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SHOOT! Magazine's Guide to
GETTING STARTED in Western-action Shooting
Events, Alias, and Clothes
Where To Go/Events:
The first thing we recommend that you do is to
find
a local match in your area, attend a shoot to see how it's done,
let them know you are interested, and ask for help. Visit our events listing on our web site, which covers most
of the events that make up Western-action shooting and can help you find a club
and/or shoot near you. You
can also check out the events listing in each issue of SHOOT!
Magazine.
Alias/Persona:
Some organizations, such as the Single Action Shooting
Society (SASS), require you to choose an alias, while others, such as the National Congress of Old West Shootists
(NCOWS),
do not. A SASS alias is
unique to each person on a first come, first serve basis. Regardless, you may want to develop a persona and then select
an alias that goes along with it. You might select a type of person from the Old West, such as
a cowboy, townsperson, law officer, school marm, saloon girl,
bartender, scout, or cavalry soldier, and then develop your alias,
clothes, and firearms around it. Many people have also selected one of their favorite
Hollywood heroes as their alias, such as the Lone Ranger, Tonto,
Paladin, etc. Your
alias will be used at all events. You can find out if an alias is available by calling SASS at (714)
694-1800 or by visiting their web site at www.sassnet.com.
Costume/Clothes:
Your clothes should follow the persona that you want to
portray. In fact, there
are some shooters that change personas each day of a match. However, don't feel that you have to spend a fortune on
clothes just to get started. Throw
on a pair of jeans, a pair of boots, and a cowboy hat if you have
them, and if not, don't worry about it for your first local shoot
or two. After that
people will expect you to slowly build up your outfit, although I
have seen many people at local shoots that continue to wear blue
jeans, boots, and a cowboy hat. Just check with your local club members.
When attending annual matches (with the exception of BPCRS
matches), period-correct clothing is required. However, Hollywood-style western clothes are perfectly
acceptable for SASS events, but not for NCOWS events, which are very
period-correct. Old
West clothes come in all styles and types for men, women, and
juniors. Visit
the SHOOT! Mercantile for a great selection of both men's and women's
clothing.
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