# Cowboy Mounted Shooting



## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

They shoot stuff from on top of horses!? How do they not spook? That's insanely awsome.


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## close2prfct (Mar 9, 2009)

I know a lady who competes she loves it. I think it would be a lot of fun to do or at least watch a competition


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## rottenweiler (Apr 16, 2009)

thanks for the link, I had to send that to my sister! She does competition shooting and used to do competition riding...how cool to combine the two


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

There's a group out there... only for women that ride drafts =D I've been wanting to do this for years. need to learn to shoot, though. lol


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

I used to shoot competitively in IDPA and I've always wanted to try doing it on horseback - but not on Bobo! I came close to buying a gelding that was used in mounted shooting a few months ago and still wish I did. One day I'll give it a try.

The ammo used is made to shoot a distance of only ~20' and at competition, you have to use the ammo supplied by the organization - not your own. Doing it that way makes it safe for everyone. It is not a single projectile such as a bullet but rather something similar to bird shot.


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## strawboss (Apr 29, 2009)

it's done around here. my vet does it and tells me i need to get started. wanted to for awhile, but slow to start anything that cost money and requires planning ahead.
training a horse to be calm around noise is just like any other new thing. you can start by firing a .22 when you feed. call them and fire the .22 and soon they will come to the sound. be VERY, VERY careful not to do this with spooky horses in a small pen. you won't like what happens next. i could fire a .30 cal from my horse when i lived in colorado and rode in the national forest. started her with a .22 and her on a long lead rope. if you have a horse with any sense at all, this will be an easy thing to do. scatter brains take longer.
also, if you live in town, you might want to go out to the country to do your training. it will keep you from having to deal with those unpleasant people that will show up unexpectedly and uncalled.


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

I thought it was normal to hunt off of a horse? Haha! Deer will come right up to you!

It's pretty nifty that they made it into a competition, though. It's got me thinking.... my husband would REALLY like to do that. He's out at the shooting range as we speak.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have shot off my horse; usually snakes, armadillos, and prarie dogs. It used to really bother Dobe but he got used to it and now stands there like a champ. Don't know that I could hit anything at a lope though. It would be cool to try.


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

I can't say for other states but it is illegal in Kentucky to hunt off of a horse.


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

iridehorses said:


> It is not a single projectile such as a bullet but rather something similar to bird shot.


I have been doing Cowboy Mounted Shooting for about 2.5 years. My wife also does it. We actually just started our own club in the area. It is tremendous fun and most horses take to it better than you would think. It is important to hook up with a good club and properly introduce your horse to it.

I did want to respond to the above comment. There is NO projectile involved in mounted shooting. All three organizations - CMSA, SASS and MSA - use basically the same ammo, and none contain projectiles.

The ammo used is a black powder blank. Black power is the "old" style gunpowder that makes a bigger noise and lots of smoke. (As opposed to modern ammunition which uses smokeless gunpowder).

The cartridge casing is filled with gunpowder and then typically crimped to hold the powder in.

When the gun is fired, the black powder ignites. The burning embers of powder ejecting from the barrel are hot and enough to pop the balloon. I guess you could nitpick and call this burning powder "projectiles" but it is not. If you look at pictures on the CMSA website, you can see the flame of the burning powder coming out of the barrel and also the smoke trails of burning powder.

Many people are under the false impression that we use some type of projectile like cornmeal. That is definitely not the case. This sport realizes the potential for danger and has some very strict rules about safety. For example, no live ammo is EVER allowed at a shoot. All shoot ammo must be provided by the club and be purchased from a certified supplier.

As someone mentioned, the burning powder discharge is enough to pop a balloon at about 20 feet. The safety distance from the edge of the arena is calculated with this in mind.


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

Oh well, I couldn't resist some self promotion.  Here is a video of me at a recent shoot. I did this stage in under 20 seconds, which is a good time for this course.








edited to add - sorry if these things are not supposed to be imbedded. I just meant to add a link, not imbed the video.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Very cool.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

easier on me when you imbed. 
I would love to try it, but it's incredibly hard to find time for trail riding even, right now (4 month old, and 6 year old out of school). I have a .45 peacekeeper that I shoot for fun, and take as a side arm when I go out for chores after dark - I would love to be able to carry when I trail ride. Ah, one day, Im sure.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Devil, thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't sure if it was a type of bird shot or actually just the hot gas from the power.

Nice shooting BTW. There is a club down my way that does CAS and mounted shooting. They share the range with the IDPA guys and when they do the CAS they have mock "towns" that are set up for the stages. One day I'm going to give it a try. If I'm not mistaken, isn't the typical gun for mounted shooting a Ruger sa .45?


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

I really don't know, but I use mine for cowboy shooting, just thought the transition to mounted would be natural.


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

iridehorses said:


> If I'm not mistaken, isn't the typical gun for mounted shooting a Ruger sa .45?


I will try not to get into too much trouble... the answer is actually controversial. 

Yes, the Ruger sa (Vaquero, New Vaquero and Montado - which is actually a New Vaquero made for mounted shooting) is a very popular gun for the sport. However, there is also a group of riders that swear by Colts and Colt clones. I prefer the Ruger.

Either way, 45 colt is the only caliber allowed. That is because the ammo is supplied by the club and only 45 is made for the sport. (Would be impossible for a club to stock and inventory multiple calibers).

There is also a rifle class (and SASS also introduced a shotgun class). 

In rifle, you shoot five with your pistol, holster and then shoot 5 with a rifle. There is basically one blank for the rifle, but it can fit into 45 colt, 44-40 and 44 special. My understanding is that the "top" shooters prefer the 44-40 for rifle (there are some good technical reasons for that). Again, that's rifle only. Pistols are limited to 45 colt.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I would love to do this. Don't know if it's around in AUS though!


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

I know SASS is big in Australia but not sure about CMS, there is not even a club in Kentucky. i doubt if my riding skills are high enough to compete in the sport anyway.
SASS - Affiliated Clubs: Australia


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

Here's a little technical question for you, is it _plausable_ to do this with a single action like I have or do I need a new gun (hee hee, new guns wooo!!)


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

it is required to have A single action revolver and 2 are needed.


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

Kentucky said:


> I know SASS is big in Australia but not sure about CMS, there is not even a club in Kentucky. i doubt if my riding skills are high enough to compete in the sport anyway.
> SASS - Affiliated Clubs: Australia


SASS clubs are big in Australia? I was under the impression that firearms were all but extinct down under. Remember reading an article recently about the surrender (i.e. confiscation) of handguns. Nice to know that the didn't get 'em all. 

Don't worry about riding skills. Someone I met at a recent match said it best... "I don't ride for time. I ride for a good time." Most mounted shooter I know ride for fun. The way the "levels" are set up, you can ride everything at a walk or trot, have fun, stay a level 1 forever and no one would ever think twice about it. Dont worry about competing with anyone but yourself.


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

Qtswede said:


> Here's a little technical question for you, is it _plausable_ to do this with a single action like I have or do I need a new gun (hee hee, new guns wooo!!)


As Kentucky noted, you would need two pistols. However, a .45 Peacemaker SA is fine. Of course, if you _want_ to buy more guns... 

Go to www.cmsaevents.com for the complete rules. I believe pistol requirements are basically the same for CMSA, SASS and MSA.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

LOL. the only thing disappointing that I've read so far is that I can't use my rifle. Gawd, I love that thing. LOL. (.45-70 that I use for bear hunting) but, I could ALWAYS use another gun


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

What kind of horses do they use for this sport? (I'm guessing QH.)


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

My good friend (the one helping me train my fillies) and her husband used to compete nationally. He was even inducted into the CMSA Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2004. My friend shoots bareback so its a real thrill to watch her. 
I've seen lots of shoots but never tried it myself. I have a bag of firecrackers waiting to start training my mares but I haven't gotten the nerve up yet :lol: 
Unfortunately, they have had to cut most of their competing for health reasons. They do mostly exhibition shoots now, and do reenactments at our local Cow Town museum in Wichita. 
Good for me, she is home more to help out with my kids 


ETA- all types of horses are allowed


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

Brighteyes said:


> What kind of horses do they use for this sport? (I'm guessing QH.)


They use all kinds. My guess is the QH is probably the most common. I have also seen OTT Throughbreds, Appaloosas, Morgans and other breeds. I have also heard about people using mules (long ear breeds are allowed under the rules) although have never seen it myself.


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

Qtswede said:


> LOL. the only thing disappointing that I've read so far is that I can't use my rifle. Gawd, I love that thing. LOL. (.45-70 that I use for bear hunting) but, I could ALWAYS use another gun


If you move to 45 colt, 44-40 or 44 special, you can use your rifle. Rifle competition is not as easy, but it is just as fun.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I bet that mules would do great; they're way smarter than horses and don't spook very easy. (Plus, even if they do, they have enough sense not to run into a wall or person.)

So, ALL horse breeds are allowed? Ha ha, maybe I could try it with my fjord.


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## goldilockz (Aug 1, 2008)

I love Cowboy Mounted Shooting! I want to do that with Arizona, but he will take a lot of work to get used to the firing. Dixie might be a good prospect if she has the speed. She doesn't spook hardly ever. We can shoot pigeons off the barn with the air rifle and she doesn't react more than twitching her tail.


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## Gambara (Dec 8, 2020)

Tazmanian Devil said:


> If you move to 45 colt, 44-40 or 44 special, you can use your rifle. Rifle competition is not as easy, but it is just as fun.


Is there barrel length restrictions for rifle class. I am thinking about a Henry Big Boy.45 lever action with a 16inch barrel.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

*Mod Note*

Thread closed. Another 'zombie thread'. Until we get it sorted, please check the dates of threads from 'Recommended Reading' before you reply. The member you are asking this of may not still be around, so you'd be best starting another thread.


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