Monday, August 16, 2010

Guns Of August 8/12-15/10

9 Wartrace Regulators traveled north to Middletown Ohio to shoot with the Big Iron Rangers. This was the first trip to Guns Of August, The SASS Midwest Regional Match for several of us. I for one hope it won't be my last.

Thursday was side-match day with the usual side matches. Buck Dodgers, Papa Dave, Tombstone John and I shot more than enough rounds for 2 matches and we had a ball.

Friday morning started early for us with a 8 am Safety Meeting. It opened with mounted shooters presenting the Canadian and United States flags and with the playing of both National Anthems. Deadwood Stan welcomed everyone, introduced SASS #1 Judge Roy Bean and then turned it over to Lassiter to go over the Safety Rules.

Smokin' Irons was our Posse Marshall and did an excellent job. Posse 4 was a great posse consisting of Smokin' Irons, Honey B. Quick, Papa Dave, Sheriff Frank Canton, Buck Dodgers, Tombstone John, Goldsmith, Rounder, Lightning Hawk, Buffalo Brady, Jeremiah Longknife, Ida Kno, Velvet Sheath, Justice Lawman, Thunderbolt Hayes and Randy Saint Eagle. Everyone worked well and we had lots of fun.

The targets on most stages, as you can see in the pictures are down hill and in the woods. This was a new experience but I enjoyed it. It was a very scenic range. Sunflower Kid and Slim Jim Dandy had to leave early due to Sunflowers wife having emergency surgery, we pray that she is ok and heals soon.

Friday night we had a meal at the range clubhouse with entertainment by Frederick Jackson Turner. Lassiter presented the Side Match Awards and Buck Dodgers won the Long Range Lever Action Pistol Caliber Side Match .

Saturday we shot in the afternoon starting at 12:30 and we finished just in time to put our guns away before the rain came. It was hot before the rain, mid 90's heat index around 105.

The Awards Banquet was Saturday night at the Manchester Inn. We had a good meal followed by entertainment from Royal Wade Kimes. Then they gave a way some door prizes. Sheriff Frank Canton won a "92 rifle, which made his weekend.

Lassiter did the Awards and here is how we finished:

Randy Saint Eagle, 2nd "B"-Western, 57th Overall, Clean Match
Papa Dave, 1st Elder Statesman, 62nd Overall
Buck Dodgers, 7th Cowboy, 87th Overall
Tombstone John, 19th Senior, 143rd Overall
Louisiana Cowboy, 27th 49r, 229th Overall
Jagged Rock, 29th 49r, 237th Overall
Sunflower Kid, 13th Duelist, 252nd Overall
Slim Jim Dandy, 32nd 49r, 256th Overall
Sheriff Frank Canton, "Don't Ask"

Click Here for complete scores.

I thank God for allowing me to have a good shoot and keeping us safe while traveling.
I shot my new Widdermatic Marlin all weekend and it ran flawlessly. I have to thank Widowmaker Hill for all his work coming up with with a way to make a Marlin run great and for sharing it with anyone who wants to try it (Widowmaker was 3rd Gunfighter and 48th Overall). This was only the 3rd Match for this Widdermatic, but it has now ran 21 flawless stages. Thanks again Widder.

Thanks to Lassiter, Deadwood Stan and everyone involved in making Guns Of August a Great Match. If you haven't been to Guns Of August put it on your list for next year, you'll be glad you did. I almost forgot Sheriff Frank Canton called me down to the hotel lobby Saturday morning and introduced me to SASS #1 Judge Roy Bean. It was a pleasure to meet the man who started Cowboy Action Shooting and SASS.

Don't forget The Regulators Reckoning, The SASS Tennessee State Championship October 7-9 2010 is coming back to Wartrace this year. Click on the State Match link on our Website for more info. Also our next match will be Cowboy/Wild Bunch this Saturday August 21st, for more info check out our Website. Our next Monthly Cowboy Match will be Sept. 4th.

Be safe, shoot straight and may all your bangs end with a clang.

PS Please forgive my picture quality I didn't realize until I got home the setting had been changed on my camera.



Sunday, August 8, 2010

Wartrace Regulators 8/7/10 Cowboy Match

56 Cowboys and Cowgirls rode into Wartrace to help out an old cowpoke named Nevada. We helped him keep his brother from getting hanged at the Gallows, get a beer in peace at Grafton's, gun down bank robbers at Well's Fargo, sell his cattle at the Corral and keep The Kid in Jail at Silver City.

Due to the name of the main character in all the scenarios, you might have guessed, every stage was a Nevada Sweep of some kind. Whiskey wrote the stages this way to keep it fast and simple for a hot August match. Several were "Stand and Deliver" keeping the movement down to a minimum. One of my favorite was the Corral where the Texas Star was the center target on a 3 target pistol Nevada Sweep, you started on the Star and did a 10 shot continuous Nevada sweep, after the rifle was shot on a diagonal or X Nevada Sweep starting on the center target with each 5 shots you could clean up any plates still on the Star with your Scattergun.

We had Pards come in from, West Tennessee, East Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky to help out old Nevada. It was not as hot as it has been for the last week or so, however it was still hot enough.

Buck Dodgers was the Top Gun of the day followed by Tabasco Jot, Dew R. Dye ( Ladies Top Gun), Shaddai Vaquero and Vaquero Jake rounded out the top 5. 6 thru 10 were Randy Saint Eagle, Papa Dave, Duck River, Whiskey Hayes and Jackson Longstreet. We'd like to thank everyone who came to shoot with us and hope you can make it back next time.

We'd also like to congratulate Alabama Hombre, Cherokee Sargent, Jackson Longstreet, Stoney Brooks, Sunflower Kid and Walking Short for shooting "Clean Matches".

We'd like to welcome some new Wartrace Regulators; Stoney Brooks and his son Nick Fawley and Cousin Ron Haggen, we're always excited to get new members.

Our next Match will be August 21st and it will be a combined Cowboy/ Wild Bunch Match for more info check out our website. Don't forget to send your entry in for The Regulators Reckoning, The SASS Tennessee State Championship.

Keep your powder dry and may every "Bang" end with a "Clang".

Sunday, August 1, 2010

North Alabama Regulators Match 8/1/10

Cheyenne Thornton, Wild Jill Hickock, Duck River and Randy Saint Eagle headed south to help the North Alabama Regulators clean up their town. The Train Robbers had cut the telegraph wires and we didn't know till we got there August is the "dress down" match. Cowboy hat and Cowboy boots are the only CAS requirements, shorts, short sleeves and t-shirts are fine due to the heat.

We were able to help Uncle Frank and Granna save the Train, protect the Mercantile, take care of the Bank robbers and run off the Outlaws so Uncle Frank could get a bath (and none too soon) at the Barber Shop.

El Camino wrote some fun, fast stages and we all managed to survive the heat. Due to the expected heat a vote was held at the Safety Meeting and only 4 stages were shot. I was 1 of the losing voters.

Tuff Stuff was The Top Gun of the day, followed by Randy Saint Eagle, Graver Bill, Buck D. Law and Ben T. Iron rounded out the top 5. Wild Jill Hickock was the Top Gun Lady, impressive after only 4 or 5 matches.
As you can see by the pictures, Alabama also offers a Wild Bunch Category.

Thanks to everyone for their hospitality and making us feel at home, we usually try to make it to a few matches a year and always have a good time.

I'd also like to thank Duck Rivers daughter, Katrina, for taking most of these pictures for me.


I'd also like to invite everyone to the Wartrace Regulators August Main Match next Saturday
8/7/10 for more information check out our Website