The Single Action Shooting Society (www.sassnet.com), which hosts competitions for this popular shooting sport nationwide, has reached 90,000 members. Headquartered in Edgewood, N.M., SASS is a “fantasy” shooting sport that requires members to dress in 1880s Old West costumes and to strap on six-guns to help Roy, Gene, and Hoppy make the West safe for God-fearin’ families!

SASS shooting competitions are reminiscent of scenes in old B-Western movies, where the hero protects the water hole, rescues the rancher’s daughter from the bad guys, and saves the town from the outlaws. And sometimes it’s fun to play the bad guy, too! The game requires the use of a pair of six-guns, a lever-action rifle (in pistol caliber), and an old-time shotgun. A competitor’s score is determined by how long it takes to finish the scenario with five seconds added for each missed shot. The targets are typically large and close.

“Today there are over 600 clubs across the country and around the world holding annual and monthly shooting competitions,” says Coyote Calhoun, SASS #201, SASS Marketing Director. “Our competitions are meant to be fun … they’re competitions, of course, we keep score, but we want our competitors coming off the shooting line with a smile on their face—we’re actually in the entertainment business!”

Started in in Southern California in 1982, this shooting sport debuted at the first END of TRAIL, the World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting™, and SASS membership has been steadily grown ever since.

“We have 10-year-old Buckaroos, 90-year-old Elder Statesmen, moms, wives, and girl friends, as well as cowboys of all ages and shooting styles competing,” says SASS President U.S. Grant, SASS #2. “There are over 30 different shooting categories so everyone is competing against their peers … and our members like that!”

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