I’m not an expert on mounted shooting, I’ve never done any kind of mounted shooting, the closest I would say I’ve come is jousting with pool noodles and I don’t consider that very close at all. After some poking around on the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association’s website here is what I have been able to glean about starting in the sport (Mounted shooters, feel free to help me out here!):
Kenda Lenseigne, CMSA World Champion
Have a Horse, Know How to Use It
This is what has really kept me away from this sport. I know how to ride but don’t have a horse. According to the CMSA’s website “You can use any horse or mule that you want.” Personally, I’ve known some mules I would love to see in this sport. Since your plan is to shoot blank firing guns off the horse’s back at high speeds I highly recommend already knowing how to maneuver said horse at least a little bit, otherwise I would imagine it being like “I’m going to shoot IDPA but I don’t know how to walk!” Sure, not all of us have Sevigny-like footwork, and I don’t expect you to ride like Kenda, but you should probably know which direction to sit.
Have a Gun, Know How to Use It
This may shock some of you, but the second ingredient to Mounted Shooting, after the horse, is the gun. The CMSA’s website specifies .45 caliber single action revolvers. The crew here at Gun Nuts has agreed that this sounds like a great excuse to buy a USFA revolver. Also you should probably shoot the gun a bit before you try and do it off the horse, I don’t expect you to shoot like Kenda but you should probably know which direction to point the gun.
Buy Some Cool Clothes
Dust off those chaps and cowboy hat from those days spent packing mules in the back country. Or, if they were lost in some move, go down to your local western wear store and pick out the most bling-awesome outfit you can find. If you’re not the kind of person who has a snakeskin gun and rhinestones on their holster you are free to wear something simple, the CMSA’s requirements specify: “long sleeve western shirt, 5 pocket blue jeans covered by chinks or chaps, western boots and a cowboy hat”. The alternative is to dress 1800′s period authentic, and to really go full-out on the authenticity you can purchase these clothes online from Scully, the CMSA’s official clothier.
Buy a Cool Holster
Now you have a cool horse, a cool gun and cool clothes. You need a holster to match. There are some really great holster makers out there, such as Mernickle Holsters (horrible website, awesome products) and El Paso Saddlery. Be sure to get something that works with both your outfit and your gun, and the more swirly designs and shiny things the more I approve.
Now that you’ve spent a bunch of money on a bunch of stuff, you are probably wondering what to do with it. Start off by looking up your local club on the CMSA’s website. The Western Washington Mounted Shooters have an e-mail list that I am on, they hold practice days, schedule meets, invite people to go watch. I would recommend, as with any sport, if you are interested find out when your local club is practicing and go watch, ask questions of the people there and learn how the people who already involved would recommend getting involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment