The holster rig is not an accessory. It's the foundation. Everything about how you draw, how you carry, and how you look as a backyard cowboy runs through the rig. Get it wrong and every draw feels like a fight. Get it right and the gun practically comes out on its own.
There are more holster options than there are cowboys to fill them. Strong side, cross draw, shoulder, drop leg, Mexican loop, slim jim, California — the list goes on. Most backyard cowboys need exactly one rig to start. Here's how to pick it, set it up, and break it in.
What You'll Need
- — A gun — know your make and barrel length before buying any holster. A holster made for a 4.75" barrel won't work on a 7.5".
- — A belt — a real gun belt, not a dress belt. Leather, at least 1.5" wide, stiff enough to hold the weight without folding.
- — Neatsfoot oil or leather conditioner — new leather holsters need breaking in before they're any good
Choose Your Carry Position
Strong side (3–4 o'clock position) is where most cowboys start and most stay. Gun on your dominant side, butt angled slightly back. Natural reach, clean draw stroke, works with every technique from fast draw to hip shooting.
Cross draw (left side for a right-handed shooter) is the mounted cowboy's carry — easier to draw from horseback, more comfortable sitting. Cross draw looks great and is legitimately fast once you've built the muscle memory. It's also the carry position of choice if you spend a lot of time behind a desk or in a truck.
For backyard shooting, strong side is the right starting point. Learn the strong-side draw cold before you experiment with anything else.
Set the Ride Height and Cant
Ride height is how high or low the holster sits on your belt. Too high and your elbow is chicken-winging on the draw. Too low (the action-hero drop-leg) and the gun is at your knee, which looks cool in movies and is impractical everywhere else. The sweet spot: grip of the gun at or just below your natural wrist-hang when your arm is relaxed at your side.
Cant is the forward or backward angle of the holster. Most cowboy-style holsters have a slight forward cant built in — it tilts the butt toward your hand for a cleaner grip. Too much cant and your wrist has to break on the draw. Start neutral and adjust from there.
Break It In
A new leather holster is stiff, tight, and will fight you. This is normal and temporary. Condition the leather with neatsfoot oil, work the gun in and out a hundred times, and give it a week of regular use. A properly broken-in holster conforms to your specific gun and becomes faster and smoother than anything off a rack. This is why cowboys get attached to their rigs.
"A good rig disappears. You stop thinking about the holster and start thinking about the shot."
Pro Tips
Buy leather. Nylon holsters are cheaper and fine for range use, but they don't break in, don't look right, and don't last. A good leather holster outlasts the gun it was made for.
Match the holster to your gun exactly. A holster made for a Colt SAA will not fit a Ruger Vaquero the same way, even though the guns look similar. Barrel length, cylinder diameter, and grip frame all vary. Get the right fit.
One rig to start. It's tempting to buy three holsters trying to find the perfect one. Get a good strong-side leather holster, live in it for six months, then decide if you want anything else. You probably won't.
The right holster rig turns a gun into a part of your body. When it fits right and sits right and draws right, you stop being a guy with a gun and start being a cowboy with one. That's the whole difference.
The Backyard Cowboy
March 13, 2026