Cowboy Drills at Home – Train Like the Old West, with Today’s Tech

Train for End of Trail, Even Without a Horse

The End of Trail Championship, hosted by the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), is one of the most recognized Cowboy Action Shooting events in the world. Competitors advance through themed stages using revolvers, lever-action rifles, and shotguns, testing their skills in precision, transitions, and speed.

Each stage features:

  • Multiple targets placed between 5 and 75 yards

  • Sequences ranging from 12 to 30 shots

  • Transitions between handgun, rifle, and shotgun

  • Time-based scoring with penalties for misses or procedural mistakes

You can read the official match book here:
End of Trail 2022 Match Book (PDF)

With LaserHIT’s Black Steel Advanced mode, you can train for many of these pistol-based challenges using scaled targets and dry-fire routines, all from a small indoor space.

How to Set Up a Dual-Revolver Drill

Here’s how to create a classic double-duelist training session with the LaserHIT system:

Target to Choose:

Option 1

  • Two 11x17 LaserHIT targets, each with a B3 silhouette scaled 1:2

  • Set firing distance to 5 yards (simulates 10 yards)

  • Reload mark placed between targets

Option 2

  • Two 11x8.5 LaserHIT targets with B3 silhouettes scaled 1:4

  • Firing line at 10 feet (mirrors 13–14 yards of range)

Option 3

  • Multi-target layouts scaled 1:4 to 1:16

  • Firing line at 10 feet

  • Built-in reload mark

App Configuration: Black Steel Advanced Settings

  • Firing Distance: Enter 5 yards or 10 feet based on your setup

  • Units: Inch

  • On-Screen Results (enable):

    • Target index

    • Hits on target

    • Hit zone

    • Elapsed time

    • Split time

    • Highlight best result

  • Virtual Spotter: Off

  • Session Result Announcements: Optional, based on your preference

  • Common Settings:

    • Reduce hit-hole size

    • Set number of shots to 12

This setup provides zone-based visual feedback, performance tracking, and timing pressure across two active revolver targets—without needing external gear or recalibration.

From One Setup, Many Drills

This single configuration allows you to work on several core Cowboy Action Shooting elements. With two scaled targets and twelve dry-fire shots, you can build:

  • One-handed revolver shooting with both left and right hands

  • Alternating fire using shared or separate targets

  • Simultaneous fire with both hands for timing and shot balance

  • Hit zone recognition, highlighted directly on target

  • Shot timing and split tracking for pace control

  • Clear mapping of shot order, target location, and scoring zone

Training with this layout improves hand coordination, timing discipline, and transition readiness. It also supports muscle memory for stage planning under time pressure.

Example Cowboy Drills You Can Run

  • Dual-Wielding (Double Duelist): Fire one shot from each revolver at two separate targets. Train for balance and hand independence

  • Simultaneous Fire: Fire both revolvers at the same time. Focus on managing recoil and alignment

  • One-Hand to Two-Hand Transition: Begin with a single-hand hold and switch mid-drill to a two-handed grip

  • Hand Switch Drill: Fire three shots with your dominant hand, then switch to your support hand for the next three

  • Fast Draw Doubles: Practice drawing both revolvers and delivering controlled, timed shots

  • Pistol Transitions: Start with one revolver for six shots, then switch to the second for the remaining six

Each of these builds skills that are useful not only for competition but for confident, consistent pistol control.

Before You Go

LaserHIT’s Black Steel Advanced provides a practical, compact way to develop Cowboy Action Shooting skills at home.

The style may be classic, but the training is current. Figures like John Wesley Hardin and Dallas Stoudenmire relied on the same fundamentals—timing, awareness, and precision. Now, you can build the same skills, one shot at a time, right where you are.

Ivette DossComment