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AAR: Racine, WI April 30 - May 1

Started by Gumballhead, May 02, 2011, 12:32:46 PM

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Gumballhead

Where to begin...

How about the beginning? #) **)

First, a HUGE Rifleman sized THANK YOU to the Racine County Line Rifle Club.  You guys always make sure we're well taken care of, and it's truly a joy to shoot here.  Can't wait to come back again!

This was a really good shoot!  We had 6 shooters on Saturday, and 7 on Sunday.  We faced some challenges with the WIND here, and a lot of blowing sand and dirt.  Have you ever tried to engage a moving target?  Let's say your target backer goes 90 degrees vertical?   :wb:.  Our shooters were well prepared for the elements this weekend, and all had a teachable attitude.

We got things rolling with our famous redcoat target to determine our baseline effective range.  After the redcoat, it was time to turn on the fire hose of Appleseed knowledge.  After a few equipment modifications and stocks built up, we hit the ground running.  Onto prone, 6 steady hold factors, 6 steps to firing the shot, and NPOA.  Soon good groups were going downrange, and with each course of fire, they began to shrink.  Soon, it was time for lunch, and some history!  We shared the story of April 18th and Paul Revere's ride.  We heard about the events leading up to this fateful night, and how a well prepared Paul Revere and friends mustered 14,000 willing and able colonials to lend a hand to their brothers.  We stopped with Lt. Colonel Smith halting the column to load with ball. <Insert Cliff hanger here >:D>
 
It was time to get back to the line!  Endpoint grabbed a sharpie, and instructed us all on the fine points of IMC, and soon everyone was making measurements on their targets, calculating their minutes of correction, and WRITING it down (because we all know if we don't write it down, it didn't happen!  O0).  During our next prep period, we saw folks clicking away at their sights, and we confirmed our adjustments.  Pleased with our progress, we moved on to seated, and then standing.  We learned the value of that prone position in high winds, and how to time the firing of our rifles with the gusts of the wind in standing.  As the day came to a close, we threw up our first AQT, and ended with our redcoat!  We had about doubled our effective range from the morning!!!  I finished the story where we had left the column, and brought them into Lexington Green.  We heard the unbelievable details of the events on the green.  How the few brave men who mustered on the green faced 200 of the kings troops, and the price these men paid. 

After a night of rest and Advil, our shooters returned for Sunday, with a couple of fellas who had been to an Appleseed before (Hi There Everett and Ross!).  I looked up, and saw a fresh batch of reinforcement of Appleseed Instructors!  AuntieBellum, JoeZ, ChrisZ, and a future instructor (Joe's daughter!) dropped in to lend a hand  :bow: :bow:, and to set up our KD shoot on the 600y range!  Wasting no time, they jumped in to lend a hand with our group.  We set squares, and reconfirmed our zeroes, then moved on to carding the sights and some ball and dummy action.  Before we knew it, it was time for lunch, and the second strike of the match.  Keystone regaled us with the events at Concord, and helped us answer a couple of questions.  What caused the largest, most well trained army on the planet to tuck tail and run, and who fired first at Lexington Green. 

After lunch, the AQT machine got turned on, and we moved through several targets.  Joe and company headed off to the 600yrange, taking a couple of students with them.  We stopped for a break, and Endpoint gave us the third strike of the match.  He gave us a very good account of the events on the march back to Boston, and answered the final question of the day.  Where did the Revolutionary war begin?  I caught Endpoint by surprise, and presented him with a WELL DESERVED shiny new RED hat!!   ^:)^ ^:)^ Whoo hoo!  (He didn't see that one coming) Congratulations, you earned it!

As Endpoint mentioned in his story, there was a place called Parker's Revenge.  Well, we decided we should get some revenge ourselves!  We divided into two fire teams, and were given an objective:  tackle that redcoat target together, make sure you engage each target, and aim for the most hits on target for the highest score.  We made it easy - 100 points for each shot in the 100y target, 200 for 200y, 300 for 300y, 400 for 400y, and 500 points if you could qualify for Captain Morgan's rifle company!!  If any redcoat escaped unscathed, a 750 point penalty would be assessed.  Teams 1 and 2 huddled together, and devised a plan of action.  Then, with as many rounds as they could muster, they were given 90 seconds to engage those pesky redcoats!  Fire men!  Fire as fast as you can!!!!!  :--- :---  After the smoke had cleared, we reviewed the results.  Team 1 had decided to focus their energy on the 300y target, and was sure to place a round or two in each of the others to avoid the penalty.  Team 2 decided to assign a target to the most qualified person at the specified range.  They had many hits on all targets.  With a quick counting of the holes (there were a lot) we had team 1 with 4300 points, and team 2 with 7300!!  :o :o  Way to go guys!  As you can see, there is real value in teamwork.  You can accomplish great things when you have the help of your brothers!  Keep this idea of teamwork in mid for everything you need to do.  Working a gunshow?  Have a 3 man team, it makes it easier.  Need to build a fence, get a team.  Want to come to an Appleseed?  Gather a BIG team  @).  Again, good job guys!

And so, as the sun had set on the British Empire on April 19th, so too was the sun setting on us.  I didn't want to leave. This was my second Appleseed as Shoot Boss, and I am thankful we have an excellent group of instructors here to make my job much easier.  I thank you all for the hospitality you showed a border raider from IL  ..:.., and for coming willing to learn.  Everyone made SIGNIFICANT improvement, and we had 4 folks shooting 200-ish scores after one Appleseed, with everyone else in the mid/upper 100's!  You guys ROCK.  Keep DRY firing at home, and please consider coming back to another 'seed soon, and bring a friend!  Remember how easy it is to double our program if everyone comes back, and brings just one friend.

Thank you again, and I hope to see everyone again!

PS: I forgot to mention we had 3 riflemen qualify at FULL DISTANCE!!  ^:)^ ^:)^  Pics attached.

2 clicks low

#1
Awesome shoot on Saturday. GBH you are a great shoot boss. Endpoint, congrats on the Red Hat, so that's why GBH was working you like a rented mule.

Excellent teachable students and gale force wind.

I am awed at the improvement in just 1 day and regret that due to medical problems I couldn't be there for Sunday.

Thanks to all
2cl
"Semper Fritos" 1st. Chicago Chairborne

dragonfly

Congratulations to the KD rifleman, and congrats to Endpoint well done  ..:..

D-fly   Keeping the Faith
www.facebook.com/WIAppleseed

K.I.S.S.
Lead, Follow or Get out of the way - Thomas Paine
Did you talk to someone new about APPLESEED today ?
The United States Constitution.

Shooterer

Great job everyone. Did anyone else get horribly sun and wind burned on Sunday? Ya, I know, a hat and sun screen are on the list of things to bring, but I was having so much fun that the pain didn't start untill the ride home.

Hold hard,
Jim
Stand up for what's right.... Even if you stand alone.

Gumballhead

Quote from: Shooterer on May 02, 2011, 05:05:16 PM
Great job everyone. Did anyone else get horribly sun and wind burned on Sunday? Ya, I know, a hat and sun screen are on the list of things to bring, but I was having so much fun that the pain didn't start untill the ride home.

Hold hard,
Jim
raises hand...

Forgot the sunscreen.  I look like i was caught in an explosion. red nose, ears, outline for sunglasses and hat.  It's worth it though

AuntieBellum

Thanks for letting me come play on the KD range this weekend!  I got to work with some great instructors (Congrats, Endpoint!), shoot with some fantastic students who were obviously enjoying themselves and learning tons (thanks for sharing your end of the line with me AJ and Bruce!), AND shoot KD - I seriously cannot think of any day better than that.  Oh, wait and THEN there's the view from the pits!  Amazing.  I'm pretty sure I'll be back... ;D

Wait for it....




Gorgeous.
"Nothing is as strong as the heart of a volunteer."
-Lt. Colonel James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, US Army Air Corps, 1942

"You smell like Appleseed." - Rimshot

Chris Z

Sun and wind burn  O0

Finally got to see the view from the pits in Racine  O0

Attended an Appleseed where one of our own stepped up, congrats Endpoint  O0

Qualified at full distance  O0

Thank you to all involved, Gumballhead, JoeZ and all the other instructors there.  O0

cz

endpoint

Yep, I got sunburned too.  It's not just the hat that's red  ;D No excuse in my case, I had sunscreen in the shoot bag. :-[

Thanks for the congrats all!   ^:)^

Good meeting you AuntieBellum and Shooterer!  Glad you pulled through 2Clicks and sorry you missed Sunday!

I'm really glad that everybody got to go full distance on Sunday afternoon.  Congratz on the patches.

Excellent shoot Gumballhead!  Many, many smiles, greatly improved shooting, and two shooters interested in joining the club and perhaps taking the orange hat once they get their patches.  I saw some CMP certificates go out too, which I always like to see!

Everybody come back to Racine when you can.  It's not boarder raiding when you're invited  ;D

endpoint



Patriot Gal

Sounds like we missed a great shoot!!!  Congrats to you, Endpoint on your RH and congrats to all the Riflemen!!!  Can't wait to get back up there for the KD range! 

Ohhhhhh!!!!!!!  I didn't know you could see Lake Michigan from the KD pits!!!  I LOVE Lake Michigan!!!  Spent summers in Michigan on the beach.   Ok, then.  When I come back up there..... I'm jumpin' in the lake!!!   ^:)^ ^:)^

Well done report, GBH.  I followed your weekend all the way through.

Thanks for all you all do for 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