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 (Editorial
Continued) If you
think about what was used back then for gathering food and
everyday living, don't forget the bowie and Barlow knife, the
bow and arrow, the spear, the rope, the muzzleloading shotgun,
and the tomahawk (also very prevalent on the East Coast during
the early 19th
century). Adding
these to both a scenario and your outfit can enhance your fun and
appreciation for the pioneer, whether a homesteader, trader,
townsperson, gambler, saloon girl, trapper, or cowboy.
Hmm … don't forget the Indian was there before the
others.
Now for the clothes and
accouterments. Here is
where it really gets fun! Many
of us get a kick out of wearing a variety of costumes and clothes.
In fact, this sport may now be just as much about wearing
period clothing and accessories as it is about shooting period
firearms! The choices
are many and include Victorian dresses, handsome gambler attire,
Eastern-style coat and tie, deer and elk skin, moccasins, cowboy
boots, civil war attire, gorgeous dresses and shawls, and on and on.
It seems that there are just as many vendors offering
clothing as there are gunleather.
Indian beads, a possible pouch, blow tubes, historically
correct dresses, knives, and many other frontier items all have a
place on the range and within this magazine.
SHOOT! Magazine will
address all of what I have discussed here as well as the different
organizations and clubs that make our sport possible, such as SASSTM
(the Single Action Shooting Society), NCOWS (National Congress of
Old West Shootists), CMSA (Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association),
WASA (Western Action Shooting Association), the NRA (National Rifle
Association), your individual clubs, and much more.
We will also try to feature articles and shoots from afar,
such as Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
I'm sure I must have left something out, but I hope you get
the general drift of what we are trying to cover.
Who gets to shoot and when?
We need a continuing influx of new shooters to our sports.
We also need to encourage those shooters who currently only
shoot in one discipline, say cowboy-action matches, to try others,
such as BPCRS, lever-action silhouette, or side events.
We want to encourage all participants to use and wear
appropriate gear. However,
we don't want to discourage new people of all ages and all creeds
from joining in. I
suggest that some rules be followed according to your own club and
organization with regards to period correctness at annual events.
Yet, when monthly events occur, let the person who only has a
modern pump shotgun or a double-action Smith & Wesson join in
even if they only have tennis shoes and blue jeans to wear.
Once they go to a shoot or two, they too will start to get
what they need to be a cowboy shooter or buffalo hunter.
I say, the more the merrier!
Have fun, shoot safe, and
keep your powder dry, Chucky
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