Shootout at the Durango Depot
The 2009 World Championship
Fast Draw Balloon Elimination
August 14 – 16, 2009
Durango, Colorado 

Santos Ford Showdown
A Benefit Event for Caidyn Lee
July 18, 2009
Hosted by Redwing’s Bounty Hunters Fast Draw Club
Sponsored by Santos Ford Lincoln Mercury, 617 West Pacheco Highway, Los Banos, CA 93635
Sanctioned by the Ohio Fast Draw Association

5′ S/W
8′ S/W
10′ S/W
12′ S/W
8′ Double Wax

Index Style Match
Entry fee is $25.00
Sign up at 9:00 AM, shoot begins at 10:00 AM
Maverick (WFDA or CFDA) gunfighters are welcome to shoot for the OFDA trophies and points for an additional fee of $32.50 to cover insurance. If you decide to join the OFDA by the end of the match your insurance fee will be deducted from the $55.00 membership fee to the Ohio Fast Draw Association. Membership application will be available at the sign up table.

This Western Division event will be a day of family fun and Fast Draw with a majority of the proceeds from the shoot going to the family of Caidyn Lee, a precious 3 year old girl who is battling cancer.

Western Division members will set up a shooting range to introduce the public to the Ohio Fast Draw Association and the art of Fast Draw. The Los Banos Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Bath Tub Race. Santos Ford will be providing a DJ and hosting a Sock Hop dance competition from 8 PM to 11 PM. Put on you best 50′s/60′s attire and be prepared to dance you feet off. Prizes will be awarded.

Donation are still coming in but here’s a list of the raffle prizes we have so far for the Caidyn Lee Benefit Raffle. Not shown is a gift certificate for a Colt/Colt Replica action job donated by Jim Martin’s Single Action Specialties valued at $125.00. A gift certificate for a Ruger action job donated by Trickshot Johnny valued at $125.00. A gift certificate for Ted Blocker Holsters donated by Will York Fast Draw Supply valued at $50.00.

100% of the proceeds will go to the Lee Family. Even though the event is this Saturday if you would like to donate an item or buy tickets please PM or email me and we’ll work something out. Winning tickets will be drawn at 4:30 PM at the Santos Ford Showdown event July 18, 2009.

Caidyn Lee Raffle Donations

Pietta 1858 Remington cap and ball revolver donated by Sidewinder

Gun Box donated by RWB Custom Woodworking

Geode slab painting donated by Lester P. Larceny

Sterling Silver Buckle Set donated by TD and Lola Bandit

Franklin Mint Harley Knife donated by TD and Lola Bandit

Cowboy figurines donated by TD and Lola Bandit

Chief Firewater Gun Cleaner donated by TD and Lola Bandit

CFDA 209 primer cartridges donated by Sundowner

     The history of the Orygun Gunfighters began as many fast draw clubs have begun over the years.  The club started because I was too impatient to wait for someone else to begin one.  I didn’t intend to start Oregon’s first Cowboy Fast Draw club.  It just turned out that way, because I wanted a local place to shoot.

     There’s no doubt that Oregon has had a rich history of fast draw. Shooters like “Gentleman Jim” Vonfeldt, who for a time had an Oregon Fast Draw team.  Ed and Ray Thielke, legendary shooters once at the epicenter of a literal wagon-load of fast draw shooters in Vernonia, Oregon.  And Ted Blocker and others who made a name for the fast draw shooting sports in Oregon.   But fast draw contests in the area were tough to find, and active clubs in the Portland area nonexistent.  So I did what anyone else would have done who wanted to shoot, I started one.

     And I told everyone what I was doing.  “I’m shooting cowboy fast draw, isn’t that crazy?” I said to people I hardly knew in local restaurants and businesses.  “How about shooting fast draw with me?” I asked friends in the church where I was serving on the interim pastoral staff.  And I did the same in my martial arts studios in Sherwood and Hillsboro, not forsaking the Internet forums where I was known as well.  Before long, I had people who wanted to shoot with me.  Where I come from, “where two or three are gathered together,” as the saying goes, you have a club. 

     We began organizing in January of 2008, holding meetings in two small restaurants in Forest Grove, Oregon, and “sanctioned” as it was then called, or affiliated as it is now termed with the Cowboy Fast Draw Association (CFDA) in October the same year, at the World Championships in Fallon, Nevada. 

     Seventeen individuals lent their support the first year as “Founding Life Members,” enabling the club to buy its first two targets and timing equipment.  Keeping with the CFDA habit of using a shooting alias, I want to recognize the following:

Gregg “the Rev. W. W. Ronin” Townsley
Nancy “Generous Kate” Townsley
Don “the Coho Kid” Brown
Dan “Orie Gunn” Esteban
Jon “Doug Graves” Larson
Tom “Tatonka” Epler
Lori “Tatonka Rose” Epler        
Jason “the Amity Kid” Waibel
John “Old West” West             
Richard “Theramore” Epler
Craig “Kid Kreggar” Pittenger
Diane “Diana Might” Pittenger
Dan “Bad Eye Lefty” Arends

     As is often the case in the Cowboy Fast Draw Association, members of other CFDA clubs contributed.  For instance, two members of the Maine CFDA club also joined as Founding Life Members:  William “Last Will” Cotton and his wife Patricia “Polly Esther” Gillway, of the Waldo County Rangers.  Additionally, Forest Grove residents Alan and Anne Niven lent financial support to the endeavor despite not being active members of the Cowboy Fast Draw Association nor the club.

      A generous loan by two of the club’s members allowed the Orygun Gunfighters to purchase a thirty-foot archery net when a mechanic at the L Bar T Bison Ranch let us know that the side of the barn wasn’t nearly as appropriate as a shooting backstop as everyone originally thought.  Ted Blocker Holsters, the L Bar T Bison Ranch, and my own organization-Oregon Fast Draw, LLC-were three of our original corporate sponsors, contributing leather goods for our Townsfolk Alleys, computers, tables and chairs and so on. 

     Our first town scene was constructed and painted by “the Amity Kid,” who in return received a beautiful Taurus Gaucho revolver and a free Founding Life Membership.  We’ve appreciated his efforts in constructing these important pieces of the club’s equipment and look forward to his continued participation in making our range, in time, one of the most attractive ranges in the Cowboy Fast Draw Association.

     The Orygun Gunfighters maintain separate summer and winter ranges, shooting at Ted Blocker Holsters in Tigard, Oregon during the cold winter months-amidst leather goods, sewing machines and carving tables-and the L Bar T Bison Ranch in Forest Grove, Oregon during the warmer summer months, with split rail fences and real bison looking on.  It’s a unique opportunity for modern wannabe cowboys (and cowgirls) to experience some of America’s great western adventure.  For more than a few of us, it’s turned into something more than an enjoyable hobby but a passionate pursuit as well. 

     We’re a small club and sometimes I’m concerned about that, as I’d discovered in nearly thirty years of church ministry that there are certain problems implicit to small groups that larger groups somehow escape.  But in time we’ll grow.  And the club’s efforts-to spread the CFDA style of fast draw shooting, starting similar clubs throughout Oregon-will pay off.

      I’m looking forward to seeing an annual Oregon school of the fast draw come out of the club’s efforts, two of us having benefited from a similar school in Montana early in our fast draw shooting experience.  And a reenacting group would be nice as well.  But for the meantime, we’re going to continue pushing the fast draw envelope here at home.   No club member has shot faster than .400 of a second in a match as of yet.  But there’s real pleasure in watching individual members approach that barrier each and every time we meet. 

RONIN
The Rev. W. W. Ronin
aka Gregg Townsley
CFDA Life Member #41
Orygun Gunfighters Founding Life Member #1
www.oregonfastdraw.com

OK Greg, here are some answers………

RAM FANNING is the opposite of FANNING. RAM FANNING is when the the draw hand literally “rams” the gun forward into the stationary fanning hand to ram and fire. The draw hand is the initiator…… FANNING is when the draw hand moves the gun in an upward (not forward @ all) position and the fanning hand moves back into the gun to fan and fire. The fanning hand is the initiator………. It should be obvious to anyone that the excessive gun thrust and movement of the barrel in ram fanning renders it useless and really should not be classified as a draw technique period! It is that bad and unfortunately, is a method used by many a shooter. You can tell that just by looking @ the 15′ wax scores @ a match (accuracy event)…. FANNING is a correct and refined movement involving perfect timing of the fanning hand engaging the upward draw of the gun.

SLAP COCKING is the opposite as UP-FANNING. Slap cocking is when the fanning hand (actually fanning fingers, as the palm of the hand should not come in contact with the hammer, the fingers are the magic, more later) starts the “draw” by fanning (slapping) the hammer back while still in the holster, then firing by squeezing the trigger of course, when on target………..UP_FANNING as mentioned previously, is the gun being drawn up and the fanning hand firing the gun as it is moving in an upward motion……. FANNING is when the gun is drawn and positioned (precisely and “just in time” locked in) before the fanning hand fires the gun.
Fanning is covered by the above 3 techinques.

Thumbing has 2 basic techniques. The old “original” method of PALM THUMBING is when the draw hand (and only hand involved of course) starts from a distance and actually charges into the gun and methodically cocks the hammer back while simultaneously drawing the gun and squeezing the trigger and eventually firing when gun is on target….. This was the only way to thumb because of the original 6″ hand clearance rule that was the standard for early day fast draw……… The rule change from the 6″ standard to the current “obvious hand clearance” rule created a new method called SQUEEZE THUMBING. SQUEEZE THUMBING is positioning the draw hand very close to the gun in a “sort of cocked hand /wrist position. The gun is drawn and fired by the squeezing of the thumb on top and the 4 fingers on bottom, again timing is critical but when done correctly, is the most efficient, positive, (meaning no haunting half-cocks experienced by all the old way) accurate and fastest way to thumb.

In reference to which techniques yield the fastest times……..in generic terms…….open style TWIST FANNING is the fastest, then SLAP COCKING, then FANNING, then SQUEEZE THUMBING, then PALM THUMBING, then finally, well…….. RAM FANNING is last.

Just a few more comments for now.

SLAP COCKING is the most popular technique used. There are two basic reasons why. The main one is accuracy. The theory is, the initial impact of the gun is done prior to the draw, then the draw hand simply has to pull the trigger on target……..(of course this is why Mr. Ron Phillips is the best accuracy shooter ever is a fanner, so much for the theory, but it is true for most). It also is easier to slap-cock the hammer back when it is holstered upright when using a speed over the boot draw……. Fanning, the impact is @ the critical firing time, accurately impossible for most, but not for Ronnie, and also is tough to “reach” and successfully fan-cock the hammer back during a speed draw because the gun has been drawn over the boot which positions the hammer waaaaay back and well,,,,,, enough said. Only God can hit hit a 1 iron and only God can successfully fan the hammer back there.

I personally TWIST FANNED all through the open years of fast draw, successfully as the records indicate, because open was the standard. Traditional is now the standard of which I FAN MY INDEX DOUBLES, and SLAP COCK everything else.

Gary Tryon holds his annual match to start the SHOOTING year off in ARIZONA, which is an OPEN contest. I will TWIST FAN a 23.5 average on ALL STANDING BALLOONS, SLAP COCK a 32.0 average on ALL STANDING WAX EVENTS. ……….In the THUMBING CONTEST prior to the OPEN, I will SQUEEZE THUMB a 31.5 average in ALL BALLON EVENTS and a 32.5 average in ALL WAX EVENTS…………then I will wake up in the morning before the match depressed realizing it was a dream………… and try to make it come true!

In summation Greg, now that you understand everything, slap cock your way to index/accuracy fame, fan your way to speed/accuracy fame, thumb your way to all around shooter fame, then you will have “ARRIVED”!

Good night.
Ernie Hill

Ernie Hill was the Founder and President of Ernie Hill International. His innovative holster designs were used by many of the top competitiors in IPSC, Fast Draw and Cowboy Action shooting in the 80′s and 90′s. His presence in the sport of Fast Draw is missed by those who knew him and those who have had the opportunity to shoot out of one of his fine rigs.

The gunfighters started arriving in Los Banos California on Thursday, October 11, 2007. By Saturday 60 shooters from the United States and Canada were gathered at the Merced County Springs Fairgrounds to write a chapter in Fast Draw history by competing in the very first Cowboy Fast Draw Association titled match in the Golden State, the California State Fast Draw Championship.

Hosted by the Sundowners Single Action Shooting Club and sponsored by the Los Banos Chamber of Commerce the event far exceeded the expectations of all parties involved. What began as a seemingly innocent conversation at a garage sale about a barbeque competition and Fast Draw demonstration evolved into the Henry Miller Wild West Weekend and the California State Fast Draw Championship. The grand finale to a year of special events organized by the city to celebrate their centennial year.

Thanks to donations by local businesses and community groups, the Sundowners and the Golden State Gunslingers were able to convert a livestock show arena into a first class shooting venue for this inaugural gunfight. Ballistic safety netting covered the area above the backstop to insure none of the wax bullets used in the match would escape the shooting area. Local artist Joan Bengtson was commissioned to create murals depicting scenes of old Los Banos as well as the Yokut Indian villages that dotted the landscape in the late 1800′s.

The weekend began under dark, cloud filled skies on Friday, October 12, 2007 with the Will “Tawodi” York – “Big John” Whala Shootist Championship. Fans of the big iron who braved the rain were not disappointed. Tawodi and Big John put up a good fight but in the end it came down to Nevada’s Cal “Quick Cal” Eilrich versus California’s Jon “Trickshot” Wilson. When the gunsmoke cleared Quick Cal held the first place Shootist Championship belt buckle. After the Shootist match members of the Fast Draw community teamed up with members of the Los Banos community in a special Pro-Am match to honor the memory of beloved local resident and veteran Fast Draw competitor, Frank “Lefty” Manzanedo. Proceeds from this event were donated to local charities.

Sunny and warm California weather greeted the shooters on Saturday morning for the first day of the Championship. The fairground was alive with Old West ambiance. The smell of savory food filled the air. Vendor’s booths were brimming with colorful wares. Live music was everywhere. High Card Johnny was in the Red Garter Saloon dealing games of chance. Los Banos professional trick roper Hilda Machado was demonstrating her amazing skills and teaching an attentive audience how to spin ropes. Lawmen, cavalry soldiers and cowboys were patrolling the grounds on foot and on horseback. The Buffalo Soldiers mobile museum was a fascinating exhibit chronicling the history of this proud military unit. Even President Abraham Lincoln and a contingency of soldiers from the North and the South were in attendance. Many of the visitors dressed in Old West attire and took part in western themed games and activities.

Looking over the field of fast guns there was no way to predict who would walk away with the Top Gun prizes. Gunfighters from the Cowboy Fast Draw, Ohio Fast Draw, World Fast Draw and Old Time Gunfighters associations united under the CFDA banner to share the sport they love with the people of Los Banos. Amongst them was the 1963 California State Champion Bob Bussinger and Jim VonFeldt the 1974 California State title winner. The sounds of cannon fire from the civil war soldiers’ encampment thundered in the distance as the shooters prepared themselves to meet their destiny. CFDA Membership Director Marshall “Mississippi Marshal” Hopper was on the microphone calling the contest; keeping the spectators well informed and entertained with his special brand of southern humor. When the first day of competition was over the shooters joined our sponsors for a good old fashion Saturday Night Social enjoying a chuck wagon dinner and an evening of dancing to lively country western music provided by recording artist Joni Harms.

Sunday started with a special match, “Still Alive at 65”. Contestants that were eliminated from the championship on the first day qualified for a second chance at cash prizes if the fastest shot they fired in competition was .650 or higher. Seven shooters made the cut, Hal “Five O” Lagmay, Charles “Chickasaw Warrior” Gilmer, Todd “California Drifter” Springer, Yuly “Bandida” Springer, Tammie “Lefty” Lipscomb, Elyssa “Sweet Pea” Long and Shirley “Wench” Miller. As fate would have it the final shootout paired the California Drifter against his wife Bandida. Many laughs were had at the Drifter’s expense as he endured the taunts of his fellow gunfighters to edge out his beautiful bride for the $300.00 top prize. Bandida received a $200.00 second place winner’s check to soften the blow of her defeat. Not a bad day for this pair of Golden State Gunslingers at their first competition.

The last day of the Fast Draw Championship ebbed and flowed in dramatic fashion. A match is really interesting to watch when it gets down to the last ten in each division and Sunday was no exception.

The 10 fastest women gunfighters in California on October 14, 2007 were Annette “Miss B. Haven” Coffman, Kathy “Cool Hand Suz” Landsdowne, Treasea “Fannie Mae” Long, Shirley “Legally Loaded” Coffman, Geneva “C21 Peacemaker” Brett, Peggy “Queen of Hearts” Franks, Dinah “Alotta Lead” Eilrich, Yuly “Bandida” Springer, Erika “Hannah Calder” Frisk, and Tammie “Lefty” Lipscomb. The championship round pitted Miss B. Haven against Cool Hand Suz. The first light went off and both shooters hit the target with Miss B. Haven bringing the heat to win the shot. Miss B. Haven got one more win before Cool Hand Suz put a fast one downrange to send a message to the 2007 CFDA World Champion that she wasn’t done for the day. Miss B. Haven decided it was indeed her moment in the sun and on the very next draw answered back with the fastest shot of the round capturing the CFDA Women’s Division California State Championship title.

The lineup in the Men’s Division read like a who’s who in the history of Fast Draw. Six of the fast guns in Sunday’s Top 10, Cal “Quick Cal” Eilrich, Jim “Ol’ Gun” Standridge, George “Sundowner” Narasaki, Ken “Short Keg” Gentry, Francis “The Draw” Carlos, and Jim “Gentleman Jim” VonFeldt were pedigreed veteran Fast Draw Champions each with over 30 years of sixgun experience. Anyone who has shot against them can attest to the fact that they are some of the fastest guns in the CFDA today. The combination of experience and speed makes them the most difficult obstacles to overcome in the quest for Fast Draw glory. Rounding out the field were CFDA Champion ValDean “Trapper Smith” Schroeder, WFDA Area Top Gun James “Arizona Ranger” Barney, WFDA World Thumbing Champion Jon “Trickshot” Wilson, and OTGA Nevada State Champion Gary “Omaha Outlaw” Wagner. It was a see saw battle all the way but one by one shooters were eliminated and the field was narrowed down to the final two. All eyes were on Sundowner James “Arizona Ranger”
Barney and his “obstacle” veteran champion Jim “Ol’ Gun” Standridge as they stepped up to the firing line to close the show. If either of them were nervous it didn’t show. At the first light Ol’ Gun put out a fast miss as the Ranger laid in a respectable .436. The Ranger hit another .436 on the next draw but Ol’ Gun’s light was blinking with a .418 making it one to one. Both men settled into their stance at Marshal’s command “shooter set” focusing intensely on the light for the third shot. Seconds later they exploded out of their holsters and it sounded like one shot. Marshal announced the times Arizona Ranger .427, Ol’ Gun .430, two to one in favor of the Ranger. It was obvious there isn’t any holding back in Ol’ Gun’s game because he marked the grease with a .410 on his next draw to answer the Ranger’s .459 tying it up at two to two. With sudden victory looming over their heads the shooters pulled their smokewagons for the last shot. Marshal announced the time, .416 for the 2007 Men’s California State Champion, James Barney.

The gunfighters packed their gear and gathered one last time at the KUBB Country Radio Main Stage for the awards presentation. On
Friday they were Fast Draw competitors with their eye on the prize but as they sat in the grandstands waiting for the presentation to start they bantered with each other as old friends.

Their attention was drawn to the stage as “Big John” Whala’s booming voice was heard over the PA system announcing the arrival of a special delivery. Escorted by mounted Merced County Sheriff Deputies a Wells Fargo stagecoach arrived at the stage entrance to deliver the Chamber of Commerce prize. Los Banos Mayor Tommy Jones emerged from the stagecoach to supervise the unloading of the Wells Fargo strongbox containing canvas bank bags filled with $7000.00 in gold coins that were to be presented to the winners. Just as soon as the stagecoach left the grounds a masked rider showed up with his sixguns blazing intent on stealing the strongbox. Out of the clear blue sky the Golden State Gunslingers came riding in on stick horses. With hangman’s noose in hand they corralled the bandit and took him into custody saving the day!

The heavy sacks of gold made it safely into the hands of their rightful owners and the gunhands said their final goodbyes. The 2007 California State Fast Draw Championship had come to an end. As the last gunfighter rode off into the sunset the town was already buzzing with talk of next years Henry Miller Wild West Weekend. The Sundowners have been invited to host the California State Championship again on October 10 though 12 in 2008 so mark your calendars. You don’t want to miss the next one. By popular demand we plan on having the Saturday Night Shooters Banquet at Wool Growers Restaurant. That alone should get those of you who were here in 2007 back for another visit!