>>> the guns fire blanks and only the competitor has a gun to shoot when the quail flush.
Someone just told me about a sport I'd never heard of: Cowboy Shooting. Apparently the competitors use real period guns, and shoot blanks, but with real gunpowder, whatever, as the gun was made to use. A few apparently do it from horseback. They dress in period to match their weapons - I think he said anything prior to 1900 is ok. When they do it from horseback, the go by balloons (OK, so THAT'S not so period specific!) and take aim. They have to be close enough that the blast of the blank will pop the balloon, so their riding has to be pretty accurate. I have never seen this, so I probably have some of the details wrong, and I'm sure I left out a lot, but that's the gist of it. This is not to be confused with Civil War reenacting. It's a different thing, where they are judged on their shooting. Oh, they have to adopt a period name too, so all the good names are already taken: Marshall Dillion, Festus, Stonewall and Traveler (I asked about those just for you, Janice), Chester, Rowdy Yates...I'm not interested in taking this up for myself, so I didn't think to ask if they allow Annie Oakley's and Calamity Jane's. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
