Fenton Residents Find Old West in Shooting Club

Many baby boomers have fond memories of playing a lively game of cowboy growing up. They dressed the part with sheriff badges and cowboy hats, mimicked being buckaroos on broomstick horses and excitedly carried their shiny, silver toy revolvers in leather holsters around their waist.

They imagined being “Gunsmoke” marshal Matt Dillon, living on the Ponderosa as a member of the Cartwright family from “Bonanza” or being just like tough guy John Wayne on the silver screen.

For some, their affinity for the Old West never died and they continue to pursue their passion in one of the fastest growing shooting sports in the country today: Cowboy Action Shooting.

On the weekends Sassy Sue is a cowgirl who is known for her outgoing personality, sharp shooting skills and extensive wardrobe of western wear. During the work week, she is Sue West, a Fenton resident who enjoys sewing, shooting and spending time with her husband, Jim, who is known around the Cowboy Action circuit as Big Bad Jim.

Cowboy Action allows participants to perfect their shooting skills on various competition stages. They are challenged with a specific set of shooting sequences as they work toward a clean match by hitting all the steel targets. They put accuracy to the test while racing against the clock to achieve a solid time. As cowboys and cowgirls strive to outshoot other competitors, they are also competing against themselves to top their personal best.

The Wests enjoy the thrill of competition as well as the fantasy aspect of being transported to a different era of time. Participants dress in period clothing and address each other by their cowboy and cowgirl aliases.

Men are required to don a cowboy hat (not that anyone ever complains) and wear cowboy boots. Women have more fashion freedom as they sport cowboy hats, bonnets or feathers and can cover their feet with everything from boots to high heels and moccasins.

Fancier dress is called for at larger competitions where banquets are held after shooting contests. That’s when the petticoats, saloon-girl feathers and dressier boots often make an appearance.

Sue enjoys making her own western wear as Sassy Sue maintains her reputation for never wearing the same outfit twice. Her closet is packed with suede pants, leather jackets featuring turquoise accents and dresses trimmed in fringe.  

Host clubs set up competition stages with props that add to the Old West atmosphere, like wagons, saloon facades and jail cells. Every aspect is designed to harken back to the days of yore made popular by television shows like “The Big Valley” and entertainment legends Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.

“There’s nothing else like this,” said Sue West. “It’s a fantasy world.”

Even the guns used in competitions must be typical of the era, such as rifles from 1873 or earlier vintage and single-action revolvers made prior to 1899. Approved replicas are also permitted.

Cowboy Action enthusiast Jeff Lane, aka Grubby Hardrock, holds dear the two guns that were handed down to him from his maternal and paternal grandfathers. He grew up in Wyoming on a ranch. Today the Fenton resident looks forward to participating in Cowboy Action Shooting events.

“You’re playing cowboy,” he said.

One area where the Cowboy Action movement differs from the tradition of the Old West is safety. Unlike the days of quick shooting draws in the street and feisty fights in the saloon, Cowboy Action events emphasize safe shooting with several levels of safety protocol in place.

The Wests are members of the Wolverine Rangers Cowboy Action Shooting Association, a statewide non-profit organization; Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), an international organization; and the Butcher Butte Bunch, a three-year-old local Cowboy Action Shooting group with 20-25 members from around the Fenton area. They are based out of the , where Jim also serves as chairman of the board of directors. The Butcher Butte Bunch hosts a cowboy shoot the second Sunday of each month from April through September at the Fenton Lakes Sportsmans Club.

The Wests leave their neck of the woods on the weekends to travel around the country and take part in various competitions. Sue is 7th in the nation lady duelist and state champion lady duelist 2011 among the cowgirls, who make up approximately 20 percent of participants. She and Jim hone their shooting skills on the Fenton Lakes Sportsmans Club’s shooting range.

The events not only let the Wests, Lane and their fellow competitors go back in time and practice shooting skills, it also gives them a sense of community among others who share their interest. There’s a camaraderie at every event that brings out the good nature in people.

“These are honest, good people,” said Jim West. “It’s a really fun time.”