1. Welcome New Shooters
Dear New Dixie Desperado Club Member,
Welcome to the Dixie Desperados Cowboy Action Shooting Club. As a new club member, we encourage you to read the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) handbook as you will be expected to abide by these rules. A copy of the handbook is available on the SASS website at www.sassnet.com. Find “Handbooks” on their homepage and click on the Shooters Handbooks.
See the links and info below to find the following items:
· SASS Pocket Range Officer Card, that can be carried in your gun cart
· Standard Range Operating Procedures which include match and practice safety rules as well as the range gate combination
· Club Bylaws that spell out how this club operates
· Club Officers and Volunteers (go to "About Us" to find list of current officers.
The Dixie Desperados Club has been in existence and shooting at the Southern Utah Shooting Park for many years. We are a non‐profit family organization promoting the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), the cowboy spirit and the encouragement of organized pistol, shotgun and rifle competition among responsible persons. All members of the Dixie Desperados are encouraged to become members of SASS. All shooters must adhere and abide by the rules and regulations of SASS.
The Dixie Desperados Club has a group of volunteer instructors who help new members get acquainted with the club and help you enhance your shooting skills while emphasizing safety. While all members should be considered a resource, instructors have volunteered to work with new shooters during practice days and at our monthly shoots. Instructors can also be contacted if you have questions between shoots. Contact BT Blade at bbugland@gmail.com for additional information.
Monthly Club Meetings are held at the Washington Public Library at 220 N 300 E, Washington, UT on the 1st Tuesday of every month, beginning at 6:30pm. Members are encouraged to attend.
Monthly Matches are held on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park range located at 1134 S Regional Park Road, Washington, UT 84780. The club also offers wild bunch monthly matches on the first Saturday of the month.. Following each monthly match, you can find scores by registering as a shooter at practiscore.com. PractiScore combines iOS and Android match scoring apps with optional web services for match preregistration. If you need assistance using PractiScore, contact Mokaac Kid.
Occasionally, various levels of shooting classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced shooters are given by club volunteers. During the year the club also organizes three large matches that draw shooters from all over the USA.
A calendar of scheduled shoots and club events
can be found on our club website at
Spot the word “Calendar” on the top left list, highlight and click on it.
Thank you for joining the Dixie Desperados Club.
Sincerely,
Dixie Desperado Club Officers & Members
2. SASS Range Officer Pocket Card
3. Range Rules & Gate Code
Dixie desperados range safety rules
You Can Never Be Too Safe
Eye protection is required while on the range during an event and ear protection is recommended.
Treat all guns as if they are ALWAYS loaded & ALWAYS clear the gun every time, point ONLY at an object you wish to destroy, keep your finger off the trigger & outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot, and know your target and what is beyond.
All Competitors are Safety Officers
Each Shooters responsibility is for his or her own safe conduct and all shooters are to remain alert for unsafe actions of others.
Range Officers and shooters are expected to confront any participant observed in an unsafe situation.
“CEASE FIRE!” “COLD RANGE” OR “STOP!” If at any time an unsafe condition develops, the Timer Operator (TO) will immediately shout “Cease Fire!”, “Cold Range” or “Stop!”. The shooter is to stop firing and moving immediately.
“Hot Range” Once the unsafe condition has been cleared, shooting will resume with the call “Hot Range”.
Proper Handling of Firearms
All un‐loaded guns must be carried safely from the car to the gun cart, from the gun cart to the loading table, from the stage/shooting line to the unloading table, from the unloading table to the gun cart and from one stage to the next.
Carry empty and cleared revolvers holstered, carry cleared rifle and shotgun with the action open and vertically. A muzzle must not be allowed to “sweep” the other participants between stages or when moving the firearms from the gun cart to the loading tables or to/from cars.
No Loaded Guns Except at the Loading Table and the Shooting Line
When loading revolvers at the loading table, load five (each pistol) and let the hammer down on the empty cylinder. For the rifle, close the action and let the hammer down prior to loading any rounds and then load the prescribed number of rounds. Shotguns will remain open and empty while at the loading table.
Long guns shall remain on the loading table until you are called to the shooting line. Loaded pistols are to remain on the loading table if it is necessary to leave the area before proceeding to the shooting line. Never carry loaded firearms away from the loading table unless proceeding to the shooting line.
While on the shooting line stage the firearms in accordance with the scenario. The guns are safe in this position. When drawing a revolver from its holster, the revolver shall not be cocked until it is at a 45o angle down range
Any discharge that hits the ground or stage prop from 5’ to 10’ from the shooter, while on the firing line, will result in a Stage Disqualification (SDQ).
Any discharge that hits the ground or stage prop less than 5’ from the shooter while on the firing line, any discharge at the loading or unloading areas, any discharge off the firing line, or any discharge that is deemed unsafe will result in a Match Disqualification (MDQ). Observe the “170o” rule. This means that muzzles must never be pointed more that “170o”, vertically or horizontally. (Note: The 170o safety rule means the muzzle of the firearm must always be straight down range +/‐ 85o in any direction. If a competitor “comes close” to breaking the 180o safety plane, the 170o safety rule has been violated and the competitor is at fault & results in a SDQ.
At the Southern Utah Shooting Park’s Cowboy Action Shooting Range, any pistol or rifle round that goes over the berm is a match DQ.
Movement is not allowed with a loaded & cocked firearm. Movement is defined by the basketball “traveling” rule. Whenever a shooter has a loaded, cocked firearm in hand at least one foot must remain in place on the ground. (Shuffling to maintain balance or adjust stance is permitted as long as shooter doesn’t change location.)
Ammunition “dropped” by a shooter in the course of loading or reloading any firearm during a stage or “ejected” may be retrieved and replaced or alternatively must be replaced from shooters person or other area as allowed by stage description. Dropped rounds may be recovered & used, recovery must be performed safely.
Range Rules
No alcoholic beverages are allowed on the Shooting Range at any time.
Both prescription and non‐prescription medications that may cause drowsiness or any other physical or mental impairment must be avoided!
Our range is a cold range, which means all firearms will remain UNLOADED except while you are under direct observation of a range officer.
Dry firing is NOT PERMITTED at any time during a match.
SASS Handbooks for Reference Guides
a) Shooters Handbook – This handbook includes the specific rules, regulations and general guidelines adopted by the Single Action Shooting Society. This can be found online at www.sassnet.com, click on shooters handbook found in the bottom third of the webpage..
b) SASS Range Operations Basic Safety Course ‐ RO1‐ The purpose of this course is to ensure safety and consistency at every SASS club match, no matter what size the match. Each SASS competitor who sets foot on a range is a Safety Officer, responsible for his/her own safety and the safety of those nearby. It is our intent that every shooting competitor has the knowledge to function as a Range Officer, given the appropriate coaching on the range by experienced personnel. So, the homework assignment is to read the Shooters Handbook and the SASS Range Operations Basic Safety Course Handbook (RO1).
c) SASS Range Officer Training Course ‐ RO2 – offers an in‐depth interpretation and further clarification of these rules along with applicable penalties, The SASS Range Officer Training Courses’ objective is to eliminate personal injury during a Cowboy Action Shooting match. It is designed to strengthen the integrity of SASS’ Cowboy Action Shooting safety record.
When You First Get to The Range For an Event
Let them know you are a new cowboy shooter, register for the shoot and sign up on a posse. Your first shoot is free as a new club member.
Once signed in, load your gun cart with eye & ear protection, leather, enough ammo and guns (make sure all guns are unloaded).
A Shooters Safety meeting will be held before all shooters “posse up” for shooting. YOU MUST ATTEND! Remind your posse leader that you are a new shooter.
POSSE UP; You are part of a shooting group at one of the stages of fire, called a Posse. ALL Posse members have a job to do. A posse has a range officer, score keeper, and 3 spotters. Other posse chores include picking up brass & resetting steel knockdown targets.
Practicing at the Range
If you go to the range to practice, you’ll want the code to the gate. Contact the Range Officer for the current code to the gate lock. We ask that you not be on the range alone. Please bring a buddy with you in case you need emergency help.
Once inside the gate, make sure to close the gate and put the lock back in its place (turning numbers all to zero to hide the code), but DO NOT LOCK IT. If emergency help is called, you’ll want them to have easy access through the gate.
Last of all, when you leave the range, make sure the lock is fully locked and the code is not evident.
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