We are looking to build a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Club in the Low Country of South Carolina near the Charleston area.
Come to a practice and see if it's for you. I bet you won't be able to wipe the smile off your face.
Cowboy Mounted Shooting is a sport that combines elements of old-time Wild West Show exhibition, along with the elements of barrel racing, pole bending, reining, and many other equestrian skills; all done while using two .45 caliber single action revolvers, loaded with 5 rounds each of black powder blanks to shoot ten balloon targets set in a special random pattern or Old West type scenario called a 'stage'. Dang, if you like the idea of going fast, reigning with one hand, and hanging out there with a single action .45 caliber pistol or a repeating rifle, you are going to LOVE this sport. It is a rush!
Typically, a competitor crosses the timing beam and engages the first pattern of five targets. After a shooter fires the fifth shot, he or she returns the empty revolver to a holster, draws their second gun and proceeds to the next set of five targets. Mounted shooters are timed through the stage determining raw time plus any penalties incurred; for instance, 5 seconds added to raw time for a knocked over barrel, dropped gun, or missed target. The contestant with the fastest accumulated time wins.
Where in many of the various equine competitions a competitor only rides once or twice during the competition, with mounted shooting you ride four times in a match. The combined total of those times with penalties determine the winners. Now that is getting something for your money and with today's gas prices you want to take full advantage of money spent.
There are Mens 1 thru 5, Ladies 1 thru 5, Junior 1 thru 5, and Senior 1 thru 5 Divisions. Each competitor enters the sport at their divisions lowest level and moves on up through the levels as experience, competence, and skills improve and wins are achieved. You compete for money and for buckles in local, state, regional, national, and world competitions.
The west was a dangerous, mysterious and yet romantic time of our American culture, and continues to capture the imagination of all. Mounted shooting is a fantastic family fun sport that serves to keep the Old West alive in all genres. There are a number of mounted shooting clubs throughout the nation working to build this great sport, providing a wonderful opportunity for horsemen and their families, as well as demonstrating the safe use of firearms.