought I should try out the side-by-side shotgun on the Cowboy Clays side match, since I usually had pretty good luck shooting flying clay pigeons. Alas, I've done most of my clay shooting using a stationary foot thrower, and this match was to take place on a "real" skeet range. That meant a pair of high-low towers on each side and clay doubles that cross in front of the shooter. I'd never seen that over the barrel of a shotgun before, and it showed. Badly. I missed 'em and kept on missing. I got three of seventeen, so it wasn't a complete skunking, but I could smell the odor very strongly from where I finished... Buck Justice did a lot better than I did — I think he dusted 13 of them — and he was at the "disadvantage" of using a 10-gauge original 1887 Winchester lever-action shotgun! Don't see too many of those on the ol' skeet range... What a great gun! Wish I had one. We watched as Surly Dave (SASS #14630) won the Cowboy Clays side match with a perfect score (he won a bunch of other side matches, too, and ended up shooting the main match clean; it must have been his week!).

B.B. Gunn & Isaac: My nephew Isaac and me on Stage 4. — photo by Pixelwiz

Just in time to put the misery into place, it began to rain and I ducked into the clubhouse to chew the fat with some of the other folks who didn't want to get wet. After the rain let off, I listened to a bit of the shooting seminar given by Bounty Hunter (SASS #1000), Island Girl (SASS #1001) and Marshal Harland Wolff (SASS #5019). There's plenty for me to learn, and I did pick up a few new things to try there. At that point it was getting on in the afternoon, and after socializing some more I decided to head back to my parent's house and call it a day. Wiz showed up that evening, with our nephew Isaac in tow. He'd come along with us for a little while the next day.

Friday, August 31
The big day! We got to the range early and were ready for the Opening Ceremonies and Safety Meeting at 8:00 a.m. It looked like it would be a nice, sunny day and by about 8:30, we'd formed up in our posse (#4) and got ready to shoot. There were a few of my friends shooting with me (Marshal Red Wolf & Ruslin Waters, McJames, Red River Mike) and I met a few new ones too: Mad Sveinn (who was shooting Duelist right before me — he shot "Double Duelist" like I did, only much, much faster), Surly Dave (who ran the timer while the lower half of the posse was shooting) Sixgun Smith, Compa (who was on the loading table), Tennessee Deadeye, Douglas T. Spit (Esq.) & Spit Jr., Bad Boss Bob, Sky Marshal and others. I was in the last shooting slot, which was a double-edged sword: while I did get to watch everyone else go through the stage and thus swipe strategies and make sure I understood the run, it also was tough when we switched shooting bays and I had to rush to get my gear moved over and hear the setup for the next stage.

Isaac was mighty cute, wearing his little red cowboy hat and drew more than a few comments from the shooters but he got bored by the whole thing rather quickly, which surprised us some. I guess we should have figured that would happen, since he is just four years old... Mom & Dad came by for a few of the stages and Dad got some of the festivities on video (which was an interesting thing to view later). During the lunch break, I managed to get The Wifely Approval on the hat from Tonto Rim that I'd looked at the previous day, so I shot the rest of the match wearing the new brim. It's nice. Got a new pair of suspenders, too. Then they all went home and I finished out the last two stages of the day.

After the last stage I drove back to get a shower and change into the dressy duds for the Carolina Casino Extravaganza and Dinner that night, and found Wiz ready to go in her new Prairie Dress. I got my act together and we went over to the Holiday Inn (which was the match hotel) and began the evening of mingling with the rest of the cowfolk. There was a wide range of attire, from "casual cowboy" to very formal dresses and frock coats. Quite the scene! Wiz gave several photographs to Marshal Red Wolf and Ruslin Waters — pictures of their granddaughter shooting at one of the local matches — and we ended up eating dinner in the company of Carolina Jack (SASS #18432), Royal Barnes (SASS #5792) and Coachman (SASS #12028) who just happens to work with me. It was funny that he saw me on Thursday and came over to say "hi," and neither of us had any idea that the other was into Cowboy Action Shooting. We shoot in different parts of the state and because I'm so new to this I haven't gotten over to his neck of the woods to shoot yet. Coachman's been doing it for quite awhile and ended up finishing 83rd, with a time of 446.17.

We had a great time talking and watching — neither Wiz or I know too much about games o' chance, so we just dropped our five raffle tickets in the bucket and didn't gamble with them. There were some people who did really well at the gaming tables, though, and had a wad of tickets to show for it. Stinky Jim (SASS #5768) and Del Rio Donna (SASS #22579) had a fistful, but Stinky said he never won anything in the drawings before anyway, and he'd continue his non-winning ways in that night's picks. Wicked Wanda (SASS #28122) cleaned up at the blackjack table, but she didn't win any of the drawings, either. Our friend Royal Barnes was awarded a nice Frederick Remington sculpture for being a "Top Hand" — something he richly deserves — and Oklahoma Charlie (SASS #5278) got one, too.

Wiz and I left after the prize drawing, since we didn't want to leave my folks stuck with Isaac all night. When we got back, though, we discovered that he'd gone to sleep right after we left and was still snoozin' away. Well, we needed to go to bed anyway to be ready for the next day.

Saturday, September 1
We had our last four stages to shoot today, and it was looking like the day was going to be as nasty as the previous day was nice. Low clouds and off-and-on rain. Blech. I, of course, had neglected to bring along a duster or raincoat (Lesson #17 learned and remembered!) though I did at least have a tarp I could use to cover up the guncart. The rain was a bummer and affected my shooting, but I still had great time. Wiz and Isaac came along again today and Dad showed up shortly after we began. Eventually the Wife's Mom & Dad appeared to watch a bit and her sister (Isaac's mom) and all her kids and husband arrived, wearing yellow Mickey Mouse rain ponchos and looking like a line of little ducklings as they traipsed along behind. It would have been nicer for them if it hadn't been raining. When I finished my last stage, they all headed for my folks' house and the pool (since the rain was letting off and they were going to eat lunch and go swimming). Wiz hung around with me, ordered a set of custom molded earplugs from Hearing Solutions and we ate a fine BBQ lunch before the winners and awards were announced. You can see all of the scores online at the Old North State Posse site.

Single Action Jackson (SASS #16443) was the overall match winner, shooting in the Mens' Traditional class with a time of 243.18 and 45 total rank points.

There were eight folks who shot the match clean, three of whom were in our Posse #4 — Surly Dave, Red River Mike and another gentleman whose name escapes me (sorry about that). Ken Tuck (SASS #5571) won the Duelist class that I shot in, with a time of 364.61. He finished 38th overall, with 429 rank points. Mad Sveinn (SASS #35484), who shot right in front of me, was the 4th place Duelist with a time of 386.93, 519 rank points and an overall finish of 48th. My pard Buck Justice also shot Duelist, coming in 101st overall with a time of 516.84. He finished 13th in the class and had 970 rank points. Compare those scores with my time of 644.55 seconds, 1195 rank points and a 17th place finish (out of 19) in my class and you can see I've a long, long way to go! I didn't come in last, though, and that was one of my minor goals for the match.

Here are some notes on each stage, in the order I shot them:

Stage 7: Clay Stewart and the Killer's Lost Concho
This is where our posse began, in bay four. I had a silver star (concho) in one hand and the other on the bar. To begin I said, "I believe this is yours," and flipped the concho downrange before drawing the first pistol and firing at two targets. The rifle was next, but I short-stroked the thing and stovepiped a round. Luckily, it was something I could clear fairly easily with the help of Surly Dave, who was on the timer. It slowed me down, but I didn't miss any with the rifle. Then the shotgun six times and finally the other pistol. A nice "stand-and-deliver" stage to begin on, and I managed to shoot it cleanly. A good way to start the match, even with the bobble.

Stage 8: Wyatt Earp Opens the Ball at the Oriental
The pressure was on for this stage. Since I was the last shooter in our posse, by the time my turn rolled around the "Super Posse" behind us had mostly finished and moved over to our bay because that was where they were shooting next. So there I was, shooting my fourth match ever, with all these "Top Gun" eyes there watching and waiting for me to go. To add to the fun, the first target was a shotgun "vomit" target, which when hit launched a clay pigeon into the air. If you shot the clay you got a five-second bonus. After my miserable performance in the Cowboy Clays side match, I wasn't feeling real good about my bonus chances. I started inside the saloon with the shotgun in hand and said "Let's open the ball, boys!" to begin. The first barrel of the scattergun took down the target and up popped the clay, which, to my surprise, I dusted! Woo-hoo! I moved outside the saloon and finished off the other four shotgun targets before pulling the first pistol. After holstering that sixgun, I shot the three rifle targets three times each and finished with the last pistol. There was much hootin' and hollerin' from my pards when I was done, for I'd shot it clean (and with the bonus to boot!) in front of all those folks. Whew!

Stage 9: The Greatest Buffalo Hunter who ever Lived
I was feeling good going into this stage, having cleaned the last two. I should have known better... I started with the rifle in hand and to start said, "Look at those buffalo roam!" Fired 10 rounds at five targets before moving to the pistol targets. Here's where the trouble started, as I mis-cocked the hammer and had to go all the way 'round again on it. In the course of doing so, I got off target and when I came to the live round put it on the wrong pistol target. That earned me a ten-second "procedural" penalty. I missed two other pistol shots, too, which added another ten seconds. Argh. Got the shotgun targets. So much for my clean match, though.

Stage 10: Buckskin George's Adventures near the Bozeman Trail
This was a great looking stage, complete with an old fort and a cannon, which is where we began. The starting line was "Look at all those Indians!" and then I pulled the lanyard to fire the blank shell in the cannon. Boom!! and then a dash to the rock for the rifle targets. Then return to the fort and shoot both pistols, holster them and finish with the four shotgun targets. I missed once with a revolver, but that stage was a lotta fun.

Stage 1: Cherokee Bob and the Comancheros
I think this one was my favorite stage, and not just because I shot it clean, either (though that always helps!). I started with a carpet bag in one hand up on a platform at the railroad ticket window. The line was "What do you mean, 25 dollars one way?!" and push the "ticket agent" (a wooden cutout on a hinge) aside. I fired both pistols first, then moved to the rifle and shot 9, then finished with four shells through the shotgun. Fun stage!

Stage 2: Fighting off the Comanches in New Mexico
This stage was a bad one for me. The stage props looked great and I'd just cleaned the previous stage — this one looked like a pretty straightforward run. I began with a "feed sack" in hand and said "Get down, Ma!" before tossing the bag into the covered wagon (a real one!) and reaching for the rifle. Unfortunately, after five of my 10 rifle shots I had my trusty '92 jam up on me. I think I must have levered it again before pulling the trigger on the pill in the chamber... Whatever the case, I ended up with one round in the chamber and one on the follower, and had to hand the rifle off to the Range Officer and continue on to the pistol targets. So, I had five "misses" from that, and it rattled me enough that I missed a shot with one of the pistols, too. Hit the four shotgun targets with no problem. Got a grand total of six misses (+30 seconds to my time) on this stage. Poo. It was a bad way to end the first day.

Stage 3: Five Aces
This is where we began the second day of shooting. It was raining a little on us during this stage, and I decided that I'd take it nice and slow because I knew that the grips on my revolvers would be slick. I started off seated at a table with a set of cards in hand, guns staged on the table. When ready, I said "You're a dead man, Percy!" and picked up the first pistol, which was shot from the chair, then stood up and holstered. 10 rounds with the rifle, then the other pistol, finishing up with four blasts from the shotgun. I did the right thing by taking it easy and shot the stage cleanly.

Happy Boy: I'm all smiles after shooting this stage cleanly! — photo by Pixelwiz

Stage 4: Mayhem for the Mastersons
The rain let off some on this stage, and it was a relief to not have to worry about wet grips. This was a stage with a little twist to it at the end. Inside the saloon, I held my hands up high in the "Gabby Hays position" to start and said "This is for Ed!" Shot the first pistol at three targets, came out of the saloon and moved to the rife for 8 rounds. Then the twist — moved to the saloon window and shot the second pistol through the window and then two rounds with the shotgun through the window. Of course, the window was sized so that most folks had to either crouch and shoot low (which is what I and most of the others did) or, if a pard happened to be extra tall, shoot up and over through the top window pane (which only a few did). I cleaned this stage, too, and thought I was on a roll for the day.

Stage 5: Sutter's Mill Slim and the Poco Lopez Gang
This one looked like a fun stage, too. There was a sluice complete with running water and a gold pan which I held to begin, saying "This here's MY claim!" before dropping the pan (which had to remain in the "creek") and grabbing the rifle for 10 shots. Then a pistol, two shotgun blasts and the last pistol. Sadly for my "clean" day, I missed one of the pistol shots; little did I know it would get worse.

Losing My Mine: A great looking stage; too bad I botched it. — photo by Pixelwiz

Stage 6: The Diamond Sport
This was our last stage of the match, and if I shot it clean I'd have at least gotten over half the stages clean for the match. Alas, it was not to be. The stage looked great — the props were super (they were all great looking stages!), with "rocks" near the rifle targets, an "ore cart" on railroad tracks leading into the "mine tunnel"... this one looked like it would be really fun. ...And then the rain came again, just in time for the last three of us to shoot in. I began with rifle in hand, saying "Look out, I've lost my mine!" before shooting. I missed the last rifle shot, and things went downhill from there. The four shotgun targets were no problem, but when I moved to the ore cart to fire the first pistol the rain had done its work — my (wet) hand slipped on the (wet) revolver grip. The hammer dropped before I was on the target and I put the round into the dirt berm behind the target. This threw me and I missed two more pistol targets before I was done. Four misses and 20 seconds added. I've obviously got to work on the mental aspects of this game and not let my misses affect the rest of my shots. Anyway, though it was a disappointing way to end the match, I still had a wonderful time. Can't wait until next year!

Here are my numbers on the individual stages: