Shooter Spotlight : Charlie Wagon

This week’s spotlight is from down under. I met this shooter and his wife at EoT 2019. Great people and they had safe magnets. So, sit back and read what Charlie Wagon from Australia had to say.

Where do you live? (what state or country)

I was born and bred in Victoria, and then moved to Queensland, Australia, in 2011 along with my lovely Pearl Starr.

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

I have been active in the sport of CAS since 2002. My interest was first sparked when I read about it in a Guns and Game Australia magazine a few years before. Then one day while my brother and I were out riding our horses, we happened upon a couple of cowboys riding their horses and to our surprise they were at the same agistment property as we were. Those Cowboys were Duke York (RIP) and Woodrow Call Downunder. These guys were instrumental in my Cowboy Action Shooting lifestyle.

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

Duke York (RIP) was a mentor to all at my home club, Fort Bridger, and his knowledge of CAS, and many other shooting disciplines, was invaluable in giving me a solid foundation in the shooting sports. Along the way I have found mentorship in others (mainly Pearl Starr) that have helped me become the shooter I am today.

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

At the moment, with my work roster as random as it is, not nearly enough. Normally I get shoot 2-3 club matches a month, which are usually 6 stages, so up to about 450 rounds a month. Like I said, not nearly enough.

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

I have won the Victorian, South Australian and Queensland State Titles overall and in category, and the Australian National championship in category few times.

Tell us about your most memorable match:

My most memorable match would have to be the first time I went to End of Trail. WOW! What an eye-opener! That was back in 2008. The enormity of it, compared to what we have in Australia, was astounding.  The biggest match I had ever been to before then was around the 200-mark.

What is your favorite aspect of CAS?
I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but the people, the friendships made over the years that will last through the years, and the new friends that will be made at the next match, whether that be a club match, territorial, state, regional, national or the world championship.

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

My alias has evolved through the years.  In Australia I’m known as Chuck Wagon. When I became a SASS member I found out that was taken(at #22) so I went with Cowboy Chuck, then I dropped the Cowboy part and was Chuck. That was a little too ‘every day’ to be an alias, so I went and changed it to Charlie Wagon.

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

That would be the lovely Pearl Starr SASS#76292

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

I always liked Winter Round-Up in South Australia. The folks out there always put on an excellent event. It’s shame it is no longer a part of the shooting calendar.

What category do you shoot?

I shoot 49er, although at my home club, the Gold Coast Pistol Club, at our annual match, The Heartland Territorial, I like to have a play and shoot a new category that I came up with that we call “The Gambler” (we are all known at our club as “The Gamblers”). It’s a dress category that’s kind of B western, where you dress to the nines (ie Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster in Maverick).  There are also item requirements that need to be worn, and the shooting style is decided for each stage the morning of the start of the day’s stages.  So it could be duelist, gunfighter, two-handed.  It’s a “gamble”, and lots of fun.

Have you tried other categories? What categories have you shot and how did that go?

I’ve had a go at Gunfighter a couple of times, Duelist, Frontiersman, and Classic Cowboy, which I’ve also shot using black powder, and, of course, Gambler, as I mentioned earlier.

What is your posse job of choice?

I probably like to take the timer the most, but I don’t mind picking up brass, although I can become a little obsessed with finding every case. Loading/unloading would be my least favorite.

What is the time of your fastest clean stage?

I think my fastest clean stage was in the order of -1.5 seconds…..there were a lot of bonuses!

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

“Just stage your guns and walk away. The half an inch left or right isn’t going to make a lick of difference when you run over here and pick it up.” Constable Nelson

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

For the new shooter trying to pick up some speed:  Run.  No-one is going to think anything of it.  Run like your butt’s on fire.  Moving fast is going to save you more time than most anything else.  Shooting fast will come with time and practice.

Is there that one rival that delivers a little extra sting when they beat you?

Nope, not particularly. But there are some that I do like to beat.

What keeps you playing this game?

I just love it. The shooting, the camaraderie. The tall stories we all tell each other.

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

Away from shooting I like to ride my motorcycle, catch up with friends and family, and golf when we can.