Ramseur 31 July- 1 Aug

[jmdavis]

Place holder. Please feel free to post. The official AAR should be done tomorrow.

[jacques]

My nephew was at this one.

[jmdavis]

Indeed he was. Have you talked to him yet?

He did a good job. I offered everyone a chance to stay and shoot AQT's until dark. He and another shooter took me up on the offer.

[jacques]

He was pretty excited. I haven't talked to him yet. Figure I will just read the ARR ! 

[Grayson]

All righty, here we go!  Wordy as this is, I just know I'm overlooking some things...

I'm Grayson on here, I was the dude with the boonie hat (Saturday), red bandanna, Stag AR-15 carbine, and some "emergency food stores" as Mr. Davis puts it.   

What a GREAT event!  I wanted to try and get as much of this down Sunday night as I could, but that 4-hour drive back to Western NC took it out of me.  The trip was totally worth it, though!  In summation, if you don't wanna read the mountain of text below - I not only learned how to correct problems I KNEW I had, I was also able to realize (though the aid of experienced instructors) that there were OTHER problems I had that I never even realized.  GREAT shooting skill is like a mountain, you can't reach the peak if you don't know the right path to take.  There was lots of personal attention given, despite the fact that we had a pretty sizeable crowd there.

In short - I both surprised myself (in a good way) with my marksmanship at times, and embarassed myself with it at other times.  I guess the trick is to PRACTICE and PERSIST until I'm doing a lot more of the former than the latter!

And the lessons of the Revolution were sometimes funny, sometimes tear-jerking, but always moving.  A 78-year old man (Samuel Whittemore) shot AND bayonetted by the Redcoats, left for dead...and trying to reload his musket when his family found him later.  Mr. Davis put it well in perspective when he said that he imagined his grandfather as that man, brutalized and left to die in agony.  It made me think of my long-dead maternal grandfather, and great-uncle.  I thought about it some more as I got to Marion.  I thought of my paternal grandfather, who I never got the chance to meet.  And being a "late arrival" to this world somewhat, my own FATHER isn't that far off in age.  We've never had the best of relationships, but if we'd lived back in that day - and I'd lost my life early on in the fighting...I could EASILY imagine my Dad loading up his pistols, muskets, and saber and going off alone to lie in ambush for the Redcoats..

There were plenty of women present, several races represented, and a Boy Scout troop to boot!  So I can say firsthand that people who think and say Appleseed is an "old white men's club" are 100% WRONG about that.  And probably about a lot of other things as well. 

In explaining my experience there, I'd like to mention some things that I found out that aren't always covered in depth in the materials that explain 'getting ready to go' - and also reiterate things that ARE covered in depth that I found pretty darn important.

***I'll start off with something funny but also educational (somewhat).  There weren't many people on the firing line left late Saturday when I was cleaning my rifle.  Those that were might have thought they saw me digging through a trash can at one point.  Well....if so, they thought RIGHT.  I thought I was pretty clever a while back when I cut the bottom portion off of two milk jugs to use as a pan to give smaller gun parts a little solvent bath while cleaning them.  One would probably work, I use two in case of a leak.  So if your gun is REALLY crudded up, parts of the solvent will turn jet-black.  Easily black enough to hide, say, a firing pin retaining pin.  So I was taking my AR bolt components out of my pan, drying them off, putting them on a paper towel.  I thought I was finished, so I poured out the solvent that was left into a trash can, and headed back to start lube and re-assembly.

"Hmm, now where the heck is that firing pin retaining pin....?  ....ahhh, *&$@!!!"   

I didn't completely freak out because I'd packed a DPMS "AR-15 Ultimate Repair Kit" which had a spare one of those, among many other parts.  But I still wanted to try to get the original back before resorting to that, and LUCKILY I was able to find it with relative ease!  Lessons?

1)  DON'T BE A NITWIT!
2)  Two parts equals ONE part, one part equals NO parts, the moment you slip up and act like a nitwit!  So a spare rifle is good advice, but a bit pricy for some.  So, spare parts for your main rifle can be a lifesaver - and quite a bit less expensive in most cases.

***Elbow protection IS covered, though mine are pretty sore even though I did bring soft pads as instructed.  Might just need to toughen them up some.  I think next time rather than pads I'll use two pieces of foam or something.   Orrr, the folded towel that is mentioned in The Guide!  I started off wearing the pads, then I think I seemed to shoot better just using them as rests.  They were actually sold as KNEE pads, so pretty bulky.  One of the things I didn't have to buy before the 'seed, I took them from a "Ghostbusters" Halloween costume I made!

***I'm a HUGE fan of having lots of EDC (every day carry) gear on my person.  Now even before I started, I pared it down to bare basics - keys and Swiss Army Knife in right front pocket, contact lens rewetting drops and glucose gel (I'm hypoglycemic) in front left.  And a big bandanna in left hip, with wallet in right hip.  The last two were no factor (though they might have been with some of my clothes that have rear pockets that go down pretty deep), but in short order the car keys got put in my range bag, with the drops and gel following later on.  All kept me from getting a comfortable prone position.

***Speaking of prone, I thought I was in pretty good shape for that as I'd practiced.  Well....I hadn't practiced it really RIGHT though, as I learned when Fred "corrected" my position a bit!  One of the many things I learned - I CAN "bend that way" after all!    And I also thought I'd be good at sitting since I'm partly in that position this very moment, sitting cross-legged on a bed typing this on a laptop.  Thankfully for my posture, my (longish) computer sessions aren't at all close to a true sitting position.  Lesson?  Practice, and practice RIGHT!

***Another thing mentioned both by the literature, and the shoot boss himself that day - some ibuprofen taken after the first night is a GOOD IDEA.  Especially if you've not been practicing the positions, or not been practicing RIGHT like me.

***Shooting glasses FOG.  A LOT.  Or maybe it's just me, I do sweat a lot (and that's up here in the mountains where it's a deal cooler than it is in the Piedmont).  I found myself thinking of a product called "Op Drops" I'd seen in military catalogs a few days before the shoot, as I did a long practice session and literally wound up not being able to see the target for the fog.  Too late to order that, I settled for some Magnavision gel cleaner that did the trick pretty well.  But do your homework and do SOMETHING to keep it from hurting your performance.

***Ah, and speaking of sweat - I was told things might be a bit "buggy" so I got some unscented anti-perspirant to use.  Did the trick, me and bees have declared war on each other but there was no aggression from either side this weekend.  (PS: Naturally I stayed away from heavily scented soaps/body wash, shampoos, and cologne).

Now that it's over, I can safely say without jinx that the weather was PERFECT.  I was worried about dealing with the heat, so I'm glad it wasn't an issue for me!  And by the way, even if there are days when the weather isn't perfect, the range design IS.  Lots of nice cover to keep you and your gear in the shade and dry.

Sadly, I wasn't able to take home the coveted Rifleman's patch this time.  Apart from the fundamentals that I was having trouble doing consistently, I think where I really went to heck was having to fight the clock on the "transition" portions of the AQT.  I've never really tried to do any "fast" shooting like that with a rifle before.  So for those of you out there who've never been before and want to practice at home, be sure to include some time limits for at least part of the time!

Equipment issues:  My Stag AR was pretty good to me, but by the end of the day both days it began hiccuping:  Mainly failing to feed, ALWAYS on the 2-round magazines.  They were Pmags, 20-rounders BTW.  I don't know, maybe I was riding the charging handle forward?  Also, in the "don't be a nitwit" category - on a timed stage, when clearing the aforementioned malfunction leaves you with an empty magazine and two loose rounds, you're better served by putting in the 8-round magazine and letting loose rather than stopping to reload the two-rounder!!!  I had FOUR rounds I didn't get off on that stage!!!  Now on one stage when it happened AGAIN - I managed to clear the malfunction and still leave one round in the two rounder.  I fired the 8, reloaded the 1, AND managed to hand-chamber the one loose round and get it off just under the wire.  I felt pretty good, apart from the score for that stage, and the fact that IIRC, they gave us 10 extra seconds for it than the "official" time...argh!

By the way - hopeful that board member "Mr. Fancypants" and that poor guy I rained brass on all Saturday (and anyone else who stayed for another try) managed to earn their Rifleman badges after the rest of us packed it in for the day!

Something else I was kind of pondering, how distance can be "relative."  I have some folks in the High Point/Thomasville area and I USED to think the 3.5ish hour drive there was a long way.  THEN I rode to Pennsylvania once to visit some other relatives, 10 hours.  After that, a 5-hour drive to Raleigh to see Muse in concert with a cousin last year was no big deal, and ditto the drive to the Appleseed!

I might have mentioned almost getting a cousin to come with me.  It wasn't the same cousin I went to see Muse with.  I have a LOT of cousins.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I'm afraid that the devil is going to be handing out contracts for snow shovels before I can get that particular one to an Appleseed.  I've not given up hope yet though! 

There's a third one, I told her yesterday that now that I know I can drive it, I'll be trying to drag them along with me next time.  She said "You can try!"    So I told her, "See - if YOU were a Rifleman, you'd be well equipped to back that up - because I'm not a Rifleman yet, so you'd be able to exert your influence over ME from a longer distance than I could over YOU!" 

In closing, thanks to all the instructors for making it an incredible, educational, and fun weekend!

[cbrant_2000]

It was the best history of talk, I've heard to date, on April 18-19, 1775.  Mike and his instructors did an outstanding job, on a long and difficult line.

Thanks to all the instructors, our group found it educational and for some humbling.

[Mr.Fancypants]

He was pretty excited. I haven't talked to him yet. Figure I will just read the ARR ! 

It was fun! I enjoyed it, and I got by with the hair on my chin with a 212!

Now I just need to work on getting it higher, tighter, more consistent, and bring more people next time!

[Grayson]

and I got by with the hair on my chin with a 212

Congrats! 

[jmdavis]

We had 43 shooters Saturday, and 36 returned for Sunday. Of these 17 were from an Explorer group in Highpoint, NC.

I was impressed by this crowd. They worked hard the entire weekend. Everyone showed a great deal of improvement. We had two Riflemen.

Sorry for the short AAR, but you guys are doing a great job filling in the details.

I would like to thank everyone for coming out. Ramseur is a tough place to be in August but we lucked into good weather with just a bit of rain.

[jacques]

He was pretty excited. I haven't talked to him yet. Figure I will just read the ARR ! 

It was fun! I enjoyed it, and I got by with the hair on my chin with a 212!

Now I just need to work on getting it higher, tighter, more consistent, and bring more people next time!

OH.... Nice.... Dang, took me 4-Appleseeds to listen and get it right. Good for you. There you go!!  Yeah, the consistency, that will come. Then move up to a higher caliber and it all falls into place. After shooting it with my AR, I could get a score 9/10 times, clean the redcoat, and even cleaned the 4th stage at boot camp. It is all about practice.

[Grayson]

Will there be pictures posted of the event? 

[jmdavis]

Yes. I still haven't downloaded mine. But we will have some photos. Others should feel free to post photos that they took as well.


Mike

[jmdavis]

Some photos:

[Fred]

    Man, I sure look like I'm "ripping a strip off" that poor kid - but you know I'm not.

    For you fashion-oriented guys, note the web belt - an original US GI web sling.

[Mr.Fancypants]

    Man, I sure look like I'm "ripping a strip off" that poor kid - but you know I'm not.

    For you fashion-oriented guys, note the web belt - an original US GI web sling.

I'm the bloke up there in the yellow t-shirt, and I can attest that Fred's demeanor never elevated higher than "cool, calm, and collected" when speaking to any of us students.

[jmdavis]

    Man, I sure look like I'm "ripping a strip off" that poor kid - but you know I'm not.

    For you fashion-oriented guys, note the web belt - an original US GI web sling.

Fred,

There's a Shifty Powers photo of him talking with a kid that looks alot like this. There was alot of teaching going on at this shoot, on the line and off the line.


Mike

[Johnnyappleseed]

I was sort of admiring the belt Fred is wearing
Then  he told us what it is . On futher reflection IMHO it would look better on a rifle 
JA

[jacques]

    Man, I sure look like I'm "ripping a strip off" that poor kid - but you know I'm not.

    For you fashion-oriented guys, note the web belt - an original US GI web sling.

I would guess you are telling him "Meriams Corner, and don't you forget it" .     

[jmdavis]

Actually he was engaging and congratulating them for all that they had learned.

[MacMcM]

My comment is: This lineup of attendees kinda contradicts the NYT author...HMMMM

[cbrant_2000]

Couple more pictures taken by the Wake & Guilford County group.  Appleseed is always great, but it is even more fantastic when you have good friends to share it with.  We try to shoot together a couple of times a quarter as a group in and around Wake, so if you are near Raleigh and are interested, shoot me a PM.

[SavageShootr]

Looks like it was another great Appleseed.

Jacques, Is that what Fred looks like when he asks that?   

Congratulations on the Rifleman scores.

[MCKNBRD]

It was fun! I enjoyed it, and I got by with the hair on my chin with a 212!

Now I just need to work on getting it higher, tighter, more consistent, and bring more people next time!

AWESOME!!!!  After seeing that 204 and then the 209...I knew you had it in you.

Shifting NPOA and slowing down helps, eh?

Congrats!

Byrdman

[voortrekker]

Hey there North Carolina!

Congrats on a fantastic shoot!!   


Thanks for the outstanding AAR report too.


Grayson, thank you especially, for taking the time as a shooter, on your experience on the Appleseed firing line.


Appleseed is always improving and building, everyday, so every shooter's experience, stated, is very important to the program.


Good job North Carolina!!


I'm missing the firing line here in TX already!!!!   



Brett out.

[Mr.Fancypants]

It was fun! I enjoyed it, and I got by with the hair on my chin with a 212!

Now I just need to work on getting it higher, tighter, more consistent, and bring more people next time!

AWESOME!!!!  After seeing that 204 and then the 209...I knew you had it in you.

Shifting NPOA and slowing down helps, eh?

Congrats!

Byrdman

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

Additionally, after taking apart my 10/22 and cleaning it tonight (finally) I about pulled out your business card to be sure I was putting it together correctly. I thought I was missing a piece? Or something.... Nevertheless, after re-tracing my steps and getting my head together, I was able to get it back in one piece.

The 10/22 demo that you gave on Sunday was (IMO) just as informative as the shooting instruction that we received on Saturday. Even though I consider the shooting instruction we received on Saturday to be invaluable, being able to take care of my rifle (IMO) can be just as important as knowing how to fire it well. Without a well cleaned/maintained rifle, the rifleman can't utilize the training he has received if his rifle cannot perform as well as the rifleman.

And, of course, the marksmanship training/rifle maintenance training cannot live up to the history lesson/motivation to get involved in local civic/civil activity.

I had a great time, and loved the weekend. I cannot wait until the next time I can attend and bring along some friends I know will benefit from the marksmanship training/kick in the pants to help steer this country in the right direction.

[Grayson]

The rifle demos on Sunday were great.  Much like the rest of the 'seed - informative in both current needs and HISTORY!  My only problem was choosing which one to attend!  I know a bit about the M1 Garand, but zilch about the 10/22.  But while I plan on getting a 10/22, I already own an M1 - so the M1 demo won out. 

Though - I did stop by the gun store tonight to see about buying a 10/22 LTR from Douglas on here!    I'll be putting it to plenty of use for myself, and hopefully with my little prospective-Appleseed-attending cousin!

voortrekker - A pleasure, I love writing and hope that my ramblings can be informative - or at least entertaining, for those curious about the Appleseed experience.