Volume 1, Issue No. 8                                           (Web Edition)                                          October  2003

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64 COWBOYS & COWGIRLS SHOT IN OCTOBER OCOEE RANGER MATCH

     The October match was terrific.  It was sunny.  The leaves were colorful.  And we had excellent turnout.  64 shooters saddled up as Ocoee Rangers and proceeded to battle the bad guys and the roving critters.  In the crowd were veteran shooters, like Owlhoot Hardin, Pleasant, and Cool Waters – all SASS Territorial Governors.  Also present were relative newcomers, like Sunflower and Casino Jones, who were shooting their 2nd Cowboy Action Shooting Match.  And then there were the non-shooters, like Mrs. Loose Cinch – master score keeper, Angel Outlaw – another good score keeper, and KD Hollister – new to the Cowboy Action Shooting crowd.

     Before the main match began, 9 shooters participated in the Buffalo Shoot.  Marshal Too Tall won the .22 cal. rifle shoot.  Then he and Tri tied in the 100 yard open sight shoot. But in an after match shoot-off, ol’ Too Tall edged Tri out. Then the main match began, and it was a doozy.  Once again, we had a cowboy who shot a clean match: Dustin Clays.  He placed 4th in overall competition.  All in all, he had an enviable day.  Marshal Andy was the Top Gun for October, closely followed by Curly Bill. Killin’ Time was the top cowgirl 

shooter, but Flossie shot well also: she missed only 5 shots. 

DUSTIN CLAYS SHOOTS PERFECT MATCH

THE OCOEE RANGERS PREPARE TO POSSE UP AND SHOOT

Thanks to the following:

Range Set-Up Volunteers

Horseshoe John – Limp Along Charlie – Linc – Double Eagle

Posse Leaders

Author of Scenarios

T-Bone Angus

Buffalo Shoot Honcho

Marshal Too Tall

KEEP EM’ COVERED

Always keep your eye protection on when you’re on or near the range.

SHOOT RESULTS

Traditional

Duelist

Marshal Andy

Rusty Spur Slim

Curly Bill

Horseshoe John

Cool Waters

Tri

Modern

Black Powder

Sundance McNeyman

T-Bone Angus

Limp Along Charlie

the Catoosa Kid

Awful Close

Tennessee Hoss

Cowgirl

Senior

Killin’ Time

Tabasco JOT

Flossie

Sunshine Billy

Sunflower

Calibre .45

Classic Cowboy

Buffalo Shoot

(.22 Cal)  Marshal Too Tall

(100 yards)  Marshal Too Tall

Challenged

Gunfighter

C. Rider

 Buffalo Tracker

     Buffalo shooters in November will use crossed sticks, shooting from a sitting position.  Crossed sticks will be furnished.  Marshal Too Tall will again conduct a .22 cal cowboy rifle side shoot during the Buffalo shoot.  Remember, it dosen’t cost any extra to shoot in the Buffalo shoot.

Newletter Editors:  Deadman & Mesquite Millie                  Website Editor:  Tennessee Justice

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Volume 1, Issue No. 8                                           (Web Edition)                                         October  2003

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TOP TEN SHOOTERS

Horseshoe John

OCOEE RANGER BADGES

     If you want an Ocoee Ranger badge and haven’t ordered yours yet, or haven’t told someone to get you one for Christmas, remember, the base cost of the badge now is $52.  In January 2004, the badge will cost $58.50.  Contact / have the gift giver contact Tri to order the badge.  His contact info is listed on the Contact page.  The badge looks good and is very well made, and it would look great on your shirt, vest or blouse – depending on whether you’re a cowboy or cowgirl.

December 6th/Christmas Shoot – Family Event & 2003 Awards Presentation

     We’ve been workin’ on the Christmas Shoot & Family event. So far, sponsors have donated bullets, brass, a badge, a subscription to Shoot Magazine, dusters, knives and other nifty prizes to be awarded by drawing.  But you have to be present to win.  We’ll shoot 4 stages and then saddle up and journey over to the BelAire Grill for lunch.  After we eat, we’ll present Annual 

2003 OCOEE RANGER AWARDS

SHOOT MAGAZINE  –  Starline Brass

River Junction Trade Co.  –  Benton Shooters Supply

NEW COOKS ON THE RANGE

had changed jobs and could no longer be free on Saturdays, they signed up for the job, packed their chuck wagon, and got ready for the round-up.  With Mom and Pop cookin’ for the cowfolk and Old Iron Pants shootin’, it shows once again that Cowboy Shootin’ is a family activity.  Oh yeah, Dan said, “Good bye, and thanks to everyone for their business.” 

The Gabors – (L-R) Old Iron Pants & the new cooks.  Sis, Mom & Pop

We’ll Post A Menu Here With Prices As Soon As We Get One From The New Cooks.  

BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM IN CARTERSVILLE, GA WELL WORTH THE VISIT

     At Deadfoot’s recommendation, Mesquite Millie and I visited the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA early this month.  He said that it had terrific paintings & bronze sculptures and Western movie posters, and it does.  Millie and I spent 3 hours there.  We arrived just as a short orientation movie began.  It’s very good.  We skipped the guided tour and just roamed around on our own.  They have cowboy, Indian and civil war paintings and lots of sculptures: large and small.  One statue is of John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, mounted on ol’ Beau and holding his big loop Winchester.  They also have a gift shop with books and other stuff.  Photography is not allowed inside 

SHOOT THROUGH PASSES FOR OCOEE RANGERS SHOOTS

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Volume 1, Issue No. 8                                           (Web Edition)                                           October 2003

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The reel West, the real West and the West of our imagination

     When this word slinger was a pup, he had 2 Western movie heroes: Randolph Scott and Audie Murphy, in that order.  Randolph Scott was the essential Western movie hero. He rode tall in the saddle, because he was tall.  He was from Virginia, so he sounded like a cowboy, or at least what a cowboy was supposed to sound like.  And he made a bunch of cowboy movies, among others.  And most of them were very good.  Stuff like Man in the Saddle, The Gunfighters, 

Trail Street, Ride Lonesome, The Tall T, Western Union and many others.  John Wayne produced one of Randy’s movies, Seven Men From Now, and then wished he’d played the lead himself.

     Randy’s last movie was a Western, and one that aficionados of Western movies recognize as a classic, Ride the High Country.  In it, he and Joel McCrea played aging Westerners as the Old West was passing into history.  It was also Joel’s last picture. Both were classy cowboys, and both ended their careers with this good ol’out of doors action Western. If you’re ever at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum in Oklahoma City, you’ll see Randolph Scott’s picture in the Western movie area.  Joel McCrea’s picture is also there.

     Some folks say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  If so, then this photo tells it all.  Tellico, who hangs his spurs in Tellico Plains, TN, has been a Cowboy Shooter for many years.  In fact, he has one of the old style SASS badges, and it has No. 3482 on it.  How about that?  Especially now that there are more than 50,000 SASS members.  Tellico started shootin’ with us in the early days at Guns & Stuff, before the 

Tellico in vest & neck-tie

move to the Cleveland range.  He said that he’d been priced

out of the cowboy shootin’ group that he had been with.  That group “evolved” to the point that anyone who wasn’t shootin’ real Colt six-shooters wasn’t welcome.  Being’s how he was shootin’ Rugers, he saddled up and moseyed along.

     When Tellico started shootin’ with many of us southeastern TN / north GA cowboys and cowgirls, he used a .45 -.70 Sharps reproduction rifle in the Buffalo Shoots before the match.  He usually shot last, because sometimes his Buffalo gun would make the target unusable after he finished shootin’, sometimes before he finished shootin’.  His Sharps was the first one that many of us had seen.  He also was the first continuous user of a bird’s head pistol grip on one of his six-guns.

     In the world in which he makes his livin’, Tellico is a Trout rancher, or wrangler, or rustler.  Anyway, he herds fish.  Recently a wise acre of a cowboy asked him how one branded a fish.  Without missing a beat, Tellico replied, “Use a cold brand, and put it behind his ear.” 

John Chisum

    The name John Chisum is very well know by Western movie fans, folks with an interest in Western history, and Cowboy Action Shooters.  But did you know that John Chisum was a Tennessee boy?  That’s right, John was originally from Madison County, TN.  But he went west to achieve fame and fortune.  John eventually became a cattleman and in the mid 1800’s moved a herd of about 900 cattle from Texas to New Mexico.  In 1873 he founded his “South Springs Ranch” near Roswell, NM.  Although owning only about 40 acres where his house and the water / springs were, 

he ran cattle on about 100 miles of open range and became a

John Chisum

Buenos dias, amigos.

Newletter Editors:  Deadman & Mesquite Millie                  Website Editor:  Tennessee Justice

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Sr = Senior     T = Traditional     GF = Gunfighter     M = Modern     BP = Black Powder     CC = Classic Cowboy TF = Traditional Female     MF = Modern Female     D = Duelist     Jr = Junior     Ch = Challenged

Volume 1, Issue No. 7                                           (Web Edition)                                          September  2003

Page 1

IT RAINED ON THE COWBOYS & COWGIRLS!  ALL 56 OF ‘EM!

     The September shoot was interesting.  A lot of things happened.  We had 56 shooters, and about a dozen observers.  Unfortunately, Jack Rabbit Bob was one of the observers.  He was injured in a vehicle accident and was unable to shoot.  But Flossie defended the family shootin’ honor and came in 2nd in the cowgirl competition. Chickamauga Clint’s dad, Blind Boy, shot his 1st match as a cowboy shooter and SASS member.  (In the movie THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, with Sharon Stone & Gene Hackman, one of the characters is identified as the Blind Boy. So, enter Blind Boy to the Ocoee Rangers)  2 Dogs Runin’ shot her 2nd match with us, this time dressed as a cowgirl:  last time, she was an injun.  Tennessee Jake shot his 1st ever Perfect Match, without missing any targets.  When he fired his last shot and hit his last target, he turned to Deadman and said, “How long have I been doin’ this?  Since 1998?  This is my 1st.” Then he chuckled and said, “It’s about time.”  Double Eagle and Cruel Hand Luke also shot a Perfect Match: both have done so before.

     We learned that the Rev. Adam Jones is an influential sky pilot and cowboy.  When he was registering to shoot, Deadman made a wise crack, as usual, and told the Rev to include in his pre-shoot prayer to ask to have the rain hold off until at least 3:00 pm.  Well, it didn’t rain until 3:00 pm, and then it came down in buckets.  As luck would have it, Wacky Jack had shot four clean stages and was shooting number five when the rain came down at its hardest.  In the darkness and rain, he managed to miss 4 shots on  

that last stage.  He said, “I thought I had me a clean match, 

Tennessee Jake Shoots Perfect Match

ACTION ON THE RANGE

Cactus Red defends his cowgirl pardner as T-Bone times Red Neckerson (L) and Big (R) look on. 

L-R: Calibre .45 & the Kenesaw Kid

Thanks to the following:

Range Set-Up Volunteers

Horseshoe John – Mrs. Limp Along Charlie – Limp Along Charlie

Double Eagle – Linc

Posse Leaders

Author of Scenarios

T-Bone Angus

Buffalo Shoot Honcho

Marshal Too Tall

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Always keep your eye protection on when you’re on or near the range.

SHOOT RESULTS

Traditional

Duelist

Cruel Hand Luke

Horseshoe John

Ocoee Red

Cactus Red

Double Eagle

Owlhoot Hardin

Modern

Black Powder

Limp Along Charlie

Catoosa Kid

Tarheel

T-Bone Anugs

Awful Close

Cowgirl

Senior

Summer Dove

Tabasco JOT

Flossie

Kenesaw Kid

Dixie Land Delite

Calibre .45

Classic Cowboy

Buffalo Shoot

Shadrack Jones

Unpleasant

James Flynn

Challenged

Gunfighter

C. Rider

     Marshal Too Tall will conduct a .22 cal. cowboy rifle side shoot during the Buffalo shoot at the October match.  Targets will be at 25 yards.  Legal rifles are open sight cowboy .22 cal. rifles (lever action, single shoot cowboy style, etc.).  No .22 magnums or other 22 stuff allowed.  Marshal Too Tall said that if you ain’t got a cowboy .22 rifle, bring some .22 ammo and shoot another feller’s gun.

Newletter Editors:  Deadman & Mesquite Millie                  Website Editor:  Tennessee Justice

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Volume 1, Issue No. 7                                           (Web Edition)                                         September  2003

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TOP TEN SHOOTERS

Jaybird Daniel

OCOEE RANGER BADGES

     Have you noticed the new Ocoee Ranger badges that several of us have been wearing?  Remember, the base cost of the badge now is $52.  In January 2004, the badge will cost $58.50. So if you want one or you want to put one on your Christmas or birthday list, contact, or have the gift giver contact Tri.  His contact info is listed elsewhere in this newsletter.  A couple of cowboys

cowboys were very instrumental in the selection of the badge design.  Tri took the lead in locating badges from which to select and then put our design on the badge.  Horseshoe John also contributed.  Each time the selection gang got together to look at possibilities and talk about the badge, Horseshoe John pointed out, “I want a shiny one.”  And we got a shiny one.  It looks good and is very well made, and it would look great on your shirt, vest or blouse – depending on whether you’re a cowboy or cowgirl.

OCOEE RANGERS EXCEL AT TENNESSEE STATE COWBOY CHAMPIONSHIP SHOOT

Several of our cowboys and one lone cowgirl shot in the Wartrace Regulators Reckoning / Tennessee State Cowboy Championship Shoot in September.

December 6th/Christmas Shoot & Event

Ocoee Red has confirmed that the BelAire Grill in Cleveland will be the site of our after-shoot lunch and family Christmas event on December 6.  We’ll shoot 3 (maybe 4) stages and then saddle up and journey over to the BelAire Grill and chow down.  Then we’ll present our first ever Ocoee Ranger Annual Awards. 

THE COOK SAYS “GOOD BYE”

SHOOT THROUGH PASSES FOR OCOEE RANGERS SHOOTS

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Volume 1, Issue No. 7                                           (Web Edition)                                           September 2003

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The reel West, the real West and the West of our imagination

     Now I now what you’re sayin’. There ain’t no way that Rock Hudson was a silver screen cowboy. But you’d be wrong.  He was in several Westerns.  He was never very convincing as a Western character, but he made Western movies.  Shucks, he even made one with John Wayne, The Undefeated.  He also made The Last Sunset, with Kirk Douglas.  Kirk was very good.  Rock was there, just like the horses and the rocks , and other stuff.  But most ironic of all, when Hollywood

Rock Hudson

made a bio-picture, The Lawless Breed, about Texas

gunman John Wesley Hardin, they picked… Rock Hudson to play Wes Hardin.  Yeah.  That’s what was done.  Wes Hardin was one of the most proficient characters with a Colt pistol of early Western history.  How natural was Rock with a pistol and gunbelt?  Well, if there had been a carpenter’s hammer in the holster instead of a Colt revolver, he probably wouldn’t have noticed the difference.  But then, any Western movie is better than no Western movie.

     Do you remember when you first started Cowboy Action Shooting?  If you do, you probably recognize that you’ve changed a bit.  Cruel Hand Luke is no exception to that rule.  When you see him shoot in a match now, he’s fast, accurate, very competitive and he wears his guns and his cowboy duds like he knows what he’s doin’.  But was he always like that?  Let’s turn the clock back to February 2000.  The place is up on the mountain going toward the Sequatchie Valley.  Our regular

shootin’ range wasn’t available that Saturday.  So a

Cruel Hand Luke – 2003

herd of us cowboys went out and had a shoot at a temporary, unimproved location.  It was cold, rainy, and we only shot 2 or 3 stages.  There was this youngster who came along with us.  He was just gettin’ into the cowboy shootin’ game.  You should’ve seen him.  He was enthusiastic, and you could tell that he was serious about the game because he was shootin’ a Winchester ’73.  That was back in the days when most of us were shootin’ ’92 Winchesters and Marlin cowboys.  Here was this young feller shooting a  

“73 Winchester.  Of course that wasn’t the only thing that made him different.  He was wearing a humongous, colorful sombrero that made him look like a peacock.Flip the clock forward to today.  Cruel Hand Luke still sometimes struts like a peacock.  But he’s earned it.  He’s the most consistently accurate, fast and winning cowboy amongst the Ocoee Rangers. He has the interest and coordination to be a good shooter, and the youth to 

Cruel Hand Luke – February 2000

lead the SASS cowboy shooters of tomorrow. 

John Wesley Hardin

     John Wesley Hardin was probably the deadliest gunman of the Old West era.  During his violent life, he is said to have killed more than 20 men.  That’s sorta strange for a preachers’ son: his father was a circuit riding Methodist minister.  Wes began his rip snortin’ career as a shootist in Texas in his early teens, during the reconstruction era following the War of Northern Aggression.  The Rangers were replaced by a state police force and the imposed government managed to alienate itself with much of the Texas populace.  Many officials and troops were black, and that further angered many of the Confederate citizenry.  It’s said

John Wesley Hardin

that Wes shot a black soldier because Yankee soldiers had

Hasta la vista, amigos.

Newletter Editors:  Deadman & Mesquite Millie                  Website Editor:  Tennessee Justice

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