Cowboy Action Shooting

Canyon Oaks Shootists carry on the tradition of the Old West with Cowboy Action shooting matches held the second Sunday morning of each month. We welcome shooters interested in learning the sport as well as seasoned shooters. Cowboy Action Shooting is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California in 1981. It quickly became the fastest growing outdoor shooting sport in the United States and is now practiced worldwide.

Attracting competitors from around the world, Cowboy Action shooting tests shooter accuracy while creating a spirit and atmosphere that brings back the days of the Old West in a celebration of the cowboy lifestyle. Canyon Oaks Shootists are affiliated with the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) and follow their rules and protocols.

The Single Action Shooting Society is the governing organization of Cowboy Action Shooting, worldwide. Today, with over 97,000 members, SASS is represented in all fifty states and 18 foreign countries. The organization endorses regional matches conducted by its more than 700 SASS affiliated clubs and promulgates rules and procedures to ensure safety and consistency in Cowboy Action Shooting matches.

Each competitor uses the following firearms typically found in the mid-to-late 19th century:

Participants dress in appropriate Old West or Victorian era attire as well as use gear and accessories as mandated by SASS rules.

Safety glasses and hearing protection must be worn when shooting.

Competition involves a number of separate shooting scenarios known as "stages." Stages are always different, each typically requiring ten revolver rounds, nine or ten rifle rounds, and two to eight shotgun rounds. Shooters compete one at a time against the clock. Most matches are scored simply by "total time."

Misses, safety, and procedural violations add seconds to the competitor's time. The shooter with the lowest cumulative time is the first-place winner. Targets consist of steel plates that ring when hit. Reactive targets such as steel knockdown plates and clay bird throwers are also used.