CONTENTS 2-7 COVER FEATURE Comancheria Days 2020 — Texas State Championship 8-9 SASS MEMBER BULLETIN Misty Moonshine on Big Changes in SASS 10 NEWS Winter Range 2021 Cancelled 11-12 EDITORIALS PUBLISHED BY THE WILD BUNCH Skinny’s Soapbox Guest Editorial — NASCAR and SASS THE COWBOY CHRONICLE, JANUARY 2021 VOL. 2 #21 14-17 ANNUAL MATCHES Oklahoma State Championship 2020 Single Action Shooting Society® Smoke in the Hills — Wisconsin Black Powder Championship 2020 PO Box 2340, Moriarty, NM 87035 505-843-1320 • Fax 877-770-8687 18-27 GUNS & GEAR www.sassnet.com Dispatches From Camp Baylor — The Shop © 2021 Cimarron/Uberti 1872 Open Top All rights reserved 28-30 PRODUCT REVIEW A Very Promising Shotgun EDITORIAL STAFF 31-34 HISTORY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Beat on the Brat — the Caning of Charles Sumner Skinny 35-40 CLUB REPORTS MANAGING EDITOR Tejas Caballeros — The Club That Wouldn’t Die Misty Moonshine 41-44 PROFILES A Woman’s True Mentor — Scholarship Essay by Little Red Sure Shot EDITORS EMERITUS Hometown Frontiersman, Daniel Boone — Scholarship Essay by Tombstone Coty Tex & Cat Ballou 45-47 TRAILMARKERS ADVERTISING MANAGER Clell Miller Col. 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The Cowboy Chronicle (ISSN 15399877) is published quarterly by the Single Action Shooting Society®, 215 Cowboy Way, Edge- wood NM 80715 for the benefit of its mem- bers. Periodicals Postage paid at Plattsburgh, NY and additional mailing offices (USPS #032 Permit #20591). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Cowboy Chronicle, PO Box 2340, Moriarty, NM 87035. DISCLAIMER: The Single Action Shooting Society does not guarantee, warranty, or en- dorse any product or service advertised in this publication. The publisher also does not guar- antee the safety or effectiveness of any prod- Kenny Reds (SASS #83266) uct or service illustrated. The distribution of at Comancheria Days 2020 some products/services may be illegal in some areas, and we do not assume responsibility thereof. State and local laws must be inves- tigated by the purchaser prior to purchase or use of products/services. WARNING: Neither the author nor The Cowboy Chronicle can accept any respon- sibility for accidents or differing results obtained using reloading data. Variations in handloading techniques, components, and firearms will make results vary. Have a component gunsmith check your firearms before firing. PRINTED IN CANADA COWBOY CHRONICLE 1 SASS TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP COMANCHERIA DAYS 2020 By Yuma Jack, SASS #11261 Patron Life Photos by Dutch Van Horn SASS #51153 Regulator ven before attending Winter #108413) who traveled from North ERange in February I had my major Carolina to the Texas Hill Country matches already planned for the first to join in the fun for the first time. half of the year. Trailhead in March, The tradition of this Old West shootin’ Comancheria Days in April and END match has endured now for 25 years of TRAIL in June. Motel reservations and has been the host to the SASS State were already made and ammunition Championship six times. Not many supplies already packaged and set aside clubs can make such a boast! for each match. In between the major The match actually began on matches there were monthly matches Wednesday September 2, 2020 when but if last minute reloading was needed Range Officer (RO) Classes were offered for them, I could easily handle that. by Texas Jack Daniels (SASS #8587) My organization surprised even me. But and Reckon (SASS #35883). Presi- that all changed… almost overnight. dent and Match Director A.D. (SASS COVID-19 struck! Suddenly everything #16339) and his assistants Newt Ritter was cancelled or postponed indefinitely. (SASS #5891) and Burly Bill Brocius Over the next several months things (SASS #102476) arranged for a wide began calming down and some of the range of Texas Hill Country weather matches were being rescheduled for later for the match. Starting with cool and in the year. That was the case for the breezy mornings and warming up pretty SASS Texas State Championship held good in the afternoons with some heavy at Comancheria Days 2020, an annual thunderstorms thrown in. But the sun match initiated in 1995 by Texas Jack returned to warm the rest of the day. (SASS #5148) — AKA Mike Harvey — Almost perfect Texas weather. owner of Cimarron F.A.Co and Texas Thursday was side match day start- Jack Wild West Outfitter. By March ing with a four-stage Wild Bunch mini 2020 all the awards and most of the Rusty Remington and Panhandle Cowgirl match. Other Side Matches including captured the overall top honors and the prizes had already been purchased. The Texas State Championship. Fastest Rifle, Revolver, Shotgun, Derrin- club had necessarily made those finan- ger and Pocket Pistol were available for cial commitments in advance and if tancing during the match and other all to challenge or use as warm up for the State Match was not held, a lot of activities. Some schedule changes were the main match. Blazing Saddles pro- money would be lost. So, after nego- made such as cancelling the Friday vided “mounted shooting” with tradi- tiating with other local clubs for a free night dinner cookout and side match tional cowboy revolvers or a 1911 with weekend, it was decided and announced awards and the man-on-man shootout a magazine change at full gallop (on a Comancheria Days 2020 and the Texas on Sunday morning. But despite con- rolling oil drum). Long Range compe- State Championship would be held Sep- cerns about virus contamination and tition also occurred on Thursday along tember 2-5, Labor Day weekend. the rescheduling shuffle, the match was with a Bolt Action Military Match To satisfy local county health and attended by 197 shooters who bravely (BAMM) featuring Sniper and Combat safety concerns, rules were announced made the journey, from all over Texas scenarios. The day was scheduled to end in advance emails regarding the volun- as well as from nine other states. This with a three-stage Plainsman match, but tary wearing of masks and social dis- included my son, Blake Maverick (SASS a cease fire was called near the begin- 2 COWBOY CHRONICLE COWBOY CHRONICLE 3 morning and the remainder were sched- left. The remaining six stages could be uled to start about Noon. But Mother negotiated in any direction starting with Nature once again stepped in to exercise any firearm at the shooter’s discretion some control with a torrential down- and the only restriction being the rifle pour including thunder and lightning could not be used last. Many of the that started a little before noon and revolver and rifle shooting sequences lasted for about two hours. Everyone consisted of various combinations of stood around under whatever cover was single, double and/or triple-taps and available while the Match Committee some with sweeps integrated as well. explored all possible alternatives to keep Shotgun targets could be engaged in any the match alive. Finally, the rain subsid- order on all stages. With a single excep- ed and A.D. announced the afternoon tion where the rifle was used to engage shooting would begin at 2:00 p.m. tombstone falling plates, revolver and The remaining five stages were shot rifle sequences were the same. Saturday and folks who started in the My best stage, and understandably morning on Friday got to sleep in and my one of my favorites, was number shoot in the afternoon. Those of us who 7 at the Line Shack. It was a relative- patiently waited and survived the mon- ly simple scenario and straightforward soon to start late on Friday had to make round-count shooting sequence start- up for that by shooting early on a beau- ing with your rifle held in both hands tiful Saturday morning. But, to even up standing at the left end doorway, At the playing field, there was a brief show- the buzzer you engaged four rifle tar- er to challenge the afternoon shooters. gets with at least two shots each but no The stage scenarios were designed triple taps. Then moving right to the and written by Match Director, A.D. revolver position in the rear door and Wild Bill McMasters and Texas Pearl The stages were not all typical left-to- you engaged the four revolver targets easily convinced the judges to award them First Place in the Couples Costume right revolver, rifle, shotgun sequences. with the rifle target instructions. Final- category with their Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley outfits. Three stages did require moving left-to- ly — again moving to the right through right but two required starting with the the right end doorway — you used the ning of the second stage because of a rifle and one ended with the revolver. shotgun to engage four shotgun targets rapidly advancing thunderstorm with One stage required starting with the in any order. cloud-to-ground lightning less than one rifle and had to be negotiated right-to- Saturday evening found folks in mile away, thus cancelling any further activities for the day.