Yee Haw and Yippie Skippie!!! 

This is fun stuff:)

We've all seen old western movies movies. 

We understand their fastest draw thing.

Today's Cowboy Fast Draw is

different.     Better.

Yes, folks are dressed in 1890's wear,

and the quickest draw wins.

Today, however, your shot is timed

to the thousandth of a second.

You're really competing with yourself.

That may be the addictive part, 

video game like .... you got

(whatever) score and you know 

you can do better. You just need

to give it one more try!

Y

Imagine standing 15' (Gunslinger distance) 

from a 24" metal target (circle).     

The flat metal circle has a 2"center light 

(center is 50" from ground).

A sensor and electronic timer are attached to the target.

Imagine wearing a real leather holster

inside the holster is a real single action six shooter.

Your cowboy gun is loaded.

Oh yeah.

Cowboy!!

Not scary.

Wax Bullets!!!!

Shoot at 24" round circle.

Hits are scored by time only,

no extra points for bulls eye!

Imagine......

You stand on line, 4 to 6 feet from

whomever, each facing their own target.

You hear the commands.....

"Shooters on the line.....

.......Shooters set."

The timer releases the start button, 

shooters on the line are set ..... 

and they wait ....(randomly between 2 and 5 seconds)

.... for the center of the target to light.

The target lights.

You draw your real single action six shooter

(your cowboy gun)

from a holstered position,

you shoot your wax bullet

at the 24" round target.

Fastest time wins!

A hit, anywhere on the

24" round target,

stops

the timer.

Fastest time wins!

Yee Haw!

Scores are measured 

to the thousandth of a second.

This Cowboy Fast Draw has captivated around 20 of us in Los Banos during the past month. You'd be surprised at how different we all are from one another. The sport is exciting, and safe, it's challenging yet non threatening, and it is very addictive ... you just want to be faster. You can compete with anyone; gender doesn't matter, size doesn't matter...

Realistically, you compete with yourself (timer), however since each timer controls two targets, you physically shoot alongside another person and the fastest time wins. It can be quite competitive (obviously because there is State, Territorial, National and World Competition).

Here's a video clip from the 2007 Cowboy Fast Draw National Championships

In an elimination competition, the slowest person is scored an x for the round. Three xs and you're out of the competition. (Some competitions are more or less than a 3x elimination.)  The California State Championships to be held during the Henry Miller Wild West Weekend will be shot elimination style.

The sport also encourages the use of aliases. More fun!! You actually have the opportunity to name yourself before you are named.   

Be careful.

Around LB, we have Tawodi, Big John Skinner, The Undertaker, The C21 Peacemaker, Lefty Lipsomb, Hold-em Hanna, Lucky LeTish, Cardoza Kid, Loose Cannon Katie, Johnnie Blade, Wild Turkey, Silvery Star, California Drifter, Bandita, Omaha Outlaw, The Enforcer ...and we're just getting started!

The World, National and State Champions of this sport are really fast .... however even fast people, sometimes especially fast people, miss the target! Fast is important, but only if you hit the target; "a fast miss" only has value in your own mind.  Master Gunfighters can and do go off "half cocked"  (gun half ready, no value; the gun will not fire), jump the light, have a bullet jam because of raised primer, miss the target, get unnerved and ultimately end up being "x'd" out/eliminated from the competition.  The odds may be against you, but you do have a chance and anything is possible.   

We're so hooked on Cowboy Fast Draw we've formed a local fast draw club to make it affordable and available to as many as possible. Our local club, The Golden State Gunslingers, is very appreciative that the Sundowners Single Action Shooting Club has donated many long days, long nights, long drives, loaned equipment, sound advice and good example to help us exist and grow.  We're also very appreciative that Robert Ford (Allstate Insurance - Pat Selinger & Robert Ford) financially helped our fledgling club get sanctioned so we could host "Gunslinger Alley" at our Centennial events to promote the Henry Miller Wild West Weekend. 

Shoot us an email if you're close enough to give it a try.  Otherwise we'll see you at the Henry Miller Wild West Weekend.      Yee  Haw!!!!!!!