A renowned former army scout is hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job too well. Tom Horn finds that the simple skills he knows are of no help in dealing with the ambitions of ranchers and corrupt officials as progress marches over him and the old west.

Dare Rudd takes a shine to his cattleman cousin Tom's girlfriend who asks Tom to hire Dare to head the big cattle drive. Dare loses the money for the drive to cardsharps, but Tom wins it back, but Dare must save Tom's life.

US marshal Len Merrick saves Tim Keith from lynching at the hands of the Roden clan, and hopes to get him to Santa Loma for trial. Vindictive Ned Roden, whose son Ed was killed, still wants personal revenge, and Tim would like to escape before Ned catches up with him again. Can the marshal make it across the desert with Tim and his daughter? Even if he makes it, will justice be served?

Outlaws of the Pandhandle was the last of Charles Starrett's "formula" westerns for Columbia: hereafter, Starrett would be seen only in the guise of frontier medico Steven Monroe or masked do-gooder The Durango Kid. For the moment, however, the star is cast as Jim Endicott, bound and determined to put an end to the underhanded activities of gin-mill operator Faro Jack Vaughn (Norman Willis). The villain's strategy is to get the local cowpunchers tanked up on rotgut that they'll prove to be easy pickings for a gang of rustlers-and will be unable to complete work on a railroad spur which will bypass the outlaws' hideaway.

Rancher Clay Hardin arrives in San Antonio to search for and capture Roy Stuart, notorious leader of a gang of cattle rustlers. The vicious outlaw is indeed in the Texan town, intent on winning the affections of a beautiful chanteuse named Jeanne Starr. When the lovely lady meets and falls in love with the charismatic Hardin, the stakes for both men become higher.

Arriving at Medicine Bow, eastern schoolteacher Molly Woods meets two cowboys, irresponsible Steve and the "Virginian," who gets off on the wrong foot with her. To add to his troubles, the Virginian finds that his old pal Steve is mixed up with black-hatted Trampas and his rustlers...then finds himself at the head of a posse after said rustlers; and Molly hates the violent side of frontier life.

For revenge the outlaw Morgan steals the Carruthers young son. Seventeen years later Carruthers arrives in the valley where Morgan, his gang, and the now grown Bob hide. After Morgan shoots Tracy, he tells Bob that Carruthers did it and sends Bob out after him. But unknown to Bob, Morgan has put blanks in his gun.

The Kid and his pals are horse thieves wanted by the law. As he takes a horse from Jan Walton she makes him promise to bring it back.

Reb Russell (Reb Russell), undercover agent for the Cattleman's Protective Association, goes into the stronghold hideout of rustler chief Bull Thompson (Fred Kohler) posing as an outlaw. He falls in love with Marion, Bull's step-daughter. Juan (Dick Botiller), a gang member once jailed by Reb, reveals Reb's true identity, but he will be given his and Marion's freedom to leavy the valley if he can beat Thompson in a fight. He does, but Butch Greer (Jack Rockwell), a gang member trying to take over from Thompson leads the gang after the pair, after first revealing to Thompson that Reb is Thompson's own son, whom he last saw as a baby when Thompson, then known as Big Bill Russell,was forced to flee the law. Thompson and loyal gang member Blackie (Edmund Cobb), who was once helped by Reb, go after the gang in an effort to help Reb and Marion escape.

Texas Ranger Ranny Maitland's father is feuding with his neighbor Lockhart. Pretending to be on Lockhart's side in the feud, Ranny goes to investigate. Meanwhile is father is murdered and Lockhart arrested.

Winters is after the Brand ranch, and his man Brett who is foreman there is rustling the Brand stock. But Tom is on to their game and breaks up their attempt to buy the ranch. When they plan to rustle their horses, Tom must not only rescue Danny Brand, who is their prisoner, but stop the rustlers.

Steve Beaumont, an operative for the Cattleman's Protective Association, is assigned the difficult task of breaking up a murderous gang of rustlers led by Ed Brock and Strang. He takes Sheriff Webb, Judge Baxter, and rancher Ann Houston into his confidence, and works his way into the rustler stronghold and confidence by "turning rustler" himself.