Cowboy Fast Draw/Cowboy Action Shooters

Cowboy Action shooting is a family orientated sport, for both young and old.
Cowboy Action Shooting Clubs participate and adhere to the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) Rules.

What is SASS?

he Single Action Shooting Society is an international organization created to preserve and promote the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting™. SASS endorses

Old West Aliases and Costumes

One of the unique aspects of SASS approved Cowboy Action Shooting™ is the requirement placed on costuming. Each participant is required to adopt a shooting alias appropriate to a character or profession of the late 19th century, a Hollywood western star, or an appropriate character from fiction. Their costume is then developed accordingly. Many event participants gain more enjoyment from the costuming aspect of our sport than from the shooting competition, itself. Regardless of a SASS member's individual area of interest, SASS events provide regular opportunities for fellowship and fun with like-minded folks and families.

Choosing an Alias

Every SASS member is required to select a shooting alias representative of a character or profession from the Old West or the western film genre. Your alias may not in anyway duplicate or easily be confused with any other member's alias.    

Old West Firearms

Cowboy Action Shooting is a multi-faceted shooting sport in which contestants compete with firearms typical of those used in the taming of the Old West: single action revolvers, pistol caliber lever action rifles, and old time shotguns. The shooting competition is staged in a unique, characterized, "Old West" style. It is a timed sport in which shooters compete for prestige on a course of different shooting stages.

Each scenario, as they are called, features an array of situations, many based on famous incidents or movies scenes, in which the shooters must test their mettle against steel targets.

Spirit of the Game

As the game of Cowboy Action Shooting™ has evolved, our members have developed and adopted an attitude towards their participation called "The Spirit of the Game." It is a code by which we live. Competing in "The Spirit of the Game" means you fully participate in what the competition asks. You try your best to dress the part, use the appropriate competition tools, and respect the traditions of the Old West. Some folks would call it nothing more than good sportsmanship. We call it "Spirit of the Game."

Interested!

Contact the
Sporting Shooters of Australia (SSAA)

Shooters Union
or a club new you.

What is CFDA?

About the Cowboy Fast Draw Association

You might say this all started in 1873 with Colt's release of the Peacemaker. In the era of 1873 through the 1890's, the American West was unlike any other culture in the world. This time period is the premise for Cowboy Fast Draw. We use the best equipment available of the 1800's: single action revolvers and center fire cartridges. We're out to capture the feel of the Peacemaker in your hand, the smell of holster leather, and the exhilaration of reacting as fast as you dare while remaining cool-headed enough to hit your mark as you compete head to head in classic old west fashion. In Cowboy Fast Draw we can find out how we would have shot in the 1800's with gunfighter period guns and rigs.

Cowboy Fast Draw L.L.C. is the newest and oldest shooting sport today. It is a timed sport using single action .45 caliber western style six shooters. It's as exciting as dropping the clutch on a dragster. Check out the announcements on the events page to see where you can attend a Cowboy Fast Draw competition.

Ammunition: .45 caliber long Colt cases with no more than six grains of black powder behind a wax bullet, or a .45 cartridge drilled out to accept a shotgun primer (no powder necessary) with a wax bullet.

Guns: STOCK .45 caliber single actions with minimum barrel length of 4.5", with no external alterations other than smoothing the hammer knurling. No aluminum barrels or cylinders. Front sights are optional.

Shooting Style: thumbing and fanning, host option may be thumbing only. Shooting finger must be out of the trigger guard. The barrel of the gun must discharge in front of the holster.

Holsters: Pre 1900 style. No steel liners. Holsters will be worn on the side of the leg. No cross draws.

The Target: 24" round disc, start light in the center. The target will measure 50" to center. At right is a picture of our standard target.

Time Clocks: Must time to the thousandth of a second. Precision Shooting Timer, Smith-Hughes, Wes Allen, Fast Track and others approved by the C.F.D.A.

Contests will be shot elimination style, 2 out of 3 shots per round. The standard contest will be double or triple elimination. There are three types of contests: Gunslinger shot at 15 feet, Gunfighter shot at 18 feet, and Master Gunfighter shot at 21 feet. All state, national, and world championships are conducted at 21 feet.

For more information go to: http://www.cowboyfastdraw.com/rules.php