One of the biggest changes on the Cowboy Action Shooting calendar is coming down the trail.
Beginning in 2028, END of TRAIL — the SASS World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting and Wild Bunch Action Shooting — will move from Arizona to Oklahoma, while the SASS National Championship heads back to Ben Avery Shooting Facility under a familiar and much-loved name: Winter Range.
That makes END of TRAIL 2027 the final World Championship at Ben Avery under the current arrangement and sets the stage for a significant changing of the guard at two of the biggest matches in Cowboy Action Shooting.
The Championships Swap Trails
The Single Action Shooting Society announced the change in March 2026 as a reshuffling of its two flagship championship events.
Beginning in 2028, the Oklahoma Territorial Marshals will host END of TRAIL at the Oklahoma City Gun Club in Arcadia, Oklahoma, the longtime home of Land Run.
The first Oklahoma END of TRAIL is scheduled for October 2028.
At the same time, the Arizona Territorial Company of Rough Riders will once again host Winter Range at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Arizona. Winter Range will become the SASS National Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting and Wild Bunch Action Shooting.
In other words, the two championship events aren’t disappearing. They’re essentially trading trails.
Land Run Rides Into the Sunset
The change also means the retirement of another well-known name in Cowboy Action Shooting.
When Oklahoma assumes hosting duties for END of TRAIL in 2028, the Land Run name will be retired.
Land Run has developed into one of the premier matches on the SASS calendar and has served as the SASS National Championship in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Territorial Marshals, however, aren’t going anywhere. The club and its Oklahoma City Gun Club facility will take on an even bigger assignment: hosting the World Championship.
For shooters who have attended Land Run, the location will already be familiar territory.
The Oklahoma City Gun Club features established shooting bays, permanent structures and western-style props that have helped give Land Run its distinctive character. Beginning in 2028, that same range will welcome competitors coming to Oklahoma for END of TRAIL.
Winter Range Returns
Meanwhile, Arizona gets back a name with deep roots in the sport.
Winter Range returns in 2028.
For decades, Winter Range was one of the signature events in Cowboy Action Shooting. The match grew into the SASS National Championship and drew shooters from across the country to Ben Avery.
That changed when END of TRAIL moved to Ben Avery in 2022.
Under the new arrangement, the Arizona Territorial Company of Rough Riders will once again present Winter Range, this time continuing the tradition as the SASS National Championship.
For longtime shooters, seeing the Winter Range name return to Ben Avery may feel less like the creation of a new event and more like the return of an old friend.
One More END of TRAIL at Ben Avery
Before any of that happens, however, there is still another World Championship to shoot in Arizona.
END of TRAIL 2027 will be the last END of TRAIL held at Ben Avery before the World Championship moves to Oklahoma.
The 2027 match carries the theme “The Cavalry” and is dedicated to Blackjack Zak.
That gives next year’s championship a little extra historical significance. Shooters won’t simply be competing for a World Championship — they’ll also be participating in the closing chapter of END of TRAIL’s run at Ben Avery.
After that, the World Championship saddles up and heads east.
A More Central Home for the World Championship
Moving END of TRAIL to Oklahoma also changes the geography of the SASS World Championship considerably.
Arizona has been an attractive winter destination and Ben Avery offers a world-class shooting facility, but Oklahoma places END of TRAIL considerably closer to the center of the country.
Whether that ultimately makes the World Championship easier to attend will depend on where a shooter calls home, but travel and accessibility have already become part of the discussion among SASS members.
For shooters throughout the Midwest, South and much of the eastern United States, Oklahoma City could represent a considerably shorter haul. Western shooters, naturally, will have farther to travel.
And for international competitors, airline access and the logistics of traveling with firearms will remain an important part of the equation regardless of which state hosts the match.
We’ll have to wait until 2028 to see how the move affects participation.
The Trail Ahead
For now, the Cowboy Action Shooting calendar has an interesting transition ahead.
2027: END of TRAIL remains at Ben Avery as the SASS World Championship, while Land Run continues in Oklahoma as the SASS National Championship.
2028: Winter Range returns to Arizona as the SASS National Championship, Land Run rides into the history books, and END of TRAIL begins a new chapter in Oklahoma as the SASS World Championship.
It’s a significant change for two matches with a lot of history behind them.
But if there’s one thing Cowboy Action shooters understand, it’s that trails sometimes change while the destination remains the same.
And in 2028, all trails leading to the SASS World Championship will point toward Oklahoma.
Source: Single Action Shooting Society announcement, “SASS’ Flagship National & World Championship Events are moving in 2028,” March 17, 2026.
It is always interesting when a long-running event reaches a turning point and begins preparing for a new chapter. The move of End of Trail to Oklahoma in 2028 sounds like a significant change, especially for people who have attended the event for years and have built memories around its current location. At the same time, relocating can create opportunities for a fresh atmosphere and new experiences.
I imagine the transition will bring plenty of practical questions for regular attendees, from travel arrangements and accommodation to how the new venue will shape the overall event. Changes like this can feel strange at first, but they can also give a community something new to look forward to. Between following the preparations and taking a short break, can be a simple way to change the pace for a few minutes. It will be interesting to see how the event develops on its new trail.