Ethos

The whole idea of Cowboy Action Shooting was based on the principle of participation. The rules were originally laid down to enable as many people as possible to take part, at whatever level that they wanted to.

Go to a Cowboy Action Shoot, anywhere in the world and you will see the same types of gun being used. There is no “arms race” that you see in other shooting sports, you can compete side by side with the best in the sport, and not look out of place. In fact, the world champion would probably help you to improve your technique, or discuss ammo with you or just admire your new pair of boots.

Cowboy Action Shooting is unique in that it is the only shooting sport that has a dress code, yes, you do see “uniforms” in other shooting sports but that is usually an aid to that particular sport, you wouldn’t call wearing a set of chaps an aid!

When you first get into CAS you do not have to have everything that you see other shooters using, no-one expects you to spend a small fortune before you even start. As we stated at the beginning, participation is the important thing, just turning up and taking part far outweighs everything else.

We do encourage people to take part in the spirit of the game and to dress the part accordingly, but it is not essential. At the various competitions around the country you will find a minimum dress code, usually something like jeans, a check shirt with long sleeves and a hat, that’s it. For more serious competition, like when you get to the world championships, they would want you to really dress the part!

We want to hammer this home; you take part at whatever level you want to. There is room for everyone, if you just enjoy the camaraderie of like minded shooters, or you are just a big fan of old west folklore, or you are the most competitive person on the planet, there is room for you.

Failure to Engage...

The failure to engage rule is probably the most important, and sums up quite nicely the philosophy of CAS. Quite simply, if you seek advantage in a course of fire, that has not been given in the description then you are failing to engage in the spirit of the game, and there are heavy penalties for doing it. In any other sport it is called gamesmanship, which might be acceptable in those sports, but not here. It is all part of the ethos, take part and enjoy yourself above all else.