We see a lot of stages that shooters submit for use in our matches
(Potomac Rangers of Southern Maryland, and the Damascus Wildlife
Rangers). It’s rare that we get one that doesn’t need to be rewritten
for some reason or another. The most common reason is that the stage
description is incomplete in some way. In order to reduce the amount
of time that we spend rewriting stages, we thought it would be helpful
to put together some guidelines for writing stages. We hope that this
list is going to be helpful to aspiring stage writers.
There are many rules and "guidelines" for cowboy action stages. The
SASS Level II R.O. Course is an excellent prerequisite to preparing
stages. Here are some do's, don'ts, and tips.
Do's
Be very specific, in the stage description.
The placement of each firearm, start position, round counts for each
firearm, shooting location and positions, shooting sequence and any
extra safety measures must be included. If the stage description does
not indicate where the hands start, then the shooter can be anywhere,
including on their first firearm. "Shooter starts with both hands
touching the brim of their hat. Rifle staged in the far right hand
side of the barn on the hay bale, barrel pointed downrange, loaded
with 10 rounds and hammer on an empty chamber...."
Be very specific on movement. This is for safety as well as
assuring that all of the posse's will interpret the stage in the same
way. When shooting around props, be sure to provide an easily
understandable location, like “to the right of the barrel, through
the left window, with both feet inside the doorway.” If necessary,
paint a shooting box on the ground.
In the stage direction, always mention: pistols with the hammer
down on an empty chamber, rifle with the hammer down on an empty
chamber and shotgun staged action open and empty. When finished
shooting, always say set rifle down with the action open and the
chamber empty and the shotgun is action open and cleared. If guns are
staged on a prop, always describe where they go when finished, either
holster, back on prop, or shooters choice. If it is safe, it is better
to have them holster because it saves time when the shooter is
finished. It may not sound like much but a few seconds for each
shooter can mount up over the course of a day. Clear instructions also
eliminate the questions like “where do I put the handguns when I'm
done”.
If the stage description includes, “shoot two rounds with the
rifle and move forward”, you must be very clear how the shooter is to
proceed. Either open the action and leave it open as you move or move
with the hammer on the spent round. You should also write in a caution
on this movement and add the description of the penalty or what to do
if you lever another round before moving (shoot the chambered round
and proceed). A stage like this is fun but is also a procedural
maker.
Always consider cross draw holsters. If the shooter is to shoot
sitting down, their cross draw gun must be staged so they do not break
the 170 when drawing. If one handgun is used elsewhere, it can be
specified, in the stage description, that the strong side handgun must
be drawn while seated, or the weak side pistol starts staged.
Make the stages cowboy. Include cowboy activities found around a
ranch, in town, at the saloon, fishing or on a cattle drive.
Everything does not have to start out as an Indian attack.
Use small props for the hands: cards, ropes, boxes, sacks,
lanterns, shovels, rakes, hammers, spades, crates, books, musical
instruments, paint brushes etc. Be specific with the instructions, as
to where you want the hand held prop to go after the buzzer.
When writing stages, anticipate what a "gamer" is going to ask. If
you do that, you can eliminate a lot of time consuming questions for
the posse leader.
Make all shooter movement lateral or farther downrange.
List the shooting sequence on the stage picture. Use R for rifle,
S for shotgun and P for pistol rounds. This makes it easier for the
posse leader to describe the stage. It also eliminates
“interpretation”.
After you have written a stage, go over it and make sure the
sequence matches the picture and the fired rounds match the round
count. It is helpful to have someone else go over them.
Always run the stage through, mentally, to visualize any safety
problems for the shooter, spotters and timer. Some props limit
visibility and can cause a hazardous situation for the spotter.
Anticipate the location for spotters, if necessary modify the stage
so a proper hit count can be done safely. Some props are elevated and
can create an unusual "170" situation with the area below the shooter.
Consider, juniors, ladies, cross draw holsters, those shooting
Gunfighter, black powder shooters (paper props can catch on fire,
enclosed spaces can create a smoke hazard) side by side and pump/lever
shotguns and tall vs short shooters.
Use bold letters to draw attention to special safety items.
Don't's:
NEVER have the shooter move with a cocked
firearm.
NEVER have the shooter move away from the firing line (toward the
observers) with a long gun or handgun in their hand.
NEVER have the shooter turn toward the observers with a firearm in
their hand.
NEVER have the shooter move toward the observers to a new shooting
position, and have them draw a handgun. Breaking the 170 is a real
possibility in these situations.
NEVER have the shooter draw a cross draw handgun from a sitting
position.
If a shooter is to move farther down range during the course of a
stage, make sure they or the posse workers (RO and spotters) do not
have to pass in front of any staged firearms, empty or not.
Avoid situations where maintaining the 170 is difficult for the
shooter.
Do not write a stage that puts spotters or the timer in jeopardy.
When there is a lot of movement the stage needs to have sufficient
space for the RO and the spotters to follow along with the action
safely.
Unless you have a small number of shooters, do not have a five
shot reload on a pistol. You can add almost a minute, per the average
shooter. It also creates five more rounds for the brass pickers to
find. If you have a posse of 15 shooters, it will add that many
minutes to the stage. A one round reload or the loading of an empty
gun is much faster and just as much fun. If you eliminated the shotgun
or rifle on a full pistol reload, it would be OK.
Do not have elements of chance that give an advantage or
disadvantage to a shooter. Every shooter should shoot the same targets
and have the same movements. For example, don’t have a roll of a dice
indicate that the shooter should engage farther out or smaller or
larger targets.
Limit kneeling, laying down (with a get back up during the stage),
squatting etc. to one stage per match. It is an extreme disadvantage
for many and can create additional safety hazards.
General Tips:
If you have the shooter say a line, put it
on the stage sheet in BOLD ITALIC LETTERS so it is easy to find. It
will be asked half a dozen times and if it is easy to find it saves
time. A good idea is to title the stage with the line the shooter will
be using. If you use lines, keep them consistent throughout the whole
day. Make them all before the buzzer, or all after the buzzer. It
saves a lot of questions for the posse leader and speeds things up.
Always list the round counts separately off in a corner of the paper. It makes it simple to find and broadcast without having to read through the stage to find the information.
When there is lateral movement try to have it go toward the unloading table, it speeds things up the stage.
Generally have the shotgun last. This makes getting the last shot on the timer easier. It can get boring that way - but with some range designs it could help keep the RO from getting in the shooters way.
Try to avoid ending a stage with the rifle. It can be difficult for the timer to pick up rifle shots.
Keep it simple. Avoid complicated shooting sequences. It really slows down the stage briefing. Any posse leader will know that a certain stage is going to take a lot longer because he/she will wind up explaining the stage 20 times because it has a complicated shooting sequence. If you want to mix it up a bit, make the rifle sequence the same as the pistol, making it easier to remember. The object is to have fun, not to create a procedural trap.
Keep the story lines to a stage short. Most shooters need enough to get the feel of the stage but don't necessarily need a history lesson.
When writing stages, we generally begin with a prop or activity. After choosing the prop or activity, write the stage around it.
Chuckaroo and I disagree on this point. We like to have the shooter say something at every stage. However, Chuckaroo prefers that the line be before the beep as it lets the RO know that the shooter is ready. I prefer it after the beep because it keeps the shooter from anticipating the beep and going for the first gun too early.
This is a family game - keep the lines and scenario language clean. Err on the side of caution.
As shoots get bigger, time becomes a problem. What worked with 65 shooters at a match does not work well with 100 or more. Simple things can really add time to the stage. Complicated shooting sequences add the most time. Anything that adds 45 seconds per shooter should be avoided. If you double them up with a complicated sequence and a 5 shot reload, you are going to have a big back up. The same can be said for having a stage that is too quick. If you have a stage that includes going downrange to reset targets, you need to avoid anything else that will add time to that stage. In other words, no reloads on that stage, moderate movement, and four shotguns rounds or less.
High numbers of shotgun rounds (8 or more) add a lot to the posse's time on a stage. Side by side users generally take a long time, on average, to load and fire 8 rounds of shotgun. It is also hard on some juniors and female shooters. Not that it isn't a good idea, but it should be done sparingly and when the extra time is not adding to another stage action like a pistol or rifle reload.
Mix the stages up so that some are Gunfighter friendly and some are not. Shooting the pistols back to back all the time gets boring and separating them by a long gun is one way to change the perceived variation of a shooting sequence.
Use simple everyday props. During the summer months it is easier on the set up crew and takes up little space. Also, during the summer months skim back the round counts on rifles and shotguns. Eight or nine rifle rounds and four shotgun rounds instead of ten and six will make a big difference in the length of time you are in the sun, but a minor difference on the fun meter. On a posse of 15, if you had a stage with only 8 rifle rounds, instead of 10, you save looking for 30 pieces of brass. It does not sound like much but it makes a difference when the weather is very hot.
Have good sturdy rest for the long guns.
Have props that are not going to create a hazard for the shooter, RO, or counters.
Stage writers must be familiar with the range they are writing the stages for. Berms, backstops, trees, valleys, obstructions and terrain all factor into how safely a stage will run. Some layouts require special instructions and limit the stage design. Stage one at Damascus might not work at the St. Charles Sportsmans Club without modifications.
Review over and over all safety aspects of the stage. Final OK of the stage is actually done on the posse leader walk through. The walk through makes sure all posse leaders understand the stage the same way and all have a chance to double check for safety items or concerns.
If you have someone that wants to write stages, have them start with only one stage. Let them know your requirements and see how they do. It is not an easy job. Several folks have sent us stages but, frankly, unless they have doing this for a few years, they require as much effort to rewrite as to start from scratch.
Writers should have your prop and target inventory.
Make sure each stage is complete and fits on 1 page. Title, setup diagram, scenario, round counts and starting position for guns, starting position of shooter, full engagement directions, etc.
Remember that each stage may be re-written by the Match Director, so don't get too attached to the stage that you write. Stages are generally rewritten for safety, time, or if they are not complete.
Each stage must be for time. Many shooters that attend are competitors and competing is part of the fun. Each of us has a different attitude toward the game. Some are just out for fun; others like competition for fun and don't enjoy stages that don't get counted toward the final score.
Partner stages add a new dimension to a shoot. Make sure to have a random method of determining partners (draw from a deck and matching numbers are partners). In addition, make sure that there is an RO per partner. One RO can’t watch two people at once.
As a final word, we cannot express enough how important it is for the stage instructions to be specific. Specific in all movement, placement of firearms before and after shooting, hands before the buzzer and the actual shooting sequence. If that is clear at start of the reading, the posse leader will have a good day and the number of additional questions will be minimal.
Following is a well-written stage. It fits on one page. Shooter instructions are clear, leaving no room for ambiguity. The description lays out starting position, engagement instructions, and all the other elements of a stage. This stage was used by the Potomac Rangers of Southern Maryland, as written, at the July 14, 2001 shoot at the St. Charles Sportsmans Club. Feel free to use it!
Stage Description:
Here's a complete stage description. Feel free to use it! Note: the diagram has been left out.
It’s late at night and you’ve had more than a few too many! The bartender decides to have the sheriff toss ya out. When he lays hands on you, you throw the closest bottle at him.
2 Pistols loaded with 5 rounds each, holstered, hammers resting on empty chambers.
Rifle loaded with 9 rounds, hammer on the empty chamber, staged on the table.
Shotgun staged on the table, 4 rounds to be loaded from the cigar box.
Shooter starts with both hands resting on the table. After the buzzer, pick up the empty bottle and throw it at the center pistol target. If you hit it, you get a 5 second bonus. Draw your first pistol and triple tap the left target and double tap the center target. Holster. Pick up your rifle and triple tap the rifle targets from left to right. Restage the rifle on the table, action open and empty. Draw your second pistol and triple tap the right target and double tap the center. Holster. Pick up your shotgun and sweep the targets from left to right twice, shells to be pulled from the cigar box.
Round Count:
Pistol: 10
Rifle: 9
Shotgun: 4 – Shells staged in the cigar box.
Note: the bottle is a plastic 20 oz soda bottle, partly filled with water. Make sure to have a few spares on hand in case the splatter breaks a bottle and the water leaks out. |
