A Fast Trip to the Wild, Wild West

Always dreamed about starring a Western? Or are you a blue-stater looking for a little red-state fun? Then you might want to check out Cowboy Action Shooting this summer -- and take in a little bit of Wild West flavor.

Cowboy Action Shooting is a sport that combines timed target-shooting competitions with role-playing, as players act their way through scenes straight out of an old Bonanza script. "Some varmint just cheated you at cards!" one scenario begins. "Shoot three times at the left target!"

While the Colt six-shooters and Winchester rifles may look like Hollywood props, the weaponry is all real -- and gun safety is strictly enforced. Sadly, no pistol-twirling is allowed.

With clubs now across the nation, Cowboy Action Shooting has become increasingly popular -- and a serious hobby for enthusiasts. It's not uncommon to see amateur cowboys and cowgirls dressed head-to-toe in elaborate costumes at events, complete with spurs, chaps, and holsters, and wielding 19th-century antique shooters or expensive replicas. It's all about the accessories, right?

UPCOMING SHOWDOWNS.  Each player has his or her own nickname and spends the day acting in character. The spirit of the sport follows the myth of the Wild West from John Wayne movies, rather than shooting for historical precision, says Wild Shot (actual name: Gerald Baker), a 20-year veteran who regularly participates in the sport with his wife. "It's the way the West should've been if we'd been there," he says.

More than 500 clubs are now spread across the U.S. and 18 other countries, from several in the prairies of Texas (Lefty Tex Larue's Texas Troublemakers, among others) to the Hamptons in New York (Diamond Rio's East End Regulators). Not all events are open to the public (a lifetime membership is $500, while a first-year basic one is $45), but many clubs host beginner's days and open houses, where greenhorns can pay a few dollars (roughly $10), learn the basics, and fire a six-shooter.

In addition, the Single Action Shooting Society, the official organization of Cowboy Action Shooting, helps sponsor several large regional events in the summer, where the pros strut their stuff in elaborate competitions, often followed by some night-time Western music and shopping. A few regionals coming up: "Hell on Wheels" from June 30-July 3 in Cheyenne, Wyo.; "Shootout at Horse Ridge" in Redmond, Ore., from July 12-17; and the "Guns of August" in Middletown, Ohio from August 11-14. More details can be found at www.sassnet.com.