Hard Ridin’ and Fast Shootin’
by: suzee
I just discovered a fairly new shooting sport that involves some fast paced action! This might not seem like it has much to do with hunting… but it does involve guns and people who enjoy shooting sports. When the Farrier was here the other day, shoeing our horses, he mentioned he was getting involved with the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. As he explained what it was, I felt more intrigued and looked up their web site. CMSA has a great site with video of the action and a rundown of the history of the sport.
Fixed sight, single action .45 colt revolvers are the firearms used. They must be designed prior to 1898 or reproductions of that period.. The ammunition is black powder blank cartridges that are CMSA certified and approved to have a effective range of no longer than 20 feet. The competitor carries two revolvers each loaded with 5 blank cartridges. The course is set up with ten balloons, five of one color, five of another. The course is run in two stages, and the shooter is timed as he runs both stages. There are penalties of added seconds for each missed balloon, dropping a revolver, knocking over a barrel, etc. In the first stage the competitor shoots at five randomly placed balloons, turning their horse around barrels to show the horses agility. The competitor holsters the first revolver which is now empty, and draws the second getting ready to enter the second stage called the Rundown. This consists of five balloons placed in a straight line. The competitor runs his horse down this line of balloons firing at each balloon as he goes at full speed! They also have a competition using rifles. Check out this video of a rifle rundown! The rifles used must be made prior to 1900 or replicas of that period. They are pump, lever or revolving action. As with the revolver, the ammunition must be certified approved blackpowder blanks. In the rifle competition the first stage is shot with revolver and then the shooter holsters his revolver and pulls the rifle out of the scabbard, levers a round and fires away, all the while his horse is running all out! Check out another great video on CowboyMounted Shooting that’s put out by the Arizona Fish and Game. They must have felt that there is a connection to the hunting community also, as it gets people introduced to firearms in an exciting way. It’s great fun to watch and I hope to see a competition here in Idaho this summer! CMSA has a schedule for all their events across the country… check it out! They just might have an event near you!
Tags: cowboys, Horses, mounted shooting, Revolvers, Rifles
8 Responses to “Hard Ridin’ and Fast Shootin’”
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If I had a horse – okay, if I had even ridden a horse before, this definitely sounds like a lot of fun.
Are you guys really gonna participate? I wanna see the video of that.
Arthur- Whoa! Gary and I aren’t going to participate! … we just think it’d be fun to watch! I wish I could ride like those cowboys!
I was talking to one of the guys who organized a big shooting group (club? posse?) here in northern California, and was almost set to go. It does sound like a ton of fun, and some of these folks take it pretty serious. I have shot off of my horse several times (messing around, not hunting), so I knew she’d be up for it.
However, I quickly realized it would cut into my hunting time, and that I’d also need to go out and buy a pair of .45 revolvers if I wanted to get serious. While I’m generally open to any excuse to buy a new gun (or two), I just couldn’t see it working out in the long run.
Still, it is a real kick to watch these guys. Any time you get a chance, get out there and see what they do.
Phillip- I’m impressed that you have shot off of your horse… it takes a really good steady horse… not to mention a pretty steady rider too!! We hope to get a chance to watch these talented cowboys and horses in action in August…but like you said it doesn’t work real well with bow hunting season… Antelope, Elk and deer archery season begins the end of August… so not sure it will work out… hunting gets first priority!
Suzee, actually, these guys have some great tips for training your horse to be around the shooting. It’s actually pretty easy, especially if you have a horse around who’s already been exposed.
I’ve been real lucky with my mare. She’s as brave and trusting as they come, and she has the added benefit of spending her first year and a half down at mom’s barn in NC, where she heard my brother shooting something almost every weekend. I’m comfortable enough with her that I think it would be a hoot to go chase hogs on horseback with handguns (spears aren’t legal in CA). Ahh… now THAT’S mounted action shooting!
Phillip, It’s a great help that your brother conditioned your mare to be used to the sound of gun shots… Our horses have all been exposed to the same thing, as we sight in our rifles right next to the horse corrals… they seem pretty used to it… I just wonder how they would react if the sound was coming from on top of their back! …I would love to see you go on a hog hunt from horseback!! … who knows maybe you could open a whole new aspect of hog hunting!
Actually, hunting hogs from horseback goes way back in history. Even King Arthur was, supposedly, a big fan of the sport and there are all kinds of tapestries, paintings, and sculptures showing this kind of hunt. That’s been my inspiration, although I think I’d like to do it with a .44 instead of a spear.
Phillip- That’s pretty interesting! …but I still think you’d be very unique if you hunted hogs from horseback with a .44!