Sherburne LA December 12-13 2009

[sleepy Joe]

It started out rainy ...then it rained all day
Road construction got me turned around and we didn't arrive at the shoot till 8:50am  Thanks Mark and Steve for covering for me till I got there. 18 shooters on Saturday
15 shooters on Sunday The rain quit and it was a good day for shooting
had a lot of interaction with the shooters.  Noticed much improvement.
3 new Rillemen congradulations
Carl L. ,    Mark N. , and Mark L. for making the score on Sunday.
and more knocking on the door
Thanks alonso1 and spmcpeek for making this a great shoot.
thanks to all the shooters who stuck it out and shot till dark both days. Hats off to all the attendees.

I will get the photos and post them here

[Leethar]

I had an excellent time!

I was the guy who started with an AR, but finished with Steve's Ruger. Also brought out an SKS and Nagant at one point. I also had every single gun I shot jam badly at least once, hence the line "Murphy is a Jerk." My AR had it's hammer completely break in two, and has currently had it's trigger group sent back to the manufacturer for replacement- it appears to have been defective. I won't complain too much, that could happen with any manufacturer.

At any rate, after Appleseed, I feel like a completely new shooter! Or rather, should I say, I actually feel like a marksman instead of just a "shooter." I improved more than I would have believed, and I KNOW I can shoot a 210! Especially once that blood blister on my trigger finger goes away. As soon as my AR gets fixed, you can expect me to be doing AQTs every Friday until I get it. I want that patch bad!

Everyone in my group had a great time, and I've already started persuading others to come in February. You can bet we'll be back!

Here are some photos of our group- real evidence that this course takes all types of guns. And people. We had a bolt-action .22, a single-shot .22 that had to be manually cocked, and an $80 pawn shop special with a sling zip-tied on. And we all shot great!

[sleepy Joe]

heare is the start of the photos

[sleepy Joe]

still working on adding more

[sleepy Joe]

more

[Kivva]

I also attended, this was my first AppleSeed.

I have to say, my inner ArmyBrat really awoke during this event!

I was shooting Leethar's $80 Pawn Shop Special Savage .22 for the first day, and on the second day I pulled out my boomers; my Swedish Mauser & my .270.

My first goal in attending was to work on getting rid of a nasty flinch I acquired at 13. I got it from a Remington Youth Model Seven: 7mm 08.  I had started shooting with a Swedish Mauser replica that I had bought (Dad went halves-ies with me for Christmas) at the age of 12. That Mauser was just a replica. I wound up trading in the Model Seven on the Mauser I currently own, which was a shining gem to have found, especially at the gun shop I found it at.

I'm happy to say that on the second day I shot that Mauser a full 3 shots without much flinching. Gotta be honest, I still have some trigger jerking and blinking going on, but I'm proud of the progress I've made especially considering that my .270 gave me a little love nudge and scooted my glasses up a bit beforehand. I'll be getting both rifles' scopes remounted and sighted professionally since the Mauser has never been sighted in successfully due to my flinch and the .270 scope is fitted to my late father.

Another of my goals was to just get shooting again. My father was an Army Small Arms Repairman, Marksman, and Weapon Expert among other things. As my brother did not take to riflery when Dad introduced him to it, I'm glad he gave me a chance because it became our Father-Daughter activity.

My father passed away in 2006 and outside of caring for the rifles I really didn't touch them for almost three years. It was too hard, it brought up a lot of memories and made me miss my father too much to try to hunt or even shoot. He was big on carrying on the tradition and being proud about our right to bear arms so I know he would not want me to stop just because he can't come with me. Leethar and Lurkerwisp have provided me with the company, friendship, share love for shooting & the local range to return to something I had almost forgotten that I love so much.

Witnesses can attest to my letting out a good loud whoop after a powerful volley from the 100 yard range next to us. 

You can definitely expect to see me around, that's for certain. I'm proud of the progress I've made and I honestly had a great time. Thank you for you support, time, effort, peanut-butter-and-jelly and everything you do for this great project.

Thanks again to Leethar & Lurkerwisp for inviting me, letting me use the .22, providing me with ammo and a mat (among other things)!

Also thanks to Alonzo for letting me use his .22 and aall those slings!

[jnespappa]

Hey everybody!  Johnathan (we call him Jean out of respect for our Cajun/French heritage) and I had a FANTASTIC time at our first Appleseed Shoot.  It was an eye opener for both of us to hear that much history of April 19, 1775.  I had never heard of, or realized that so much activity and sacrifice happened on what I had always known as "Paul Revere's Ride".  

Honestly, I signed my son and I up for the event just looking for some basic marksmanship experience and to share a weekend of shooting together.  Little did I know that we would come away with a much deeper, personal appreciation for the sacrifices made by so many people before us.  

We looked at our AQTs when we got home and we both made leaps of progress over the weekend due to the guidance of our RWVA volunteers and a little perseverance on our part.  BIG thanks to SleepyJoe for letting Jean borrow his 10/22.  Let the beatings continue!!

Kivva, it is great to read your post.  Little did I know that something so big was going down on that end of the line.  I admire your courage to get back on that horse and I ASSURE you that, as a Dad (a Pappa), I would be proud of you.  It's a good thing you can't see me, cause I'm gettin' all misty eyed.

See Ya'll in Feb. 2010!?

[POP]

Sounds like ya'll had a great shoot.

alonso1, fig, and I covered the Inaugural Louisiana Memorial Day 3 day event earlier this year.   

Question:
The covered firing line as I recall is 50yds from the target line.  I bet it was LOUD!
Did you reset the target line with the holes as provided by the range? 

Good going and Congratulations NEW RIFLEMEN.   (I like the new Icons)

See you on the Trail,
POP

[spmcpeek]

Pop, you are correct about the target line.  We moved it to the 25m holes and shot from the cover due to the rain and standing water on the range.

Jnes, Kivva, and Leethar, I am very glad you all had a good time and improved your skills.  I look forward to seeing more riflemen in Feburary.

[spmcpeek]

More pictures

[tonyloneeagle]

It WAS An Awesome Weekend.
Thanks Sleepy Joe For Letting Me Hang Out With You This Weekend.

[sleepy Joe]

more photos

[jnespappa]

I had a few seconds to snap some cell phone pics.  I noticed that by the end of Saturday that my right eye was having trouble staying open, due to squinting or closing the left eye all day.  SO, I made those paper blinders for Jean and I to wear.  They were a huge help and prevented eyelid flutter.

The pics are:
Jean sporting his fancy paper blinder

SleepyJoe taking a pic 

Alonso1 working on a scope that was wandering all over the paper.  I think the mounting screws were loose, but not sure if the problem ever got resolved.  Hope they make it back with squared-away sights.

[alonso1]

Indeed! another fantastic shoot in the Great State of Louisiana.

I enjoyed working with everyone.  Despite the weather, the shooter's seemed to have had a good time.  They were receptive of the instruction and applied what they had learned.  I know this because their target's told me so

There were so many good folks there, Johnathan was such a well mannered young man, Kivva and I had a nice chat about Carl Gustav.  Stacy, Steven and Leethar stayed the entire weekend even though they had constant mechanical issues with their rifles, the whole line had good positive attitudes. And of course the Rifleman Carl L, Mark L and Mark N ( 2 out of 3, I tell you, there is greatness in the name Mark).

A big thanks to Spmcpeek.  He along with Ulshop, Aus5tin and Rhodes have made the Louisiana Appleseed's possible.  Keep up the good work and we will continue come to help you get Louisiana up and running.

Thank you to Sleepy Joe.  You have been hitting the Appleseed trail pretty hard lately and your efforts are greatly appreciated.

And finally, after the shoot I drove back home to Houston.  The next morning I was driving to work while listening to the Walton and Johnson syndicated radio show.

Someone called in and told them about the Appleseed shoot in Louisiana and gave the website on the air.  I thought it was Carl L but he said it was not him.

So whoever called in, thank you for the plug and thank you for the 7th step!

Until next time, keep those actions clear and I'll see you on the beach.

                                                       Mark

[Cybrludite]

I had a great time as well, and learned a lot. Hopefully by February I'll have broken myself of the habits I've picked up from (mumble) years of shooting shotguns and quit muscling myself on target. Doing lots of practice to beat my problems w/ the sitting position so as to no kill any more benches. I might even be done depriming & resizing the brass from this months shoot by then... (Nearly a gallon zip-loc's worth!)

[Kivva]

Kivva, it is great to read your post.  Little did I know that something so big was going down on that end of the line.  I admire your courage to get back on that horse and I ASSURE you that, as a Dad (a Pappa), I would be proud of you.  It's a good thing you can't see me, cause I'm gettin' all misty eyed.

Aw, thank you so much. I know my Dad would be proud too.  I really can't wait to get the mechanics worked out, get rid of the last of that stupid flinch and really have something to show off by earning that Rifleman badge.

That would be something he would be impressed with and proud of. So, I can't let him down now! 

For convenience's sake (and my shoulder, lol, I've got a small bruise) I'm hoping to be able to pick up my own .22 before the February shoot. I'm also working on a friend to get her to come with and tote her boyfriend along.

She seemed excited by the idea of joining up with us, it all depends on her financial situation at this point. I'll keep you updated.

[jnespappa]

Alonso1.  I forgot to mention that I was the Walton and Johnson caller.  I thought that might be a good way to get the word out to an audience that may be pre-disposed to listening to that sort of call to action.  Hope I represented AS well. 

I will show Johnathan your post, thank you for the compliment.  I am proud of him.

YW, Kivva.

[sleepy Joe]

thanks for taking up the 7 step to heart and doing something about it.   
also more photos

[Oneshot]

Looks like you all had a great time.  Sorry we missed it.  Keep your sights up and bore clean.

Jay

[sleepy Joe]

here are some more hope they aren't duplicates

[sleepy Joe]

still trying to get the rest of the photos loaded

[Cybrludite]

Looks like I'll be missing this weekend's class at Sherburne. Coughing one's lungs up is not conducive to proper marksmanship. Y'all have fun & be safe!