Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. from Gunbroker.com. In addition to the very consequential purchase of multiple firearms, cowboy-action shooting is an ammunition-intensive enterprise. Although some shooters buy factory ammunition, most get into reloading fairly quickly. “We sell a lot of reloading components,” Gordon said. “At a one-day match, a shooter will go through 50 rounds of pistol ammunition, 50 rounds of rifle ammunition and a box of shotgun shells. At a two-day match, it’s double that. At a three-day match, it’s The Ruger New Vaquero includes color-case blued, stainless steel and engraved models in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt calibers. three times that. And that doesn’t include going out to practice.” It’s not just about guns and ammunition, Gordon says. There’s also leather to consider. “We have a full line of holsters and cartridge belts for rifle and pistol ammo and for shotgun shells,” Gordon said. “We buy leather that’s made locally at Old Pueblo Leather, which is also nationally known.” Other popular brands include Rustedfables, Circle KB, Mernickle and M. Shelhart. Many more brands can be found once you start looking. Getting outfitted for cowboy-action shooting is also about the dress. “The shooter has to dress correctly to the period,” Gordon said. “No ball caps, no short-sleeved shirts — everything has to be reasonably period-correct.” Gordon doesn’t get into period clothing. Instead, he has a short list of stores and Web sites where he sends customers. “One place we direct customers to is Wild West Mercantile in Phoenix,” he said. “They have an extensive line of clothes and a very nice Web site. Some western wear shops have a few items that will work, but not a lot.” Here’s another advantage to being on the Web sites mentioned above. Not only do they contain lists of gun shops that carry cowboy-action guns, but clothing stores are also listed. Across the country in Baton Rouge, La., Jim McClain, owner of Jim’s Firearms, has a somewhat different perspective on the cowboy-action phenomenon. Although he doesn’t sell nearly as much cowboy-action gear as Thunderstick Trading Co., he says cowboy action is a sport that’s growing in his area. McClain said he sees two different categories of cowboy-action shooters. One is the die-hard, full-bore shooter who wants one of everything — the same kind of shooter Thunderstick Trading Company is serving. “Those customers get into cowboyaction shooting wholeheartedly, with the clothing and everything,” McClain said. “They want everything that goes with it.” The second category of shooter, however, is the more casual shooter. “There are a lot of people who like to shoot cowboy action, but who don’t dress up,” McClain said. “They don’t get all Be Accommodating ” www.shootingindustry.com Circle No. 203 on Inquiry Card OCTOBER 2008 39