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AAR: Riley, IN - Nov. 28-29, 2009

Started by techres, November 30, 2009, 07:14:34 PM

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techres

AAR: Riley, IN - Nov. 28-29, 2009
Saturday

I rolled into Riley just as the sun was coming up.  There was a line of vehicles waiting for me as the other trainers and students had beat me to the range.  Hawkhavn and crew immediately set to getting the line going while others got registration under way.

Soon we were doing our introductions and safety briefing before getting our gear and rifles down to the line.

We quickly moved into the course of instruction, including positions and sling use:



Over and over we worked on the five square targets tightening groups through proper sling use, 6 steps of firing the shot, NPOA and body positioning.  And finally, the students got a chance to learn IMC and finally get to make sight adjustments:



While a nippy day at first, it warmed up on us and the sun became an issue glinting off of front sight posts.  For one AR shooter we rigged up a sight hood out of duct tape and cardboard from a federal .22lr box.




After some much needed history and lunch, we were ready to get back to business.  First off was Ball & Dummy.  Students took on the role of teachers in turn looking for the mistakes that ruin shooting.  Here are two students working the drill under the careful instruction of Orange hat .5:




All day long the students worked on what they had learned and built up the next block in their tower of learning.  Each new block was following with actual practice of that part plus all that had come before:








Soon we were racing against the setting sun and had to push alot of training into a shorter day.  The students held in tight and did great when we finally got them into standing and sitting positions:



By the end of the day, with instructors grading and students shooting, we were able to just squeeze in 3 AQT's and the final read coat.  Quickly we pulled our rifles and equipment off the line and moved back into the warm clubhouse.  

By then the AQT's had been scored and we had two Riflemen:





Congrats to both shooters!  But an especially congrats to the shooter from Illinois who came over and scored at this, his second Appleseed.  That is impressive, I know it took me more shoots than that!

It was now dark and time to get dinner, rest, and some advil for those aching muscles.


Night of the HAMs

Usually we have a campfire and talk fun during it.  After a superb dinner at the Mexican restaurant, we returned to the range and, since there was a critical mass of HAM radio operators on hand, there was suddenly a HAM fest:




Before you knew it, a portable tower was up:




And we were online with the world without any need for being online:




You never know what you will learn on a Saturday night at an Appleseed.  That holds true for even for me as a green hat.  I wish I had not been so completely wiped as HootersBilly took me through all sorts of ham information and use.  He was very, very patient with my droopy eyes.  I had been up since 5 am and so had he so he understood.


Sunday

Sunday was a cold and rainy day with shooters working prone in puddles and shooters circling up under the one canopy.



Even the shoot boss got to see how waterproof that green hat is:



The day was a hammering of AQT's.  After a Red Coat and a five square to get zero'ed, we were back in the game.




On Sunday we had Mudcat and his family come up to shoot.  Normally most of his family is wearing orange hats and is teaching, but on this day they were working on their own skills while those who had not gotten their patches tried again.

PT6 and .5 also joined the line to work on their personal skills as well.  .5 in particular was working on getting over the hump and completing her Rifleman patch:




After lunch, it was back to Ball & Dummy.  Here Bill Of Rights is keeping an eye on students who now know the drill and are doing great on their own:



And Bill3 as well:



Our number of instructors to students was very high and at one point we were near 1:1 :




And we even put some istructors on the mat to get them some trigger time.  (We are all willing to show and practice right along side students):




Here is .5 with her patented sitting position that only the young and limber can do!




We hammered AQT after AQT's and before long we had another Rifleman (INGO's own Lars!):



Now I want to congratulate Lars for working through mechanical failures, eye problems, and a completely wet front half of his body all in order to do something that few get to claim - scoring Rifleman the first time out.  My hat is off to you sir!

But that was not all, had more and kept going through the heavy rain to find another.  This riflewoman has been working on this score for some time in the midst of her work as an IIT herself.  But she has made it - our own .5 with a 210.  Her personal trainer and dad are there with her:




I need to mention that even when it is raining, we do the tradition of pouring water on anyone who scores 210 exactly when they make it for the first time.

Then,  just before the day ended, and in the midst of the storm, we had one more riflewoman.  With her husband presenting and her son applying, she got also got a 210 and her husband (NEOCON) and son were there to give her all 210 out of her 210:





And that water was far colder than the water falling from the sky.

With the last AQT and Read coat, the end of the day was upon us.  We quickly tore down the line and got all our soaking equipment back to the clubhouse and there we finished out our day.  

As a last, surprise hatting as NEOCON got his much earned green hat! (Note: the promotion was at a previous seed)




Final Comments

This was a great shoot.  It was a small but tight group that worked hard and had much to be proud of.  From those that earned patches, to those that hammered through two days of tough training, to those that worked through repeated mechanical issues, from all of you all I got was good listening, hard work, and many smiles.

The people who come out any Appleseed are good and fine folk.  Those that come out to a cold, wet Appleseed in November are not only fine, they are hearty and dedicated.

It was my honor to instruct each and every one of you.




Techres
Appleseed: Bringing the Past into the Present to save our Future.

DaveD


Sorry I missed this one, even getting soaked!    :'(

Congratulations .5 on that Rifleman score.  You've worked hard for that one.   O0

Mudcat you look good in Green, as does DAve in Red!

And congratulations to all those new Rifleman and women

Anyone up for a December, January, or February Mini?  You may not get wet (can't guarantee that) but will probably get colder.     :o
"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind."

                                           Thomas Jefferson

LayloPro

#2
Great shoot, guys & gals!! O0

It warms my heart out here to hear about your efforts, and persistence, in creating Riflemen & women during a "not so great weather" AS......

You all did great!! And the promotions are also a very good thing!! You guys have got it going on!! O0 <:) O0

Keep up the good work!!

LayloPro
"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

Lars

Saturday November 28th, 2009, was a chilly morning: about forty degrees or so in Riley, Indiana. I arrived at the range at about 8:15 am, not fully knowing what to expect. What I did know is that I arrived as a cook. I fully expected to learn about the first two or three days of the American Revolution and how to correctly shoot a rifle.

Prior to this day I had gone to the range and shot a rifle, any rifle, perhaps on four or maybe five occasions. I knew I didn't know how to shoot a rifle because at 25 feet, I shot more accurately with my 9mm Glock Pistol than I did with the 5.45x39mm AK-74. I had less than 1500 rounds down range total through any firearm with a barrel longer than 5". I was certainly a cook.

Registration for this Appleseed event was pretty simple for me. The Shoot Boss for the weekend invited me as his guest, so I just had to show up and sign my life away in the form of a liability waver. When I arrived there were already several people with red hats on that indicated they were Instructors for the shoot. I also recognized the guy in the green "Shoot Boss" hat as the guy who invited me to come.

After everyone arrived and was checked in we discussed a little bit about what Appleseed is. Or rather I should say they started with a rather long list of things Appleseed is not. If any of the list of things Appleseed is not is of particular interest to you, "That's fine, just don't talk about it today, nor tomorrow." was the instruction given. What Appleseed is is a FANTASTIC organization of volunteers working to teach Americans about the great history of our country in its earliest days and to teach Americans some of the basic skills that not fifty years ago all Americans sill possessed. Through this education they hope to help us wake up and take action: help teach other Americans and get involved in the local, state, or federal level. They see the greatest threat to our nation as being nothing more sinister than the sofa in your living room. Through inaction we stand to lose the things our forefathers bled starting in April 1775.

I said earlier that when I arrived I knew only that I would arrive a cook. I only knew that because I had spent a little bit of time on the Appleseed website before coming to the shoot. The following quote is from the front page of The Appleseed Project "In short, a rifleman is an armed American, trained in the tradition of American Liberty. It's a man who has learned to shoot a rifle accurately -- accurate enough to score 'expert' on the Army Qualification Course. Until you can do that, you're considered a 'Cook,' unprepared and unqualified to carry a rifle on the firing line of freedom." I knew coming in I wasn't qualified to carry a rifle. That's the primary reason I decided to attend this event. I want to learn the skills my forefathers knew.

When we got done with the safety briefing we walked down to the range and set up our shooting mats, laid out our rifles, and pasted up our first target: a "red coat target," we were told. We would shoot this as a baseline with no instruction and then at the end of the day we would shoot it again to help gauge our improvement.

I don't want to give away the whole training, but I can say that I learned more about the mechanics of accurate rifle shooting than I previously thought existed. I learned how to use a sling as an aid to accurate shooting. I learned how to get into the Prone, Sitting, and Standing positions and how to use them to shoot more accurately. I also learned how to zero a rifle's scope in 10 rounds or under using, GASP, math!

By the end of the first day I was still a Cook. I had shot a 200 and a 202 as my best AQTs. To score rifleman a score of 210 must be achieved. In all, I loved my first day on the range with this group of gentlemen. I was told Advil was to be my best friend, and they didn't lie. It didn't help that around 15:30 I got hit with a migraine. By 17:30 it was a rip-roaring migraine.

As a group, most of us went to a small Mexican restaurant after the shoot and had dinner. When I left I hit Wal-Mart for some Advil and snacks for the following day. When I got back to my Hotel room I took some of the Advil, got a hot shower, and went to bed.

Sunday was far less instruction, more history, and a LOT more AQTs. My first two AQTs I either disqualified myself by not being able to count or was disqualified because someone else shot my target for me putting 20 holes in a target that should have 10. In any case I learned that one of my problems is my eyes. I have a difficult time while in prone seeing the blade of the front sight and the target down range through the very top edge of my glasses. I made an equipment change after lunch to a rifle with a scope on it. With help from the shoot boss we got it zeroed in record time. My very next AQT felt fantastic.

A couple hours later I found out it felt even more fantastic than I thought. I had scored a 211 and earned the Rifleman's patch! This really made the aches, pains, and cold weather worth it. The second AQT after lunch included rain. I'll tell you going to sitting or prone on your now completely drenched shooting mat is far from comfortable, however our forefathers would have done it for our country, and I felt it was my duty to do it as well (not to mention if I needed to shoot in the rain in the future, it is better to learn to do it when it doesn't count). I shot two rounds of AQTs in the rain scoring a 200 and a 186. The 186 was after the hump in the afternoon and shot with a very wet reticle on the scope.

To the fine folks who put on this Appleseed, I'd like to extend a HUGE thank you. To the shooters I met Saturday and Sunday, it was fantastic to meet you. I look forward to the next time our paths cross, hopefully at another Appleseed! To Techres and Mudcat, I'd like to extend an extra special thank you. First: Techres for inviting me to come, loaning me your rifle, ammunition, sling, and a lot of your time and experience. To Mudcat: for loaning me the rifle with the scope, because if I don't bring it up first, I'm sure he will!

Thanks everyone for helping me put down my cooking utensils and pick up that rifle.

Lars
de W9ZEB
CQ CQ CQ CQ DE W9ZEB W9ZEB W9ZEB PSE K

Mudcat

Great AAR Lars and Techres with his excellent picture AAR. I decided to go up and shoot on sunday and take my mother and wife along for another attempt at the elusive 210. My son decided to come along and shoot too. Usually me, him and my daughter are instructors and it sure was nice to be able to get some trigger time in. I had finished a recent AR mid length build and had yet to shoot a full AQT with it. After shooting a .22 conversion at the first redcoat and quickly deciding that it was not going to be 4moa accurate I went back to the .223 bolt and mags. I got a 227 first AQT while putting my rusty Appleseed skills to work. Then for a little challenge I shot an entire AQT weak side. It was awkward for sure but a challenge none the less I had a 199 weakside.

I then figured I would let a few of the other instructors get some trigger time in too. I ended up calling the line the rest of the afternoon. I was really hoping that my wife and mother both would shoot that 210 with the excellent instruction that the instructor to student ratio offered. I was so excited to hear my wife finally got it. She has shot at 4 shoots total with her first right at a year ago. We also did a family mini last month to get them ready and spend a day at the range as a family. I passed on pouring the water over her head though, and let the my son do that task. She was a good sport as usual though and already wet.

Oh yes and 4 Riflemen in this house now! Just a little bit of pride there. Cannot wait for my mother to get the Rifleman patch as well and she will, she assures me.

A special congratulations goes out to .5 and earning her Rifleman patch. She is proof that a Rifleman or Riflewoman persists. I think she was just waiting on the AR. She is and will continue to be one of our great younger instructors.



I didn't get to instruct much this weekend, but with Techres and all the IN. instructors I am sure they got great instruction. Techres always runs a great laid back shoot where the learning never stops. It was great to meet a few new friends and see some old ones. Cannot wait until the next Appleseed. If you haven't been to an Appleseed shoot go! What are you waiting on?



Mudcat























Oh and did I mention that Larrs was shooting my rifle when he shot that 211. ;)

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
--George Washington

Lars

I'm sure you've all seen photos like these before.  But I think for anyone who wants to SEE, and not just HEAR the kinds of improvement Appleseed can provide.  I'd like to share my Red Coat targets.

First we have the target I shot first, prior to any instruction, on day 1.  The circled shots were from that shoot.  The uncircled shots were from the end of day 1, and I'll admit I had a rip roaring migraine going by that time.




Now I've heard the training Appleseed provides as being called "The anvil by which Riflemen are forged."  The following target shows the last thirteen shots I fired on Sunday.  I was laying on a completely drenched shooting mat.  I was soaked through my underwear. (pleasant though eh?) and had water all over mudcat's scope. (which I'll use as my excuse for the 400m target.) the water pretty much left me with a red dot in the middle of the scope, so I fired at it....  apparently I misjudged and my NPOA was a bit low.  None the less, this target looks like it was shot by a completely different man.....  Perhaps it was....

CQ CQ CQ CQ DE W9ZEB W9ZEB W9ZEB PSE K

.5

#6
I had a lot of fun and I cant wait till the next one.  I've been tring sooo long to get the patch and I reached my goal 8)
and what I thought was weird is that me and Sindy both got 210 at the same AS and so did my dad and mudcat. #)
it the whole year and when i came so close w/ a 207 i was so fustrated but i got over it.
and boy was that water sooooooooo COLD ;D :~
.5
A child teaching another child to shoot.  What more could you ask for?
Guns don't kill people, people kill people!!!

yellowhousejake

Quote from: .5 on December 01, 2009, 10:08:42 PM
ive been tring sooo long to get the patch and i reached my goal 8)

Great job, you are an example to us all. A rifleman persists, and you have displayed persistence in spades. Always smiling, always willing to help both the shooters and your fellow instructors, and always a joy to work with.

You may not realize it but YOU are part of our posterity, and seeing you on the line instructing gives us all hope. I look forward to seeing you on the line many more times in the future.

Wearing a Rifleman patch of course!

YHJ
I have removed my email from my profile to stop the mod reports. If you need a Libertyseed scheduled you will now have to contact me on the Libertyseed forum.

YHJ

Greg in MO

Great job .5!

From the first time I worked with you over a year ago I knew you were going to make it.  And with a centerfire no less!  Well done.  We are all very proud of you, and I look forward to seeing a red hat on you soon.

Greg

Patriot Gal

Looks like you'all had a great shoot!  Sorry we couldn't be there as we had seriously considered it earlier.  Looks like you had the weather we had 3 weeks earlier in Ottawa.  A little rain to keep you humble and then gratitude when the sun again shines!! ;D  One of these fine days you'll see our smilin' faces.  After all Indiana is my legacy!! (Dad played foofball at Valpo and all that)  ;)

BTW, I have lost contact with one of our new Riflemen, Dave R. from Illinois, who got his Rifleman in Riley on the 28th.

Dave!!! (I'm hollerin')  If you read this, please re-email me as I lost your previous email in my massive 2500+ email inbox ( I know, I need to take a few hours and clean that puppy out.)  In any case, MooseJaw is still a go so just give me a shout and we'll make arrangements to meet up with you and Joyce for the trip.

Thanks for letting me sneak in a PM on your open forum page.  O0

Thanks for all you guys do and for all the shooters for coming out and making a successful Appleseed!!!

Patriot Gal   :~
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."  ~Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be denied the use of arms"
~Thomas Jefferson

"If not us, then who; if not now, then when."
~President Ronald Reagan

Castle Mountain

#10
Sure looks like  you guys & gals had a splendid shoot. Patriot Gal & I need to make effort
to get out your way for one of your shoots.

Congratulations one and all on your Rifleman achievements!!! O0 O0 O0


Way to go Dave R. from  Illinois earning your  Riflemans badge to go  with your recent
NRA Range Officer Certification.  :~ :~ :~ X 7  O0

We look forward to you doing an IBC in January.
Stay  in touch bro. Hope to see you soon.  You are a good man. O0

Cheers,,



Castle Mountain
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam- will find a way or I will make one".
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."  one who has not qualified himself with the M-16 may not be considered to be a responsible citizen."

—Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle

"Terrorism is the best political weapon, for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death."
-- Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) German Nazi Dictator
 

"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in

MeanStreaker

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
--Thomas Paine

Used to ride a Kawasaki Mean Streak motorcycle.  I'm not an angry, naked runner.  :)

Bill of Rights

Quote from: .5 on December 01, 2009, 10:08:42 PM
I had a lot of fun and I cant wait till the next one.  I've been tring sooo long to get the patch and I reached my goal 8)
and what I thought was weird is that me and Sindy both got 210 at the same AS and so did my dad and mudcat. #)
it the whole year and when i came so close w/ a 207 i was so fustrated but i got over it.
and boy was that water sooooooooo COLD ;D :~
.5

I bet it was! I have to tell you... when I first met you earlier this year, I was impressed that you were coming out and doing these shoots as an instructor. I have been more impressed with you each time we've crossed paths at a shoot since then, and I am very proud of you for persisting in this, focusing on the goal and finally getting over the hump to earn the patch. How proud I (and indeed, all of us) are of you, however, does not begin to approach the pride you should feel in yourself. As has been said, you give all of us hope by being on that line and showing that the program works, and I also look forward to seeing you with a Red Hat on... and eventually, a Green one, too.

Bravo, .5! Great work!

Blessings,
Bill
If ye love wealth better than liberty,the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom,go from us in peace.We ask not your counsels or arms.Crouch down & lick the hands which feed you.May your chains sit lightly upon you,& may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! Sam Adams