Wonder what their problem is?

 

That's no way to get new members. That's too bad. But I've seen it with a lot of people that are highly invested in a sport or hobby. After a while, they think they are there just for novices to revere, not to help novices.

 

I left SASS shooting a few years back and didn' t renew last year . Started in the 90 s my number was inthe 3200 range . Didn't like the direction it was taking as well as the nastiness of those taking over . Too bad it was a lot of fun in the beginning . Now it is an expensive hobby andtheguns used no longer resemble what was used inthe old west . If Ihad the time and energy would try and start a competing Western Action Shooting . Slogan which I once offered to the NCOWS group "western action shooting the way it was ." Pretty catchy and true

 

I would have had to say something. One of my go-to responses is "It's people like you that give people like you a bad name".

 

Hopefully, they were just two friends who were too busy 'showing off' than doing the job
the way it should have been done. Such actions happen in all organizations.

 

Problem is, all the head honchos are like that. Egos run rampant and out of control.

 

I left SASS shooting a few years back and didn' t renew last year . Started in the 90 s my number was inthe 3400 range . Didn't like the direction it was taking as well as the nastiness of those taking over . Too bad it was a lot of fun in the beginning . Now it is an expensive hobby andtheguns used no longer resemble what was used inthe old west . If Ihad the time and energy would try and start a competing Western Action Shooting . Slogan which I once offered to the NCOWS group "western action shooting the way it was ." Pretty catchy and true

This is one of the most agreeable post Lawman67 has ever written. Without getting into the politics of SASS, There has been a growing dislike from Ol' Timers of that Original Sport. I place the Blame squarely on the Backs of SASS's governing body the Wild Bunch and a few insiders that couldn't keep their hands out of the cookie jar.

The Holier than Thou elitists that sprung up and started bullying their way, not only on the SASS Wire, but also at matches left a bad taste with many members. You couple a bad experience with higher dues, reduction in benefits, High capital outlay, Law suits and members just go away.

The problem is, that the trouble makers don't see it....:bang_wall:

 

Thanks , I guess Sounds hey that is an ugly shirt but it looks good on you

 

I'm a little curious about SASS. It looks like it might be fun. But I don't need attitude from someone in what should be an enjoyable hobby.

 

The best thing to do is go to an event close to you. Meet and greet members at an event. SASS in Europe or Australia is different than in the states.
Even Regions different. Talk with the locals, go in with an open mind, and not tainted from my remarks or experiences. I am still a Life Member and Regulator, even though I have retired from CAS Shooting. BUT I still maintain my yearly membership in a California Club because they did it right and still play the way the game was intended.
"The Double R Bar Regulators", yes it is connected to Roy Rogers. RR Bar Regulators

 

This is the same in other shooting sports. Trap shooters tend to be the same. It tends to be an attitude supported by the best equipment money can buy. Most are older members who are wondering why they cannot attract new shooters. The cause is obvious, but they fail to recognize it.

 

They will eventually recognize it, but not until all the members have moved on to other organizations. It's not uncommon that organizations like this develop a clique that tries to elevate itself from the "common members", and the result is always the same. I have seen it happen in car clubs, model building clubs, shooting clubs, you name it. Nothing will grow if you cut the roots off, it's that simple.

 

Try NCOWS as well - no attitude and pleasant, knowledgeable folks with no agenda.

They're more historically-minded, though - take a look at all the organizations at CAS city - The World of Cowboy Action Shooting - Powered by Outdoor Channel. and see what appeals...

 

I have a friend who always would point out his low SASS membership number. Not being a member, I do not know, but it seems that they have some sort of hierarchy based on their membership number. Sounds to me like an old west "Game of Thrones."

 

The low number means you were there in the beginning, when it was a purer , not mutated form ,when the spirit of the game , not the bs was the most important thing

 

Why in the world would SASS people be elitist!?

After all they are dressing up like old time Westerners in cowboy outfits and shooting guns.

Is that some sort of advanced accomplishment that warrants undue praise and worship? LOL!!

 

It's human nature to want to be recognized and even celebrated for your accomplishments..., It Colt Terms; It's all about who has the Best Python that is worth the most money. Some folks just seem to carry a bigger mirror and are amazed by the reflection.

 

Totally agree Michael. At a gun show and in a booth to call attention to your sport and hopefully attract a newer membership core, they should have left the attitude with their street clothes; in a remote dressing room somewhere.

 

Some of the cause is our natural competitiveness. It's fun, but it also allows you to say you are better than someone else. With most shooting sports, there are only two ways you can be "better." Have a really fancy gun with all the frills, and shoot better than others. With some of the "dress up" shooting sports, that's a third category; how authentic is your costume and how well you pull it off in life (think Harley rider). Then there is the "old timer" hierarchy, were people say "you weren't here [1 year ago....10 years ago....40 years ago] when this was really [cool, difficult, fun, hard].

Each of these levels in each of our human endeavors allows some to "compete", which by definition means "to become better than someone else." Many take that to heart, but thankfully others are welcoming and open to new people. If the leadership of a group encourages either behavior, that's what comes to the top. But you'll never find a club, group, ship, company....etc. that doesn't have some of this irritating behaviour. You have to rise above it, or call it out, or outshoot the loud mouths (that was always my tactic!)

 

Yup...

And if you want 'elitist' take a look at IPSC for that.

 

I've seen this happen in a sportsmans club before. I quit the club (prepaid dues didn't matter in light of hierarchys attitude) and if anyone asked me why, I objectively let them know the reason. Turns out lots of other people felt the same. Eventually all the people that were causing issues were voted out and people who actually cared about The whole organization, and not just the inner clique took over. I rejoined.

 

Sounds like the "Them and us attitude." Hope their day job isn't on a PD. Also sounds grade school juvenile. I have "joined" only a couple organizations. I just love to hear I "belong" to such and such. I don't "belong" to anybody or anything except God and my wife. In a way this reminds me of how a lot of the Motorcycle crowd liked to say they were "Individualist`s." Yet a big part of them all look and dress alike, ride in formation like a army etc. I rode as much as anyone but almost all alone.

 

I pretty much follow the old Groucho Marx quip, when he said: "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member."

Cheers

 

In the mid '80's I was looking for an alternative to bullseye-type shooting, so I checked out the IPSC. I had heard about them about 10 years earlier, as a teenager, and thought it sounded like the ticket. Well, it was nothing like what I had read of a decade before; it was totally taken over by the "gamesman" faction, with emphasis on times, not technique, and using those outlandish (and $$$) race guns, instead of what the normal guy might have on hand. It would appear SASS has undergone the same transformation; emphasis on times rather than fun, and drifting away from authenticity (utilizing 2-hand holds, the proliferation of 1911's with modern features, etc). Looks like the gamesman cartel has taken that over too.

 

In the mid '80's I was looking for an alternative to bullseye-type shooting, so I checked out the IPSC. I had heard about them about 10 years earlier, as a teenager, and thought it sounded like the ticket. Well, it was nothing like what I had read of a decade before; it was totally taken over by the "gamesman" faction, with emphasis on times, not technique, and using those outlandish (and $$$) race guns, instead of what the normal guy might have on hand.

I was involved in IPSC in Colorado in the early 80's when the emphasis was on "practical." I left two years later when the race guns appeared and IPSC turned into implausible.

 

I started SASS in the early 90s, (i'm usually referred to as a LBN, low badge number) and while I don't like everything about where SASS is headed ,verses the "old days" I still think it's the best game in town. Granted if there was a NCOWS club nearby I might play a little more. Some of the best shooters in the game are in this area, and they are some of the best pards your could ask for. Like any organization there are always those that rub just about anyone the wrong way, but I've never found one I couldn't get over with 4 or 5 shots of Crown or some of "Franklin Countys Finest".

 

That's why it's called 'IPSC With Hats'...

'NCOWS' - the 'National Congress of Old West Shootists' - moves at a much slower pace, with targets further away, allows period DAs, and isn't as obsessed with speed and short-stroked actions.

They're more like a social group that shoots and the emphasis on the era draws a very diverse group.

In some areas, the SASS guys join NCOWS to compete and build up speed and technique against guys who don't care to compete, and didn't like the artificial pressure, in order to go back to SASS with a bunch of 'wins' under their belt.

Those guys apparently don't understand the 'Cowboy Way'...

 

I might look for a NCOWS group. I shot Cowboy Action Shooting back in the 1990s, and while the rules didn't allow high tech modifications, and you had to use period calibers, some people would use .38 Special because it had little recoil and they could shoot faster. Like a lot of these sports, it was all about speed, not accuracy. I had fun, and didn't complain in public, but to my friend that ran a lot of matches I did tell him why I didn't do it for more than a couple years. Every stage was "run...run...run!....shoot those 5 metal poppers about 10 yards in front of you with your pistol....run, run...run! Shoot that giant metal plate about 15 yards in front of you with the shotgun....run run run, shoot that big metal plate about 20 yards from you with your lever action. TIME! 30 seconds! You win! Most of the targets were so close you could teach a 10 year old who had never seen a gun, say from Mongolia, and he'd hit them all in 5 minutes. It was all about how fast you could work the trigger. If they would double or triple the ranges, it would be more of a sign of your marksmanship, instead of your cocking muscles.

I also shot BPCRS (blackpowder cartridge rifle silhouette) in those years. That sport was developed with strict rules to prevent an "arms race" that happens in most NRA sports. You shot at long ranges, slowly, with period single shot rifles and antique cartridges. You had to shoot well, or you didn't have a chance. You could buy at $5,000 custom engraved Shiloh Sharps if you wanted....but you had to be able to SHOOT it. Lots of poor guys did very well with old $200 Trapdoors and military rolling blocks. It was great, and the equalizer was one thing: can you shoot?

I've noticed the marksmanship competitions seem to be going away in my lifetime. Schutzen, bullseye, .22 matches, all are replaced by IPSC, Bowling Pin, SASS, Sporting Clays, and a lot of other "speed, quasi combat" type high tempo action. Which of course is more aggressive in action, and probably scares a lot of newbies away who think "I can't keep up with that guy! He just shot 15 rounds in 5 seconds, reloaded, and did it again!" Whereas the slow, relaxed target matches seemed calm and welcoming. My impression is Americans have gotten very "in your face" with our activities, and most are "extreme [fill in]". Maybe it's just me, there have been quickdraw competitions back in the 1950s, etc.

 

Teddy Roosevelt one said: 'The Only Shots That Count Are The Ones That Hit'.

You can buy all the goodies with the bells and whistles and tune-ups that you want - matter of fact, some guys start out that way - but you've 'got' to put in the time behind the trigger, and if you overlook that, and can't shoot - then all you own are expensive toys that are of no use to you.

'You' can start up an NCOWS 'Posse' - look at the website.

 

Thanks, I just looked. Is it just me, or is it ironic that this group to promote the Old West shooting has no posse's in AZ, NM, NV, or any of the Rocky Mtn states?! A lot in the midwest, Calif and TX though.

Welcome to NCOWS