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Single Action Shooting Society(SASS) and Cowboy Action Shooting(CAS)

SASS The Single Action Shooting Society is an international organization created to preserve and promote the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting™. This activity involves target shooting in locations (or stages in CAS lingo) that resemble a typical Old West town.

Participants normally adopt an old west persona including a registered cowboy name (SASS does not allow duplicate names). They will also use period correct firearms and clothing. At major matches there is often a judged show of the clothing worn by both shooters and fans. For the firearms participants must have either originals or reproductions of single action pistols, lever action rifles and double barrel shotguns.

U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA)

USPSA Practical shooting is to today’s guns and situations as Cowboy Action Shooting is to the old west. USPSA shooters use modern semi-automatic pistols or revolvers. Practical Shooting is a competitive sport. Each shooter competes against the others in their classification by time to complete the course. Accuracy and adherence to the scenario they are shooting also count in your score. Prior to competition a course is established. Each course will have multiple stages where the targets are arranged differently. On any given stage the shooter starts when hearing a signal and progresses through the stage in any manner they see fit.




The rules specify that the shooter must fire two shots at each target in as little time as possible. Naturally the targets are not arranged to make this task easy. The course designer places obstacles on the course that must be navigated around by the shooter. Moving targets are also allowed. In the end for each classification the person who shot the course in the least amount of time and with the most accuracy wins.

International Defensive Pistol Association(IDPA)

IDPA is a shooting sport that uses practical equipment including full charge service ammunition to solve simulated “real world” self-defense scenarios. IDPA shooting events require use of practical handguns and holsters that are truly suitable for self-defense. No “competition only” equipment is permitted in IDPA matches since the main goal is to test the skill and ability of the individual, not equipment or gamesmanship.While there are many formal IDPA matches, many shooting clubs use the principles and scenarios from IDPA in a teaching environment where emphasis is on teaching defensive skills rather than competition. IDPA has garnered a growing membership who seek either aspect of the sport or both.

International Skeet Shooting Assocication/National Sporting Clays Association

Today’s skeet shooting involves a regimented shooting structure of 8 shooting stations and two trap houses. Both trap houses mechanically “throw” a target simultaneously toward the center of the shooting field. The shooter must hit each target while it is in flight. Skeet is shot in squads of up to five shooters. They move from station to station around the half moon, ending up in the center at the end of the round. Any gauge shotgun may be used, of any type, as long as it can fire at least two shots.

Today’s sporting clays shooting involves shooting different sized targets “thrown” from any angle or distance over a shooting “course”. This simulates as closely as possible the conditions found if the shooter was actually out hunting. Sporting clays is typically shot in squads of two to six people and played over a course of 10 to 15 shooting stations laid around fields or around the natural features of the land. The course designer is not limited in target speed, angle, or distance, so every course is different. .

U.S. Olympic Shooting

Olympic Rings USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. The organization implements and manages development programs and sanctions events at the local, state, regional, and national levels; developing shooting athletes from grassroots to Olympic medals.