Wheelgun Wednesday: Slap Leather In The Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw Series
Hey there, cowboy! How quick are you on the draw? If you’re the fastest gun in the West (or at least, you think you might be), then you can put your skills to the test in the new Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw series, using real guns against real opponents (but not real bullets, for obvious reasons).
Wild West Wheelguns @ TFB:
Based On A True Story?
Quick-draw gunfights are one of the most common tropes in Western films, comics and before those, dime novels. You know the stereotype—two gunmen ( or maybe more) face off in a dusty frontier street, or in a corral, or wherever. Words pass between them ( or maybe not), hands flash down to their holsters. Whoever shoots fastest and straightest wins.
Did the old frontier days really see duels like that? Maybe a few; the Wild Bill Hickok-Davis Tutt duel reportedly went somewhat along those lines, but even in that case, Hickok took the time to steady his pistol on his arm for a steady shot. A few other big-name gunfighters had reputations for quick-draw shooting (John Wesley Hardin, Luke Short), along with some gunhawks whose names are mostly forgotten except to historians.
But for most of it, the quick-draw stuff you see on the screen is exactly where it belongs: the screen.
Who’s the fastest?
Who cares about the facts, though—everyone knows that quick-draw shooting is fun, and fun to watch, too. That’s the idea behind the Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw series in Texas.
Quick-draw competitions are nothing new, but they usually involve shooters competing only against a target and the clock (see the Cowboy Fast Draw Association website here, or the video below, for a better idea of what that means).
The Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw series sees shooters facing off each other, combining smack talk with a quick-draw duel with real revolvers.
See the series’ first match below, starting off with some simulated smack talk.
Dare I say it, this is the most realistic part of this duel, because from what I’ve read, most of the one-on-one duels in the Wild West started with a bunch of hard words being thrown around. From there, the duellists are suited up with protection to their eyes, throat and groin, heading off to a specially-built structure where their revolvers are loaded with Simunition, which is similar to a paintball load, but made to be fired from a real firearm. Simunition can leave a much stiffer welt than a paintball, but it’s still a non-lethal training round.
Add it all up, and contestants should be good and safe—they definitely want to avoid an Alec Baldwin incident— but you’re a long way from the OK Corral, or even the End of Trail championship.
Will the Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw series grab the public’s attention, or at least the attention of gun enthusiasts or Wild West fanatics? Hard to say. Shoot-your-opponent games have been around since paintball was invented in 1981, and cowboy action shooting has been around since the same year (funnily enough).
Both are still niche sports in the world of shooting, and both appear faster-paced than this. The organizers say Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw combines “the intensity of Power Slap with Old West pistol dueling,” and if they really can figure out that exciting formula, maybe their planned reality TV series can find an audience. At this point, you can judge for yourself whether you’d want to watch the upcoming November 8 match scheduled for Longhorn Harley-Davidson.
It looks like supporting charities will be a key to their plan for the series, and that’s always a sure bet to help people get behind an event. That November match also has live music, Texas barbecue and other cowboy shooting games planned, so you’re not just sitting down and watching people faux-duel all day.
Organizers are looking for more contestants to shoot it out in their cage; see details on the basic guidelines below:
Who can compete in Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw?
Extreme Cowboy Fastdraw is a full-contact dueling sport that uses non-lethal Simunition rounds in an ultra-realistic one versus one competition. Those eligible to compete must meet the following requirements:
- Must be a male over the age of 21
- Must be able to lawfully possess a firearm
- Must demonstrate basic competence with a firearm, including safety rules
- Must not be the subject of a restraining or protective order
- Must not be addicted to alcohol or any controlled substances
- Must sign a release of liability waiver
- Must agree to be filmed for marketing or social media
Click on the link here if you want to compete, and let us know how that goes. Same for their events; if you tune in on PPV or go in person, send us a note.
Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.
More by Zac K
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LOL imagine being so scared of losing to A Girl™ that you have to prohibit them from competing in a shooting sport.
Does this activity fall under the civilian marksman program?