Get Yer Tail to a Match!!!

As we peruse the other SASS Facebook Groups we are very glad to see many new people interested in joining SASS. But we see a similar theme time and again from these potential shooters. They want to wait to attend a match until they are fully geared up and outfitted. This is the first mistake too many new shooters make when joining our great sport. We will address a few of these reasons in this article. Feel free to comment on anything we may have missed or from a different perspective. I hope we are all here to help each other learn.

GOING TO A MATCH IN PERSON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE:

1. You get to speak with experienced shooters in person. These shooters were all in your boots at one time, some of them a looooong time ago. 🤠 We all love to see new shooters out on the range. And at all the clubs we have been to, there are plenty of cowboys and cowgirls willing to explain what is going on. You can see first hand how a match operates and it may trigger questions you didn't even know you had.
2. You get to see the guns and gear in person. To quote Captain George Baylor: "The most expensive way to start in CAS is to go out and buy the cheapest guns and gear you can." The reason this is the most expensive way to start is if you haven't been to a match and asked questions and seen the gear and guns in action, you may buy things that are not usable for SASS or that are not legal in a SASS Sanctioned match. The guns and leather may be of sub par quality and not last you very long thus requiring you to spend more money prematurely.
3. You can try out the guns before you buy them. This is not a standard at most clubs. But in almost every club we have attended, the Match Directors and Club Staff are more than willing to allow new shooters to try out their guns. They want to assess your ability to safely handle the guns. But this also allows you to get a feel for what it is like to shoot these firearms. You can also try out different guns if there are pards there willing to let you. This is the most friendly sport you will ever experience!
4. You get to meet the people face to face. There is an adage in our sport: "Come for the shooting, stay for the pards." This is the only sport we have heard of where you are literally rooting for your competition to do their best. Why? Because we are all friends on the range. The family atmosphere and down-home hospitality are infectious. And you cannot experience this if you just watch a few YouTube videos and read some Facebook posts.
5. You get to ask questions. This is the biggest reason to come out to a match. We were all a bit overwhelmed when we first started looking into the sport. Guns, leather, gun cart, gear, ammo, etc. It is a lot to take in and understand all at once. So you can go and ask questions of the shooters who have been doing this for a while. They can assist you on what you should look to purchase first and what not to worry about until a later date. This can save you LOTS of money and time.
6. You get to hear examples of real members alias'. For some, thinking of an original alias is a challenge. There are a lot of SASS shooters and your alias must be unique. Going out and hearing aliases can help get spurs jingling a bit. And don't be surprised if you get a few "suggested" aliases here and there as well. We have heard of a club that ALWAYS has an alias for each new shooter before they leave their first match. Some of them even stick.

So get on out to a match this weekend to watch and learn. Get in touch with the clubs having matches closest to you. You have no obligations except to have a good time. We all LOVE having new shooters come out and watch but most clubs will not just LET you watch. 😎🤠

So what are you waiting for? Find out when and where the matches are and get out there.

• If you are in Florida, you can find all the club info here: S.A.S.S. Florida Club List and Info
• You can find the typical Monthly Match Schedule here: SASS Florida Monthly Match Schedule 2022 

If you have any questions about scheduling, please do not hesitate to ask us.

Much obliged for reading and I hope to see you out on the range very soon. 

The OTJ