The California Desperados Mounted Shooters are the premier club in Southern California for the exciting sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Cowboy Mounted Shooting is both a shooting sport and equestrian sport that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The Desperados take pride in outfitting themselves and their horses in authentic period clothing and tack. Single-action Colt .45 or similar revolvers are used to shoot blanks at balloon targets.
The blanks consist of a mixture of black powder, which provides a spray of about 10 to 15 feet to break the balloons. No projectiles such as ground corn cob or walnut shell are used. The California Desperados use J&B; Blanks which are made with crimped end brass no wadding.
Participants ride a timed course consisting of 10 balloons, the first five in a variable pattern and the final five in a straight line for the “rundown” to the finish.
There are seperate divisions for Novice, Intermediate, and Expert Men, and Women and Juniors. There is also a Pee-Wee division for children under 12, who run a modified course without firing.
Use this link to our current event schedule to come out and see what we are all about.