Double L Bar Shooters
Double L Bar Shooters of North Carolina
Invites you to become part of the fastest growing equine sport in the USA. Dave Lohrey
Cowboy Mounted Shooting is fun for the whole family.
Great sport to participate in and watch.
Dave Lohrey and Misty
"It's like opening a door and walking on to page in history!" Debby L
If interested in Cowboy Mounted Shooting please contact either
Mike Lubell
or
Email: doublelbarshooters@gmail.com
FLASH
Double L Bar Shooters named Fastest growing club by CMSA 2009
Click on start button to see Cowboy Mounted Shooting in Action
What the heck is cowboy mounted shooting?
Well, if you have a passion for horses and love to have fun and compete, then cowboy mounted shooting is the real deal. Visit one of our practices and you'll find members on a horse, riding flat out, shooting at balloon targets, dressed in 1880s clothing bringing to mind memories of Roy and Gene riding hard and shooting at the bad guys. You'll find this is the original Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA). One of the fastest growing equine sports in the country. That's right "Cowboy Mounted Shooting! There are imitators, but only the CMSA emulates our western heritage by incorporating period dress in everything they do. Preserving the cowboy way. There's something special about that.
If you're a horse person, and you probably are if you're reading this, a mounted shooting event is a pretty good way to spend a day or a weekend. You get to spend your time riding and shooting, making new friends, and talking horses, tack and guns.
If you've been looking for something to do that is fun and challenging and can involve your whole family, then you should attend one of our Cowboy mounted shooting practices. We will work with you and your horse to ensure a safe and fun environment. We'll even offer our guns, holsters and horses until yours are ready. The real difference between Cowboy Mounted Shooting and other organizations - your competitors become great friends and family. There are no judges making this event non subjective. Just you, your horse, balloons and the clock. You'll find the riders cheering each other on offering advice and equipment if needed.
What is Mounted Shooting? Mounted Shooting is like barrel racing with balloons in between the barrels. The rider shoots black powder blank cartridges from .45 caliber single action pistols, at balloons, and is scored on accuracy and time.
How about guns? Mounted Shooters use .45 caliber single action revolvers like those used in the late 1800's. Single action revolvers must be cocked each time before firing by drawing the hammer back. Lever action rifles class. Copies of the famed Henry rifle, Winchester 73, 86 and 92 also shoot black powder blanks. Is there a pattern to ride? Yes. There are 60+ possible patterns. The patterns everyone will ride can be pre-determined or can be drawn out of a hat on the day of the competition. A competition may consist of 3 to 6 patterns a day. Each pattern consists of 10 balloons. To give you an idea of riding a pattern, let's say that there are 5 white balloons and 5 red balloons. The 5 white balloons may be grouped together in one place or spread out over the entire arena. The rider shoots all 5 white balloons first. Then, the rider holsters the first gun while riding to the far end of the arena, draws the second gun, and shoots the 5 red balloons, which are usually 5 in a row straight towards the finish line. This is called " the Rundown". Are there levels of skill? Yes there are, a Men's Division, a Women's Division, and a Senior's Division, with Classes 1-6 in each of those divisions. There is also a Wrangler Class for those 12 and under. All riders start at "Class 1". When a rider wins Class 1 three times, they advance to Class 2, and when they win Class two four times, they advance to Class 3. Four wins at Class 3 and on to Class 4, etc. There is also a prize for the best score overall where age or gender does not matter. Mom competes against Dad who competes against the kids. Kids? Do the kids ride and shoot? Yes... and no. The riders in the Wrangler class ride the same pattern that the grown-ups do, but they may shoot Hollywood cap pistols, engaging each target as if they were shooting real blanks. They then shoot the real McCoy (.45's with blanks) at balloons, from the ground while standing stationary with mom or dad at their side. How about scoring? The riders are scored on time and accuracy. There is a 5 second penalty for each missed balloon, a 5 second penalty for dropping a gun, a 10 second penalty for not running the course correctly and a 60 second penalty for falling off your horse. Speed is important, however, accuracy is usually more important than speed. A typical pattern can be run in 15-35 seconds,
Do you use live ammunition (lead bullets) or bird shot? No. The cartridges fired are called .45LC or .45 caliber Long Colts. The brass cartridge is loaded with black powder (like that used in the 1800's) and then the shell is crimped. This load will break a balloon up to about 20 feet. Live rounds are strictly prohibited at competitions. At each event we have a person to load the rider's guns as they enter the arena, and a person to unload the guns after the rider is finished. Riders do not carry loaded guns outside of the arena or when not competing. CMSA only uses approved blanks tested for consistency and range.
so penalties can really hurt.
