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Bickleton, Washington, April 21-22, 2012 AAR

Started by Reformed Redneck, April 23, 2012, 11:08:36 AM

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Reformed Redneck

Greetings to all,

I only have the time for a brief post this morning, but want to get something up so that others will have a place to comment and post pictures.

Bickleton was unseasonably warm for this time of year, yet over the two days we had just over 40 shooters participate in this Patriot's Day event. Despite the discomfort of the heat, we observed marked improvements among the shooters. This, along with healthy doses of American heritage history, made for a great celebratory weekend. By the end of the day Sunday, we had 7 repeat Riflemen, and two new Riflemen. To those that re-qualified and those who are new Riflemen, a hearty Congratulations to you all. To those who are still seeking to acquire Rifleman status, continue to persist and overcome, just as those of the Founding generation did. You will be rewarded with success.

This event was also an opportunity to get to meet and work with a number of instructors from the NW region that we had not previously had  the chance to work with before. Thank you all for your contributions to the event, and we look forward to working with you again.

In addition to these matters, ShadowMan passed his IPC, and is now a Red Hat. Both Theophilus and Prescott successfully completed their SBIT2 segments. We are very pleased with how the regional instructor corps is continuing to grow.

Thanks to the shooters who came out to brave the heat for two days in order to improve their marksmanship skills, and to listen to the heritage that belongs to us all. Thanks to the instructors, many of whom came from quite a distance, for their continued voluntary efforts. And special thanks to the Grabners for hosting this event at their farm.

Best regards,
Reformed Redneck
I'll keep my faith, my family, my church, my liberty, my property, my money...oh, and my guns. You can keep the chains.

"...Of Zebulon, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war...which could keep rank: they were not of double heart..."

AmbulanceDriver

RR, this is definitely an understatement, but it was an absolute blast (pun most definitely intended  ;D ) to meet some of the WA and ID instructor types there at Bickleton.  Great weather, even if unseasonably warm, great shooters, and great hosts!!! (can still taste the Sunday AM treats... :D )

While I may have gotten a little more sun than I originally thought (ok, so I'm a bit of a lobster this morning here at work), it was an absolutely awesome weekend, and a wonderful way to honor our heritage observing Patriot's Day.  To all our shooters this weekend, thank you for attending and giving up a weekend to learn about our heritage.  It was a pleasure to meet all of you, and a joy to see all of the improvement on the line as groups shrank and scores went up... :)

Evenstar

#2
As a warning, this thread is going to be pretty photo heavy. Which I am told is a good thing. ::) Just went through what's on my camera and will be posting a real AAR soon. Most of my really good shots are on Rizzin's camera, which I'm sure he'll get to soon (hope you are feeling better, Ed! We missed you on Sunday.). Ducko, I hope you will post your pictures of the Riflemen from Sunday afternoon, cause mine aren't any good. And Joni, looking forward to seeing your pics, and especially of the youth patch presentation. I had the wrong lens on the camera for that shot, and couldn't fit them all in the frame. ;)

More later...

And I'm really looking forward to hearing from some attendees!

In the meantime, here's a video of our Liberty Volley. NW Region's own Earl called off the names. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev7SPPx4Nfg&feature=youtu.be
'Pictures... or it didn't happen!' &)

"What we do in life echoes in eternity.

"All we must decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

"She is worth the wait. When she lifts her head - she smiles!" - Earl

"Warriors are not always the fastest or strongest men. Strength and speed can be developed through training. Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that he loves or holds sacred."

Arwen, Shorty, Blondy, Star, Trouble, Smiley, Miss Jess Adair, Starry, Kitten, Blue Eyes, Even Shorter, Elfy, Butterfly Girl, Tater Jr., Princess Tater, Tater Tot, Tiny Tater, Twinkletoes, Skippy

Coeur d'Alene 8/10!
Waterman 300 9/11/10
Deary 3/11!
Bickleton 100 4/9/11
Medical Lake, WA - July 31, 2011

George Hacker

Wow, there is so much awesome about this shoot I don't know where to start.

Shooters - I hope you share your thoughts on this forum and on Facebook.  We instructors volunteer, but what helps make our day is hearing your highlights of the events we work.

Steve - your shooting was very much improved.  I think there is a Rifleman's Patch in your future.

Jimmythegeek - it was good seeing you again.  Good job on requalifying as a rifleman.

Natalie - although you didn't earn a patch, you were shooting great on Sunday.  Your shooting was much improved and you were persisting... those are the qualities of a rifleman.  More dry practice on your stage 2 and 3 transitions and watch out.

Mike - it was a lot of fun watching you get behind your Mosin.  Well done!

Matt - it was a pleasure meeting you.  I wish I would have worked with you more.  Thanks for taking a fistful of tri-folds home with you to share with your gun club and friends.  We need more 7th steppers like you.

Ty - well done shooting rifleman again.  You know what you are about and it was fun to watch the friendly competition between you and your dad.

Lance - congratulations on earning your patch.  You have a great attitude and it was a pleasure to work with you and watch you shoot.

Lincoln - it was a blast watching you and your son shoot together on Saturday.  He was very well behaved for a young boy his age.

Jo - you aren't just knocking on the door, you have your foot in it.  Your steady hold factors and trigger control are awesome.  When I coached you, I really didn't have much to say (and everyone knows I'm not a man of few words... just ask Earl).  I hope I'm there at your next shoot because I know you will be taking a patch home next time.

Randy, Jen, and Austin - you were all much improved and teachable.  It was a blessing seeing an entire family come and shoot together.

Rylan - great shooting.  Continue to follow through (no blinking!).  I know you are a future rifleman and there is an orange hat in your near future.

Patman - don't forget to relax. ;D  Great job requalifying.

To all of the other instructors - it was an honor and a joy working with you.  RR, Theophilus, and Prescott - very well done running that shoot and keeping the time monkey in his cage.

Doug and Helen - thank you so very much for hosting the event on your farm.  You were delightful hosts and I hope I get the opportunity to see you again and get to know you better.

- ShadowMan
Tell your Pacific Northwest facebook friends to "like" and post in the Northwest Region Project Appleseed page.

"You can't miss fast enough..."  "Aim small, miss small."

Prescott

This was a very successful Patriot's Day shoot.   We were all hoping for great weather, and did we get it.  The shooters did a great job keeping hydrated and persisted at improving their marksmanship skills.  This was apparent by the number of new and repeat rifleman scores that we saw both days.  Congratulations to the new rifleman in the Pacific NW.

I really enjoyed working with all the participants who came to reconnect with the heritage of our country.   They seemed to enjoy the stories of the Three Strikes and Dangerous Old Men.   It was especially a treat for the instructors to hear a brand new DOM story that TrueTenacity shared with us.   Thanks for researching that story and bringing it to the Patriot's Day event.
"America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

Earl

#5
Too many words but never enough pictures.
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Earl

Day two started with the Sun and a field sermon. It was a great start to a wonderful Appleseed...
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Earl

Too many words.
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Earl

#8
Last of the worth a thousand words. Real words after yard work or CastleVille which ever comes first...
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

RL

I am such a heat weenie. Every time the sun comes out I wilt. I might be part vampire. I spent most of the weekend out in the shade. Despite covering my skin, hydrating, soaking my clothes and sunscreen, I could still only be out in the sun for about 2 minutes at a time before I became really uncomfortable. This marks the 4th time at Appleseed that I have become a heat casualty.

Other than that it was another fantastic shoot. Congrats to the new and old riflemen. It was great to get almost all of the regions instructors out for a shoot. All of our shooters persisted, and I think all 40 of them combined complained less about the heat than I did. Thank you to our hosts Doug and Helen.
...and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people.
John Adams, from the Boston Gazette, February 6, 1775

We live, my dear soul, in an age of trial. What will be the consequence, I know not.
John Adams in a letter to Abigail, 1774.

jimmythegeek

A couple of things stood out for me - one was my daughter Natalie possibly learning more about persistence than marksmanship.  Plenty of both, hard to quantify the former but I know it when I see it.  Since she had more trouble seated and prone than standing I'll look into fit and eye relief. 

Another thing was watching Evenstar demonstrating prone.  Smooth and lethal efficiency getting into position.  I would not want to be a redcoat in range...  when I transition, I feel like I'm on crutches falling down the stairs while carrying a tray full of glasses.  I'm glad some other folks demonstrated prone with different sling methods.  Not to be unkind, but a little closer to my level of grace and more relatable for an old guy.   ;D

And, of course, Doug and Helen, reminding me what hospitality looks like. 

AmbulanceDriver

Jimmy, I gotta say that not only did Natalie demonstrate some pretty good improvement on marksmanship, she really did demonstrate the concept that a rifleman persists.  Through fatigue, frustration, and beating down sun, she definitely kept at it.  I've been there, the agony of just needing that one last thing to click into place to get over that hump and watch the rounds start landing where they need.  In my case it was the rifleman's cadence and dragging wood - my cardinal sins for 1 1/2 Appleseeds before things finally clicked together and I earned my patch, with an instructor riding my shoulder the whole time. 

But I can see the persistence in her as she kept hammering at those AQT's.  And I think all the instructors could see that she's not just knocking on the door, but she's pounding on it...  :)

And yes, Earl, I know.... Too many words....   I'll have a few pictures to post a little later.... :)

And RL, maybe this will help:


Scott1600

Wow!  What a great event!!!  Grats to Shadowman on the RH! 
-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.

Evenstar

#13
Well... it was a great weekend! Bickleton was just exactly how I remembered it, beautiful, flat, windy... even MORE giant fans (that's for you Doug ;D) than last year. It was a privilege to go back there, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to... Doug and Helen, thank you guys SO much for your hospitality, and for opening up your place for shoots. We appreciate you guys more than you know!

It was a rare treat to meet and work with some instructors from the region that I'd never shared a line with before. I met some of them on Friday evening as they rolled in. And then, some of those who were camping in the Hidden Valley participated in 'midnight horseshoes by flashlight'. **) Picture to prove it:


I really enjoyed working with Jen and her husband and son (Austin). If I remember correctly, Jen does pistol shooting but hadn't shot a rifle in a long time. Had some trouble with anticipating her shot because of being used to higher calibers, but eventually got used to the .22, and was shooting quite well! Lots of improvement over the weekend. Hope to see you all back. Austin was fun to work with, and his enthusiasm to check out his latest target was contagious.

Jo, you are SO close. You position and everything is picture-perfect. I can't wait to see the AAR where you are announced as Washington's newest Riflewoman! (It'll be soon. Just relax and have fun!) ;)

Hayden, good job on transitions and your positions. You've come a long way. Keep practicing and you'll make a real rifleman score soon!

Amy, it's always fun to watch you shoot on the line. Even if it wasn't your best day out. :cool2:

Rylan, it was great to meet you. I didn't have a chance to work with you really, but report was that your positions and trigger control were perfect. Keep working on the 6 Steps, and you'll get that patch!

Natalie, I really enjoyed working with you off and on throughout the weekend. Persistence really is the key to becoming a true Rifleman. Do some dry-practicing, come back to another Appleseed, and you'll get the patch.

Jimithegeek, I'm glad you liked my demo. ;D

Konrad, congratulations on proving you're still a Rifleman from last year! I don't think I've ever seen anyone do a mag change that fast.

Troy and Ty, you guys are awesome! Congratulations to both of you on re-qualifying.

David, Peter, James, Lance (did I miss anyone?), congratulations on either making your first Rifleman score, or re-qualifying! Come on back to another Appleseed, and bring your friends!

To the rest of the shooters who I didn't get a chance to work with much, thank you! Thanks for coming out to bake in the sun on the line with us while learning rifle marksmanship and American heritage.

Instructors, thank you guys. I enjoy every moment working with you all (even if I was pretty burned out by Sunday afternoon). Arpjoe, AmbulanceDriver, Ducko, rocket, it was great to meet you all. Firediver, it was a privilege to work your first shoot with you; you're going to be a great instructor!

ShadowMan, you earned that red hat. Even if mine was FAR too small for you. ;)

Earl, thanks for that picture in which I have the cheesiest smile in the world. **) Seriously though, thank you so much for coming out to Bickleton. It was an honor to work the line with you again for the first time since July. You calling the Liberty Volley was the BEST. (Am I talking too much in this post? Ok, ok...)

Yep, it was a good weekend. Perfect weather, IMO; not too hot, just really sunny, as all our arms and necks show evidence of. Got home around mid-night last night, crashed, and still needing to catch up on sleep. You know that tired... that GOOD tired?

Pictures, for the most part from Sunday... all but 2 of my Saturday ones are on Rizzin's camera.

Saturday dawns clear and calm


Line is set up and ready to go


Anyone who slept through the glorious Sunday morning sunrise REALLY missed out...


Posting up Sunday morning's redcoat


06en watches Jo's trigger finger


AmbulanceDriver reviews prone position and sling usage; Firediver demos.


OnlyHitsCount gets some trigger time


Konrad working his bolty


Theophilus working with Isaac on prone


Austin and his lever-action tube-fed


Lunch time repeat Riflemen on Sunday - Troy and Ty



David and Peter - Father and son become Riflemen side-by-side, though David is a repeat, if I remember correctly.



Amy and Konrad with their AR's at the end of the line


TruT works with Steve on his prone position


And he is so close to that patch!


Mike the Mosin Man :cool2:


Lance is a Rifleman!


Our fabulous shoot boss and shoot bosses in training wrapping up the day


And ShadowMan is a RED HAT!!!



Most of the instructors. I think we're missing rocket, Joni, Rizzin, and Jo... this was the best pic I had since Still Learnin's hand cut off people's faces in the others. ;D


More pictures from Saturday later. (When you feel up to it Rizzin, can you mail my thumbdrive to me? That would be great...)
'Pictures... or it didn't happen!' &)

"What we do in life echoes in eternity.

"All we must decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

"She is worth the wait. When she lifts her head - she smiles!" - Earl

"Warriors are not always the fastest or strongest men. Strength and speed can be developed through training. Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that he loves or holds sacred."

Arwen, Shorty, Blondy, Star, Trouble, Smiley, Miss Jess Adair, Starry, Kitten, Blue Eyes, Even Shorter, Elfy, Butterfly Girl, Tater Jr., Princess Tater, Tater Tot, Tiny Tater, Twinkletoes, Skippy

Coeur d'Alene 8/10!
Waterman 300 9/11/10
Deary 3/11!
Bickleton 100 4/9/11
Medical Lake, WA - July 31, 2011

TruTenacity

As the pictures attest to (and more to come) this was another great event here in the Northwest Region.

Thank you Doug and Helen for being such gracious hosts to this year's Patriot's Day event.  Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

The attendees were fantastic and hung in there in spite of the hot conditions.  They were attentive to the history heritage stories and all portions of instruction even when we instructors used a few too many words.

Stay tuned for further pictures.   :pop:




"We are fighting for our country, for posterity perhaps.  On the success of this campaign the happiness or misery of millions may depend."  Henry Knox

"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."  Galatians 6:9

Joni

Congratulations to those moving up the ranks, and to those who requalified and a very special congrats to those who made rifleman for the first time! For those who are so close, we will see you soon and get that done together!

The pics I took are in Picasa at this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/GretaStuff/April212012BickletonWA?authkey=Gv1sRgCKCty72cxq2ABA#5734728321548271778

Please take the ones you want, it was my pleasure to make them available to you...finally!!  :)

George Hacker

Shooters, if you're on Facebook... please take a few moments to "Like" our local Facebook page! You can also tag yourself in the photos if you'd like.  If you see a picture you really like, "Share" it with your friends (or share the whole photo album).

Here is a link to our Northwest Region Project Appleseed Facebook page.

It would be great to see you all again on the firing line.  It would be even better if you bring a friend to shoot with.

- ShadowMan
Tell your Pacific Northwest facebook friends to "like" and post in the Northwest Region Project Appleseed page.

"You can't miss fast enough..."  "Aim small, miss small."

Rizzin

Shadowman, congrats on your new color, sorry I was not able to be there to see you get it. I was not just burnt I was BBQ'ed well done but did not know it until I stopped moving.

Link to album of Saturdays pictures

:pics:

George Hacker

Thanks, Rizzin.  It was a pleasure working with you on the line again.  Hope your burn heals sooner rather than later.

- ShadowMan
Tell your Pacific Northwest facebook friends to "like" and post in the Northwest Region Project Appleseed page.

"You can't miss fast enough..."  "Aim small, miss small."

Evenstar

Thanks for the link, Rizzin!

And folks, just ignore the pics where I was fiddling with the exposure. They are quite washed out. ;D
'Pictures... or it didn't happen!' &)

"What we do in life echoes in eternity.

"All we must decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

"She is worth the wait. When she lifts her head - she smiles!" - Earl

"Warriors are not always the fastest or strongest men. Strength and speed can be developed through training. Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that he loves or holds sacred."

Arwen, Shorty, Blondy, Star, Trouble, Smiley, Miss Jess Adair, Starry, Kitten, Blue Eyes, Even Shorter, Elfy, Butterfly Girl, Tater Jr., Princess Tater, Tater Tot, Tiny Tater, Twinkletoes, Skippy

Coeur d'Alene 8/10!
Waterman 300 9/11/10
Deary 3/11!
Bickleton 100 4/9/11
Medical Lake, WA - July 31, 2011

AmbulanceDriver

As promised, a few more pictures - thanks Evenstar for taking these for me!  :)












Western Rose

#21
Wow, what a weekend!

I am so glad I was able to put up the homework for most of Saturday and all of Sunday.

A HUGE thank you to the Grabner's for hosting this event and for allowing us to use their fifth-wheeler.

The sun has done something to my brain I'm afraid as I can't seem to remember names as well as normal.

To the shooters, thank you so much for coming out and making this event happen. We couldn't have had it without you. I was impressed by the persistance that I saw throughout the weekend through the heat. A hearty well done and congratulations to those of you who shot your rifleman scores. To those of you who didn't, dryfire helps tons. Remember, perfect practice makes perfect.  O0

David and Peter, it was fantastic to be able to work with you guys a bit on Sunday. Congratulations to you both on your Rifleman scores.

Lance, congratulations on making Rifleman. I want to specifically thank you for the encouragement that you gave to your family.

Jo, you will get there. At this point, you know what to do, so go and just. have. fun. Don't worry about the score. Mix it up, relax, and enjoy!

Natalie, it will come. Be patient and don't get frustrated with yourself. It takes time to learn new things.

To the instructors, it is always a pleasure to work with you guys. It was a privilege to meet those of you whom I haven't before. You all are great and I am looking forward to more events with you. Welcome to the Northwest arpjoe! Welcome back AmbulanceDriver! Congratulations on the change of color ShadowMan! Theophilus and Prescott, you guys did a fantastic job as SBiTs. You guys make it look easy.

Joni, thank you for doing your best to keep me out of the sun once in a while and hydrated.

Rizzin, RL, I hope you two are feeling better now.

Earl, thanks for making the trip over. It was great to be on the line with you again.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook

50th Appleseed
Appleseed: From Coast to Coast

Bazooka Joe

Thank you to all of the instructors for an awesome weekend of training.  And thank you also to all of the support people who made it possible.  It has been a few years since I did any serious rifle shooting, and it was good to get a refresher on some of the basics as well as learning a lot of new things.  Sadly my skills were much diminished over time -- either that or an increase in my gut corresponds to a decrease in accuracy.  But I did see much improvement over the weekend, despite nearly becoming a heat casualty, and am resolved to continue to practice and train my rifle skills.  I really enjoyed all of the history stories, too.

Thanks again,
Matt

George Hacker

Matt,

It was a pleasure meeting you and having you on the firing line.  I usually stay on the wet side of the state, but I hope our paths cross again in the future.

- ShadowMan
Tell your Pacific Northwest facebook friends to "like" and post in the Northwest Region Project Appleseed page.

"You can't miss fast enough..."  "Aim small, miss small."