Shooter Spotlight: JokersWild

Lets head out to California and check in with Jokers Wild.

Where do you live? (what state or country)

Southern California in the United States, but I am from Northern California originally.

When did you start shooting CAS and how did you or who got you into the sport?

I started shooting in 2015. I was invited for several years by Buddy Love (5 Dogs Creek), but I declined as I did not want a new hobby. I finally went in late 2014 to see what it was all about. I watched the monthly match at 5 Dogs Creek in Bakersfield California and afterward I took the safety and introduction to CAS and I was hooked. I purchased my guns in Dec 2014 and started shooting monthly matches with untuned guns. My second match was Winter Range 2015.

Who was your mentor, either known to them or not?

I have so many different teachers and mentors along the way. Badman Bob, Lefty Longridge, Frederick Jackson Turner, Bull Shooter, Smokestack, El Roberto, and many others.

How much do you practice, how many rounds a month do you send downrange?

I mostly do dry firing as most of our ranges are at least an hour away. I dry fire 10-15 minutes a day as well as practice transitions. I shoot anywhere from 500-3000 rounds a month depending on the month and events I attend.

Have you won any state, regional, national or world championships?

I won the SASS California State Championship in 2018. 

Tell us about your most memorable match:

Winter Range 2019 - I loved the weather and all of the adversity of staying focused despite all of the things that were going on including lightning, hail, rain, wet guns, heavy clothes, cold weather, etc. There is just something special about matches that have their own story going on while you are trying to shoot.

What is your favorite aspect of CAS?

I enjoy the competitive side of things. It's a lot of fun to do your best and keep getting better. It's fun to see how your scores stack up against the better shooters and to see if you can improve just a little. I love the detail of the sport. You can get as detailed as you like, right down to honing your springs down so your hammers will be smoother, or making sure your guns are clean, or working on your transition from right to left or left to right to try and gain a few hundredths of a second. It's a blast to think about all of these things. It is even more fun to talk about these things with friends.

Is there a story behind your alias, and what is that story?

Not really. My friend Buddy Love kept saying I should find something funny to name myself. I wanted to be Batt Masterson but that was taken. I tried for several hours over a week or so to find one I liked and that fit me. I saw several with poker themes including Royal Flush and I thought perhaps I would try and find one of those. I looked up Jokers Wild and it had been taken already but was not renewed. So I asked for it and it was granted it by SASS. I was pretty excited.

Do you have a travel/shooting buddy? (you know that friend that makes this game what it is)  

I have a lot of shooting and traveling buddies. It's hard to name them all but I can tell you who I shoot a lot with. Photo Shooter, El Roberto, Smokestack, Coffee, Whirlwind Wendy, Bull Shooter, Badman Bob, Coyote Carson, Aimless Lee, Old Mustang, and many more...

Where is your favorite place to shoot? (range or match past or present)

Bordertown and Double R Bar. They both have great towns and ambiance. Out of those two, Bordertown rises above the rest. There is just something about being in an old west town that has a history. The town is right next door, and people wander the streets of Tombstone much like I am sure people did 150 years ago.

What category do you shoot?

Wrangler

Have you tried other categories?

What categories have you shot and how
did that go? Gunfighter and Cowboy are the two other categories I have shot in.

What is your posse job of choice?

I like to time, count or pick brass. Picking brass gives me a chance to video without people thinking I am lazy just videoing. I video and then pick up brass. It's a little slower because I can't pick it up right after it is shot, but I get the job done. Lately, though, I do a lot of timing as there is never enough timers/TO.

What is the time of your fastest clean stage?

I don't exactly remember, but I think I have had a 10 10 4 stand and deliver in 12.XX seconds.

What was the best advice you got from a fellow shooter, and who was it?

I have solicited so many people for advice on Cowboy Action Shooting it would be hard to single out one piece that seemed the best. I would say, I had to learn the hard way with most pieces of advice. Despite very wise counsel, I pretty much found out the hard way that they were correct. I think you have to find out the hard way most times to really appreciate the value of the advice. Sometimes to get better, or improve in the game you have to bang your head against the wall. That seems counter-intuitive, but for me, that has been true. A good example was some wise advance on a shotgun given by Bull Shooter. He told me to just save my money and go buy a higher-end shotgun. I didn't listen and bought a couple of Stoegers which I poured large amounts of money in to get actioned and continued to. After a year, I ended up selling them and buying an SKB. Only then did I really appreciate the value of the advice.

What advice can you give to some of the shooters reading this?

 Keep learning, and improving. Dry fire as much as you can. Try different guns and loads, and go to as many matches as you possibly can. Get involved and work on your posse. Talk to shooters who are better than you and observe how they shoot and prepare. Never stop learning. No matter how good you are, there is always something new to learn.

What keeps you playing this game?

I like the competition, it is fun to shoot with and compete with my friends that I have made. As I get older and have more experience in the game, I find that getting to the match, the first thing on my mind is to talk with my friends and see how things are with them. Finally, the feelings I get when I shoot at places like Tombstone, Winter Range, End of Trail, Western Regionals, and Double R Bar where you just feel like you are at a special place with the scenery, the excitement, the anticipation. 

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not on the range or shooting?

Hanging out with my wife traveling, hiking, mountain biking, watching movies, cooking, or with a cup of coffee in front of the fire at home. Only recently has she started to shoot with me when I practice and it's been a blast. Who knows, maybe one day she will do a match? :)