Waterman, IL WinterSeed Feb. 5-6

[Gopher Boy]

I promised I would have this up today.  I've got something I have to do, but i will update more later.

Bottom line...

2 New Rifleman

Congrats to Ed and Matt.  Matt I couldn't tell who was happier.  You or Dad.  Eitherway doesn't matter.

4 reconfirmed and earn the winterseed path

2 new IITs  (Congrats Dixie Dennis and BrownBessEd)

Great shoot...  As I said...  More later...

G.B.

[2 clicks low]

  WINTERSEED 
Love shooting in the snow.

[2 clicks low]

Can't figure out how to add more pics.

[AuntieBellum]

SNOWMAGEDDON 2011 scare off our Appleseed'ers?  NO WAY!   

We had a total of nine people come out this weekend to experience their heritage through history and rifle markmanship.  The temps were cold - starting off at a whopping 3 degrees when we arrived at the range Saturday morning (apparently just narrowly missing the opportunity to help dig Gopher Boy's Expedition out of a snow drift!) with nearly 20" of snow in spots.  You might think that only the most experienced of Appleseed'ers would show for such rough conditions...but you'd be wrong.  Yes, we had some experienced 'seeders (we'll get back to them later), but we also had some brand new Appleseed'ers join in - and even some new to rifles.   One of our new 'seeders asked me which way the ammo went in the magazine, which really took me back to my very first Appleseed - and there is no way I would have survived a Winterseed as my first Appleseed!  You are some hardy, dedicated Patriots - huzzah!     By the end of the weekend, those new Appleseeder's had no problems finishing those super-quick AQT stages and their groups were closing up.  We're looking forward to seeing all of you back soon!

We also had some repeat Appleseed'ers show for the wintry event, including two who joined the ranks of Rifleman this weekend!  Ed, Matt - congratulations!!!  Look at those smiles and all of that snow to match those Winterseed patches:


Ed even gave us an extra-special treat.  He brought out his Brown Bess and gave us a demonstration - thank you, Ed:


I took a picture of the ball he passed around to demonstrate size...but I guess most of you don't know exactly how large my hand is, so maybe this isn't the most helpful.  Well, here goes anyway:


To top it all off, we obviously didn't have enough snow on the ground Saturday, so Mother Nature blessed us with another 4 inches overnight and a continual dusting on Sunday.  It made for a beautiful day...too bad I didn't take any pictures on Sunday.     Look at the pictures 2clickslow posted - those aren't smudges or dust, it's more snow falling!

I had a wonderful time - it was truly a blessing to share the range with all of you this weekend - new shooters, repeat Appleseed'ers, instructors, and IITs (including you newbies!) - what a great weekend.  It's really hard for me to choose my favorite point of the weekend, but if I had to....nope, can't do it.  It was all fantastic!  Thanks for coming, everyone!  I hope to run into all of you again soon on the Appleseed trail!

[bulletsnbows]

I had a great time!  Thank you Shoot Boss Gopher Boy and all the instructors, you were all awesome! 

(even if you guys wouldn't let me shoot the sitting position with my elbows on the ground..  )

This was my 3rd Appleseed and I'm still learning stuff.  I learned a lot again on Saturday.  I wish I could have been there both days.
I liked the way you guys cracked the whip on all skill levels.  I was impressed with Dixie Dennis when he first started shooting but every time I looked over at his target, it looked like he was getting better and better until I was pretty sure he could neuter a gnat at 25 meters. 

The recounting of our heritage and why we should not apologize for being Americans was done brilliantly.  (loved the Iraq medic part)

Congrats to the shooters who didn't let a little bit of chilly air keep them at home!

I only took a couple of pictures (and they were done with my phone) 

Early in the day.  It seemed pretty nice out at this point.


Ed given a cool demo with his Brown Bess.


Ed shooting.  I was a millisecond too fast taking the picture.


Ed got his Winterseed Rifleman patch.  (shooting a 10/22... not the Brown Bess).


I managed to get a Winterseed patch too.  Woot!   

[sidecarr]

Just want to thank all the instructors this weekend ,next shoot I will have the steel rail and new scope mounts , when I striped my rifles apart Sunday night  found the scope mounts loose again (explains the last two AQT's) . Had a blast ,hope to see some of you guys and gals at the Bonfield shoot when I shoot rifleman. Once again thank you for all your time and patience

[dragonfly]

Congrats to the new Winter Riflemen. Yes 2cl it is alot of fun shooting in the snow   .

bulletsnbows, once again you have shown archer's can shoot a rifle. Good job   . I see an orange hat in your future   .

Hope to see you all on the trail,

D-fly  Keeping the Faith

[dragonfly]

Hey AuntieBellum, that big fella on the left side looks real familiar. Good job Robb, never miss an opportunity to shoot   .

D-fly   Keeping the Faith

[colycat]

Fred said to me, it looks like the winterseed is a failure.

Well in numbers, maybe.  Maybe.

However, look at the pictures and there is no failure noticed.  As a matter of fact, huge success.

Great job to all of you. Wonderfull event for those real Americans who came and learned.  This event looked like one not to miss.  So sorry for all the pitiful people who think of them selves as Americans, and sat on the couch and watched the football match.

[Gravy]

What a great time!  The weather could not have been better, and the Rifleman badges were flying.  Dennis, Matt and Nathan were on fire - tanks guys, I've never seen a 238 before!  Tanks Ed for the re-enactment.  The uniform and musket really put the finishing touches on the history.  Christine was on fire.  Vince, Val and Don were great at their 1st Appleseed!  There's nothing better than seeing a family come out and shoot for the first time, and watching the progress throughout the weekend.  Chris is ready for bigger things.   It was a pleasure to meet AuntieBellum and Rimshot.  I hope I see you on the trail this year.  2Clickslow, great job calling the line and doing the demo's - I guess that IBC paid off.  Only thing you need to work on is that snoring.   I snore and it kept me awake!  If it had gotten any worse I was about to give you an emergency tracheotomy.  Tanks Gopher - that was the first Illinois Winterseed ever, and you made it happen!  Don't worry about your SUV getting stuck in the snow - someone had to do it.    Next time I'll go first.    Or at least, I'll have a camera and catch you in the act.  Once again the ASC was a great place to be!  I hope we let them know how much we appreciate letting us shoot there.  That is a great range!  

2011 has officially started.  Get the word out!  Get the friends out!  Let's have some fun this year!  

[Castle Mountain]

Way to go guys. Congratulations to our newest orange hats and our newest riflemen and requalifiers. Persistence, adaptation to cold and overcoming snow.
Brown Bess Ed, you da man .. Way to go Mat : Ya''all show them Texans how its done eh?

Nice tent Gopher Boy.    Did you sleep in it?

CM

What a great time!  The weather could not have been better, and the Rifleman badges were flying.  Dennis, Matt and Nathan were on fire - tanks guys, I've never seen a 238 before!  Tanks Ed for the re-enactment.  The uniform and musket really put the finishing touches on the history.  Christine was on fire.  Vince, Val and Don were great at their 1st Appleseed!  There's nothing better than seeing a family come out and shoot for the first time, and watching the progress throughout the weekend.  Chris is ready for bigger things.   It was a pleasure to meet AuntieBellum and Rimjob.  I hope I see you on the trail this year.  2Clickslow, great job calling the line and doing the demo's - I guess that IBC paid off.  Only thing you need to work on is that snoring.   I snore and it kept me awake!  If it had gotten any worse I was about to give you an emergency tracheotomy.  Tanks Gopher - that was the first Illinois Winterseed ever, and you made it happen!  Don't worry about your SUV getting stuck in the snow - someone had to do it.    Next time I'll go first.    Or at least, I'll have a camera and catch you in the act.  Once again the ASC was a great place to be!  I hope we let them know how much we appreciate letting us shoot there.  That is a great range!  

2011 has officially started.  Get the word out!  Get the friends out!  Let's have some fun this year!  

[sidecarr]

I dont agree with Fred on this one ,as long as 1 person got off the couch and learned to shoot and a little bit about their country the Winterseed is a success in my opinion

[2 clicks low]

Just want to thank all the instructors this weekend ,next shoot I will have the steel rail and new scope mounts , when I striped my rifles apart Sunday night  found the scope mounts loose again (explains the last two AQT's) . Had a blast ,hope to see some of you guys and gals at the Bonfield shoot when I shoot rifleman. Once again thank you for all your time and patience

Two words of advice "Locktite Blue". It will stand up to rifle fire but come out with hand tools.
Do not use Red. Specs say it needs heat to remove. Be advised Black is never comming out.
2cl

[2 clicks low]

  2Clickslow, great job calling the line and doing the demo's - I guess that IBC paid off.  Only thing you need to work on is that snoring.  I snore and it kept me awake!  If it had gotten any worse I was about to give you an emergency tracheotomy. 

Gravy,
Anything for you, just ask. I'm going to pratice my snoring and until it gets better. I'll do it Gopher Boys way, IN CADANCE
2cl

[Boba Fett]

Fred said to me, it looks like the winterseed is a failure.

Well in numbers, maybe.  Maybe.

However, look at the pictures and there is no failure noticed.  As a matter of fact, huge success.

Great job to all of you. Wonderfull event for those real Americans who came and learned.  This event looked like one not to miss.  So sorry for all the pitiful people who think of them selves as Americans, and sat on the couch and watched the football match.

Q: How do we measure success?
A: A changed Life!

Mission accomplished men. Good job! 

Boba

[Garand69]

Exactly Boba, I guess that's why you choose your Objectives wisely  

AuntieBellum said: "We had a total of nine people come out this weekend to experience their heritage through history and rifle markmanship.  The temps were cold - starting off at a whopping 3 degrees when we arrived at the range Saturday morning (apparently just narrowly missing the opportunity to help dig Gopher Boy's Expedition out of a snow drift!) with nearly 20" of snow in spots.  You might think that only the most experienced of Appleseed'ers would show for such rough conditions...but you'd be wrong.  Yes, we had some experienced 'seeders (we'll get back to them later), but we also had some brand new Appleseed'ers join in - and even some new to rifles."

So Nine attendees, 2 new Rifleman, 4 Rifleman reaffirmed in the chilly weather, and two new IIT's is a failure.....  
hmmmm. 23% acheived Rifleman, 23% decided to start down the long path to RWVA Instructor, d 46% reaffirmed their Rifleman status and earned a Winterseed Patch.....  That's called resounding success in my book!!  

A huge congrats goes out to those who braved the weather and worked hard scoring Rifleman in the COLD Waterman weather!! And being Waterman I'm sure there was a nice gentile breeze   2 1/2 Million Gun Owners in IL, and only 9 showed up to become a better Marksman, and more importantly, a Better American! what is that .0036%!!!

You folks are why Illinois is going to be the First State saved!! As you can see, the numbers are against all odds, but we will prevail! Instructor Corp, Thankyou for your excellent Instruction, and Welcome again to IL AuntieBellum!!! thats twice in one year... Once more and we kidnap you into Team IL  

[colycat]

Actually, I miss typed.  Fred asked me if I thought Winterseeds were a failure.  Although numbers are low around here, the pictures tell the story.  The big plus about winterseeds is it keeps instructors active.  It wasn't very long ago (1 yr ) when the first shoot was April 19 and we were all a little rusty.

Fred said to me, it looks like the winterseed is a failure.

Well in numbers, maybe.  Maybe.

However, look at the pictures and there is no failure noticed.  As a matter of fact, huge success.

Great job to all of you. Wonderfull event for those real Americans who came and learned.  This event looked like one not to miss.  So sorry for all the pitiful people who think of them selves as Americans, and sat on the couch and watched the football match.

Q: How do we measure success?
A: A changed Life!

Mission accomplished men. Good job! 

Boba

[Jonny Mack]

Hey!  What a great time!  (Yes, even for an overweight old man whose knees eventually gave out)

Still aching a little bit - OK, a LOT - but I know it all comes from being such a couch potato.  I took it personally when all you guys were shooting at MY couch!  Yeah that's me everybody was ALWAYS waiting for when the shooting was done.  Did you hear the bones creaking?

For your patience, thanks to Gopher Boy, AuntieBellum, Two Clicks Low, Rimshot ...

... and especially Gravy for letting me use his rifle, after I figured out that A) I need to trade in that red dot scope for a tech sight, and B) get a sling for my rifle! (next on the agenda).  I won't be a rifleman any time soon, but (as Rimshot points out) I'm better today than I was when I started.  So that's a victory.

AND we met some new friends from Kentucky!  All very good, very cool folks.  Anyway, I consider this weekend to be better than 'baby steps' toward getting me off the couch.  Love you guys!

[sidecarr]

Was using locktight blue stick , it was the Ruger mount and the redfield rings, already brought and installed the two piece mounts and Burris rings seems a lot more solid

[AuntieBellum]

Garand69 - I do have a bit of a soft spot for Illinois, what with my birth certificate listing that state and all.     BUT, I think I'll stay in Indiana for more reasons than I can explain here  - no worries, though, I'll keep coming to visit.   

And Jon, it was a pleasure to work with you this weekend.  You came a long way in just a few short hours.  Your whole family was a delight, and I really enjoyed watching you each become more comfortable with your rifles with each passing course of fire.  Even more, though, I know you all left with a greater understanding of and respect for all the work our Forefathers put into securing Liberty for each and every one of us and the responsibility we all have to work toward repaying that debt.

And I'll be listening - so you better call.   

[2 clicks low]

Was using locktight blue stick , it was the Ruger mount and the redfield rings, already brought and installed the two piece mounts and Burris rings seems a lot more solid

Wow. I guess that they are not making blue like they used to.
Glad you have new mounts that work. No more alabi's. Rifleman next time.   

[sidecarr]

The screws were all tight ,think the plate on the rings was bending causing the scope to shake , didnt seem like the rings fit the base right , the new rings were very tight on the new base b4 I tightened the screws .

[EEL]

Sounds like Gopher Boy and company did another outstanding job running an Appleseed!  Good to se some newer IITs getting out there as well as a few Border Raiders.  AuntieBellum, y'all know Illinois has a warm place in their heart for Border Raiders, even if the weather doesn't. 

Congratulations to our new Riflemen, the ones that confirmed, and to our new Orange Hats.  BrownBessEd has been to enough Appleseeds, he is practically a Redhat already    Welcome (officially) aboard Ed!!

EEL

[POP]

EEL, no kidding.  Gopher Boy was smoking that snow.  And, fantastic stats for 9 attendees.  Way to go GB.
Boba, you are right on that "Changed Lives" thing.  And, by your definition GB is a rousing success.


I like the pics of BrownBessEd in full regalia.

And, Jonny Mack.  Here's a guy I have to meet.  Out there in very subfreezing weather, bad knees, and, makin' the effort to earn that patch.  Trust me, I know what it means when you finally get there.  Keep workin' on it, Jonny.  That day will be here sooner than you think.  I'm glad  you're out there doing what most Americans don't.

Now you see Jonny, I'm an old Texas boy.  I ventured up to the PRoI last September to the Waterman 300.  Don't know if you were there or not.  But, I met a lot of fine folk up there, sort of made me feel like I was back home at Davilla, Texas.  So, instead of PRoI, its really more like the the Northern Province of the PRoT.  Good Americans All.

BTW, next winter I'm going to have to make it up to the Northern Province to Waterman.  I'd sure like to earn one of those "cool" patches.   I mean, if those Indianan's can do it ... 

POP

[2 clicks low]

So, instead of PRoI, its really more like the the Northern Province of the PRoT. 

POP

We've been co-opted 
Here I'm worried about being invaded by Ohioians and the Texan's sneak in and make us a territory. 

[Garand69]

2 Clicks.... POP doesn't mess around 

EEL, Boba Fett, and I were leg wrastlin' him for the entire week at the WSMR Sapper Steel Seed...... Let me just say this, if POP is lookin' at IL, we better all CY6... If we don't we will wake up to not only a Texas Flag in Springfield but a Louisiana Flag as well!!!!

[BrownBessEd]

Thank you Gopher Boy & team for a great Winterseed shoot!

GB's tent was great.  Very nice to have a place to get out of the wind.  Having a propane heater was good, too.  We use them for ice fishing.  A couple in the corners will keep the tent toasty.  The guys who brought the plywood to stand on--great idea.  We also found that plastic tarps get pretty slick with a bit of snow on them--maybe canvas tarps would be better or carpet scraps, or the high dollar shooting mats if you prefer.

And holy smokes, those guys from Dixie can really shoot.  Thanks for help building up my stock.  Shooters helping shooters, fantastic.  Christine, too, a great shot--rifle, bow, whatever it takes.  Thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks to all who posted pictures, much appreciated.

Fun group, fun day, safe shoot!!  Thanks to all!

Keep your powder dry.  BrownBessEd.

Ed

[Dixie Dennis]

We finally made it back down to God's Country! After the Winterseed, Nathan and I remodeled my sister in-laws bathroom in Naperville. A 3 day job only took a week! Oh well, we sure ate good.

Gopher Boy, thanks for nudging me towards my orange hat. This was my sixth AS, and every single one of them I have met some very fine folks. This one was no exception. The instruction was first class. I still have a ways to go, especially with the M1A. It seems to accentuate your mistakes. I'm a very proud papa, Nathan shot a fine 236 on Sat, and Matt shot a 238 on Sun, his first Rifleman score. Man, he set a high bar to jump!

Looking foreward to seeing ya'll again. We will be up for the Waterman 600 in Sept for sure.