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Piru, CA - Jan 14-15, 2012

Started by Mr Pete, January 16, 2012, 03:23:02 AM

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Mr Pete

California is off and running!  I'm just posting this teaser to kick it off the After Action Report.

In the first shoot of the 2012 year Piru welcomed 11 shooters to the line on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.  It seemed like an instructor convention as we had 6 IITs ready, eager and willing to advance as well as visits from instructors (L0ck3, as_minuteman and V)

There is sooOOoo much good stuff I have to collect my thoughts. 

Shooters and Instructors sound off!

-Peter
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies

Mr Pete

Off and Running!

I simply can't say enough about the quality of people that attend an Appleseed weekend, both shooters and instructors.  Camping was a great way to create community and share experiences.  It was also great to have guest appearances by other instructors (V, as_minuteman and L0ck3).  If you have pics people, post 'em!

Getting off the couch we had 11 shooters on Saturday with 8 of them being seasoned Appleseeders.  Last May Shooter David attended with his son Yuval and daughter Roni.  They had so much fun and were so excited, the children continually pestered their Mom and Dad to go shooting.  Their Mother, Dorit, was a little concerned about their unrelenting excitement wondering, "What has your Father gotten you in to"?  Well David found the cure and that was to take Dorit to an Appleseed and have her see for herself.  Starting with no shots on paper and ending with a qualifying score on the Redcoats Dorit now understands their excitement!  We hope to see David and family all back on the line soon!

Returning shooters George, Cindy and Jenny absolutely had a fun time.  Groups were great as well as the family ribbing that went back and forth and I am glad that they promised to be back.

New shooter Matt was only able to attend one of the two days.  He bowed out due to his sick son who was also signed up to attend but we hope to see him back soon!

Ms Sharon stepped up to the line with a loaner rifle and cross dominant eyes.  We shifted her to shooting left handed and while her groups varied widely throughout the weekend but what is certain is that she can keep 10 shots in 4MOA if she puts her mind to it...or perhaps takes her mind out of it.  That is 0 to 100 miles per hour in a weekend!

Brian jumped on to the line with his brand new rifle, pretty much out of the box.  He struggled with equipment issues, loose sights and had to trade out for an LTR.  In spite of that he absorbed all the lessons and persisted.  On Sunday he switched rifles again to another LTR and was able to turn in several 48s on Stage 1!!!

John was back and in fine form turning in several 200+ scores.  Methodic and measured John's temperament and attitude was everything we could ever hope for.  Without a trace of frustration or disappointment he simply said, "next time".  Of that I have no doubt.

Scott1600 7th stepped and brought out his Father-in-law, Dan.  It is always great to meet the family of our Appleseed family.  Dan picked up everything and tried everything.  There goes another DOM!

Alex and Crystal were true rays of sunshine.  gonejohnny intimated to me that there is a certain generation of people that would consider the patch a lousy trinket...a brownie button with no meaning.  That certain generation finds meaning in unique and satisfying experiences.  All I know was that Alex and Crystal were inspiring.  I know they were tired and beat.  I know they had struggles.  I never heard one bit of frustration or attitude.  I never saw them slow down.  Even when we turned up the pace on Sunday to the grind they were up for anything.  Great shooting by both of them.  I have a feeling Ms Crystal will easily qualify on the AQT next time around with iron sights.

Late on Sunday we offered a break...well something different.  With so many instructors and so many rifles (Mosin, M1917, M1, AR) we opened it up to the shooters to have a bit of fun and try them out.  There is nothing like handing a student an M1 (for the first time) and having them ring steel at 100 yards.  It was absolutely fantastic to see students understand that the fundamentals apply to every rifle!  I worked with John last October to qualify for the CMP.  When offered the chance to shoot Scott1600's M1 he said, "I want my first time shooting an M1 to be with my M1".  I understand the sentiment and savoring of experiences.  It was a fantastic opportunity to share with former strangers (now family) the joy of shooting.  My thanks to the instructors who volunteered rifles and ammo for our impromptu rifle showcase. 

Even though daylight was waning the students unanimously wanted to shoot more AQTs and probably wouldn't have quit until dark.  Unfortunately we can only have so much fun on a weekend.

Last but not least I have the following promotions to note:
gonejohnny earned his RedHat
Tuna Fish -> IIT1
rrhartly -> IIT2
SilentPeaShooter -> IIT2
Scott1600 -> IIT3

I may be an excitable goof...sometimes (I'm told) I am inspiring.  I can truthfully say that Appleseeders (shooters and instructors) are ALWAYS inspiring to me.  A hearty congratulations to all the instructors and shooters.  Never forget YOUR accomplishments, they are undeniable.

-Peter
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies

Scott1600

#2
Well, what can I say the MrPete didn't cover... 
My father-in-law had a great time, saw his marksmanship improve, and was truly inspired by the heritage.  He raved on the ride home about the day and was really impressed... at age 70+ and having been hunting and shooting from about 8 years old and on, I'd think another Dangerous Old Man just woke up...

Brian:  Awesome offhand!  When you shoot the first stage AQT like that, the rest is just downhill... a little practice at home, and getting comfortable with transitions and you'll be breaking 210 in no time.  Your enthusiasm was inspiring and contagious!
John:  It was great to see you again, and I really admire your quiet efficiency as you build those scores...  I look forward to seeing you again and getting to see your M1 Garand... don't worry about the cosmoline, I like to think of that stuff as "history grease"...  :D
Alex:  way to step up and be the first to ring steel with the M1 Garand!  .22 or .30-06, steady hold factors and six steps to firing the shot don't change!  Great job!
Crystal:  Same goes for you with the AR15.  You slung up, and rang the steel offhand, 100 yards, first shot!  Be proud!
Couldn't have had a finer group and if I missed anyone, I appologize.

Also, a special shoutout to our two younger IITs who handled the setup and take down up the hill.  Huzzah!  Bisquit, great to see you again!!!  And thanks for the use of the shooting mat, Rick!

Last but not least, special congratulations to GoneJohnny!  -Our newest California instructor!  -A true artist who paints on a canvas of accuracy!  I am honored to know you and proud to call you my friend!
That goes for you too, MrPete!

Loquaciously yours,
Scott
"Objects of the most stupendous magnitude, and measure in which the lives and liberties of millions yet unborn are intimately interested, are now before us. We are in the very midst of a revolution the most complete, unexpected and remarkable of any in the history of nations." -John Adams, July 3, 1776.

horsecavalry

  I was the happy squire of two lovely ladies, one who is my wife who happened to introduce Appleseed to me, and Jenny, our friend on her third shoot. The weather  was just about perfect for any time of the year, but January? You've got to be kidding! Even for here, it was perfect. I remember pictures of V sitting in the mud last year demonstrating positions. It was 106 my first shoot .
   Not Saturday. What a nice group of people, and Mr. Pete put it right. It was a community. I know I felt at ease and part of a family of sorts.
  My girls, felt the pace to be just about right; giving some allowance to set sights and scopes esp.
for old farts, like me. Emphasis on quality not speed or shots. We weren't able to be there on Sunday,
ponies need love too, but I bet things sped up considerably.
  I first attended an Appleseed in June 2009, I've seen Mr. Pete at a few venues. He was a new guy
all excited but quiet . Last Saturday I made a silly comment about an EZ UP that wasn't all the up. Saying something like this is for the short people. Well Mr Pete was the shortest guy in the group. He didn't take it ill, and I was kinda embarrassed. By by the end of the day. I felt he was the tallest man there. Cindy, Jenny and I all looked up to him. ( everyone else too)
   He is a great instructor, and shoot boss. Thanks also to Johnny and the horde of addition IIT's and instructors. The excitement and passion was infectious.
This was  my favorite Appleseed. The girls did awesome and will both be Rifle People at their next shoot.
   Thank you all.
H CAV

MR B (549)

I was apprensive about attending. Your mind gets filled with allot of dread thinking about all of the yahoo's and tacticool-for-school snobbery  that give gun owners a bad name, and a visit to the wrong gun store or gun range  can make you feel smaller than a '22 caliber bullet  at 400 yards . I did my research however and made up my mind that if I didn't feel comfortable I would just up and leave . I didn't have any expectations and I really just wanted to break in my new rifle , which had taken me many months of sifting through internet articles and reviews before a purchase was made  . I had hoped , as I drove the beautiful california winters morning ,  that at the very least , I would pick up a few tips which would help me become more accomplished with my rifle and finished the slow 15 M.P.H drive through a spectacular ranch  with an open heart and an open mind . I was blown away by the sheer enormity of Wes Thompson's ranch , acres and acres of magical space parceled out to different gun clubs with funny names  and there , towards the end of the line, I recognized the  familiar logo of Appleseed , and an array of flags from another era , proudly standing in full salutation . Two fellas in orange hats and big smiles  came bounding down the hill and held out their  hands welcoming me and made me feel like I had known them for eons . Thus began one of the most fulfilling weekends of my life ,  and I felt like I was home .
The instruction was intense and the information quick fire  but  it lacked ego and judgement which made it all that much more enjoyable , "like drinking from the fire hose " we were told .  We started out by  going over safety and range etiquette and how to properly sling your rifle , the different positions , the different drills , the AQT , all given with a very calm and diligent  approach . Mr Pete had a little help from his friends Biscuit , Johnny , Colby ,Lock, Rick et al . All fine examples of what  this program accomplishes , a real sense of community , volunteers giving their time so that I could learn what cannot be learned from a book or a dvd , because Appleseed is not just a shooting course , it's a revival of an attitude which has become blurred over time  here in the US and is in danger of becoming a faded page in some dusty history book in some forgotten library. At Appleseed I was reminded about the importance of community ( and saw this in action at the event ), of being a citizen  and through the wonderful and thought provoking  stories told during  lunch , I harnessed an  even greater respect for those who had come before me who had made great sacrifices so that I could be here today ,  awakened once again to their message of liberty and freedom .
I had problems . My rifle was new and I was green with it , like an awkward  first date I ended up fumbling around with it , not understanding it , and losing precious time because of my inaccuracies . The guys were really , really , really patient with me , we tried everything and I got a little disheartened because I really wanted to make it work , but fair play to them , they waited for me to call time on the fools errand and helped me get set up with another rifle so that I could continue my practice . I ended up with a bit of a bruised ego but with more holes and tighter groups on the targets .
The second day my scores improved and with a top score of 190 and the talking targets which I poured over when I got home ,I know now what needs to be done to sharpen my skills . I also had the pleasure of trying out a few of the other rifles , like the AR  , the Mosin Nagant and my favorite boomstick by far, an M1 Garand .
During the day an older man showed up in a beat up old yellow jeep , blue jeans  , a stetson and a meticulous mustache ...Mr Thompson, the owner of the ranch and shooting range , he talked to us and told us all how proud he was that we were there in the dirt and dust , learning a tradition which can only really be passed down orally from one generation to another  and with the hopes that we would keep it alive by passing it on down to our families and friends , the seventh step of shooting .
" You guys aren't just shooters anymore ......You are all now Marksmen ....." I felt a sense of pride in those words which I hadn't felt in a long time and now with allot of practice and persistence I just might be able to get that Rifleman patch.
Thanks so much to everyone
Much love
Mr B
In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
George Orwell

RangeRat

Congrats on all the IIT promotions; your journey has begun...

And special congrats to gonejohnny, a fellow IBC'er; feels good doesn't it?....  We'll have to get together and ring steel again!

RR

SavageShootr

horsecavalry, lot's of us look up to MrPete. One need only read my signature line to see that....

MrB. WOW Welcome to Appleseed.

To all who attended Congratulations, Thanks for getting off the couch. I hope to see you all at another Appleseed soon.

Congratulations gonejohnny on the change in hat. Congratulations to all the IITs who advanced towards the red hat... Great job!

MrPete! What can I say? Thanks for the report.


"Listen to everyone, read everything, and don't believe anything unless you can prove it."' B.C.
"It isn't like it is life or death...it is more important than that." MrPete

Johnnyappleseed

Whoo Hoo  O0
Nice shoot California .
Welcome aboard Mr B

See you all on the trail ;D
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge

MtnJohn

Thank you all for a wonderful weekend.  This was my second Appleseed and I have to say that I am more of a fan of the program now than I was after my first.  And ask my wife -  I couldn't stop talking about Appleseed after the first one.

I almost ended Day 1 a bit down and dejected.  On the practice AQT we did at day's end, for the fourth stage I got only two of ten shots on paper (one 3 and one off target).  And then for the second Red Coat, I didn't put any shots on the 300yd or 400yd targets.  That disappointed me greatly because I thought I would have been shooting better by that point.  But then Mr. Pete offered some of his ever-so-positive insight and suggested turning over the Red Coat and analyzing the holes irrespective of the targets.  That was a godsend for me because my groups had actually gotten very tight - tighter than I had ever seen them before.  Prior to turning over that Red Coat, I would have never noticed that.  All I could see was that I missed the targets and I would have driven home with my head hung low.  Johnny also helped pick me up by pointing out that my groups were solid but all slightly low and to the right.  He suggested a few clicks up and a few clicks left.  That simple (and obvious to me now) advice really, really helped me.  I got home, cleaned my rifle, did some MOA calcs, and made some adjustments - 4 clicks up, 2 clicks left.

The next morning's sight-ins were so rewarding for me.  I put all 5 shots on the very first sight-in all in the black.  I don't like to toot my own horn but I have to say that that was the tightest group I had ever shot.  All 5 were within 2 or 3 MOA.  I mention this only to point out the huge lesson I had learned - look first at what I did right, look at what I did wrong, figure out what adjustments I need to make, then see what happens.

I never shot Rifleman during our many AQTs on Sunday but that never bothered me.  I think I was just so happy about the mental hurdle I got over on Sat evening / Sun morning and the lesson that I learned from it that the rest of Sunday was just a fun-filled and rewarding day.

I know I will shoot 210 sometime in the future.  It might be at my third Appleseed or it might be at my tenth but it will happen and I'm not too concerned as to when.  I have always been a small-steps kind of person and I think I enjoy that pace because I am very much enjoying this journey.

Besides the firehose of fundamentals that you get at an Appleseed, I especially cherrish the tid-bits of advice that instructors casually throw out.  Johnny - your simple suggestion of moving my support hand closer to me helped me gain elevation in the seated position and greatly helped me stabalize that position.  Jeff (forgive me if I have the name wrong) - your advice of letting in a little "white" between the top of the front post and the bottom of the target helped me a ton.  After implementing that, I found that I could gauge the bottom of those 300s and 400s so much better.

Thanks to Mr. Pete, Scott, and Biscuit for bringing out the big guns late Sunday.  Shooting the AR and the Mosin was a treat.  Shooting the 1917 was extra special as I take history very seriously.  Just touching a rifle like that, let alone shooting it, was an experience to be cherrished.

The historical stories and other words of community, heritage, and civic responsibilities are always a pleasure to hear.  Simple but profound lessons we all need to understand and spread to those unlucky ones who don't get to attend celebrations such as Appleseed.  Having Mr. Thompson stop by and talk to us is icing on the cake - I can't say enough about that man and his message.

To the non-instructors, it was a pleasure shooting with you all.  I hope to see you all at future Appleseeds soon.

Thank you,
John

gonejohnny

Hi Everyone! Thank you all for letting me be a part of yet another fabulous weekend in one of the most magical places ever. It occurred to me while sitting around the campfire, on a moonless Saturday night - the only artificial light in the sky that evening came from nearby Magic Mountain... That people actually travel in hordes there, to pay a hefty sum of money... hoping to find a challenging experience and excitement... achieving nothing that isn't left at the gate upon the end of their day... Not twenty more minutes down the road is OUR experience, available to all...  that isn't artificial and will (hopefully) stay with us the entirety of our lives...

To ALL of the shooters present this weekend! You showed exceptional persistence, maintained the most pleasant of attitudes and offered overflowing heaps of spirit. I thank you for your time with us and truly hope to see all of you on the trail sometime again very soon.

To Brian & John: I can almost see that qualifying score in the reflection off your safety glasses. Almost like the holes are already there, and we're all just waiting for you to reveal them to us. The materials in your welcome pack, DRY PRACTICE & letting it all come together are the keys. The rest is in the effort and time spent on the dirt. I have no doubt at all. Same for the rest of you.

A highlight for me this weekend was Alex's girlfriend Crystal. From 3 holes on paper for the Sat morning RedCoat, she learned to qualify at 200-yards by the afternoon... adding the headshot to her list of achievements by the final RedCoat of the weekend. Bravo! That she is ready for more and promised return visits! Exceptional!  O0

What we teach is truly remarkable. Even more remarkable is that people don't already know it. Waking up sleeping Americans... I just LOVE to help introduce people to themselves.

Humbled and Honored,
- GoneJohnny

SilentPeaShooter

I had an awesome weekend. Brian and John, you guys are part of the lifeblood of this program... With your enthusiasm and skills -- I expect I'll meet you on "the trail" soon!

Johnny, way to go on the Redhat!

--SPS

rrhartley

This was my first time to Piru, what a great place to visit, camp, and shoot. Mr Thompson is a great guy and very supportive of us. I just love watching the animal roam around although the coyotes at night were a little unnerving. I thought I was going to have to reload my rifle. Just kidding. Sitting around the camp fire an shooting the breeze with everyone was great, then Mr. Pete brings out the fixing fir smores. I was glad to see there was at least one there like me that doesn't have the patience to brown marshmallows, charbroiled works for me. I started the day as Line Boss so I didn't see the first Red Coats but Mr. Pete brought out a roll of paper to place over the holes off target to see where the shots were going. I understand Crystal was bayonetted the first Red Coat but by Sunday afternoon the Red Coats had someone to fear. Thanks to all of the students for making this a great weekend. During play time Brian borrowed my 22 to try out and had trouble looking through the scope so he decided to stand up and shoot at the little red metal plate at 100 yard, and hit it. Great shot Brian. I look forward to be back to Piru soon and hop to see all of you again. Thanks to the Instructors for all of your help.

rrh

rrhartley

#12
Sorry, I forgot the pictures.

Mr Pete

Some pics from Sharon
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies

Mr Pete

More pics
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies

Tuna Fish

It was a great weekend for sure! Everyone had a great time and the fun shoot was just icing on the cake. I know its very vindicating for me personally to be able to apply all the concepts learned and be able to put the rounds on target whether or not Ive ever handled that type of gun before. Everyone did a great ob this weekend and I hope to see all of you up at Piru next month!  O0

Mr Pete

Found a nice "Wolverine" brand jacket in my stuff. 

If anybody lost a jacket PM me and I'll get it back to you.

-Peter
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies

LittleMo

Awesome!  O0

Congrats on a great shoot, and congrats on all the IIT promotions!

Gary
Growing old is mandatory; Growing up is optional!  :)

Marksmanship can be taught and learned,
but the motivation has to be inspired for the
people to become involved.
How many have you inspired that became involved?

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