Bluff City Man Follows The Cowboy Way

BRISTOL,Va. – They call him Lil’ Weasel.

He’s been known to roam the hills of the Mountain Empire with a fearsome gang known as the Greene County Regulators.

His arsenal is impressive, and his aim is true.

Meet Rufus Hurt, a 61-year-old Bluff City, Tenn., resident living out a dream in the growing sport of Cowboy Action Shooting.

“This is about as close as you can get to the Old West without a time machine,” Hurt said. “I told my wife three years ago that I was going to try it.
“I wasn’t a gun person, and I’m not a hunter. I just like the Old West.”

As a youth, Hurt was fascinated by romanticized westerns such as Gunsmoke, Bonanza and Sky King.
After discovering The Single Action Shooting Society, Hurt was hooked.

The international SASS organization, created to preserve and promote the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting, allows members to dress in authentic clothing from the late 19th Century and shoot guns (or modern replicas) from the period.

Members select an alias and compete in shooting matches, often featuring western-style storefronts.

“I’m a history student of sorts, and have tons of books in my library about lawmen and outlaws,” Hurt said. “It’s all very interesting to me.”

From books to weaponry, Hurt has become immersed in his hobby. He is a member of the Greene County Regulators, the local SASS club, and snared a big honor from a recent showdown held at Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club.

Competing against a national field of 101, Hurt won the Virginia State Championship in the senior division and finished sixth overall. Fellow Regulator, William “Big Mouth” Wallace earned a state title in the B-Western category.

“You don’t win anything in Cowboy Action Shooting except bragging rights and maybe a belt buckle or trophy, but this was a pretty big deal,” Hurt said. “We competed against some serious shooters.”

Typical competitions involve scenarios with two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun. The cowboys shoot metal targets at stages resembling a saloon, jail or bank.
The keys to success are speed, accuracy and memorization, as competitors must complete the five stages in a specific order.

“This sport really calls on hand-eye coordination, along with a certain amount of physical ability and memory,” Hurt said.

Among Hurt’s favored weapons are a version of an 1897 Winchester pump shotgun and Ruger-made replica of the famed single-action Colt handgun that historians claim won the West.

Hurt, who practices daily, takes pride in his weapons. He contacted a Missouri gunsmith to construct an octagonal barrel, and he has also had work done to lighten the springs and triggers on his handguns to promote quick and efficient use.

With 80,000 members worldwide and coverage of outdoors-themed television shows, the appeal of the Single Action Shooting Society continues to swell.

Along with his award-winning buddies such as Sunshine Billy, Ziggy the Kid and Tennessee Critter from the Greene County Regulators, Hurt has found his niche.

The Regulators gather the first Saturday of every month at their new range dubbed “Boarder Town” in Rogersville, Tenn. Thirty-five members belong to the group, which sponsors competitions that draw shooters from five states.

“We have a freight office, and we’re in the process of building other fronts for buildings you would find in an old western town,” Hurt said.
“There a lot of folks my age involved, but we also have young people and entire families of shooters. Everyone has a ball.”

Whether competing or just socializing with other modern-day cowboys, the man known as Lil’ Weasel savors his trips back to the days of a more simpler time.

“There wasn’t so much of a presence of law and order in the Old West,” Hurt said. “Each person was pretty much responsible for their own protection.
“It was a neat time of freedom.”

agregory@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2544