Columnist Barb Henderson: Cowboy shooters are taking dead aim

Barb Henderson

Friday, July 25, 2003 | 8:57 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

Whoa! Hold your horses, partners!

Mosey on over here by the campfire, grab yourself a cuppa that cowboy coffee while I update you on some exciting news about Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) and the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS).

CAS is staged around the 19th century, these western shooting enthusiasts shoot at silhouette metal targets with typical firearms used to tame the old west and they all dress in authentic western attire.

These cowboys and cowgirls shoot with single-action revolvers, lever-action rifles and side-by-side double-barreled or lever-action shotguns. Safety and proper handling of firearms play an important role with these experienced shooters, and their marksmanship is impressive.

In order to be a member of SASS-CAS, each member adopts a shooting alias appropriate to the 19th century.

My SASS alias is "Western Barb Wire."

In Nevada there are eight CAS clubs: Silver City Shooters Society, Desert Desperados, Nevada Rangers, Eldorado Cowboys, Pahrump Cowboys, Roop County Cowboys Shooters Association, Silver State Shootists and High Plains Drifters.

Should you have a hankering to find out more about the western spirit of Cowboy Action Shooting here in Nevada, click on the Internet at: www.nevadacas.com

The Eldorado Cowboys will be presenting Eldorado 2003. This will be the SASS Nevada State Championship and has been scheduled for Oct. 2-5, in Jean, Nev.

The Utah CAS presents its first Utah War. This will be a SASS Utah State Championship and will be Aug. 21-23, in Park City, Utah. For more information click on the Internet at: www.utahwar.com

Interestingly,a possible two-state shooting competition between Nevada and Utah is under consideration. Should this action-packed shooting sport event happen, it could have the potential of becoming an annual Cowboy Action Shooting gathering.

Whoa, doggies! Speaking of gatherings, the second annual Single Action Shooting Society Convention and Wild West Christmas will be in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel and Convention Center Dec. 4-7. For more information click on the Internet at: www.sassnet.com

For more information and/or to purchase tickets click on the Internet at: www.desertbighorn.com _