The Coyote Valley Sharpshooters are a Cowboy Shooting Club affiliated with WASA, the Western Action Shootists Association. The CVSS host their Cowboy Long Range match every 4th Saturday of each month all year round. The location for this fun shoot is at the Santa Clara County Field Sports Park 200 yard range, located south of San Jose, California. All Cowboys and Cowgirls are invited to participate. This is a pure long range match, rifle only, no pistol or shotgun. It is not a standard Cowboy match, so there's no use in bringing your pistols. The shooting range does not allow them.

The shooting schedule is as follows:
Registration is from 8:15 am to 9:00 am
shooters meeting at 9:00 with the first shot downrange shortly thereafter.
The match concludes no later than 3:00 p.m.
If there is time after the match, the range will be available for practice.

Image left: Becky Brave with her "Teddy". Becky is shooting a 1896 Krag Jorgensen carbine, named after Teddy Roosevelt. The Rough Riders, his volunteer cavalry regiment, carried these rifles up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American war in 1898. Becky's rifle was made in 1896, and still shoots very well, as does Becky. The Krag design is only one of the many fine things the USA has received from our pals in Norway.


Rules are as follows:
Period Cowboy costume circa 1865-1900 is required . This can range from the simple (jeans, long-sleeved western shirt and cowboy hat) to the elaborate (hand-sewn costume including accessories). Rifles are limited to originals or reproductions of pre 1900 rifles found in the Western USA, Mexico, Cuba, or Canada during the cowboy era, roughly 1870 to 1900. Any firearm that is visually similar to an original may be used. The rifle should at least look like a close copy of an original or something that could be an original (For example, the Marlin 336 looks a great deal like a Marlin 1893, and an 1896 Swedish Mauser looks a lot like the 1895 Spanish Mauser ). If in doubt, call us and ask. Please remember.. pistol rigs are prohibited.

 

Capt Buffalo with repro '73 Winchester.	His Honor, the Mayor Prof Cubby Bear with his pre-64 Model 94 Winchester in .30-30 WCF.

We have events for the following categories of rifles:

Lever or pump actions chambered for pistol cartridges, i.e. .44-40, 38-40, .32-20, .25-20, .45 Colt etc. Examples would be the Winchester 1866, 1873, 1892, Marlin 1894, Colt Lightning, etc.

Lever or pump actions chambered for rifle cartridges, i.e..25-35, 30-30, .32 Special, .45-70, .38-55, .30-40 Krag , 303 Savage etc. Examples would be the Winchester 1876, 1886, 1894, and 1895, the Marlin 1893 ,1895 and 336, large frame Colt lightning, and the Savage 1899.

Single shots: Examples would be the Trapdoor Springfield, Rolling Blocks, Sharps, Winchester or Browning 1885, etc.

Bolt actions: Examples would be the Krag Jorgensen, Mauser 1893, 1895, and 1898, etc.

Stripper clips are not allowed for reloading. Modern rifles, for example the Winchester model 70, Remington model 700, Browning BLR, Ruger Number One or number three, etc.. are not allowed.

Ammunition is limited to cartridges that were in use prior to 1900, caliber .25 or greater, loaded with lead alloy bullets only, either plain base or gas check. Jacketed bullets are not allowed.
We do make an exception and allow the .38 Special, .357 mag, and .44 mag, (In the lever action pistol caliber category) , but they still must be loaded with lead alloy bullets only. Powder can be either smokeless or black powder. Modern cartridges like the .308 Winchester, .30-06, .250 Savage, etc.. are not allowed.
A modern caliber that is very similar to an original, for example the .375 Winchester/ .38-55, may be allowed. If in doubt, give us a call.

Sights are limited to open iron sights, or tang mounted peep sights. Globe front sights are OK. Receiver sights or optical sights of any kind are not allowed. Targets are steel gongs, at 100 and 200 yards.

Course of Fire:
Course of fire for each event is one sighter and 10 rounds for the record. Shooters will be timed, and the winner will be the one with the most hits. Ties will be settled by most hits in shortest time. With one exception, all shooting will be offhand.

There will be 100 yard and 200 yard events for each class of rifle.

The 100 yard gong is 20" in diameter, and the 200 yard gong is 30" in diameter.

There will also be a 200 yard "High Plains Rifleman" match, which is shot with the rifle supported on crossed sticks. Any WASA legal rifle can be used, but for the " High Plains Rifleman" match, rounds must be loaded and fired one at a time. The "High Plains Rifleman" target is a 12" gong at 200 yards. Two sighters and six for the record on this event. For the real riflemen, we will also shoot this target offhand. If you have all four rifles, you thus have a total of 10 events to shoot in.

Directions to the range:
From the North: Take highway 101 or 85 south and exit at Bernal road. Follow the signs to Monterey Highway, and turn left/south on Monterey Highway. After 1.3 miles turn left on Metcalf road. Go over Highway 101 and turn right on Malech road . Range entrance is one mile on your left. Follow the sign to the parking for the 200 yard range.

From the South: Take Highway 101 north and get off at Bernal road. Turn left/west on Bernal and go under both 101 and 85. Follow the signs to Monterey Highway, and turn left/south on Monterey Highway. After 1.3 miles turn left on Metcalf road. Go over Highway 101 and turn right on Malech road. Range entrance is one mile on your left. Follow the sign to the parking for the 200 yard range.

For more information contact "Wif" at 408-448-3256 or via e-mail at adamsgurn@launchnet.com