Cowboy Action Shooting

Cowboy Action Shooting

At COSC, we have a modest group of dedicated shooters that prefer to shoot old style western shooting. We invite all members, especially new members, to join in the fun. Free demonstrations are available to anyone who wishes to try this shooting sport. So come on out and have some fun.

Our 2024 dates:

Cowboy Action Shooting is a shooting sport in which contestants compete with firearms typical of those used in the taming of the Old West — single action revolvers, pistol caliber lever action rifles, and old time shotguns.

The shooting competition is staged in a unique Old West style. It is a timed sport in which shooters compete on a course of different shooting stages. Each stage, or scenario, features an array of situations, often based on famous incidents or movie scenes, in which the shooters test their skills against steel targets.

Shooters use two single action revolvers chambered for a period-appropriate caliber. .38 Special and .45 Colt are popular calibers, and guns in those and many other calibers are available from a number of manufacturers.

Rifles used in Cowboy Action must be lever action, chambered for a handgun caliber (usually the same cartridge as used in the revolvers) and have a capacity of at least 10 rounds.

Cowboy action shotguns can be double-barreled models with exposed and concealed hammers, or Winchester model 1895 pump-action shotguns or Winchester 1887 and 1900 lever-action shotguns. The double-barrels are the easiest to use and, with practice, can be fired quickly.

Period dress, including cowboy hats and boots, is strongly encouraged and adds greatly to the fun.