North Texas Society of Gunfighters

North Texas, 19th century. The saloon fell silent as the tall stranger pushed his way through the swinging doors, the ring of his spurs the only sound as he walked up to the bar. Townsfolk and cowboys alike scattered as he walked up to the outlaw drinking whiskey. The outlaw turned, and snarled out the single word "Ranger?" The stranger stared at him for a moment, then nodded. Both men stepped away from the bar, clearing the holsters each wore. Tenths of a second separated one or both of these men from death. Finally, after seconds that stretch out to hours, the outlaw twitches, and both reach for their guns at the same time...

North Texas, 21st century. Two gunfighters stand before steel targets, waiting for the signal to reach for the sixshooters on their hips. Time seems to stand still, but finally both targets light up, and two hands reach for their guns...

The North Texas Society of Gunfighters is a new club dedicated to preserving the that most sacred icon of the American West, the fast draw. We play under the rules of the Cowboy Fast Draw Association, and are currently working through the sanctioning process.

We pack a single-action .45 sixshooter, loaded with wax bullets in primed cartridges. Shooters compete against each other, drawing their guns and firing at steel targets. Time and accuracy are both critical; if one shooter tries to fire too quickly and misses, his opponent has all the time he needs to aim and hit the target.