WB Website

[Last Chance]

Why do we still have a website from 2006... This is embarrassing for our shooting sport, not to mention the picture on the front page being from 2017 when we are weeks away from 2019..... WE WANNA GROW!

[marshal stone]

 

Because we are still the "RED HEADED STEP CHILD" of SASS.

 

Headquarters have been making promises to us for several years that they never fulfill.

 

Marshal Stone

[Baltimoreed11754]

IMO, SASS Wild Bunch needs to become WASA [Western Action Shootists Association] which could easily incorporate WB and BAM matches. The folks who got tired of ipsc becoming an equipment race and dropped out [me] moved to SASS [shot duelist with traditional guns] and eventually moved to WB and WASA [me, got tired of only using single actions]. And now WB feels like an equipment race again [a lot of folks] so it’s slowly dying. No real costuming, too close targets, modern speed holsters, speed pouches and modern guns=an equipment race, IPSC in cowboy boots, not recreating scenarios from an iconic movie. Every time I talk to cowpokes from other clubs I’m hearing that the WB matches have no participation so they were ended. Tried to find a WB shooting club in Florida to shoot a match during a future vacation, no luck. Red Headed we are.

Soapbox mode off.

[Grouchy Spike]

Marshal Stone and Baltimore Red, I too want to see an increase in interest and participation in Wild Bunch, and that’s because I like to shoot the 1911 with numerous reloads and want more company!  Having said that, I LIKE WBAS as it is, but would entertain any ideas for changes to add excitement to and participation in the game.

 

IMO the framework of Wild Bunch Action Shooting is Cowboy Action Shooting no matter how much we might deny that. Substitute two SA revolvers for the 1911, reduce the pistol round count to ten, move the targets closer to the firing line, and WBAS surely looks like CAS. To boot we shoot WB on stages physically designed to look cowboy scenes.  The market for WBAS would seem to me to be mostly CAS shooters.

 

The movie ‘Wild Bunch” was a western setting without the cows, past the end of the ‘cowboy’ period as defined by the originators of Cowboy Action Shooting.  The motorcar in the movie perhaps doesn’t play well either, although I recall that our hero John Wayne was in a western movie ‘Big Jake’ set in 1909 that included not only a motorcar but a motorcycle.  Nonetheless we don’t have motorcars on CAS stages, only horses, wagons, buckboards, stagecoaches.

 

I’ve not seen an equipment race (maybe I didn’t hear the buzzer) and IMO the rules don’t allow much freedom in equipment other than the use of a few external ‘modern’ parts on the traditional Government Model 1911: sights and beaver tail grip safeties, ejection port modification. No go-fast items like compensators, electronic sights, etc.  If my observations and opinions are reasonably correct, then the options seem to be changes in the framework which includes changes to rules for attire, changes in scenarios, and changes to the design of the stages.  That doesn’t fit well on ranges designed by and for CAS and would probably financially prohibitive for most CAS clubs.

 

Many months ago I started a thread on the SASS Wire asking cowboys and cowgirls what would stimulate their interest and participation in Wild Bunch, but can’t find it in a search.  I read with interest the objections in several responses, including recommendations for changes in the requirement about shotguns and lever action rifle caliber, but don’t recall any recommendations for significant changes in WBAS.

 

I concluded that many CAS shooters just prefer that their handgun is revolving instead of sliding, don’t want to change, and like the cowboy atmosphere.  Rightfully so!  I grew up on Saturday afternoon western movies too.  Well, maybe I didn’t grow up but I experienced that era in the theaters. “My heroes have always been cowboys,” as said Willie!

 

This topic is a head-scratcher.  :-\  Maybe one stage should include a BMG. Seriously, maybe the rifle rules should include a bolt-action military rifle from the period? That Doughboy category is gaining some attention and for a while that was an option locally. 8)

 

I do welcome a discussion to increase participation in Wild Bunch.  What do you suggest be changed/modified/improved to accomplish that?

 

Let’s contribute ideas, no negatives – no words such as ‘not’ or ‘no’.  The ideas can be sorted for feasibility AFTER we brainstorm.

 

[Last Chance]

This thread was purely about the website and how more effort, if any at all, to making it modern and decent would help people come on in and checkout what they've been missing.. It would also help SASS . . . a couple well done videos of shooting and pictures of big shoots and winners.. Some pictures of well dressed WB guys/gals as well as those of us that wear jeans and a long sleeve henley, could help some of those shooters who screw around on the internet and stumble upon our website! Was hoping to bring awareness to it seeing as its the most half ass, old website i've ever seen for a shooting sport. Not a thread about how to improve WB as a sport exactly.  But with some of these comments ill say if you are shooting wildbunch at close cowboy targets, then you are shooting at a poor venue. WB has a very different feel to it as far as targets and shooting goes compared to CAS, if the stages are done right. And I would love more Bolt rifle stuff.

[marshal stone]

 

Chance;

 

My comment was directly in reference to your last post.

How many years now have we been promised an update and a specific site for WB and the promotion of same.

 

Marshal Stone

[Baltimoreed11754]

Chance, When WB was created allowing ‘modern’ 1911s, [i’m talking about anything on a 1911 or 1911A1 pistol other than the absolute basic government model-or it’s copies] it lost it’s panache imo. Holsters and mag pouches cut down for speed shouldn’t be allowed either. Keeping Wild Bunch TRUE to the movie that inspired it was it’s real draw and what excited shooters and grew the sport. They got to be Dutch, Tector, Lyle or Pike for a few minutes shooting the guns that the movie Wild Bunch used. Allowing modern 1911s ‘gamed’ the darn thing from the very start. It’s not the same thing as cas modern or traditional by any means. There are plenty of gun sports where ‘modern’ 1911s are not an issue, certainly appropriate and even necessary to be even slightly competitive along with the fast holster/mag rigs. When cas shooters say they don’t want 1911s shooting with them because they’re not cowboy, I feel the same way when I see ‘modern’ 1911s shooting WB because they’re not true to the film. I honestly have not been to a real WB match. I’ve often been to a local club that holds monthly WB matches with way too close targets that I’ve come in second overall as a duelest just about every time that I’ve gone and of course my clubs WB/cas matches with targets farther out that is an actual challenge to shoot. I’m hoping to get to a large genuwine WB shoot somewhere next year. I don’t know how you could fix it as the horse is out of the barn but I’d eliminate the gamer guns and rigs, move the targets farther out, equalize the speed and accuracy components to make it not just all about speed. Make costuming as important as it is in cas too.

[J. Frank Norfleet]

Sorry Baltimored, if all you advocate came to pass I would have never ever shot a WBAS match. I'm not interested in dressing in funny clothes and reenacting a movie fantasy. I want to shoot.

Chance, the website is long overdue for an overhaul. if you can close this thread you need to Baltimored has hijacked it. He's never been to EoT but he wants to tell everyone what is wrong.

JFN

[Baltimoreed11754]

Beg to differ, have been to EOT before WB existed. My wife and I had a swell time. Got to shoot a Gatling and a Maxim too. Also have been to umpteen state and half a dozen sass regionals, NE and SE. Even drove from NC to Cody for the Wyoming state shoot. Got to see Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore and Deadwood on that trip. I’m still a card carrying dues paying member, haven’t given up on sass, just like the rules in WASA better. And think WB could be better. Thanks for listening to my thoughts.

Baltimore Ed sass#11754

 

 

[Sgt. John Campbell]

I fully agree that the website could use a bit of an overhaul, as it really has not changed since it was first introduced.

 

And J. Frank Norfleet, your comments are spot on, our sport is fine just the way it is, and it keeps getting better every year.

[Grouchy Spike]

WE WANNA GROW!

 

Last Chance, my apologies for detouring your thread.  I was addressing "We Wanna Grow". 

[lostvaquero]

I wonder if a subsection of the main SASS wire.  A lot people visit over there and might not really be aware of this separate site.

 

My wrists kill me after 6 stages but I am having fun.

[Boggus Deal]

Chance, I believe what we're going to have to do is to put together a plan for the website, gather all the pertinent info and material, take it to the headquarters and basically stage a sit in until it gets done.

[Boggus Deal]

I wonder if a subsection of the main SASS wire.  A lot people visit over there and might not really be aware of this separate site.

 

My wrists kill me after 6 stages but I am having fun.

 

Lost, the problem over there is that too many of the active participants hate WBAS and would be a nuisance. Some of them there, even moderators, treat WB worse than the main stream media treats Trump.

[Last Chance]

Don't worry guys, post hijacked or not my feelings aren't hurt! haha I ain't no damn snowflake! But Yeah I posted this HERE because I don't want to read 95% of the stupid comments ill get on the sass wire. . . Especially from people that don't even shoot in general... nor care about wildbunch....nor have a life... This is the WIldBunch Wire and we should treat it as such. And baltimore, with all respects buddy I've been here since the start of WB. .  not to mention my father is in the WB Committee. So I know all about the start of the sport and what the rules were and what it was like. I participated in the first WB world championship and we had modern sights ect.. at that time. So I'm not on board with some of the things you are saying, especially the part where you've NEVER shot WB match..LOL You should go do that at some point before having anything to say about how to change or better the sport, especially the shooting aspect to it.  And this sport was NEVER a sport to copy the movie, that's a false belief. Yes the movie is a high base for it but that doesn't mean youll see enfield da revolvers, browning machine guns or lugers. If you make the costumes, belts n gear rules anymore anal than they are... the sport dies... that day... appreciate you all !

[Baltimoreed11754]

Last Chance, not trying to ruffle yours or anyone’s feathers. I have been to a local clubs monthly match and my [not as local] clubs monthly match many times. But I have not been able to get to what I would call a regional or state sized WB match. I haven’t been to anything other than monthly shoots since my wifes stroke 12 years ago. Unfortunately I lost her this past July so I’m hoping that in 2019 I will be able to get farther afield and attend some bigger shoots. What WB events on the east coast would you recommend for 2019? I’m sorta in the middle here in eastern NC.

[Last Chance]

Sorry to hear.. hopefully you can make some matches soon! I believe Illinois has a WB state shoot that I hear is excellent. Sometime around September. I'm not the best to ask about the east coast because I'm located all the way in Oregon!  https://www.sassnet.com/forums/index.php?/topic/281882-2019-illinois-state-match/&tab=comments#comment-3666551

Wisconsin and Ohio have some good matches i hear as well.