Man Up!!!

After a whole year of cowboy action shooting with wussy .38 Special loads that, if you were quick like bunny, could slap the bullet out of the air as it left the barrel, I have decided to MAN UP and shoot my .44 Specials in the last cowboy match of the year for Boulder Rifle Club.

I'll be shooting 2 Ruger .44 Special Blackhawks, the Lipsey's specials, which are exactly like my 50th Anniversary .357 Blackhawks that I usually shoot. These are just wonderful revolvers, and if you don't have one there are still a few around. Mine have been tuned by the great Jim Finch, Long Hunter, who is a Master of Rugers. The rifle is a Legacy Sports Puma .44 Magnum M92 redone by Steve Young — a.k.a. Nate Kiowa Jones — at Steve's Gunz, the best '92 mechanic in the country. This is the rifle I've used in the last two Wild Bunch matches, which require major caliber lever guns. I'll probably use Winchester Cowboy .44 Special 240-grainers in the match; the rounds power factor out at 180, IPSC Major, a bit more thump than the .38s.

The absolutely positively incredible leatherwork is from Shelly at Ted Blocker Holsters, one of their Buffalo Hunter rigs. It was love at first sight when I saw it, and not only is it exquisitely done, it is faster than all get-out. Note that I am going to a strong-side and a weak-side holster instead of the usual strong-side and cross-draw I've been using. I don't think I'm giving up anything, and it's so much easier to manipulate (no "cross-draw dance!").

I'll try not to shoot myself in the foot! After a week of pathetic sulking with my head cold, it'll be totally great to shoot a match!