I've been thinking about getting back into the game; I shot it once or twice about 20 years ago in IL, and it was my introduction to competitive shooting of any kind. I really enjoyed it, and it was then that I learned that there's no such thing as a target too close to miss...especially true when the clock is ticking. Shortly thereafter I moved to AZ and started shooting XTC service rifle, prone rifle, and a couple 2-gun matches here and there. For any Phoenix-area locals, I'll likely be primarily shooting at Rio Salado's monthly match, but if time allows, I might go to a few of the other local matches.
I'm looking at the current SASS rulebook (Nov 2017, 22.3). I want to use a pair of Ruger New Vaqueros, Marlin 1894, and (likely) a Winchester '97 shotgun. Here's the categories that these particular guns fit into...I think (not counting the black powder categories):
- Wrangler (I'm 43)
- any main match legal revolver, shot any legal way except Gunfighter style
- any SASS main match legal shotgun
- any main match legal rifle
- Duelist
- any main match legal revolver shot duelist or double-duelist style
- any SASS main match legal shotgun
- any main match legal rifle
- Gunfighter
- any main match legal revolver shot gunfighter or double-duelist style
- any SASS main match legal shotgun
- any main match legal rifle
- B-Western
- any main match legal revolver shot any legal style
- any SASS legal shotgun
- any SASS legal rifle of 1880 or later design
Do I pick just ONE of these categories (ie: "Wrangler" -OR- "Gunfighter"), or do I pick an age category and one or more sub-categories (ie: Wrangler (age) / Double Duelist (style) / B-Western (costume)? I'm hoping that I just need to pick one of the above. If I had my 'druthers, I'd like to shoot in a stand-alone "Gunfighter" category (sounds/looks cool and I could use the practice with my off hand), but I don't want to dress B-Western. Dress the period, sure...but not B-Western. Maybe I'm thinking about it too much...who knows...but I don't like showing up unprepared. I know how this stuff works; show up to a match just to watch or ask questions and somehow get talked into shooting anyway. That, and I don't wanna plunk down my hard-earned (debatable...) cash for a standard belt/holster rig only to find out that I have to shoot in a B-Western costume category because of my rifle choice, and I should've bought an embellished double-buscadero rig instead.
What's the difference between "main match legal" and "SASS main match legal"? It's listed both ways and sometimes together; maybe they mean the same thing...not sure.
-WRM