Cowboy action shooting

Upcoming matches

2 events matching this sport’s disciplines. Discipline does not establish league affiliation. Coverage is partial; confirm dates and registration with the organizer.

1. Oct 25, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   Doodle Hill Regulators – Cowboy Action ShootingGun Craft, 2102 24th St. S.E., Ruskin, FL 33570
   FL calendar →
2. Nov 14, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   Cowboy Action MatchTalon Range, 550 Commerce Blvd, Midway, FL 32343
   FL calendar →

We don't have locations for these events yet; use the state calendars above.

How a match works

1. You join a posse: the group of competitors that completes the stages together. Each stage is a separate shooting scenario. [20] [30]
2. Each stage has a scenario and a specified firearm and target sequence. The setting may draw on a Western film or historical incident, but the shooting is against steel targets, not other competitors. [3]
3. Before a stage, the designated loading area is supervised. The loading table officer checks the prescribed round count and firearm condition. The handbook makes the competitor responsible for correct loading and unloading, even with an officer present. [20] [25]
4. The course of fire runs from the timer’s beep to the last shot. The timer operator assists the shooter through the stage; three spotters count shots and misses and check the target order. A majority of the spotters decides misses. [20] [30]
5. After the stage, the unloading table officer visually checks that the firearms are clear. The scorekeeper records time and penalties for that stage. Those stage scores combine into the match result. [20] [21]

Where to compete

For monthly matches, use the club finder’s match types, recurring dates, addresses and contacts. The separate match locator covers larger listed events. Confirm details with the host before travelling. [5] [6] [4]

• SASS match finder ↗
• SASS club finder ↗
• Find a shooting range

Run a club? Affiliate a club ↗

Your first match

1. Find a club, not just a championship. Find a monthly-match host in SASS’s club finder and contact it before visiting. Ask about its schedule and help for new shooters. [5] [6] [4]
2. Watch a match with eye protection. Watch a match or two and talk with shooters between stages. Bring eye protection; hearing protection is highly recommended. [2] [4]
3. Choose a category before guns or leather. Your category determines eligible guns, ammunition, holsters and clothing. Check the category rules and ask the host about borrowing equipment before purchasing it. [2] [28] [16] [17] [18]
4. Join SASS and register your alias. For SASS-sanctioned competition, join SASS and choose an exclusive, headquarters-approved Old West or Western-film alias. The beginner guide also recommends joining the local club. [2] [10]
5. Learn the match procedures with the club. Read the current handbook and learn the loading table, firing line and unloading table routines with club officials. Ask about a SASS Range Operations Basic Safety course with the CAS module. [9] [26] [2]

Never fired a gun at a range? Start with your first range visit.

What to bring

Bring eye and hearing protection to your first match, even where a league only recommends it. Check the host’s requirements before you arrive.

Two single-action revolversRequired

For competing, not watching: approved originals, replicas and SASS-approved adjustable-sight models, subject to category rules. Standard centerfire calibers are .32–.45; percussion calibers are .36–.45. Buckaroo/Buckarette competitors have a .22 LR exception. [2] [28] [14]

Pistol-caliber rifleRequired

A qualifying original or replica lever- or slide-action rifle with a tubular magazine and exposed hammer; no box magazines. Standard calibers are .32–.45, with .25-20 and .56-50 exceptions. Rifle cartridges such as .30-30 and .38-55 are not allowed in the main match. Buckaroo/Buckarette competitors may use qualifying .22 LR rifles. [28] [14]

Period-style shotgunRequired

Qualifying side-by-side, single-shot and exposed-hammer lever-action shotguns are allowed. The only permitted pump shotgun is an original or replica Winchester Model 1897. Side-by-sides may not use automatic ejectors. Some categories restrict the list further. [28]

Category-legal ammunitionRequired

Revolver and rifle ammunition must be all lead; polymer-coated or equivalent bullets are acceptable. Jacketed, semi-jacketed, hollow-point, plated and gas-checked bullets are prohibited. Shotgun ammunition must use number 4 lead birdshot or smaller; steel or plated shot, magnum shells and high-velocity shells are prohibited. [27]

Secure holstersRequired

Holsters must retain the handguns throughout normal movement. Any cartridge belts, bandoleers or pouches used must be traditional designs; modern drop pouches and combat-style shotgun loops are not allowed. Classic Cowboy and B-Western have different holster rules. [12] [16] [17]

Western costumeRequired

All competitors must wear costume typical of the late 19th century, a B-Western movie or a Western television series, including at match dinners and awards. The general outlawed list includes ball caps, athletic shoes, combat boots and T-shirts; long-sleeved Henley-type shirts with buttons are acceptable. Classic Cowboy and B-Western have additional costume rules. [11] [13]

Eye protectionRequired

Mandatory in and around the shooting areas, including for spectators within direct sight of steel targets. SASS strongly recommends full-protection, high-impact glasses rather than small period-style glasses. [11]

Hearing protectionRequired

Highly recommended by SASS. Its general handbook distinguishes this recommendation from mandatory eye protection. [11]

What it costs

SASS membership

Required for SASS-sanctioned competition. Use the official membership application for enrollment; local club membership and match entry have their own fees. [10] [8] [34]

Local match example

Coyote Valley Cowboys publishes monthly match fees of $15 per member, $25.00 for non-members, and free for 15 and under. This is that club’s price, not a SASS-wide match fee. [34]

Local membership example

Coyote Valley Cowboys lists $60 yearly per family, including spouse and kids under 18; memberships expire on 12/31. Memberships purchased after July 1 are $30 per family. This is local club membership, not national SASS membership. [34]

Guns and gear

SASS recommends borrowing firearms and leather while choosing a category. Arrange this with the host before assuming equipment is available. [2]

How scoring works

SASS uses total time scoring: elapsed shooting time plus penalties, combined across all stages to determine category placing, overall placing, or both. A fast run with misses can lose to a slower run with fewer penalties. [21] [22]

• A miss is 5 seconds. That includes an unfired round and hitting a target with the wrong firearm, not only a shot that misses the plate. A miss cannot itself cause a procedural penalty; the handbook’s miss flow chart explains the distinction. [22]
• Procedural errors and minor safety violations are 10-second penalties. A procedural is an unintentional departure from the stage instructions, such as shooting targets in the wrong order. No more than one procedural may be assessed per stage. [22]
• Failure to Engage means deliberately refusing to attempt a required non-shooting task. Spirit of the Game includes deliberately disregarding instructions for an advantage, but also ammunition below the minimum power factor or velocity. Each carries 30 seconds; two such penalties in one match result in match disqualification. [23]
• A stage disqualification (SDQ) or did-not-finish (DNF) receives the maximum stage time: all available target/miss penalties plus 30 seconds. A match disqualification (MDQ) means no score and removal from the match. Two accumulated SDQ/DNFs cause an MDQ, but a single action carrying multiple penalties is not counted as two separate violations. [21] [37]
• Once the firearms are safe and unloaded, only the affected competitor may appeal: first to the timer operator or posse marshal, then to a match range officer or range master, and finally to the match director. Video, audio and photographs are not admissible evidence. The match director’s decision is final. [24]

Divisions and classes

Cowboy / Cowgirl

Any age; any main-match revolver and SASS-legal ammunition. Revolvers may be shot in any legal style except Gunfighter. SASS calls its divisions categories; they describe age, gender, equipment, costume, shooting style or powder, not skill grades. [14]

Age-based categories

Buckaroo/Buckarette: 13 and under; Junior Boy/Junior Girl: 16 and under; Wrangler/Lady Wrangler: age 36 and up; Forty-Niner/Lady Forty-Niner: 49 and up; Senior/Lady Senior: 60 and up; Silver Senior/Lady Silver Senior: 65 and up; Elder Statesman/Grand Dame: 70 and up; Cattle Baron/Cattle Baroness: 75 and up; El Patron/La Patrona: 80 and up; El Rey/La Reina: 85 and up; Shootist/Lady Shootist: 90 and up. Age is measured on the first day the match starts. Competitors may enter any category for which they qualify. [14]

Duelist

Fixed-sight main-match revolvers, fired one-handed and unsupported. Double Duelist uses one revolver with each hand in turn; it is a shooting style within the category, not a separate category. Any SASS-legal main-match rifle, shotgun and ammunition may be used. [15]

Gunfighter

Fixed-sight revolvers, each cocked and fired one-handed without support: one right-handed, the other left-handed. Gunfighter holds a revolver in each hand; Double Duelist is also permitted. Both revolvers may be cocked together but must be fired one at a time. Any SASS-legal main-match rifle, shotgun and ammunition may be used. [15]

Classic Cowboy / Classic Cowgirl

Fixed-sight revolvers shot Duelist or Double Duelist style; a legal rifle design of 1873 or earlier; and an external-hammer double, single-shot or lever-action shotgun. Cartridges must be rimmed and .40 caliber or larger, or revolvers may be .36-or-larger cap-and-ball. Wear at least five listed costume items, such as chaps, spurs, cuffs, a scarf and a vest. Traditional boots without grip-enhancing soles and a hat are required; no drop holsters. The handbook lists additional costume options and restrictions. [16] [35]

B-Western / Lady B-Western

Fancy Western-movie clothing, embellished low-slung holsters that carry revolvers below the gun belt, a felt hat and embellished traditional boots without grip-enhancing soles. Men need Western spurs. At least one additional listed item, such as gloves, scarf, coat, vest, chaps or cuffs, is required. Any main-match revolver, legal shooting style and legal shotgun are allowed; the rifle must be a legal design of 1880 or later. Check the handbook’s shirt, pants and costume restrictions before buying. [17] [35]

Frontier Cartridge

Blackpowder in every rifle, revolver and shotgun load; fixed-sight revolvers; and a side-by-side, single-shot or lever-action shotgun. Frontier Cartridge permits one- or two-handed revolver shooting; Frontier Cartridge Duelist is one-handed. Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter permits Gunfighter or Double Duelist. Every powder charge must produce smoke at least equivalent to the handbook’s 15-grains-by-volume (1 cc) blackpowder baseline. This is a smoke-test standard, not a loading recipe. [18] [35]

Frontiersman

Fixed-sight cap-and-ball percussion revolvers, shot Duelist or Double Duelist style, and blackpowder in every load. Use a side-by-side, single-shot or lever-action shotgun and a legal pistol-caliber rifle. The 1873 Uberti percussion revolver is excluded. [18]

Category combinations and availability

Categories can combine age, gender, style and powder. Base categories are open to all genders; the January 2026 handbook restricts Lady categories to females at birth and directs transgender entrants to open categories. Officials choose which categories a match offers. Above-base categories at National/World championships need 10 open-category entrants or 5 Lady entrants; State/Regional championships need 3. Protected youth and older-age categories are exceptions. Underfilled categories collapse toward the base categories. [14] [19] [35]

Safety rules

• You must already be familiar and proficient with your firearms. SASS matches are not the place to learn basic firearm handling. [26]
• This is a cold range: firearms stay unloaded except under designated supervision on the firing line or in loading/unloading areas. Six-shot revolvers are loaded with at most five rounds, hammer down on the empty chamber. Five-shot models have a separate safety-slot or dummy-chamber rule. Work through those procedures with the loading officer; the responsibility remains yours. [25] [38]
• The 170° muzzle rule keeps the firearm pointing downrange, within 85° in any direction from straight downrange. The handbook specifies exceptions for approved holster use and vertically staged double-barrel shotguns. Never sweep another person with the muzzle. [26] [38]
• “Cease Fire” or “STOP!”: stop shooting and stop moving immediately. Willfully ignoring the timer operator’s stop command while under that official’s control is a match disqualification. [36]
• “Muzzle!” warns that the gun is approaching the 170° limit: point it safely back downrange. “Down Range” announces that someone is going toward the targets; participants at the loading and unloading areas should stop loading/unloading. Raising hands is the handbook’s common visual confirmation, not a separate universal requirement. [36]
• Examples of stage disqualifications: breaking the 170° rule, dropping an unloaded firearm, sweeping someone with an unloaded gun, shooting while moving, or failing to follow loading/unloading procedures. Leaving a cocked revolver out of your hand is also an SDQ; if it has unfired rounds remaining, returning it to the holster is an MDQ. [37]
• Examples of match disqualifications: dropping a loaded firearm, sweeping someone with a loaded gun, a discharge at the loading or unloading areas, or any discharge deemed unsafe. These end your match, not just the stage. [37]
• No fast-draw competition, fanning or shooting on the move. SASS encourages its Range Operations Basic Safety course with the CAS module early in your participation; local clubs can arrange courses. [26]

Match levels and major events

• Annual and special matches usually have at least 6–8 stages, with most averaging 10–12. Larger matches may spread over 2–3 days. [4]
• SASS sanctions State, Regional, National and World championships, held annually in the United States and internationally. Its event guide describes sanctioned matches as at least 8 stages, with most averaging 10–12. [10] [4]
• Main, team and side matches have different firearm rules. Published side-match formats include the Plainsman, pocket pistols and derringers, and long-range rifle. Long-range rifle emphasizes hits at longer distances; time or a shoot-off breaks ties at the match director’s option. Main-match scoring and equipment rules should not be assumed to cover every side match. [29]

Major events

End of Trail — SASS World Championship ↗

February 22–28, 2027, at Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, hosted by the Arizona Territorial Company of Rough Riders. Cowboy Action and Wild Bunch events are included. The host published a registration opening of August 15, 2026 at 10:00 am Arizona time; use its application for current availability. In 2028 End of Trail moves to Oklahoma, and Phoenix hosts Winter Range/Nationals. [31] [33]

Land Run — SASS National Championships ↗

October 3–10, 2026, hosted by the Oklahoma Territorial Marshals. On October 4, 2026, the host listed the Cowboy match as full with a wait list; consult it for current availability. SASS’s published plan keeps Land Run/Nationals at Oklahoma City Gun Club in October 2027, then replaces Land Run with End of Trail/Worlds in October 2028. [32] [33]

Common questions

Glossary

SASS

Single Action Shooting Society, the international membership organization and governing and sanctioning body for Cowboy Action Shooting and Wild Bunch Action Shooting. [1]

CAS

Cowboy Action Shooting; the sport using Old West-style firearms, costuming and staged target sequences. [11] [14]

Alias

The exclusive Old West or Western-film name registered by a SASS member and approved by SASS headquarters. [10]

Posse

The group of shooters scheduled to complete all stages together during a match. [20]

Stage / course of fire

One shooting scenario, timed from the beep after the shooter is ready to the last shot fired. [3] [30]

Timer operator (TO)

The official in charge of the firing line while running the timer, primarily there to assist the shooter through the course of fire safely. [20]

Spotter

An official who counts shots and misses and checks the prescribed target order and round count. Three are required; a majority decides misses. [20]

Duelist / Double Duelist

Duelist is one-handed, unsupported revolver shooting. Double Duelist uses one revolver right-handed and one left-handed; it is not a standalone category. [15]

Gunfighter

The style with a revolver in each hand, one fired right-handed and the other left-handed, one at a time for scoring. [15]

Procedural (P)

An unintentional departure from stage instructions, scored as 10 seconds with at most one procedural per stage. [22]

SDQ / MDQ / DNF

Stage disqualification / match disqualification / did not finish. SDQ and DNF receive maximum stage time; MDQ means no score and removal from the match. [21]

Spirit of the Game

Participating fully and not deliberately disregarding instructions for an advantage. Below-minimum power factor or ammunition velocity is also an infraction. Each penalty is 30 seconds; two cause an MDQ. [23]

Power factor

Bullet weight in grains multiplied by velocity in feet per second, divided by 1000. The handbook’s centerfire smokeless-category minimum is 60, with no velocity below 400 fps; maximum velocities are 1000 fps for revolvers and 1400 fps for rifles. [27]

Blackpowder

The handbook includes blackpowder and specified comparable muzzleloading substitutes. Nitrocellulose-containing substitutes and mixed smokeless/blackpowder loads are prohibited. Blackpowder categories must meet a defined smoke-production baseline. [27] [35]

Wild Bunch

A separate SASS-governed action-shooting sport whose basic setup is a 1911 handgun, a pistol-caliber lever-action rifle and a shotgun. Its own handbook governs it, rather than the Cowboy Action handbook. [1] [2] [7]

Fanning

Firing a handgun with one hand controlling the trigger and the other striking the hammer. The cocking hand does not remain in contact with the gun or supporting hand. SASS prohibits this technique. [30] [26]

Fixed-sight revolver

A revolver with a fixed metal front sight and a simple rear notch cut into its frame, hammer or latch; the handbook notes exceptions for conversion revolvers. [30]

Cleared

No live rounds or empty cases in the chamber, magazine, action or carrier. A gun is not cleared merely because it has stopped firing. [30]

Sweeping

Allowing the muzzle to point across another person. SASS prohibits it: an unloaded gun brings an SDQ; a loaded gun brings an MDQ. [38] [37]

Watch and read

• SASS: what to expect at a match ↗Page · Single Action Shooting Society
• End of Trail: official event photographs and information ↗Page · Arizona Territorial Company of Rough Riders
• Getting started with cowboy action shooting — NSSF (2012) ↗Video · NSSF—The Firearm Industry Trade Association

Related sports

• Practical shooting (USPSA)
• Steel Challenge
• ICORE revolver competition
• CMP matches
• Compare every league

Sources

Facts checked October 4, 2026 against the sources below. Each bracketed number on the page links to its source.

1. [1]
   SASS homesassnet.com
2. [2]
   Getting startedsassnet.com
3. [3]
   About cowboy action shootingsassnet.com
4. [4]
   What to expectsassnet.com
5. [5]
   Find a clubsassnet.com
6. [6]
   Match locatorsassnet.com
7. [7]
   Handbooks and rulessassnet.com
8. [8]
   SASS membership applicationironhorse.sassnet.com
9. [9]
   Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28, January 2026 — coversassnet.com
10. [10]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — membership and alias, p. 1sassnet.com
11. [11]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — the sport, clothing and protection, p. 2sassnet.com
12. [12]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — holsters and ammunition carriers, p. 3sassnet.com
13. [13]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — outlawed items, p. 4sassnet.com
14. [14]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — open and age categories, pp. 5–6sassnet.com
15. [15]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — Duelist and Gunfighter, pp. 6–7sassnet.com
16. [16]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — Classic Cowboy/Cowgirl, pp. 7–8sassnet.com
17. [17]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — B-Western, pp. 8–9sassnet.com
18. [18]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — blackpowder categories, pp. 9–10sassnet.com
19. [19]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — category matrix and minimum entries, pp. 10–11sassnet.com
20. [20]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — match roles, pp. 21–22sassnet.com
21. [21]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — total time scoring, pp. 25–26sassnet.com
22. [22]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — misses and procedural penalties, p. 22sassnet.com
23. [23]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — Spirit of the Game, pp. 11, 24sassnet.com
24. [24]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — appeals, pp. 24–25sassnet.com
25. [25]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — loading areas and cold range, pp. 17–18, 29sassnet.com
26. [26]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — conduct, commands and safety courses, pp. 12, 15, 18–20sassnet.com
27. [27]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — ammunition, pp. 26–28sassnet.com
28. [28]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — revolvers, shotguns and rifles, pp. 38–40sassnet.com
29. [29]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — side matches and firearm eligibility, pp. 30–33sassnet.com
30. [30]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — match and firearm terms, pp. 44–46sassnet.com
31. [31]
    End of Trail 2027endoftrail.org
32. [32]
    Land Run — the SASS National Championshipscowboy.okcgunclub.org
33. [33]
    SASS flagship championships are moving in 2028sassnet.com
34. [34]
    Coyote Valley Cowboys — membership and range feescoyotevalleycowboys.com
35. [35]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — category qualifications, costume and smoke baseline, pp. 5, 7–11sassnet.com
36. [36]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — common range commands, pp. 19–20sassnet.com
37. [37]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — stage and match disqualifications, pp. 23–24sassnet.com
38. [38]
    Shooter’s Handbook, Version 28 — revolver loading and muzzle control, pp. 14, 18sassnet.com

Inclusion is not an endorsement. Send a source or correction.