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I can also assure you that those volunteers don’t care one whit about those “titles”. They bust their butts for the betterment of the sport.

I've resigned from my role as WBAS Wire admin/moderator (I didn't really do much anyway). Thank you to all the ambassadors who have made and tried to keep this game great. I prefer a competitive, fun, and challenging shooting sport, but it seems Misty is now taking WBAS in a different direction. Looks like EoT 2024 might be my last SASS Wild Bunch™ match.

Well, it is called Wild Bunch ACTION SHOOTING! If I want entertainment, I’ll turn on the movie and watch it. For me the fun is in the challenge. Figuring out how I can shoot a stage to the best of my abilities. What can I do to better myself. I’ve said for years that WBAS isn’t for everyone. Neither is benchrest shooting, NASCAR racing or brain surgery.

You’ve got some good advice here and some poor advice. I’m going to against the grain with a couple things, though. You’ll hear people say “front sight”! Forget it! Your mind should know now how to line up the sights on target. MUCH more important is proper trigger manipulation. You can spend all day lining up the sights perfectly but when you jerk the trigger all that is moot. Dry fire practice and slow fire target practice will help. But everyone flinches to some degree at some point. Controlling it is the key. That’s the only place dummy rounds are handy loaded in the mag. It will show you your flinch. Also, forget “muscle memory”. It’s a fallacy. Your brain tells every muscle what to do, when to do it and how much to do it. Don’t pay attention to where the empty mag falls. Too many people waste too much time making sure they land on the table or carpet. All you want is it out of the gun. As for malfunctions, properly tuned guns with quality ammo and proper mags mitigate malfunctions to practically nil. Also, no need to go to the line with a “Barney” mag. That will be the mag you grab when you need a full mag.

Those whiners will never shoot it but they are the ones that have caused the s@&tshow it is now. They’re the ones that said they would shoot when we went to 7 in the mag, when we went to tactical reloads, when we puts base pads on. And every time we tried to accommodate them, they just come up with another reason not to shoot.

JJ, for years we heard “if you do _______, I’ll shoot Wild Bunch.” 7 rounds in the mag, tactical reloads, base pads, total time(which was forced on us) and you know what? As soon as those rules all went into effect, those same people had another excuse for not shooting… Like I mentioned in my previous post that was pulled from above, those same people are already making excuses as to why they still won’t shoot Wild Bunch…

I'm planning on it. I'm guessing the places I like to travel to and shoot the most will keep doing what they've been doing, so I'm not worried about finding great matches to shoot. It seems like some folks really do want bigger closer targets and simpler sequences, and that's fine, but it's those qualities that make CAS boring for me, so I don't shoot it much any more. If sanctioned WBAS matches are moving in that direction, those aren't matches I'll return to. I have no issue with Misty pandering to her members in an effort to make money -- it's a business after all. However, it does seem kind of dirty how she has treated the volunteers who have done so much work to make WBAS what it is (or was). I'm not much of a leader, but I'm an OK soldier, and I'll be glad to support those ambassadors and other volunteers who want to keep building and shooting a game like yesterday's Wild Bunch.

I think all my competition needs to use them.😊 JFN

I guess I will stir the pot a bit with some history. I don't know how many times over the years I was reminded that "SASS and CAS is in the Entertainment Business NOT in the Shooting business". People who do well are happy and that makes for good business. That has always been the driving force and it still is today. A number of years age I was approached by The General, The Judge, and Coyote and they wanted to add another thing to SASS since it was not highly thought of in the shooting world. They tasked me with making Wild Bunch Action Shooting, which was to be a Real Shooting Sport, as well as enjoyable within the general SASS guidelines. So I created WBAS as a Shooting Sport. I had a lot of great help over the years making it go. The early years most of the EOT stages were written by Pecos Clyde (a great guy who introduced the Model 12 SG to WBAS) Then the stage writing was taken over by Texas Jack Morales (one of my heroes). It was 7? of 8? years before we had the first shooter shoot EOT clean!!! NOBODY complained to us. Those shooting WBAS enjoyed the more challenging sport. We had retired operators who were glad to help new shooters learn how to "run a 1911". I produced the training video on WBAS for Holy Terror. We tried really hard to make it a shooting sport. WBAS was NEVER intended to be like CAS with a 1911. Sadly, IMHO the sport has begun drifting away from the founding principles in recent years. Just a bit of history for those who are interested. Humbly Presented, Happy Jack SASS 20451 Life Patron Regulator CAS was a lot different when WBAS was started. Aerial SG targets, Reloads on the clock for pistols and rifles, and various more difficult target engagements were common even at the biggest matches (regionals, EOT) so for most CAS shooters moving to WBAS was a lot easier than today.

Look what a good friend surprised me with yesterday at our monthly WB match in the carpark whilst Jenorado and I were unpacking our cart. A hand made, lined with tanned kangaroo skin, customised with a tooled bear, 1911 holster for my SR Ruger which up unto yesterday I had been making do using my single action holster. Thank you Rusty for handcrafting this for me, you bowled me over with this kind and generous gift yesterday 🥰

Ahh, Wednesday morning and this horse is still kind of twitching. I was really hoping someone with actual authority would have chimed in and answered this. But oh well, It's like waiting for the VA to make a decision, very slow and hope you get the desired outcome. I will also say I do not intend to start using a SxS in WB. But I did actually shot a stage at a North Carolina match recently and did use my SxS. It was the perfect scenario. Only two shotgun targets, sitting right next to each other. SxS kinda stoked will sure beat a pump every time, at least for me in this situation. Everyone called me a gamer, "NOT ME", I said. Ok final comment from me on this post, to try and lighten it up a bit. Maybe my attempt at humor will wake that horse up, and he can run far away from this post. Many years ago when I was working at our HQ, we had one of our instructors who taught the mini gun and 20mm armament system on the Cobra helicopter. He really was not a good instructor. He would basically read verbatim from the lesson plan to the students. If anyone had a question this instructor would re-read the same exact verbiage, except he would read it really slow. Then he would ask, "got it?" Repeat this action if questioned again. Then move onto the next lesson plan. This guy was the perfect example of an individual who experiences the phenomenon called "Illusory Truth Effect". So I will continue to give a no call on this situation, if it ever come's up. Benefit of doubt to the shooter. Hey about a new Mantra: If you see a SxS cycled-it's cycled If you think a SxS is cycled-it's cycled If you think the SxS is open-it's cycled If shooter throws it on table, not opened-It's not cycled Y'all try and have a nice hump day

I am officially retired from Wild Buch management BUT I can tell you for the first 10 years of real Wild Bunch this question of "Shooters Choice " never was even thought about or considered. If you had a failure to fire the 1911 for any reason, you just cleared the gun, put in another magazine and continued where you were. Everyone shooting would do as Eyesa asked. Fix the gun and proceed to avoid penalties and hopefully misses. Aparently those days are past. Very sad in my opinion.

Dang, sounds like a great match. I almost wish I had shot it. Oh well.

Like Boggus, I have used springs from many suppliers, but recently have gone with a lot of Springco. We are lucky to have Boggus to take care of a lot of problems with Wild Bunch guns. With the loss of Bodie and Goatneck in recent years he is one of the few who specializes in Wild Bunch guns. He is VERY good with them.

I did not find pistol and shotgun targets at 3-5yds fun, and I don't feel the drive down from Tucson was worth it for a match like that. I still like to shoot some local matches to support the folks around here that put them on, but this mindset of bringing all the targets in that close has got to go. It's not safe, and it's not fun. No shade to Zona -- he puts on quality, well thought-out matches, but let's put the targets out further.

For shotgun makeups?😆

Wow....Just WOW. Some of these comments are just.....WOW The new TG system has taken on the responsibility of fixing all of this. Don't like what's happened? Get your club to elect you WBTG and fix the problem. .38's isn't written in stone. Fix it. Don't just bitch about it, become part of the solution, or shut up. I talked to a lot of shooters, here in Arizona who said "I shoot (fill in the blank) and I don't want to change from condition 1 to SASS" or "I don't have a 40 caliber or larger rifle", or "I don't have a Model 12". Now that most of that is the norm in WBAS, they say "Oh, I got rid of those guns years ago". "I don't have time for another shooting sport". etc. They never intended to shoot WBAS, they just wanted an excuse. Now the excuse is gone, they have to face reality. Don't like the, current, system? Get involved and fix it....Or shut up.

Solution to a nonexistent problem that will come apart at the worst possible time. WBT will come back and haunt me if I ever put one in a 1911 🤠

Howdy Griff, From the TG meeting I have attended it was agreed that a good TO could pick up a .22 rifle so the rifle being the last firearm shot should not be an issue. So "get rid of rifle not last rule?" Jim

I am watching the evolution of Wild Bunch with a great deal of interest, as I enjoy it as much (and maybe more than...!) Cowboy Action Shooting. Evolution does not reward that which is best; it rewards that which is best suited to survive, given a certain set of conditions at the time. I was intrigued by the match; the abrupt changes made to WB were undertaken to increase the interest in the game, and, given the modestly robust turnout, with a host of new attendees, may have worked. But I feel like the match itself ran contrary to that ethos. I shot it, and did reasonably well. But, this is the entertainment business, and, listening to shooters who attended, I heard a few things which stuck with me. 1.) "I was never having any fun. I was working the whole time." 2.) "It was humbling; perhaps even humiliating, to have one shooter clean the match." 3.) "When the Super Bowl comes around, they don't move the goalposts back another 20 yards." I'm not sure what the game plan is, but I didn't think it was a great match. I respect all the work that went into it, and the workers who made it so. Also, I will shoot whatever you put in front of me. But the Fast Guys (and Gals!) will still win, and match organizers might do well to consider the experience they are offering for the 80% who want to shoot safely and just have a good time. Cheers, FJT

Don't look for your mags. You don't need to pull them in a specific order. Just drop your hand and grab what you touch. Keep the pistol up when you change mags, don't lower, insert, raise, takes too much time and you have to regain the target. You don't need to hammer the bottom of the mag into the pistol, just put it in right the first time. Whirlwind Wendy taught me all this.

More time is wasted on mag changes than anything else in WBAS. Don't take the gun too far down from the line of sight and practise with your eyes CLOSED. You have to feel the change to get it right. Watch shooters, most have the gun in a lowered position and canted when changing magazines. Both are time wasters. Many change the position from mag change to mag change, they don't know where they have the gun and have to look for it. GOOD LUCK.

The case is being slammed into the slide wall during ejection, probably around the ejection port opening. This is very common when the geometry (shape) of the extractor (which you just changed) is not yet fitted to your gun. The dent comes from impact, while the sideways scratches are caused by the high-speed "twist" imparted during ejection as the case is pulled on the right side by the extractor hook and hit in the left lower rear by the ejector. Look for where there is a shiny spot of "brass rub" on the slide. Often it's on the lower side of the ejection port. But some times in other locations. There is more work to do when fitting a new extractor than just setting the tension. One of the best but short descriptions that I have found is here, written by Bill Wilson: https://www.m1911.org/technic2.htm Look at the very last diagram very closely. If you understand all of the angles and beveling he shows, you may not have to do more study. OK, so you probably do not understand why he is so particular about EVERY facet (machined cut) shown on that extractor tip. So, read this one next, and SEVERAL times, as it is pure gold! https://www.1911forum.com/threads/steve-in-allentown-extractor-fitting.829865/ And the extractor section of John Marshall's instructions: https://sightm1911.com/lib/tech/reliability_secrets.htm He makes this statement that speaks volumes about just "slapping in " any company's new extractor: "Most factory extractors and many aftermarket extractors need attention to achieve the optimum in reliability." OK, the lazy way to solve cases hitting the slide, is to cut away the slide where the shiny brass impact spot shows up. The "lowered ejection port" found on lots of 1911s from the factory is this kind of fix, whether a gun really needs it or not. Opening the ejection port like that lets a factory get "no contact" ejection without having to do special fitting. John Browning did not think that it was necessary - his slide designs did not use a lowered ejection port. Case denting was fixed by hand tuning the extractor tip to turn loose of the case rim so that the case ejects straight out to the right, or even upwards at 2 o'clock. I'm sure you have seen 1911s that toss brass straight up to land on the shooter's head, as well. That too is due to a poorly shaped extractor hook. A tighter grip on the case by the highest part of the hook will pull the case out high (12 to 2 o'clock). A tighter fit on the case rim down low in the hook pulls the case out so it slams into the slide wall under the ejection port. Also, check that you have the firing pin stop fitted so that the extractor is not twisting in it's bore. A problem called clocking. Can cause the extractor to turn and hold onto the case in a deleterious manner. Also, look for severe gouge in the extractor cut of the fired cases. A sharp or poorly shaped extractor hook will put a "horizontal gouge" in the angle part of the extractor cut. good luck, GJ

Just a shout out and a Thank You for the certificate for a Wild Bunch rig, donated to the Kansas State Wild Bunch Championship held this past weekend. I was lucky enough to win this. They support SASS at numerous shoots I have attended. As do other leather makers . I have used mernickles products and never disappointed. If you see them stop and Thank them for their support and take a look around.

Just my 2 cents, after shooting the World Championship Wild Bunch Match at this years 2024 EOT, to me the match was nothing but a cowboy match with a 1911. There was no challenge to the match, target sets were the same as the Cowboy match, with maybe a couple of added Shotgun targets. Target sizes were big and close, with a couple of plates racks to engage. I believe SASS will continue to lose veteran and seasoned Wild Bunch shooters under the current rules. Whatever you are attempting to gain in new shooters, you will lose in the veterans, who loved and enjoyed the challenge and variety of targets and scenarios of the original basic style Wild Bunch matches. Wild Bunch is not a speed match as depicted in your comments in the new rules booklet, page 4, version 17.4, dated April 10, 2024. Maybe an Open Category or a Mild Bunch side match, would be a b etter place to start, to collect information and drive interest. Power factor, even for .38 ammo should still be required, as with weapons (1911) safety checks. It's suppose to be different than Cowboy Action, with a greater challenge. Not a match where lots of clean match pins are awarded for accuracy and speed. Let's get the 28, 35 & 42 pistol round count back in the game. Pistol only stages with lots of targets. Rifle round counts in the 5 to 10 per stage. Shotgun- 4, 6 & 8 rounds to a stage. Poppers, swingers, action target sets. Again, just my 2 cents. The old way was better. I'm afraid the new way will end up being a Cowboy version of fast and furious with a 1911.

Many seemed to have loaded the .45 acp for a power factor closer to 160, to ensure making the cut. Not unreasonable for the power factor to be 150-160 for the .45 For the rifle, it would be easy to get to a PF of 120 with a 158 gr bullet and many of the common powders used for the .38 special, according to the loading manuals that I have looked at. Going to a .38 +P or even a .357, which is the chamber anyway, may require a different powder, and I would bet that some would use that (getting another powder) to PREVENT them from shooting WB. In any case, I am in favor of a higher (than 60) PF for the rifle, and continuing the 150 minimum for the 1911, .45 acp. And, I would chrono at State and above matches.

Please don't use SPP 45acp brass in a wild bunch match. The way the 1911's fling brass all over the place, others WILL get some of your brass. If you absolutely must, then: 1. Mark your brass with a heavy sharpie mark across the bottom or even across the sides if possible, and 2. Let your posse know what you are shooting and how you marked it. Thank you.

Okay, @Garrison Joe was helping another shooter out and I thought maybe I could add a few points to those new to the 1911. I have built and repaired many 1911s over the decades and learned a lot of things to use and to avoid, I hope this will be helpful. #1 1911s demand good magazines. Cheap ones will fail you, spend a couple more bucks and get good ones. Genuine Colt, Kimpro, Wilson, MecGar, McCormick and Actmag are all good and reliable. Don't expect the regular Kimber magazines to be reliable and surplus ones can run well IF you put fresh Wolff springs in them. #2 On the subject of springs, just go ahead and buy a Wolff spring pack when you get a used 1911. They are easy to swap out and well worth the effort in caring for Old Slabsides. #3 1911s need good lubrication. I'm a dinosaur but have had great success with Miltec grease on the rails and barrel lugs and good old Remoil on the rest of the moving parts. Don't forget to put a drop inside the barrel bushing where the barrel rides. #4 When you have to replace parts, get good stuff. Wilson, Novak and Ed Brown are the best you can get and will give you excellent service. #5 Grip bushings can come loose if you are not aware and put too much torque on them. If you replace grips regularly this can happen, so if they start to loosen give the threads a drop of blue loctite. #6 1911s are heavy, so get holsters made of thick, strong leather or they will flop around on you. #7 Milspec 1911s have lousy sights. [Hey, they were designed at the turn of the last century] If you decide to swap sights, just go ahead and have a dovetail cut for the front sight, it will save you a ton of headaches in the future. #8 Get a bushing wrench, sooner or later, you will get a 1911 with a really tight bushing. Oh, BTW, there are 3 types of 1911 shooters; those who are so new to 1911s they haven't launched a recoil plug yet, those who admit to it, and liars. You will eventually launch one...

I've written before about the things I've learned from Wilson and other 1911 builders, and my own experience shooting 1911s for 50 years, but here's a short discussion for Wild Bunch. Power factor we shoot in the .45 auto is about 160. Which compares to a factory .45 auto load that makes about 195 PF. So we shoot a light but not bullseye- target-light load. That is what "drives" your need for a 1911 recoil and main spring set. Several builders understand that the recoil spring and mainspring need to work as a balanced pair for best function and reliability. Both are fully active during the operation of the slide. The mainspring is not just "a hammer spring," it assists in taming part of the recoil of the slide. Keep them balanced with the mainspring three to five pounds heavier than the recoil spring. The 1911s coming from most makers today are sprung to handle that factory load 195 PF all day long, and run for 100 years (just about). And even shoot +P level loads. Colt uses (and has used) these spring weights with a simple single coil recoil and mainspring spring in a 5" 1911 in .45 auto for years: 16 pound recoil spring and a 23 pound mainspring. That gives long life and excellent function. But the slide can be a bear for some folks to retract, and to drop the slide release. The springs that I find are "strong enough" to let our lighter loads at 160 PF run reliably and without damage occurring to the gun and with easier racking and dropping of the slide, are: 14 to 15 pound recoil spring and 19 pound mainspring. With a broken-in smooth running gun, and a mainspring housing honed to remove any internal roughness. The Wilson guideline for checking that you have a proper weight of recoil and mainspring in the gun that I also follow is: Fire a magazine of the loads you will normally run. Mark where you were standing and where the center of the group of ejected brass fell. Measure that distance. If the distance the brass was tossed is less than about 5 feet, you have stronger springs than you need for that load. 5 to 10 feet - nice springs. More than 10 feet - weak springs that can be allowing damage to occur to the frame. Then check that well-manufactured rounds always fully feed from full magazines. Other problem areas (including ammo and mags) can affect that second check, but if the rest of the gun is running well, proper springs will never cause any problems feeding or ejecting. Trigger is driven by one leaf of the 3-legged sear spring. Try to just use a factory spring from a good maker - no bending or thinning. Then, when you replace THAT spring after 20,000 rounds or so, you can put a replacement in and be pretty certain it will still work. Firing pin spring is something I never tinker with by installing a non-factory weight spring. The 1911 hits a FP hard, no need to go to a light FP spring. And the factory spring seems to protect from unwanted firing of a dropped, off-thumb-safety gun. My advise - don't drop loaded 1911s! A spring that IS useful to swap with a lighter than factory part is the magazine release button spring. As often as we drop mags on the clock, you need to be 100% certain you get both good mag retention when shooting and fast reliable drops of mags when empty. Hope this helps. Just because a maker has specialty springs for special uses, you don't need to be buying them UNLESS YOU HAVE A WELL THOUGHT OUT REASON! good luck, GJ

IMO, it's just being inconsiderate of everyone that has been using the large primer 45Auto brass for decades. So yep, user name fits. Folks using the small primer brass are simply making it harder for those set up for large primer 45Auto to reload. Brass is not cheaper. I haven't found anywhere that sells new, unprimed small primer brass, and those that sell used brass charge the same, whether small or large primer. I will not return your brass to you, when it winds up in my brass bag, I put it in my scrap brass bin and sell it. In my view, small primer 45 Auto brass is probably the brain child of some "anti-gun" engineer who thought it a great way to infuriate gun folks. Very much how I feel about Hodgdon and its Pyrodex rusting agent that burns.

There were a lot of SDQ. Too many of the adjacent stages had targets painted opposite, in ex. one stage the red was a multi hit and black targets were single hits. The next stage the targets were painted in the opposite way and added to confusion. The kill em all stage, was challenging for the shooters and TO alike since there were only 7 targets to a position and you could not shoot targets at the next position. This lead to lots of clearing guns for movement and SDQ. Every stage was rifle not last, which was found to be needed based on the prior year's speed rifle sidematch with 38s. We need to get back to a 150PF, so we can keep the game playable as you want. First five stages offered a little more flexibility in how the stages were shot vs the last five.

Depending on application, I have springs from Wolff, ISMI, Springco, Wilson Combat, Colt, EGW, Thunder Mountain and others.

In the "early days" when we first set up Wild Bunch we followed the target mfgrs. recommendation on distances. We set pistol targets at 10-12 yds. SG targets at 12-15 yds and rifle at close to 20 yds. It was a lot of fun. Aparently what is fun has changed but the lawyers haven't.

How Close Should They Be? Hummm . . . What an interesting question. I believe the answer to be this: It depends on whom you are asking? Ask the persons who shot in the El Rey / La Reina categories at cowboy matches when they are lumped into the Modern or Traditional WB Categories at the State or higher level because there weren't five or more persons in their categories and the match director would not open up those Senior categories for whatever reason. Yup - been places where this has happened. Ask the persons who have shot stages where the scenarios are so complicated that 90% of the posse they are on received a Procedural. Ask those persons who have to struggle seeing rifle/pistol targets that are set at the back of distant berms where the front sight of the pistol is larger than the targets. And of all the places I have been shooting WB, very few clean the stages, no matter how the range is set. So am I advocating targets being set up close and personal. Not by any means. I know how I set WB targets when we had our range. Targets were 16"x"16' for squares and circles were 16" in diameter for our club. The pistol targets were set anywhere between 18' to 22'. Rifle targets at around 35', rifle/pistol targets at 25' and shotgun targets around 27'. I always used a tape measure. The Texas Stars, dueling trees, hostage/hostage taker targets were right at the 15' mark. These are just what I did and your mileage vary at your own clubs. I will make another observation . At State level Cowboy Match in the state where I live, the then President of the club made some remarks that went something like this: As he stood at the front of the audience he surveyed the trophies laid out to the front and sides of him. As he addressed the audience, he stated that statically about 10% of the audience would receive the those trophies. The other 90% of the audience were there to watch and see who were awarded those trophies. He went on to further say, those 10% of the audience receiving those trophies, would probably be in the top 10% no matter where they went. He state that he was writing stages, he struggled with who should he be writing a match for? Those top 10% who will continue to be in the top 10% no matter how challenging a match is or the 90% who will come back to support the club knowing that most will never have a chance at wining an award or ever seeing they names in the top 10% of whatever match they are attending. I believe that same challenge should be applied to any Cowboy or WB Match no matter what the level of the match is. Your audience will dictate what to write. No matter which group stages are being written for, attempt to make a challenge for everyone without writing stages that are only for the top 10%. In other words, everyone's organization is different. Do what works for you at your organization. When you travel and you don't care for the hosting clubs written stages let your pocket book do the talking. Thanks for reading - J.J. PS - Remember, all of those writing stages for any match, this is an entertainment business. Too hard, too close, too far away, too easy - well I'm sure you get the jest.

I made this comment in response to a photo that SASS posted on Facebook. The backdrop to the SASS booth at the Great American Outdoor Show is a colorful photo (Monument Valley, I suppose) with a centered caption that reads "Single Action Shooting Society" and under that "Shooting Sports". Under that heading "Cowboy Action Shooting" is on the left and "Wild Bunch Action Shooting" on the right. To the newcomer it coveys the message that SASS offers two separate shooting sports (which has been true for some time) but also that they are equally important, instead of CAS being the primary focus of SASS while WBAS is an afterthought. This is subtle messaging but I thought it meaningful and a demonstration that SASS really wants to promote Wild Bunch.

The only gripe about the.38 was now rifle cannot be last due to low loadings on the .38 not registering on the timer.

Most likely a few grains of powder that did not burn in barrel. 4.0 grains with a 230 is pretty light, and WST is a medium speed pistol powder, so I would expect he was not getting 100% burn in the barrel. Just much easier to see in dim light. Usually the load is 4.2 grains with a 230 for WB. If you really want to check, throw an old sheet on the ground, stand or kneel at the edge of that, shoot over the sheet. Unburned grains may collect on the sheet. good luck, GJ

I guess since there is no longer a committee to settle nor is there a spokesman to say what the position is this it may be up to the WBAS TG's to settle. A sorry state.🤢

I never have had a problem loading lead bullet .45 auto ammo for Wild Bunch with the Dillon dies that are properly adjusted. IMHO - Don't seat bullet based on COL. Seat to leave no part of the bullet shank (the full diameter section) sticking forward of the mouth of the case. 1911s have a VERY short, almost non-existent throat between chamber and rifling. COL is so very dependent upon bullet shape, and it's not common to find the exact COL value published that YOUR gun will need. Check your finished taper-crimp diameter - should be 0.470 to 0.472". If larger, feeding will be funky. If smaller, and you have buried the case mouth into the bullet during crimping, you have lost the headspace ledge on the cartridge (which is the mouth of the case). So, be picky about the finished crimp. You should not need to worry about getting the case sized, but if you find some loaded rounds that won't chamber, and you know the bullet seating and crimping is right, check the diameter just ahead of the extractor groove. If any of that is over 0.473" you have bulged base areas. Lower than what most sizing dies will reach. That can be fixed with a Lee bulge buster kit and that Lee FCD die that you already have. I shoot a lot of range pickup cases, and it is amazing how about 20% of those cases have bulged bases from shooting hot loads and in non-supported or submachine gun chambers. (But reloading Wild Bunch powder level cases I've previously reloaded - almost none ever have a fat base). The Lee bulge buster provides a push-rod that pushes the .45 auto case completely through the Lee FCD carbide sizing ring, reducing case and extractor rim down to 0.473" and it cures any failure to chamber due to large bases. Your load looks like it meets powder factor nicely. It's kind of the standard load for a 230 grain slug in .45 auto. Some loose guns need a tenth or 2 more powder to make it. A loaded round checking gauge is very important to making highest quality .45 auto ammo, and it is so much easier than using a barrel that you have to remove from a gun. good luck, GJ

Hi All Have been reading all the WB comments on both the WB Wire and the Cowboy Wire concerning the upcoming rules changes with interest. Many of the comments, on both forums, are well thought out while others remind me of the ‘Chicken Little Syndrome’. My own thoughts think that allowing 38 rifles will change participation level insignificantly. One of my concerns, at the moment is, with the 38 rifle, is which rifle do I use while participating in my chosen category? Plain and simple, I can shoot my slicked out 38 rifle much faster than the slicked out $2K Long Hunter 45Colt rifle I purchased just a few months ago. If my competitors are going to use the faster of the two rifles and those stages are shot, let’s say 2 to 3 seconds faster than me, those seconds add up over the 10 stages of a match. I like to compete and I relish the adrenalin rush of trying my best to be at the top of the heap. Therein lies my challenge. What will I do at the ‘Big Match’ next February? Many matches are won (and lost) over just a few seconds. One of my other concerns are matches themselves. In our travels we have been to WB Matches all over the Western US and Minnesota. Some places, after reading stages, I have to sit down, scratch my head a bit, take out my pencil and sketch out how to shoot this scenario. It’s supposed to fun, not complicated. Have also been places where the scenarios are mind boggling and the pistol targets (along with the rifle/pistol targets) are completely lost behind my front sight on my 1911. Have been to a place, shot a SASS Sanctioned State WB Match and the scores were never posted. Been to a place where the props were so rickety, rules were not followed and competitors who were much more ‘local’ than I left the match in disgust with the vow to vote with their pocket book and never return. Anyone who travels and shoots WB has been to these types of places and probably won’t return. These types of problems, in my humble opinion, are what turns shooters away and not be the soon allowance of 38 rifles, 1887 shotguns or double barrel shotguns. Have also read comments where some shooters would like to see ‘Condition 1’ utilized at WB Matches. For some shooters, not a problem with that. However, have stood behind others and been scared watching them draw, shoot and load their 1911’s. While I might like to do this myself the thoughts of everyone being allowed to do this is somewhat concerning to me. I guess we have to be careful for what we ask for. Over the past day, have noted comments where folks with titles within the SASS WB Organization, after 12/31/23, will no longer have their ‘Titles’ and are upset. I understand that. I also understand that those folks will, in all likelihood, will be voted right back in with new and different titles. Remember, there are many other shooters, standing in the wings for years, that would like to have those same opportunities and will never be given the chance. So, will SASS WB cease to exist because of these new rules? I doubt it. Whether I like these new rules or not, they were a business decision of management to increase participation levels and increase dollars in. In one of my past reincarnations, I audited business for a number of years. Business do not operate at losses for long and continue to exist. My own beliefs are that both organizations, in the next ten years or so, will die a slow death through age attrition. Just to sight my own past, when I came to the area where I shoot now, I was 52 and one of the young guys. Eighteen years later I am now 70 and still one of the younger guys. What does this say to you-all? Many will have different thoughts than I do. Time will tell. Finally, Misty in her email to everyone yesterday, said that we (SASS) are in the ‘entertainment business’. Much can be (and should be) read into that comment. Most, in the generations behind ours, could care less about what we do and it shows. My thoughts, and my thoughts alone, are that if clubs don’t make a large attempt to cater to an aging population that remembers why we do what we do there won’t be any population left. Respectfully submitted, J.J PS - A couple of years ago I was looking to why the 1911 was developed and what it was developed for. This picture has always reminded me of what the distances of the 1911 were developed for.

I will not change the way I set up and shoot both WB & CAS at my home club. If you want to shoot what your have, then come and play. But leave the competitive natural of Wild Bunch alone at the major venues, i.e. Regionals, National & EOT. It's not a cowboy action with a 1911. I don't want to see more whining by the new CAS or ??? shooters, then change the round counts back to 5 round mags, cause they can't count past 5. Leave it alone. Afraid this may backfire on SASS. Just my 2 cents.

Come to NM in April. It is NOT a SASS sanctioned match.

Under "Sanctioning," I simply cannot accept that dollar value with out a lot more data. I was feeling deceived with the "Membership and Shooting Engagement" numbers, unless there are just way more active SASS member than I can reasonably estimate. Misty claims only $8448 has been taken in for sanctioning fees in the last 10 years! From Bear Creek Volunteers alone hosting sanctioned matches from 2019-2023 I can account for at least $1,035. For state matches I have attended in OK, TX, and KS from 2020-2023 (non-inclusive of all matches, missing at least 4 state matches in this) I can account for another at least $1600 of sanction fees. Based on average shooters, those four state matches I missed, would be about $500 more. Four years, and four states have generated more than $3000. I am to believe the rest of the country can't account for any more?

I will agree with Deacon on mostly things, the only one I will comment on is magazines. They have changed a lot in recent years. McCormick was bought by Wilson and by far the most widely used by pro shooters and best magazines currently available for 1911s are the cobra mags from Tripp Research. Don't get me wrong I have had good results from Wilson, McCormick, real Colt, and Actmag, but I only shoot cobra mags anymore.

GJ, taking it apart and learning how it all works......I couldn't stop thinking what a genius JMB was.

We are proud to announce the formation of "THE Prairie State Wild Bunch" wild bunch action shooting club. We will be hosting an Illinois State Wild Bunch match on July 28, 29 & 30 at the Sandoval Sporting Range, Sandoval Illinois. More to follow.

No buffer is needed NOR recommended. These are essentially a gimmick for when folks shoot hot ammo in lightly sprung guns and believe they see damage due to that. If the gun is correctly sprung, it needs NO buffer. A shock buffer does not make recoil less or the gun shoot softer. Buffers do add a piece of plastic/rubber that breaks down and jams the gun. I've run one 1911 Colt Government that I got new back in the 1970s with 130,000 rounds fired. Never had a buffer in it. Ran factory springs when I was shooting full power ammo. Put in lighter springs and retuned the gun when I started using it in Wild Bunch. My other 1911s do not have shock buffers either. good luck, GJ

I apologize if our forum makes you sadder than any other on the Internet. Make no mistake, it's not that we care that you edit your post, it's that we're volunteers and we can only fix things like this if they get reported. Thank you for your professional report. Much obliged. Edit: all registered members can now edit/delete their own content at any time.

Why not just shoot in the modern category with one hand? I'm working on a technique to do that on stages that have a lot of mag changes.

I know, it was just a side match, but there were so many signups that they had to split up into three posses - that's pretty close to 40 WB shooters - about 1/4 of the total entries for the state cowboy match - on a windy Thursday afternoon! I guess if you build it, they will come! And the Cajon Cowboys could not have been more helpful or accommodating. Delighted to be a part of it. Cheers, A delighted FJT