Before investing in clothes and firearms, many new shooters observe several "shoots" to see the different kinds of clothing and firearms available. By asking questions and by asking to shoot different firearms/calibers, new shooters can often prevent costly mistakes.

For the beginning cowboy shooter, 1880's era dress is not required. Many new shooters start with a western shirt and blue jeans and then get the clothes they want over a period of time. New shooters also start by sharing the necessary firearms with another shooter. By sharing, the initial cost is not prohibitive.

In addition to the cowboy era dress, each participant has to have equipment that was available during the cowboy era. This includes two single action pistols, holsters, a lever action rifle, and a shotgun. The most common pistol calibers are 32 Magnum, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Special, 44 Magnum, and 45 Long Colt. A majority of shooters have their pistols and rifles the same caliber to eliminate cartridge confusion. All shotguns are either 20 or 12 gauge. The shotguns are either double barrel without ejectors or pumps with exposed hammers.

Some of the old calibers are becoming popular again. These calibers include 32.20, 38.40, 44.40 and 44 Russian to name a few. In addition, a number of shooters are strictly black powder, either black powder cartridge or cap and ball. Each shoot generally requires 100 rounds of pistol/rifle cartridges and a box of shotgun shells.

Each shoot usually includes five different stages with steel targets of different shapes, sizes, and at varying distances. The shooters are assigned to a posse, and each posse progresses through all the stages. Scoring is determined by the time necessary to shoot the stage plus a 5 second penalty for each miss.

There are several categories determined by the type of pistols used. Traditional category includes those using pistols without rear sights, while modern is with rear sights. Black powder is for those who shoot only black powder. There are also several different categories for shooting styles. Traditional and modern use a two handed grip. The duelist shoots the pistols using only one hand while the gunfighter has a pistol in each hand and alternates shots. A sub-category of these categories is ladies, men, juniors, and seniors.

Safety is the first concern at all cowboy shoots. Safe gun handling is strictly enforced for the safety of participants and observers. All participants and observers must wear eye and ear protection.

Cowboy action shooting offers a category and style to fit any shooter's level from novice to expert. And besides, it is lots of fun and you get to associate with a great group of people.

Cowboy action shooting is held at the Gem County Rod and Gun Club Range on the first Sunday and second Saturday of each month. Signup starts at 9:00 A.M. and shooting starts at 10:00 A.M. The shoot is generally over by 2:00 P.M. The cost is $5.00.