Niles, MI - October 20-21, 2012

[Caliper]

Placeholder for Niles, MI - October 20-21, 2012 AAR

[tomahawk]

So, how did it go today? 

[Pitmaster]

Cold and wet in the beginning with 29 outstanding Americans and 1 teenage young woman from Croatia braved the cold, mud, and some rain to learn history, heritage, and marksmanship today. We began promptly and everyone stayed until the end except one gentleman who had to go to a wedding and left an hour or so early.



I have more, but need to transfer them from my tablet to my computer.

[SteelThunder]

Lessee...

Enthusiastic, patriotic Americans came out to shoot, learn rifle marksmanship and rekindle the spirit of their American heritage.  What?  Heard that before?  Too mundane?

OK, how about, 14 total kids including 1 foreign exchange student from Croatia?  Still not got you cranked up?

What about 5 (count 'em, 5) new Riflemen forged in the steel of American history?  Now I'm starting to get to you.

Add to that, 34 total individual students (26 pre-registrations minus 3 no shows plus 11 walk ons) making this the largest shoot Michigan has ever hosted!  We were running 2 lines -- and for a while 3 lines -- at a time and keeping everyone moving, shooting, learning, laughing and having a great, safe shoot.

Spinkle on top of that great history, everyone getting a go at shooting the 2 Brown Besses we had running, whacking steel with ARs and Garands and M1As over at the 200 yd line...this was a great weekend.

Thanks to Oz for sending me many of these pics.  More when I come out of my Shoot Boss coma...

[mac66]

Great job in Niles guys.

Huzzah for bunches of shooters and lots of new riflemen.

[Pitmaster]

An enthusiastic and dedicated group of Americans. Their dedication comprised of tenacity, attention, discipline, and concentration towards becoming rifleman was evident throughout the weekend.

More pictures















Our foreign exchange student from Croatia

[SteelThunder]

OK, a bit more complete report:

Great to see so many shooters overall, familiar faces from previous shoots, new Appleseeders and completely new shooters.

To my junior shooters -- Ben, Travis, Bailey, Maddie, Nolan, Blane, James, Daniel, Parker (great name!!), Ashlei, Justice, Prosper, Ivana, Josiah, Eli, Bethany  -- I was extraordinarily proud of you all.  You will all grow up to be fine men and women.  It was wonderful to see brand new shooters (with Ivana here from Croatia!) take to safey and the fundamentals of marksmanship.  I appreciate your good humor, politeness, attentativeness and safe practices all weekend.  Keep working position, 6 steps and NPOA -- as well as dry fire -- and you'll continue to improve like you did over the weekend.

Renee and Eli -- as walk-ons on Sunday afternoon you did great absorbing a nearly full day of instruction in 2 hours.  I can't believe that you both were new to rifles...going from just "respectable" groups to shoting sub-1" groups at 25 meters in only 2 hours is fantastic!  Remember -- I'm always available to speak to the Homeschool-ers and/or Scouts.  Just let me know.

Tim, Andrew (good to see you again), Charles, Amanda, Stephen, Dan, Pete, Ryan, Jessica, Mark, Nathan, Bob, Bill -- you all improved significantly...this stuff works!  Ryan -- you were rockin' that 10-22Target.  You'll make it next time.  Jessica - appreciated your smile and attentativeness. 

Last but not least, congrats to our five (!) Riflemen.  Tom, Troy, James, Maddie, Keith.  Great job and persistence folks.  Happy to have been a part of your acheivement.

I'd be honored to shoot and fan the flames of our shared American heritage with any of you, anytime.

























This last one is from our "mom" (hi Renee!) who showed up with her son at Sunday at noon.  Had never touched a rifle before and wanted to try.  With a couple hours of the fundamentals...position, 6 steps, NPOA, trigger control/reset, Rifleman's cadence...she was producing groups like these.  Upper left was early on...and they just kept getting better



Steel

[SteelThunder]

Now with M-O-A-R pictures.

[tomahawk]

Steel Thunder . . . . because . . . . that's . . . . the way . . . . he . . . . ROLLS!

[tomahawk]

[SteelThunder]

By the way -- here are your intrepid instructors at dinner on Saturday night.  Pitmaster graciously caught, cooked and served "Mr. Hancock's salmon" for us. 

And we were hungry...

[solarguy]

This was my first event.  Loved it.  Got my patch!  Thinking about how and when to do it again.

I have been thinking, and reading the forum and looking for a metaphor about how the Appleseed event changes people (from my fresh/newbie perspective.)

People who look for counterfeit money typically are not trained by looking at counterfeit bills.  They are trained by learning what the real McCoy looks like, in minute detail.  Once you know what a twenty is really supposed to look like, then the fakes become obvious.  If you don't know what the real thing is supposed to be like, that any decent fake will fool you.

I would say that the majority of Americans have no real sense of the value and the uniqueness of being a U.S. citizen.  Once they realize what they have, they are less likely to stand by while some politician attempts to whittle down their rights.

Finest regards,

troy

[SteelThunder]

I would say that the majority of Americans have no real sense of the value and the uniqueness of being a U.S. citizen.  Once they realize what they have, they are less likely to stand by while some politician attempts to whittle down their rights.

Finest regards,

troy

Troy it was a pleasure to have you at Niles.  You're right...that was fun! 

And you just captured the essence of what the Appleseed message is.  Took you a couple of sentences...takes me 2 days. 

[Oz]

What a great weekend and what fine people!  I was happy to renew acquaintences from Watervliet, and to meet new folks who had come out to shoot and learn about our nation's history and heritage.  It was absolutely a privilege to spend the weekend with you, and I hope to see you again (and soon!) 

Anyone who doubts the youth of today should come to an Appleseed (better yet, bring their families!)  The young people I saw were attentive, polite, safe, and seemed to have a great time whether shooting or learning--it is comforting to know that among the next generation there will be those who know what they are about.  Come again--and bring friends!  (Lots of 'em!)

Troy: well said.  Well said.

Oz

[Pitmaster]

Renee and Eli -- as walk-ons on Sunday afternoon you did great absorbing a nearly full day of instruction in 2 hours.  I can't believe that you both were new to rifles...going from just "respectable" groups to shoting sub-1" groups at 25 meters in only 2 hours is fantastic!

Renee's first firearm shot was a .75 caliber Brown Bess. Anyone get a picture of it? Did Eli get to shoot that? I don't remember him being in my line.

[SteelThunder]

Renee and Eli -- as walk-ons on Sunday afternoon you did great absorbing a nearly full day of instruction in 2 hours.  I can't believe that you both were new to rifles...going from just "respectable" groups to shoting sub-1" groups at 25 meters in only 2 hours is fantastic!

Renee's first firearm shot was a .75 caliber Brown Bess. Anyone get a picture of it? Did Eli get to shoot that? I don't remember him being in my line.

Eli took a picture of his mom shooting it.  Eli shot my Bess.  His comment? 

"Ouch"

[Pitmaster]

Renee and Eli -- as walk-ons on Sunday afternoon you did great absorbing a nearly full day of instruction in 2 hours.  I can't believe that you both were new to rifles...going from just "respectable" groups to shoting sub-1" groups at 25 meters in only 2 hours is fantastic!

Renee's first firearm shot was a .75 caliber Brown Bess. Anyone get a picture of it? Did Eli get to shoot that? I don't remember him being in my line.

Eli took a picture of his mom shooting it.  Eli shot my Bess.  His comment? 

"Ouch"

Well, that was also his first firearm shot. At his age, size, and experience that is pretty mild. I bet he smiled afterwards and it wouldn't hurt now after the Appleseed lessons later.

Eli took a picture of his mom shooting it.  Eli shot my Bess.  His comment? 

"Ouch"

[MI-copperhead]

I would say that the majority of Americans have no real sense of the value and the uniqueness of being a U.S. citizen.  Once they realize what they have, they are less likely to stand by while some politician attempts to whittle down their rights.

Troy, I was so impressed by this comment I added it to my signiture line. ST is right, it captures the essence of what the Appleseed message is.