Coyote Creek Chronicle

Newsletter of the Bayou Bounty Hunters — December 2007 Edition
Text Box:

23255 La Palma Avenue

Yorba Linda, California   92887

Phone (714) 694-1800

 Fax (714) 694-1815

www.sassnet.com

Soiled Dove

Print Editor / Publisher

 

Bayou Blessings

Web Editor / Publisher

Scroll down to read about….

 

January—Wild Bunch Category

 

Top Shooter—December

 

Clean Stages—December

 

TG Summit

 

Minimum Standards

 

Power Factors

 

Shotgun Rounds

 

Rattlesnake’s Den

 

 
Text Box: n Clean Stages December Match Four Clean Stages Big John Blackhawk Cooper York Crazy Emmitt Prairieville T. J. Wild Three Clean Stages Boothill Coyote El Zopilote Mojado Foard County News Graveyard Fayard Louisiana Cuz Prairie Dawg Dud Reload Don Runnin Rose Text Box: Election of Officers The bi-annual election of officers will be conducted similar to all public, general elections. As required in a general election, the voter must come to the poll to vote (in our case, the annual meeting January 26th ). If the voter cannot make it to the poll, he/she must request an absentee ballot in advance, vote the ballot, and return it in time to have it included in the election results at the annual banquet. You must be a member in good standing (paid 2007 membership dues) to be eligible to vote. Ballots will be distributed to eligible members, voted, counted, and the board announced at the annual meeting. If you would like to cast a vote and know that you will not be able to attend the annual meeting, you must call (not email) Soiled Dove and request an absentee ballot, which she will then mail to you. You are responsible for getting your voted ballot to the annual meeting so that it can be included in the count that evening. You can mail it back to Soiled Dove, give it to a friend to take to the meeting, etc. Ballots mailed in will remain sealed until the meeting. Only official ballots will be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Soiled Dove, Cameo Rose or Crazy Emmitt. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - List of candidates: Board Members at Large: President: Crazy Emmitt (Four to be elected) Vice President: Cap’n Dan Apache Belle Secretary: Soiled Dove Cicero Grimes Treasurer: Cameo Rose Kentucky Tom Territorial Governor: Rattlesnake Blake Louisiana Cuz Tobin Kid Text Box: January Match will include the Wild Bunch Category Pistols. Any auto loading pistol manufactured prior to 1912. This included any variations of that pistol and or its clones, so long as they conform to the original appearance of that firearm. Changes in caliber from the original is acceptable. (An example would be a Mauser C96 broomhandle, which was chambered originally for the 7.63 Mauser cartridge. Models which were later chambered for 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP would be acceptable). Rifles. Any pistol caliber rifle manufactured from 1884 to 1898 and or its clone is acceptable. Rifles manufactured prior to that time period would not be acceptable. Rifles must have exposed hammers. Auto loading pistols with attachable shoulder stocks may also be used. Shotguns. Any Winchester 1897 pump shotgun or its clone that is SASS legal is acceptable. SASS dictates that the only gauges acceptable for the ’97 is either 16 or 12 gauge. If you have any additional questions, please email or call Rattlesnake at (985) 796-9698.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome New Member!

 

“Daisy Derringer”  aka  Heather Shields

(Granddaughter of Cooper York)

 

Welcome New Shooters!

“LA Gremlin”  aka  Richard Gremillion

“T-Joe”  aka  Joseph Ory

-Top Shooters-

December Match

 

49’er Class —  Copperhead Charlie

                      Golden Dragon Tong

                      Foard County News

Classic Cowboy  -  Cajun Ace

                            Kid Charlemagne

Duelist  -  Cap’n Dan

                Tobin Kid

                Cicero Grimes

Elder Statesman - El Otro Doc

                           Old Paul

                          Boothill Coyote

Gun Fighter  -  Crazy Emmitt

                       Oliver Loving

                       Marion Mosby

Lady Frontier Cartridge -  Cameo Rose

Lady Senior - Yankee Derringer

Lady Traditional - Runnin’ Rose

                            Sue E

                            Sassy Schoolmarm        

Modern  -  Big John Blackhawk

Senior - Cookie

            El Zopilote Mojado

             Judge Max Time

Senior Duelist  -  Doc Spudley

                          Cubbie

SHOOTIST  -  T. J. Wild

                     Prairie Dawg Dud

                     Graveyard Fayard

                     Galvez

                     Prairieville

                     Black Bart Smith

                     Parson Delacroix

Silver Senior  -  Coyote Jack

                        Louisiana Cuz

                        Pipeline Cowboy

Traditional  -  Cooper York

                     Ponchatrain P. Shooter

                     Reload Don

 

 

Top Cowboy Shooter 

T. J. Wild

 

Top Cowgirl Shooter

Cameo Rose

SASS Territorial Governor Summit  -  2007

Tally of Votes – Action Shooter Items

1.   Should we change the current Classic Cowboy category rules to require Chaps, Chinks or Botas and Spurs at all times and drop the other clothing requirements to three choices.

                          For: 112 (40.58%)                 Against: 160 (57.97%)         Abstain: 4 (1.45%)                FAIL

2.   As of now you may get as many Minor Safety penalties as you incur per stage. Should we change the rules to limit Minor Safety penalties to one per firearm per stage?

         For: 124 (44.93%)                 Against: 150 (54.35%)         Abstain: 2 (0.72%)                FAIL

 

 3.  As of now you are not committed to the stage until the first round goes down range. Should we change the rule to read as follows: A shooter, if properly started, is committed to the stage once the timer sounds.

 For: 84 (30.43%)          Against: 190 (68.84%)         Abstain: 2 (0.72%)                FAIL

 

 4.  The largest maximum Shot size currently allowed is a #4. Should we change the maximum shot size to a #7 ½?

 For: 72 (26.09%)          Against: 198 (71.74%)         Abstain: 6 (2.17%)                FAIL

 

 5.   Should we adopt the Proposed New Long Range Optical Category with rules as follows:

a.   No length or power limitation on the scope. Scope tube body to be ¾” or less in diameter and any ocular or objective lenses, adjusting or assembly rings to be less than 1” in diameter.

b.   No internal scope adjustments for windage or elevation.            

c.   Mounts are to be of a traditional style of the period and contain the windage and elevation adjustments for the scope in either, or both, the front or rear mounts. No click adjustments in the mount. Either dove tail mounting or scope block mounting is allowed.

d.   Original scope mounts of either the Cataract or Malcom style or variations thereof, or replicas or derivative conforms to the criteria of paragraph above.

  This rule matches exactly with the NRA Rifle Silhouette Rules of March 2005.

         For: 242 (90.30%)         Against: 26 (9.70%)              Abstain: 8 (2.90%)                PASSED

 

SASS Minimum Ammunition Standards:

A history of minimum Standards:  Ammunition standards for Cowboy Action Shooting were set in the early days to ensure all competitor’s loads were in a safe velocity range for shooting at the various types of targets used in Cowboy Action Shooting. Beginning ammunition standards were set at a maximum of 1000 fps for revolver ammunition and 1400 fps for rifle ammunition and a minimum of 650 fps for both rifle and revolver ammunition. During the Territorial Governor Summit of 1999, the minimum standard was deemed arbitrary and was set aside until testing could prove a better solution. After testing, input from various sources, and a study of current trends the Wild Bunch has determined the time has come to reestablish a new minimum standard for ammunition used in Cowboy Action Shooting.

There were two other announcements made at the Territorial Governors Summit. One announcement concerned Power Factors and other concerned shotgun ammunition. Below are the official announcements.

                 Power Factor:  Beginning at End of Trail 2008, the minimum standard for ammunition used in all smokeless categories at State, Regional, National, International and World Championship Competitions shall be not less than a minimum power factor of 60 and no velocity may be less than 400 fps. The maximum velocity standard for revolvers will remain as 1000 fps. The maximum velocity standard for rifles will remain as 1400 fps. Buckaroo Category shooters choosing to use center-fire ammunition in handguns and/or rifles must also meet all power factor and velocity requirements. Pocket Pistols and Derringers are exempt from the Power Factor and velocity requirements.

             Power Factors are simply calculated by multiplying the bullet weight times the velocity and then the resulting number is divided by 1000. Some examples are as follows:
100 gr bullet traveling at 600 fps has a power factor of 60: (100x600)/1000=60.00
77 gr bullet traveling at 800 fps has a power factor of 61.6 (77x800)/1000=61.60
200 gr bullet traveling at 400 fps has a power factor of 80 (200x400)/1000=80.00

             Power factors are the simplest and easiest way to maintain a minimum ammunition standard and allow competitors to shoot the weight bullet or velocity they feel comfortable with.

             The procedure to check power factors will be random for suspect rounds. Any challenges to Power Factors will be administered using the process listed within the SASS ROII Materials under the Appeals, Challenges and Protest section. If a competitor is checked, they will be asked for five rounds, preferably from a revolver already loaded at the loading table. One round will have the bullet pulled and weighed. The other four rounds will be fired across a chronograph using the competitor’s firearm. The muzzle of the revolver should be raised to 80 degrees and then lowered each time prior to firing through the chronograph. If any one of the four rounds meets or exceeds the calculated 60 power factor and velocity requirements, the competitor’s loads will be considered as legal. If all rounds fired through the chronograph measure less than the calculated 60 power factor and/or velocity requirements, the competitor will be given a 30 second Spirit of the Game penalty for the last stage completed. Any subsequent stage(s) shot with the same ammunition will result in the same penalty per stage. As listed in the SASS RO Materials, two Spirit of the Game penalties will result in a Match Disqualification.

             Shotgun Rounds:  It has come to our attention that practice of “Coning” or crimping shotgun shell to a smaller gauge (i.e. 12 gauge sized down to 16 or smaller is being practiced and these shells are being used at SASS matches. Limited testing of these loads by the technical staff at Hodgon Powder Company has been done using traditional load data and SAAMI standard testing equipment. The “Coned” load test results exceeded the recommended maximum SAAMI standards by as much as 7000 PSI. Therefore effective immediately, this process will not be allowed and the use of such ammunition will be considered as illegal ammunition.

             The process of scoring shotgun shell hulls with a sharp blade is known as “ringing” and essentially makes the round a slug. Also effective immediately, this process will not be allowed and the use of such ammunition will be considered as illegal ammunition. The penalty for the use of illegal ammunition in any SASS match is a Match Disqualification.

Text Box: Rattlesnake’s Den Howdy Pards, this here is ole Rattlesnake a’scribblin to ya. I just got back from the Summit, and it was more interesting this year than I thought it would be. I was surprised to see that all but the optical sight issue failed. Rules for appealing a ruling or challenging another shooters ammunition were clarified. The chain of command will be followed in both cases. The Wild Bunch absorbed the Mods Committee into the RO Committee which was a good thing. The members on the Mods Committee came from varying philosophies, geographical areas and shooting styles. The members worked well together respecting each others views, and hammered out an instrument that was fair and well received. It is the mandate that this new committee work at improving the sport, and making the rules of the game easier to understand as well as less cumbersome ( if that is possible ). You can expect to see this committee much more active than it has been in the past. The original RO committee did a great job putting the program together, and they deserve real credit for doing so. I will be looking forward to hearing from our members those things that interest them regarding the rules and modifications of our sport. Modifications and new firearms will be reviewed by the RO Committee and voted on by the Territorial Governors twice a year. Once at the Summit and again at EOT. This should speed up the approval/denial process greatly. We will be looking at a few other issues this time including whether to allow .22 ammunition to be shot in pocket pistols. This was a contentious issue due to the hotter ammunition being used in these old pistols. There was also a question of where the cutoff date of design would be. Some wanted to make the North American Arms mini revolver legal. The thought was that it was a copy of an S&W # 1 pocket pistol. It is not since it is a solid frame pistol and the original was a tip-up revolver. Swing out cylinder pistols were also suggested, but again where do we cut off the date of design. Would we be allowing a Colt Detective Special or S&W Chief Special? Between now and the next Summit there will be a lot of discussion on this issue. It is true that the supply of working pocket pistols is getting smaller, and no one is manufacturing a new production of one ( yet ). The Laramie will also be discussed as to whether we will allow it in the Traditional Category. It was also announced that there will be a Wild Bunch side match at EOT. We have not seen the specifics on it yet, but it is apparent that Wild Bunch is catching on around the country. I talked with a number of the Governors at the Summit who said that they were using that either as a side match or as a category at their monthly matches. Don’t forget that we will have the Wild Bunch category at our January match. I look forward to seeing you in January. May the Good Lord take a’shinin to ya, an remember to keep yore powder dry. Text Box: Congratulations to Rattlesnake Blake who was selected as a member of the SASS RO Committee at the recent SASS Summit in December.