Ambush at Cavern Cove 2002

January 25, 2021

A little more than a year removed from moving to their new range, The North Alabama Regulators finished completion of most of their major building projects they took on to build the cowboy town. With club president Cherokee Dan and match director Rip Ford leading the way, the 2002 Ambush at Cavern Cove set out to be the most fun-filled event yet.

The newly completed range included a couple of stages that only remain in photographs and memories with the cemetery being key among them.



Scheduled for October 4-6, this was the first year that Ambush stretched into the three-day format that we have come to expect from most state matches. Friday was set aside for side matches with the Main Match shot on Saturday and Sunday. The 2002 Ambush was also a twelve-stage affair with folks shooting three stages, breaking for lunch, and then shooting the remaining stages both days.

The theme for Ambush that year mirrored the previous year's story lines. You were the star of the show, living out scenes that you dreamed about living as a kid reading old western novels or watching old films or westerns on TV. You can read more about the stages in the Shooter's Book.

Stage 2 introduced the first 10-10-4 to be shot at an Ambush, although with many of the stages still shooting stationary shotgun targets, we have yet to see a 4+ designation. In total, you would need 120 pistol, 121 rifle, and 68 shotgun rounds.

The stages were typical of the era and included some on-the-clock 'cowboy action', interaction with the audience, some card flipping, stages ending with the rifle, some split pistol, and the Mystery Stage.

While we have started to see the evolution of Cowboy Action Shooting through the pages of the Ambush Shooter's Books from the past several years, there is still one thing that has been constant through them all. Each year, there are a handful of hard-working people that make the shoot possible. And, each year, folks travel from throughout the country to the hills of North Alabama to partake in the hospitality and the experience that is Ambush. I hope that you have the change to make your way to Ambush real soon and give us the chance to tell stories of old - or make some new ones - on The Firing Line.

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