Red River Showdown the 2010 CFDA Texas State Championship
Hosted by the North Texas Society of Gunfighters
March 19th – 21st off I-35 in Gainesville, Texas.

Video Created by: Natural Motion

RED RIVER SHOWDOWN
Schedule of Events

THURSDAY: March 18th
8:00 AM Range Officer Course
4 Hour Course Presented by CFDA Regulator “Mongo”
1:00 PM Pre-Championship Jack Pot Shoot ….21ft – 4X – $20.00 Entry Fee
60% Top 3 Pay Out (30% – 20% – 10%)

FRIDAY: March 19th
8:00 AM Registration and Weapons Check
8:30 AM Shooter’s Meeting
9:00 AM Category Shoot Offs Begin
1:00 PM Lunch Break
2:00 PM Resume Shoot Offs
6:00 PM Texas Style Chili at the Range

SATURDAY: March 20th
7:30 AM Cowboy Breakfast
8:00 AM Registration and Weapons Check
8:30 AM Shooter’s Meeting
9:00 AM Main Match Begins
7:00 PM Shooter’s Banquet at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant
(Costume Contest & Award Presentation for Categories)
Cowboy Gathering at the Range after Dinner

SUNDAY: March 21st
7:30 AM Black Jack’s Cowboy Church
8:30 AM Shooter’s Meeting / Registration
9:00 AM Second Chance Match Begins
9:00 AM Main Match Resumes if Top 5 has not been established
Top 5 Championship Shoot Off will begin at High Noon
Awards Ceremony after Championship Shoot Off
_________________
See Ya on the Firein’ Line ! ! !
CFDA #75 Life
NTSG Club President
Lightnin’ Jesse
lightnin-jesse@excite.com
www.myspace.com/northtexasfastdraw

     The year was 1958 …. The fledging single action gun sport of Fast Draw (aka “Quick Draw”) was really booming! Most of the major TV shows were westerns. New clubs were springing up all over the USA. This phenomenal growth was remarkable when considering US mail was the primary method of communication. Even printing was expensive in relation to what a one page flyer costs today when printed on your home printer connected to your PC.

     The state of California was going through an amusing identity discourse. The news media fanned the idea fire of separating California into two states. Although not actually taken seriously by the general public, the rancor encouraged competitiveness between the Northern and Southern areas. And folks actively interested in Fast Draw were asking the question who was the “Fastest Gun in California”.

     No associations existed that could promote a State Fast Draw Championship Contest. Several clubs in the San Jose area decided a state championship event was desired. They spoke with a few shooters from the South but couldn’t come to an agreement as to where the event should take place – North or South? (No Lester, Barstow wasn’t even considered!) The Northern clubs came up with a plan. California was known as the “Golden State”, how about if they hosted a contest and name it the “Golden Challenge”? They knew who the top shooters are in Southern California and will invite them to a contest held at the Town & Country Village in Palo Alto. While they won’t claim the contest to be the State Championship, it would certainly be implied. They will use a home made timer designed by several Stanford students (a modified 78 RPM phonograph turntable). Percussion blanks only, each shooter will get three shots starting off the button and three shots starting from a reaction light. Total the inverse order scores and come up with a Winner. The discussion then turned to awards. The entry fee of ten bucks would be used to cover promotion costs. Incidentally, general liability insurance was not even a consideration back then. Oh, for the innocent days of yesteryear! It was suggested by the Northern hosts that some hot shot Hollywood Actor or Stuntman would most likely win all of the marbles – so let’s not spend too much on a trophy.

[View with PicLens]

    Here is a photo of the trophy won by Ralph “Mack” McKensey. Notice the Fast Draw figure was not available at the time. According to legend a young boy took the trophy to school “Show & Tell.”   Whoops, when it fell out of his bicycle basket the gun was broken off. That’s OK, the trophy survived (misspelling and all) and so has the wonderful sport of Fast Draw.

WINGO Indoor Rifle Range
Written by Bob Crismon

      The year was 1960 ….. The war has been over for fifteen years, times are good. Folks had extra money and time to spend on elective things of interest. Many of us chose recreational shooting activities. Interest in the Single Action revolver and lever action rifle grew every day, sparked by the popularity of movie and TV western shows. Winchester Fire Arms was in the ammunition and long arms manufacturing business. The new gun sport activities resulted in the sale of Winchester blanks, cartridges and brass. But without a manufactured side arm, Winchester could not capitalize on the Fast Draw Western TV show driven business boom. Winchester came up with a brilliant idea – why not develop a shooting sport centered on the use of Winchester rifles? Most Single Action Fast Draw shooters are likely Winchester rifle owners.

     The first and only WINGO Indoor Rifle Range was opened in San Diego. A large, freestanding building was built for this purpose. The inside of the building looked somewhat like a bowling alley. However, instead of bowling lanes, twenty or more rifle shooting stations spread across the building. Also like a bowling alley, the front area contained spectator bleachers, a service counter, and restaurant and gift shop. Unlike a bowling alley however, no alcohol was sold or allowed inside the range building. The shooting stations were perhaps ten feet below the spectator level providing excellent viewing advantage.

     The provided Winchester pump action rifles used Winchester 22-caliber “rat shot” ammo (a mini shotgun type load). Shooters purchased the inexpensive ammo at the service counter, paid a nominal fee, and were assigned a station. Each rifle was secured in its place by a thin, flexible steel cable. No only did this prevent anyone for taking the rifle from the shooting area, but for safety it restricted the right and left oblique swing (sweep) range of the barrel. Also a safety barrier wall separated the individual shooting stations. The shooter loaded his/her rifle and pressed a button mounted on the loading table. Like in bowling, each shooting activity started and ended individually. Most of the shooters belonged to a team and competed with team members as well as other teams. Bragging rights was the only but sufficient reward. Most teams were sponsored by a business, quite often the employer of the team members. Benches behind the shooting line were used by 6-8 team members. Individual “drop in” shooters could sign up for a non-team station and compete with each other.

     I represented the FasDraw Timer Company at the time and was given a VIP tour of behind the scene facilities. Down range behind a wall where bowling alley pin setting machines would have been located, hidden refrigerated machines made an endless supply of ice blocks. Other machines transformed the ice into shaved ice. The shaved ice was then pressed into ice balls about the size of a tennis ball. Each station had five ice ball launching arms. Like a baseball automatic pitching machine, the five ice balls were hurled one at a time toward the shooter station about one second apart. The trajectory of each ice ball was slightly different and would fall to the floor before not quite reaching the shooter’s station. The apex of the ice ball path was perhaps twenty degrees. Rarely did two balls in a row follow the same path. This was because the ice balls themselves were not always formed into perfect balls. In fact, sometimes a handful of slush would be launched instead of a ball. This inconsistency just made the game that more interesting. After all, like in a modern day single action competitive match, the shooters were there for a good time. And fun it was! Each shooter shot three sessions comprised of fifteen ice ball targets. The game was shoot ‘till you hit. Hits were noted on a scorecard. There was no timer involved; just add up the number of hits for a score. Unlike golf, honesty was rightfully assumed (lighten up guys – that’s a joke).

     One could find action at the Wingo Indoor Rifle Range from early weekday afternoon on, with peak competition in the evening. Weekends the place was jammed! You may have to wait an hour or so to get a station. But few minded because of the enjoyment in watching others compete plus the friendship and camaraderie that quickly developed between shooters. After about six months, all of a sudden the WINGO Indoor Rifle Range closed and Winchester abandoned the venture. Why, I don’t know. Do you?

 

[View with PicLens]

WINGO Rifle Range Mystery
Bob Crismon

     While researching the Gunfighter Gulch published article “Wingo Indoor Rifle Range”, Greg Custodio found on the Internet an article published in 1971 by Popular Mechanics magazine. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=m9cDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&ots=QUrMupvZvZ&dq=wingo+indoor+rifle+range&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html

     The article contained range photos of a special Winchester rifle apparently developed for Wingo range use.  It’s interesting that the article doesn’t say if the range was open at the time of the article.  Is it possible the Wingo range closed in the early seventies?  Three brothers, Bob, Fred and Dave were shooting Fast Draw in San Diego in 1960 and of course, shot at the Wingo range.  We are absolutely sure the 1960 date is correct.  Shortly after all three Brothers left San Diego (run out of town by Fast Draw Combat Master Deputy Sheriff Eldon Carl?).  We do remember seeing the boarded up building many years later.

     We three don’t remember the special rifle in Greg’s article find being used.  The article described it as a .20 caliber single shot shotgun.   That doesn’t make sense!  The photo clearly shows the down range launch board with five ice ball target launch holes.  How can one shoot up to five timely launched targets with a single shot rifle?  The article mentioned a “control console.”  The photo shows two men at each end of the console and they apparently have some type of control panel in front of them.  We do not remember a console.  Why two consoles for one shooter?  Could it be two timers were used to determine the fastest shot (and hit) of two competitors side by side.   That would be fun, particularly the shoot ’till you hit game.

     Winchester probably came to the conclusion the Wingo range product could not meet profit objectives.  Plus, someone forgot what their core business was – manufacture of long guns.  Perhaps ten years later Winchester set up a publicity photo shoot at the closed range to test a new shotgun product, modified Wingo system and new timing system.  Here is a comment from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingo

Another Internet find contributing to the Wingo Range mystery may be viewed at:

http://codyfirearmsmuseumblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/happy-thanksgiving/

     Here is the answer to the Wingo mystery:  After all of these years no single story is absolutely correct.  However, you may want to go with the eye witness Wingo version but that would mean trusting the nefarious Crismon boys! 

Thell Reed, Jr.
Excerpt from Guns and Ammo Magazine 1964
Written by Elmer Keith

     Times change with the years, and I well remember when any man who was really fast with a gun kept the fact to himself as much as possible, did his practicing alone, and was quiet and soft spoken. To have advertised the fact would have invited a gun fight. Today these fast cap-snappers and drug store cowboys advertise on billboards, their cars and neon signs that each and every one is the “world’s fastest.” There is a vast difference between wholesome, healthy competition against “robot” gunmen, flashing light signals or opponents armed with blanks when your life is not at stake as compared with bucking armed opponents who will kill you at the drop of a hat.

     There is also a vast difference between timing a man with an electric timer from start of his draw, when his movement breaks the contact tape or wire to when the hit of the slug stops the timer, as compared to time taken from a flashing signal of some kind. Men differ greatly in reaction time. This is the time it takes for the brain to telegraph the signal to the hand and for the hand to react and draw and fire the gun. Some men have fast reflexes and some do not. Thell Reed’s reflexes are lightning fast. In an actual gunfight, the man who starts first usually wins. When two equally fast gunmen used to go up against each other, both usually died though one may have hit his opponet first.

     If one has much faster reflexes than the other, he may win, provided the other is not a slip-gun shooter like old Jack Newman. When his thumbs held back the hammers on his two 2″ barrelled .45 S.A. Colt slip guns in his pockets, it would have been no use to shoot him as when his thumbs relaxed their grip the other gunman would undoubtedly have received his two hits also. Jack’s wife usually wore a fortune in jewels, but with him along and with one hand always holding a stubby .45 gun in one pocket or the other, no one ever bothered them.

     Thell Reed was started on shooting and accurate sixgun pointing by his father when he was just seven years old. He is just past 20 now and has practiced handgun combat shooting with live ammunition thirteen years. He is no cap snapper, nor wax bullet shooter and uses blanks or wax bullets only when forced to do so by competition rules. He is a slim, quiet, unassuming youth of small stature and rather small-boned. He has beautifully shaped hands with rather long fingers, ideal for gun handling. They have never been stiffened by injuries and are as supple as those of a fine violinist.

     He has perfected a system of knocking the empties out of a Colt Single Action and reloading it faster than any man I have ever seen. We timed him firing six shots, reloading and firing six more—all hits—in 10 1/2 seconds!

     Some competitions require that he empty the gun, reload and empty it again and he can do so with single action guns faster than most shooters with double action, simultaneous ejection S&W or Colt guns. He can also thumb the hammer of his .45s while the gun is in recoil and get off that second shot faster than any man I have seen work with just one hand. He never fans a gun, does all work with the one hand involved. His special gun rigs are made by Andy Andersen of North Hollywood, Calif. 

     Spinning sixguns on his fingers simultaneously with both hands, the so-called “border shift,” throwing one gun to the other hand and all kinds of fancy gun juggling, he has mastered perfectly. He went through his repertoire of such tricks for us and did not drop or fumble a gun at any time. Spinning guns on the fingers and fancy gun juggling won’t buy any chips in a gunfight, but is good for show and movie business and also to keep the hands and fingers supple and limber. He has also mastered the old gun fighters’ trick of passing a gun to an adversary butt first and then instantly reversing it and shooting. However, he is the only fancy gun juggler I have ever seen operate that did not quite often drop a gun or fumble a draw. We watched him draw and shoot .45 Colt ammo all afternoon and there was never a suspicion of a fumbled draw.

     His favorite guns are a pair of 4 3/4″ .45 S.A. Colts. He does all his own gunsmithing and these guns require constant work if they are to be kept in operation in everyday practice with full loads. His mainsprings are worked down light but still amply strong to fire with certainty and his trigger pulls are very light–in fact lighter than I personally like for my heavy, work-hardened fingers. The outside edge of his trigger guards have also been filed narrow to allow his fingers to slip into the guard freely as the gun is drawn. He uses the old hammer draw exclusively. His holsters, however, carry his guns well to the front side of his legs with butts topped far back and muzzles ahead and out of line with his legs. The holsters are cut out rather deep in front to allow shooting with the barrel raised to the minimum to clear leather.

     In his draw the muzzle of the gun is never pointed at or near his legs. Holsters are steel lined and shaped to fit the guns. I never liked the hammer draw myself, as most men have to almost do a back somersault to get their guns out and in action. It is no doubt, however, the fastest possible draw of all for the single action, for close range work. Across a card table or at five to seven yards range Thell Reed is absolutely without peer. At five yards he shot for the head only of the silhouette man-target and placed all five 250-grain slugs well in the head of the target. At this range he is unbelievably fast and I know can and did split a quarter-second many times drawing and hitting with full loads. He also did the same shooting at the central chest or heart area and placed all five well in the center.

     Back at seven yards his groups spread some but were still all good, killing hits. I think virtually no man ever handled a gun who could beat his time, draw and hit, at five paces. His hand is held just above his gun and in the draw the thumb knocks the gun straight back from the holster and he flips up the muzzle and fires it as fast as any man can do so. I noticed when shooting at the head of the target at five paces, his shoulders jerked back to elevate the gun as he was firing just as the gun cleared the leather and powder burns marked both his shirt and gun belt over his holster from barrel and cylinder junction.

     While this is the fastest possible single action draw and good at very close range, I would never favor it for longer range. I much prefer the butt tipped forward and the gun thrown forward in the draw and pointed at the target. With his hammer draw, either singly or both guns at once, his hands move the very minimum so that the guns just clear the holster and tip up in line with his targets. I believe he has gone as far as any man can ever go on this type of hammer draw and still have the ability to hit with full loads. He can also slap in a second shot about as fast as most good double action men can do with well-tuned S&W double action guns.

     For longer strings, however, the double action would be the faster. He can, however, empty a single action or two at once very fast and keep his shots well in the killing area of the target at close ranges of from five to seven yards. His reactions are lightning fast and on a “go” signal, his shot will blend in with the verbal signal. For speed and accuracy I believe his hammer draw with his .45s is as fast as humanly possible at close range with single action guns. Whether it is as fast or faster than Bill Jordan’s double action draw could only be proved on electric timers.

     Reed barely clears his holsters for his fastest speed, but for longer ranges, seven to 15 yards, throws the gun farther forward in front of his holster and locks his arm there as he fires. His hammer draw with barrel tipped well forward and butt of gun tipped well back is, no doubt, safer for the shooter than the butt-tipped-forward method especially for amateurs as the barrel is never pointed near his legs during the draw. The butt forward draw, however, with gun thrown toward the target, pointed and fired all in the same motion, is a far more accurate draw at any but very short ranges. Equally good grouping can be accomplished with the butt-forward-draw with the gun thrown forward at the target at three times the range than the hammer draw is practical. Due to more gun, hand and arm movement, however, it is also slower—but still very deadly in a gun fight.

     Reed has practiced the hammer draw exclusively, but I would like to see him take up S&W double action guns and practice and perfect the butt-forward draw. I am sure he would very soon become one of the best men in the game as well as one of the fastest of all time. He has also been working with the .45 Colt Auto, shooting it with the same position of holsters, butt to the rear, and is phenomenally fast. Starting with the side safety on, he can draw and fire just as fast as with his single action, but I noticed he had a much harder time getting his shots up high enough as the .45 Auto is the poorest of all guns for hip shooting.

     He has perfected one .45 Auto draw that is very good and very accurate. He draws the gun and raises it to eye level while the left hand comes up for added support. With this draw he is a very deadly shot with the .45 Auto. In fact, he can bring the pistol up to eye level and use sights, with both hands, about as fast as most men could use the gun barely clearing leather. He can also empty it, with good grouping, very fast indeed and simply has a string of empties coming ont of the top, reminiscent of a sub-machine gnn, his slugs ripping through the target.

     Enough practice with any one type of draw and holster will result in great speed and I remember Fitzgerald of Colt’s was also very fast with his cross draw 2″ .45 New Service Colts. He also barely cleared leather and shot across his body pointing the gun by body movement with arm locked across body. Fitz’s draw was more accurate at longer ranges, 15 to 30 yards, than is any hammer draw of the single action I have yet witnessed. He shot with either hand and always out to the side of his body.

     Reed is a practical sixgun man. Loads all his own ammunition, casts his own bullets in gang molds and lubricates and sizes them. He uses Star reloaders to load them. This for both the .45 Autos and the .45 Colts. He is also a good long-range shot. G&A Editor Tom Siatos let him try his fine .470 Lang double-barrel rifle at 200 yards and Thell hit exactly center, where we told him to hold, and the recoil of the big elephant rifle bothered him none at all. He enjoyed shooting it.

      Though he has to drive a long way to shoot, he practices three days a week and has burned up more sixgun ammunition in 13 years than most men would use in a lifetime even though they were persistent shooters. I believe he has gone as far as any man can go with the .45 Single Action Colt. Now I, for one, would like to see him take up double action shooting with revolvers and suitable holsters using .44 Special or .44 Magnum or even .357 Magnum. For his small hands I think the Combat Magnum .357 Smith & Wesson, or a pair of 1950 target 4″ .44 Specials would probably be best. If he will now take up these guns and practice steadily with them with gun butts to the front in Jordan-type holsters, I honestly believe he could and would become a second Ed McGivern. I would estimate his fastest hammer draw and hit with the .45 Single Actions at 5 paces to be around ten-hundredths of a second, from start to bullet impact. Of course, if he started at a given signal, reaction time would have to be added, but this lad’s reflexes are so fast he could kill you during the time it would take you to wink your eye.

     On his first try at standard trap shooting, he broke 48 x 50, which is good even for veterans. He is good with any gun and very good at standard 50-yard slow fire pistol shooting with target guns. He has killed both deer and javalina with his .45s and also hunted and killed a fine grizzly in Alaska with two shots at long range from a rifle. He has been on tour in Japan with the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Show doing exhibition shooting and bareback bronc and steer riding. He has won a great many fast draw contests, including the Big Bear, California combat firing contest, shooting against the best in the country. He has also won several running deer contests with sixguns. He averages about 500 practice rounds of .45 ammo per week. Tom Siatos and I watched him perform one whole afternoon and we came to the conclusion that here was a lad who would go far in the shooting game, if he stays with it.

     Back of Thell Reed’s phenomenal success is Thell Reed, Sr., “the man behind the gun,” so to speak. Thell Reed, Sr. started his boy at seven years of age with a .22 rifle. By the time he was nine years of age, he had him shooting a pair of .45 Colt Single Actions with good effect. He has put up all the money for the lad’s practice over the years and encouraged and coached him in every possible way. Coaching and instructions has been not only with guns, but also on being a sportsman and a gentleman. Reed, Sr., is a fine shot as well and is one man who believes that starting a youngster in the shooting game is the best way to make a man of him and eliminate any possible tendencies toward juvenile delinquency. I would say he has done a fine job on all counts. Thell Reed Jr., is a lad to watch in the years to come and one who I believe will be one of the best all-around shots of this or any other era.

Click Here for the complete article on the Guns and Ammo website

Well… here are the results of the July Internet Shoot.  Better late than never is all I got to say since my life took a priority over my love for Fast Draw this month.  As soon as the Santos Ford Showdown was over the family and I took a much needed vacation to Disneyland at the end of July.  Getting the girls ready for the new school year made August a blur!

For those who still may be able to shoot an August Internet event let’s shoot S/W at 10′, 12′ and 15′.  Make sure to send the times to Big John (bigdogjohn at sbcglobal dot net) and copy me.  Big John Skinner signed on to help me put all the individual results together so all I have to do is format the web pages which cuts my work in half.

Click the following underlined links for detailed contest results information.

NOTE – The results page will open in a new window.

Women’s Results
1st - Carol Bonnett - Ohio
2nd – Sue Zimmeran - Ohio
3th - Laura Campbell - Ohio
4rd - Arlene Cardoza - California
5th - Neva Brett - California

Men’s Results
1st – Ron Zimmerman - Ohio
2nd – Harry Ballengee - Ohio
3rd – Lynn Potter - Ohio
4th – Duke Bonnett - Ohio
5th – Kent Sandhagen - California

Lewis System Scoring Method Results
Gold Division
1st – Ron Zimmerman - Ohio
2nd – Harry Ballengee - Ohio
3rd – Lynn Potter - Ohio
4th – Carol Bonnett - Ohio
5th – Duke Bonnett - Ohio

Silver Division
1st – Sue Zimmerman - Ohio
2nd – Kent Sandhagen - California
3rd – Terry Campbell - Ohio
4th – Johnny Perry - Ohio
5th – Verd Stuckey - Ohio

Bronze Division
1st – Laura Campbell - Ohio
2nd – Brad Baumgartner - California
3rd – Arlene Cardoza - California
4th – John Whala - California
5th – Neva Brett - California

Follow this link for details on the Lewis System Scoring Method

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

A new GunFighter Gulch record was set when 65 Gunfighters from the United States and Scotland joined together to write yet another chapter in Fast Draw history by participating in the second GunFighter Gulch International Internet Shoot. 

Across the pond our friends from The Gunslingers Club brought the Border Raiders Club to the party.  Here in the United States gunfighters from 6 states gathered together to share Fast Draw with them.  I think we may have to make this a regular thing!  Yee Haw… Shoot It All… Worldwide!!!

For the July 2009 Internet match let’s shoot one set of S/W at 8′, one at 10′ and one at 12′. 
Click the following underlined links for detailed contest results information.

NOTE – The results page will open in a new window.

Women’s Results
1st – Donna Lechner – Pennsylvania
2nd – Carol Bonnett – Ohio
3rd – Sue Zimmerman – Ohio
4th – Neva Brett – California
5th – Laura Lechner – Pennsylvania

Men’s Results
1st – Kent Sandhagen – California
2nd – Tom Lechner – Pennsylvania
3rd – Ron Paul Duning – Ohio
4th – Ron Zimmerman – Ohio
5th – Terry Campbell – Ohio

Lewis System Scoring Method Results
Gold Division
1st – Kent Sandhagen – California
2nd – Tom Lechner – Pennsylvania
3rd – Donna Lechner – Pennsylvania
4th – Carol Bonnett – Ohio
5th – Ron Paul Duning – Ohio

Silver Division
1st – Laura Lechner – Pennsylvania
2nd – Michelle Buser – Ohio
3rd – Verd Stuckey – Ohio
4th – Frank Galano – California
5th – Robert Lotufo – Tennessee

Bronze Division
1st – John Whala – California
2nd – Lynn Lustig – Ohio
3rd – Brian Bracher – Scotland
4th – John Brady – Scotland
5th – Colt Wright – Scotland

Follow this link for details on the Lewis System Scoring Method

WELCOME BACK FROM THE NATIONALS SHOOT 
NEW SUMMER HOURS
July 11, 2009
9 AM TO 1 PM

Price                                       $10.00
Sign In                                              8AM
Shooter Meeting                     8:30AM
Start                                        9AM

Club Match  

Two Rounds – Distance 18 Feet

Two Rounds – Distance 21 Feet

Then – a Shoot Off at 21 Feet

Primitive shoot – No backstops and only 4 targets

Rio Salado Sportsmans Club

3960 N. Usery Pass Road

Mesa, Arizona

Pistol Range by Public Bays

Follow Signs

** Live Shooting Range – eye protection is required when leaving

     your vehicle.

*** NO GUN HANDLING – except on the line and at the cleaning

       and dry firing area.

 **** There will be live fire on ranges next to us.

National Day of the Cowboy Celebration
Gold Field Ghost Town
Apache Junction, Arizona
9:00 am Saturday, July 25, 2009

• Sponsored by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
• Begin with Kids Rock Throwing Contest – run the Bad Guys out of town.  
• SASS™ type stage – two Six Shooters, 10 rounds, six Bad Guy targets.
• Play the NRA 2008 Public Service Award game, ‘Celebrity ShowDown’.
• As Sheriff you will help change anti-gun minds one citizen at a time.
• No entry fee, free parking, free lunch voucher, free 209/Wax ammo. 
• Loaner .45 Six Shooters available.  Free beers after shooting.
• Shooter’s names only go in a hat for drawing of New Vaquero .45.
• Volunteer names go into a hat for another New Vaquero .45 drawing.
• Benefiting the non-profit Cowboy Six Shooter Historical Foundation.
• Foundation is an Authorized NRA Recruiter, help sign up new members.
• Gold Field Ghost Town entry is free and open to the public.

About 16 shooters will be invited.  Please send your email to BobCrismon@aol.com

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