EOT Wild Bunch 2025

[Boggus Deal]

32 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

I get this is an entertainment business but I sure hope WB doesn't get dumbed down to the point where it is SASS with a 1911 because of how EOT unfolded..

It’s already going there… Hell, there has been a push for a number of years to go back to 5 in the magazine. 

[Frederick Jackson Turner]

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

 

Edited March 12 by Frederick Jackson Turner

[Sedalia Dave]

12 hours ago, Frederick Jackson Turner said:

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."

Those last 2 comments sound like they came from people that have never shot a true WB match.

Makes me think that their expectations were for a SASS match shot with a 1911 and not an action match that required people to actually use their front sight. 

I do wonder about the comment "I was working all the time".   Were the posses small? Were shooters not pulling their weight by failing to step up and do posse chores? 

[CC Moonshine]

13 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Those last 2 comments sound like they came from people that have never shot a true WB match.

Makes me think that their expectations were for a SASS match shot with a 1911 and not an action match that required people to actually use their front sight. 

I do wonder about the comment "I was working all the time".   Were the posses small? Were shooters not pulling their weight by failing to step up and do posse chores? 

Hi Dave,

Just wanted to point out that SASS is the parent company for both Cowboy and Wild Bunch action shooting. So all CAS and WB matches are SASS matches.

That being said, please understand that as time goes on with Wild Bunch and the number of new clubs and shooters keep increasing, things will probably find a comfortable shift to a center of old school and new school. But in any case it is now in the TG's hands to gear it in a direction. 

My two cents worth are that things are moving in a great direction for the sports longevity, both in CAS and WB. 

 

[Frederick Jackson Turner]

On 3/12/2025 at 10:50 PM, Sedalia Dave said:

Those last 2 comments sound like they came from people that have never shot a true WB match.

I do wonder about the comment "I was working all the time".   Were the posses small? Were shooters not pulling their weight by failing to step up and do posse chores? 

Howdy, Dave;

I am pretty sure they  did believe that they were shooting a true WB match.  It may not have been to their taste. That's a subjective evaluation, to be sure.  They had only shot a few matches prior to this and wanted to see if they would enjoy it as much as their local matches, on the Big Stage.

"I was working all the time" was a reference to the amount of concentration  and effort that the match required.  Once again, tastes may vary, but they didn't feel there were any stages which they could relax a bit and run their gun as easily as they wanted. 

Hope that provides a bit of clarification.

Cheers,

FJT

[C.N. Double]

On 3/12/2025 at 10:14 AM, Frederick Jackson Turner said:

 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."

 

 

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