Winning Tips for SASS Cowboy Action Shooting Competitions

A lot of new members ask SASS cowboy action shooting long timers for tips and advice. Most of their concerns include how to shoot faster, miss less, and move up to the next level. Here are some freely given tips from long time Single Action Shooting Society members to new shooters.

Don’t forget to warm up

To get ahead of the competition in CAS fast shooting, your mind and body need to be working together as one. This means that you be able to perform on command during matches.

One of the fundamental rules of any movement-intensive sport is to warm up before actual engagement. However, many beginners hop out of their vehicle, put their gear on, and neglect even to check their firearms until they’re on the stage.

Your body can put your mind into gear and make it “combat-ready” after you have warmed up before the actual shoot. Give your arms, shoulders, and legs some light stretching before putting your holsters on. Warming up mentally apart from physically gets your mind into the groove and makes it ready for fast shooting competition. You can include some movements like firing stance, cocking the pistol, and dry firing as part of your warm-up routine. Range rules vary but you can dry-fire your pistols at an unloading table if allowed.

Immediately focus on what’s up next

Think about your next steps quickly. Once a round is fired, don’t wait for the clang to sound. This could take your mind away from your next move and cost you precious seconds. Instead, immediately find your next target and pull on it.

Transitioning

Transitions are the next best thing to speed up your time when you can’t make any more time with pistol handling. Imagine all the various stances you’ll take and practice transitioning from there. One of the most common mistakes for beginners is getting overly used to always going in one direction and picking up and putting down rifles with the same hand. When a stage presents a different configuration from what they’ve been used to, they could end up floundering during transitions and earn a lot of misses.

Gain more speed by setting down a gun with one hand while the other hand is busy doing another task. Likewise, practice your footwork for even faster transitions.

Concentration

You can very devoted in practicing but if your mind is not correctly focused, you can’t expect the best results. Prepare your mind by imaging the stage clearly and distinctly in your head. Now visualize how you are going to move according to stage order, focusing on how you are going to move and transition your guns. Go into more details like picking up, firing, and discarding a firearm and picking up the next one. Don’t let doubt and negative thoughts break up your mental preparation. If you are not mentally prepared to start, then pass up your turn until you are.

When it’s time for you to shoot, enter the stage physically and mentally prepared. Be sure to burn the stage indelibly on your mind before stepping up to the loading table.

When the timer beeps, your combat-ready subconscious will most likely kick in and shoot the stage. Should something interrupt your concentration, keep moving without breaking your pace. Don’t slow down by watching your misses. Hesitation will only make you break focus and lose precious time as well. Stay in focus on each and every stage until you have fired your last shot.

Safety First Rule always applies in SASS cowboy action shooting matches

The Gun Safety rule is always strictly observed in any SASS cowboy action shooting events. Extra importance is given to the safety of all members and spectators of the sport. Special emphasis is placed on shooters since only they can have their firearms loaded for competition.

In a nutshell, the rule here is shoot fast but put safety first at all times.

Learn the best speed-shooting techniques from the fastest shooters in your club. Practice, practice, practice what you have learned so you can draw on them on command during a match. Remember the old adage, “The way you practice is the way you perform.”