Howdy!
Welcome to the Sport of Cowboy Fast Draw! The Cowboy Fast Draw Association, LLC is the largest organization devoted to the Sport of Fast Draw to ever exist. We have signed up over 3,000 members as of 2012. Our Motto is: Safety First, Fun Second and Competition Third. Not that our competitions aren’t important, we shoot hundreds of events a year for prize money, prizes and titles. It’s just that we place sportsmanship and fun above the competition itself, and place safety above all.
Welcome to the Sport of Cowboy Fast Draw! The Cowboy Fast Draw Association, LLC is the largest organization devoted to the Sport of Fast Draw to ever exist. We have signed up over 3,000 members as of 2012. Our Motto is: Safety First, Fun Second and Competition Third. Not that our competitions aren’t important, we shoot hundreds of events a year for prize money, prizes and titles. It’s just that we place sportsmanship and fun above the competition itself, and place safety above all.
CFDA has about 70 affiliated clubs across North America and several countries, new clubs are forming constantly through CFDA’s “Club in the Works” program.
The Cowboy Fast Draw Association administrates the rules to the sport, sanctions contests, conducts a CFDA Range Officer Program, and maintains a Youth Safety Training Program. One of our primary goals is to educate as many people as possible in the safe and proper use of firearms. Because our sport can be conducted at almost any location due to the wax bullets that we use and the backstops our clubs construct, our events are held in many public venues. We consider ourselves ambassadors of the Cowboy Way and Gun Safety to the public who are spectators at our events.
About CFDA Management
You might say this all started in 1873 with Colt’s release of the Peacemaker. In the era of 1873 through the 1890’s, the Romance and Legend of the American West was unlike any other culture in the world; this time period is the premise for Cowboy Fast Draw. We use the best equipment available of the 1800’s: single action revolvers and center fire cartridges. We’re out to capture the feel of the Peacemaker in your hand, the smell of holster leather, and the exhilaration of reacting as fast as you dare while remaining cool-headed enough to hit your mark as you compete head to head in classic old west fashion. In Cowboy Fast Draw we can find out how we would have shot in the 1800’s with gunfighter period guns and rigs.
Cowboy Fast Draw L.L.C. is the newest and oldest shooting sport today. It is a timed sport using single action .45 caliber western style six shooters. It’s as exciting as dropping the clutch on a dragster. Check out the announcements on the events page to see where you can attend a Cowboy Fast Draw competition.
Ammunition: Wax Bullets Only! .45 colt, is the only caliber allowed in Cowboy Fast Draw. This is for three reasons: #1. At major contests, the host supplies all of the ammunition and there is no way to accommodate multiple calibers. #2. Wax bullets are very light and smaller calibers would increase velocities significantly, which would create a competitive advantage. #3. Historically, the Colt Peacemaker was introduced in .45 colt and that is what our sport is based upon.
90% of Cowboy Fast Draw is done with special .45 colt casings that are modified to accept 209 shotgun primers, with no powder. These alone propel the 18 grain .45 wax bullets at approximately 650 feet per second. Therefore, they must be handled with extreme care. In CFDA Titled Championships, Cowboy Fast Draw Cartridges are usually supplied in .45 colt casings with a small charge of Hodgdon Triple 7 Black Powder Substitute, they are carefully loaded by CFDA approved personnel to move just slightly faster than the Shotgun Primer loads.
90% of Cowboy Fast Draw is done with special .45 colt casings that are modified to accept 209 shotgun primers, with no powder. These alone propel the 18 grain .45 wax bullets at approximately 650 feet per second. Therefore, they must be handled with extreme care. In CFDA Titled Championships, Cowboy Fast Draw Cartridges are usually supplied in .45 colt casings with a small charge of Hodgdon Triple 7 Black Powder Substitute, they are carefully loaded by CFDA approved personnel to move just slightly faster than the Shotgun Primer loads.
Guns: STOCK .45 caliber single actions with minimum barrel length of 4.5″, with no external alterations other than smoothing the hammer knurling. No aluminum barrels or cylinders. Front sights are optional. Actions jobs that do not alter the factory-designed external operation of the six-gun are fine.
Shooting Style: Thumbing and fanning, trigger finger must be outside of the trigger guard. If fanning the fanning hand may not be placed in front of the shooter’s body before the start light comes on.
Holsters: Pre 1900 style Mexican Loop or Slim Jim. No steel liners. Holsters will be worn on the side of the leg. No cross draws.
The Target: 24″ (60.96cm) round disc, start light in the center, with a lexan lens. The target will measure 50″ (1.27m) to center from the ground. Targets are black with white lithium grease applied to the target to verify all hits. There is a sensor attached to the back of the target which detects a hits which are then displayed on digital timers. Target distances are 15’(4.57m), 18’(5.49m) , and 21’(6.40m); with 21’ being CFDA Titled Championship Distance.
Time Clocks: Must time to the thousandth of a second. The CFDA Mercantile features a complete line of timing equipment, called the Gunslinger Cowboy Fast Draw Timer. Quick Draw Electronics is the only other timers currently being produced. All timers must be approved by CFDA.
Contests: Contests are conducted elimination style, normally best 3 out of 5 between two contestants. The loser of a round receives an “X”. In major competitions when a competitor receives 4-X’s they are eliminated from the contest. However, CFDA has several elimination formats that are very popular in club and regional formats.
Clothing: Western-Style Clothing is an essential part of the atmosphere we create. Late 1800’s period clothing is the theme. No Tennis Shoes, ball caps, short sleeve shirts, or sponsor logos are permitted.
Alias: Selecting an Alias is a big part of what makes Cowboy Fast Draw so fun! Your alias may not be duplicated once it is registered with CFDA.
About CFDA Management
The Cowboy Fast Draw Association is a limited liability company. At this time, CFDA is a family-owned sporting association. There are only two such organizations that are known to exist, CFDA and NASCAR. While it is run as a business organization, it depends on contributions from volunteers and a system of CFDA Affiliated Clubs throughout the U.S.. Once a year, representatives from each affiliated club called U.S. Marshals, who also must be Life Members of CFDA, gather at the Annual Marshal’s Muster held at the Fastest Gun Alive – World Championship. This round table discussion meeting is chaired by the Executive Director, where agenda items are discussed. The input from U.S. Marshals is critical in decisions of CFDA.
Executive Director: Cal Eilrich a.k.a. Quick Cal, CFDA #L9
Executive Director, Quick Cal has been involved in competitive shooting sports since age 15 (1968). Not only has he had an amazing career as a competitive shooter in 4 major shooting sports, he also has perhaps the most extensive resume and background in the management of shooting sports, range officer programs, and administration of championship shooting tournaments in the history of shooting sports.
Quick Cal’s vision is to build CFDA into an organization that “Honors the Romance and Legends of the American Old West, grows to ten of thousands of members, and will by enjoyed by future generations to come. His lifelong goal has been to educate as many people as possible in the safe and proper use of firearms.
(See Quick Cal’s Extensive Biographies)
Director (Membership & Products): Dinah Eilrich a.k.a. Alotta Lead, CFDA #L37
Alotta Lead is the Membership Director of CFDA. She works in the CFDA Office daily and is the friendly voice for members and clubs to communicate with. She also is currently in charge of processing all product orders, and assists Quick Cal on general management issues on an ongoing basis.
Alotta Lead is also a champion shooter in her own right and has competed in shooting sports since 1979. She has won 11 World Fast Draw Championships, over 10 National Championships, and countless State and Regional Titles. Alotta Lead was also a champion SASS shooter, including the Nevada State Champion.
Director (Media): Erika Frisk a.k.a. Hannah Calder, CFDA #L46
Hannah Calder is the Editor of the Gunslinger’s Gazette, and handles advertising accounts. She is also in charge of CFDA Social Media assets, including the CFDA Website and CFDA Facebook Page.
As Quick Cal and Alotta Lead’s daughter, she was introduced to competitive shooting at age 10. She won a Women’s A Class World Championship at age 14. She and her husband Crossfire Calhoun have competed in both CFDA & SASS.
They are excited that their two children are almost old enough to start competing in CFDA.
Director (Quarter Master): C.J. Eilrich a.k.a. Dead Eye Kid, CFDA #L49
Dead Eye Kid is in charge of accounting and providing for all physical CFDA equipment, trailers, storage and construction. He is the ground manager for the FGA and is in charge of set-up and tear-down.
He also manufactures Dead Eye Wax and CFDA Targets that are sold in the CFDA General Store, and also assists in the shipping department. Dead Eye Kid is also an accomplished pistol smith and specializes in six-guns for both CFDA & SASS.
Dead Eye Kid started competitive shooting at age 12 and won a B-Class Men’s World Championship at age 12. He was also a top SASS shooter winning two state championships in his category. In CFDA, he placed 6th Overall in the 2015 National Championship.
He enjoys CFDA with his son Sheriff Rango, who won the 2015 Youth National Championship. His wife, Jackie Daniels works with Alotta Lead and Hannah Calder at the FGA and will begin shooting soon, as their young daughters become shooting age.
