I’m your huckleberry!
I’m an active cowboy and Wild Bunch shooter in Upstate SC and hold RO2 certifications in both games.
It’s difficult to find a regular Wild Bunch match in our region but some of us are working to change that. My home club in Greenville SC is planning to hold a five Stage Wild Bunch match at the same time as our usual cowboy action match on Sunday March 24. That’s not far from you.
The following month is the 3rd annual Carolinas Wild Bunch Shootout on Saturday April 27. Six stages and lunch, and usually door prizes. This year’s host club is the Gunpowder Creek Regulators in Lenoir NC, a cool “Western town” range.
There are three legal shotguns for WBAS: Winchester 1897 (original or reproduction), the IAC “93/97” which is essentially a ‘97 repro that SASS did not approve for cowboy action, or a Winchester Model 12.
The advantage of a ‘97 is that it can also be used in cowboy action. There are lots of used ‘97s floating around. I saw an original for sale at a match last Sunday. It makes a great sound when you cycle it.
Many Wild Bunch shooters believe that the M12 is the runaway best choice. Lots of them around and they are more rugged than the ‘97. Plus they have a six round magazine from the factory, a needed feature. A ‘97 usually has to be modified to hold six.
I have slicked up, well worn examples of the Winchester 1897 and the Model 12. If you come to Greenville you can shoot ‘em both. Where can you find a better offer?
The way we use a shotgun in WB is different than in cowboy. We load the magazine of the shotgun at the loading table with six shells (unless the stage has less than six shotgun targets), with the hammer down on an empty chamber. We pick it up, rack it and shoot it like it was designed to be shot. You can slam fire it if you want to. We don’t make up missed shotgun targets in WBAS.
Make sure you download and read the most current Shooters Handbook. Some new rule changes just went into effect on January 1, 2019. The rule changes eliminated some unnecessary penalties.
Send me a PM if you want more info. We’d love to have you join in.
My SASS alias is Abe E.S. Corpus
#makewildbunchgreatagain