Butterfield Trail Cowboys is a SASS-affiliated Cowboy Action Shooting club located in southwest Missouri, near Branson and Walnut Shade. Our club brings together shooters who enjoy the history, firearms, clothing, stories, and spirit of the Old West.
The club was formed in 2012 by several cowboys and cowgirls who were interested in the sport and pooled their money, time, and talents to get started. With additional help from two other shooting clubs — Powder Creek Cowboys of Lenexa, Kansas, and Ozark Shooters Sports Complex — Butterfield Trail Cowboys held its inaugural shoot on March 24 and 25, 2012.
Our club’s name comes from cowboy legend and local history. The Butterfield Overland Mail Route passed through Springfield and Greene County, Missouri. The first outward-bound stage made its scheduled stop on Springfield’s public square on September 17, 1858, an event celebrated that evening with fireworks and general revelry. The eastbound stage arrived the following month, on October 22. The Butterfield Overland Mail Company Station at the Ray House later had a tragic front-row seat during the Civil War Battle of Wilson’s Creek.
Today, Butterfield Trail Cowboys keeps that Old West spirit alive through Cowboy Action Shooting. At a typical match, competitors use single-action revolvers, lever-action rifles, and side-by-side or pump shotguns to shoot a series of timed, Old West-themed stages. The shooting is competitive, but the heart of the sport is safety, friendly competition, good-natured fun, and time spent with good people.
Our primary goal is safety — first, last, and always. We want every participant and visitor to have a great time while they are here.
Whether you are an experienced Cowboy Action Shooter, a traveling SASS member, someone curious about the sport, or simply a spectator who wants to watch, we invite you to come on out. Strap on a pair of six-guns, grab your rifle and shotgun, and help us defend and protect the true “Cowboy” spirit — or just come by, meet the folks, and enjoy the fun.