Casual Cowboy: The Day After

Not holding my breath until the results come out, I offer my afteraction report.

Temps were in the 100s with low humidity; the relaxed dress code maximized comfort. My only hat-tip to cowboy accoutrements was a neckerchief (in woodland camo...heh) which is a very practical accessory when kept wet. The guns were hot in the August sun, but I eschewed the new Nomex to prevent hammer wear on the thumb...I should have dug up an older pair and used them up. I did don the gloves for resetting the Texas Star: hot steel covered with lead smears...no, I don't pull my gloves off with my teeth.

The sixguns (both Modern-class Ruger Blackhawks) ran great! I had mostly A Zones and only one miss on the platerack! Instead of the coachgun, I brought my full-length Eibar 12-gauge to make sure I had the oomph to drop IPSC steel. That worked fine...twice I had to engage a single steel target after a reload and both times I could hear Jon yelling "Give it both barrels!" My need for speed trumped desire for style points: I made the faster single-hull load and finished up.

The Winchester shot high at close range and roughly at POA at 50 yards where the "Roll Yer Own" cardboard was set. The lead semi-wadcutters made big holes, but the rainbow arc of pistol-caliber weapons (even in Magnum loadings) are at a disadvantage at the far targets.

Overall, I had a lot of fun! I was shooting with friends who are used to my funny looks. They all dug the stage designs, though one new chick remarked that they were "written stupid." She backtracked, "Well, maybe I'm reading them stupid." The dirty look I gave her might have had something to do with that. It was an interesting shooting day, but I couldn't help longing for the chance to blaze away with my 1911s, AR or Little Thumper, and riotgun. I don't feel the need to try Casual Cowboy again, although I may continue to write it into stages until all proof of interest peters out. Perhaps I'll try the real Cowboy Action ShootingTM during the winter months...after I lose some more weight and can fit into my costume.