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2020 Reschduled California State Wild Bunch match Nov. 21 & 22, 2020


Tully Mars

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The BoD of Gold Country Wild Bunch has been asked to reschedule it's canceled match. Dates are November 21 & 22, 2020. This is a rain or shine match, stages will be from inside of buildings or undercover.

 

Held at Folsom Shooting Center in Slougghouse California and hosted by Diamond Dick's Cowboy Club.

 

There's plently of free camping and water on the range!

 

https://cagunslingers.com/AnnualMatches/WildBunchApplication2020rev1AFinal.pdf

 

Come on out and join us for some Wild Bunch fun!!

 

Tully Mars

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just last weekend the 2020 Rescheduled California State Wild Bunch Championship Match was concluded. The weather was cool in the mornings and evenings and I believe everyone in attendance had a good time.

 

After the California State Wild Bunch Match, the Battle Born Rangers from Northern Nevada published their monthly newsletter for November. In it was a short article written by the one and only Mr. Ed (the Horse of Course) who occasionally writes articles for this newsletter. The enclosed article was his observations of the California State Wild Bunch Match.

 

Hello  -  Mr. Ed here again.

 

Last week Wilbur again asked me if I would like to take a ride with him again for another weekend match. I told him “Sure, why not, I don’t have much going on again this weekend anyway.” Thursday afternoon Wilbur again started loading up my trailer and started placing the hay bales on the top. I noticed that he placed a couple of extra bales on the trailer and I asked him “Wilbur, just where are we going this weekend?” He told me over the mountains and into a foreign country called “The Republic of Kalifornia” and that the extra bales of hay were a ‘just in case’ precaution for me.

 

Friday morning he hitched up the tailer to the truck and off we went.  Four and a half hours later we arrived at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center. We drove to the end of the ranges and found a place called ‘Diamond Dicks Cowboy Town’ where we spend the weekend with cool mornings, cool evenings and warm sunny afternoons camping out with other shooters.

 

The first afternoon (Friday) was spent with Wilbur doing something called ‘Speed Matches’. I had not seen these before. There were matches for something called Speed Rifle, Speed Pistol and Speed Shotgun. There was even a separate stage called ‘Machos Federales’.  That was especially fun to watch being shot. There were 52 targets that had to be knocked down with the shooter’s handgun called a 1911 (more about this later) along with two cowboy poppers that were shot with a shotgun. The shooters could as many handgun bullets needed to hit the knockdowns. Some did much better than others. I noticed when Wilbur shot this stage, he probably needs some more practice before attempting that again. Some of the shooter’s behind him were laughing uncontrollably and called for many others to step in help pick up brass.

 

The match we attended was the California State Wild Bunch Championship Shooting Match. I have never been to one of these Wild Bunch Matches before. It was quite the sight. The shooters don’t use the regular cowboy 6-guns that I am used to seeing. They use a 1911 45acp, a pump shotgun (either Winchester Model 97 or a Winchester Model 12) and a rifle that looks like the rifle the regular cowboys in regular cowboy matches use. Wilbur did mention that the rifle used had to be at least a .45 caliber rifle. This didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me so I shuffled my hoof on the ground in acknowledgement anyway. It seemed to make him happy.

 

I found out that the Wild Bunch Shooters shoot 10 stages at their big matches in lieu of the 12 stages required by cowboy matches. I guess it was the longer shooter times that brought about the 10 stages. Most of the stages required anywhere from 21 to 35 1911 45acp rounds, 7 rounds in the rifle and the shotgun could be loaded with 6 rounds. The shotgun was fun to watch these people shoot. There were a couple of shooters (both girls and guys) that were really fast shooters with their 1911’s. The shooters that could shoot their shotguns and 1911’s really fast were especially fun to watch. I wish I could have walked over the other group so see if they did just as well as Wilbur’s group. I should also mention that many of these shooters dressed up like World War I soldiers. I still don’t understand what that was all about, but they all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and were proud of their costumes.

 

As I was hitched up to the trees behind the stages, I enjoyed watching the match. I did not enjoy wearing my COVID mask. The mask fogged up my safety glasses to easily making it especially hard for me to clear them. Watching this match was so much different that the cowboy matches Wilbur has taken me to. The activity levels seemed to be much more intense because of the number of bullets being shot and the stages took much longer to shoot. I did notice that the targets were further back making it much harder for the shooters to hit. I also noticed that many of the shooters missed a bunch less than Wilbur did. I did make a note to myself to tell Wilbur that he needed to practice some a little more with his 1911 before the next match. 

 

As usual after the match there was a scurrying of activity. Wilbur told me a guy called ‘Tully Mars’ was in charge of the match. I did notice him scurrying around the stages during the two days. He seemed very busy but enjoyed what he was doing. He worked very hard during the two days I noticed him scurrying around.

 

As Wilbur’s posse was finishing up their shooting, a person called ‘Blackhorse’ gathered everyone together to talk to them. I’m not too sure why he is called himself ‘Blackhorse’. His coat was not black and he did not look like a horse either. His name must have some significance to him that I do not fully understand. What he did say that he wished everyone a big ‘Thank you’ for being there, thanked the two ladies who helped out with the scoring and then thanked the posse for joining General’s Pershing Incursion into the territory for the two days. He gave everyone in the posse the standard days pay ($.50) for each day’s work in the form of a shiny $1 gold piece. Wilbur was very proud of his shiny $1 gold piece as he climbed into his saddle and we rode off for a bit.

 

Just as suddenly as the match started it was over. Some of the shooters left quickly after the match. It must have been a long drive home for many. Others stayed around for something called an ‘Award Ceremony’. I have never been to one of these before. It was quite the deal. They gave away many prizes to the shooters just for being at the match. I recognized many of the shooters at this match, though I don’t know many of their names, Wilbur knew most everyone. Since I am usually hitched to a tree of something else, I don’t really get to close to become familiar with their names.

 

As the Awards were handed out, I recognized the Nevada Shooter’s names. I hope I got this correct.

Fanner Fifty:                 2nd Place in the Men’s Senior Modern Category

J.J.                 1st Place Men’s Senior Traditional Category and 1st Place Men’s Speed Rifle

Deadeye Dick: Honorable Mention Men’s Senior Modern Category

Sheriff Winchester: Honorable Mention Men’s Traditional Category

Wylie Fox Esquire:         I believe I heard the Match Director mention that Wylie fell down some steps on the way to the match on the second day. I did notice he was hobbling around the second                      day of the match with an Ace bandage strapped around his leg with ice bottles underneath. Wilbur and I both hope he is feeling better and did not hurt himself to badly.

Rubicon:                       He was supposed to be at the match but could not make it. Apparently, a week or so before the match he was out with a bunch of his old cop friends, in a large group  setting, and picked up a terrible cold that has now turned into COVID and complicated with phenomena.

Wilbur:                         Well, the Match Director (Tully Mars) thanked him for coming to the match and donating his match fee.

 

When the Awards Ceremony was over Wilbur rode me back to the trailer, hitched up to the truck to the trailer and off we drove. Three and a half hours later we were back home. Shortly after arriving at the barn I was again back in my familiar stall, comfortable, warm, fed and watered.

 

Until next time -  Mr. Ed

 

The Matches State Overall Champions and Speed Match Results.

Rum Walker:         California State Senior Modern Champion and Top Women’s Champion

Molly Magoo:         California State Ladies Modern Champion

Rusty Rose:         California State Ladies Traditional Champion

Short Fuse Tucker: California State Senior Traditional Champion

Cordite:                 California State Traditional Champion

Tully Mars:         California State Modern Champion and Top Men’s Champion

 

Speed Shotgun:

1. Sunrise Bill 2.91

2. Short Fuse Tucker 3.06

3. Gopher Broke 3.13

 

Speed Shotgun Ladies:

1. Molly Magoo 4.56

2. Miss Chievious 5.61

3. Rusty Rose 12.42

 

Speed Rifle:

1. J. J. 2.90

2. Wolf Taylor 3.32

3. Steeley Eyes Mike 3.47

 

Speed Rifle Ladies:

1. Molly Magoo 9.17

2. Rusty Rose 9.17

Miss Chievious 10.20

 

Speed Pistol:

1. Gopher Broke 6.28

2. Sunrise Bill 6.59

3. Steeley Eyes Mike 7.85

 

Mucho Federales

1. Tully 60.24

2. Gopher Broke 70.50

3. Wolf Taylor 79.28

 

For the full scores to the 2020 California State Wild Bunch Match go to the following website:

https://cagunslingers.com

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sounds like a great match, Tully.  Congratulations!  That Mucho Federales side match must have been a hoot to shoot with 52 + rounds of 45 ACP.

 

Hi Grouchy Spike,

 

It was a fun and challenging match. Mucho Federales is a blast. There were actually 56 targets, I had added a couple of shotgun fliers as well. In the past we've had as many as 75 targets, paring it down some makes it a more manageable endeavor as a side match.  The photo below was before the fliers were added, not all of the targets can be seen in this picture. The entire bay is one position, stage guns and magazines as you wish.

 

Sutter Lawman devised this side match, we shoot it as a stage at most of our monthly matches. No it's by WB rules, but everyone seems to enjoy it.

 

Tully

 

MF.jpg.e4b619ef3464d83b0f82b69c7318f06a.jpg

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