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Waco, GA April 20-21, 2013

Started by franklinfarmer, April 22, 2013, 12:11:11 PM

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franklinfarmer

April 22, 2013, 12:11:11 PM Last Edit: April 23, 2013, 08:47:02 PM by franklinfarmer
Our April 19th weekend shoot started cool on Saturday morning as a great group of thoughtful students arrived to learn about their heritage and its relation to rifle marksmanship.  After the morning red coats, we settled in to hear about the April 19th powder alarm and the extraordinary response of ordinary Americans in 1775.  Remember, posterity will judge how we as ordinary Americans in 2013 measure up.

With new resolve to buck the trend, we proceeded to try to honor the tradition of being able to place well aimed concentrated fire in the prone position.  DrJohn took a smaller group of veteran Appleseed shooters and those with center-fire rifles off to the pistol pits to relieve the pressure on the main line and save us from being a mite tight.

In addition to a great group of shooters, we had a sea of instructors whose many hands made the tasks of safety and instruction sure and swift.  For reference, let me try to put a list here:

Mechanic, Tribe, DrJohn, Warp, WorM2, goose, Morpheus, gretchen, Iron Man, cswhitfield, cypher, roswell, Red Niva, Wy Knott (If I've forgotten anyone, let me know.)

After completing instruction on the seated and standing positions, the two lines came together and shot the memorial volley.  Many instructors joined in the shoot, which was proceeded by the playing of the White Cockade on fife.

The instruction was also punctuated with a 7/10 threshold shoot in offhand, from which a number of shooters picked up historic Bloody Butcher Broadsheets.

We ended up with one AQT for record on the main line, and DrJohn got in two.  These brought to light four new riflemen and one or two requalifications.   Daniel, Rich, Rick, and Scott were the new riflemen.  If I've missed someone, let me know.

We took advantage of the late daylight and ended some time after 5PM.

On Sunday we had warmer weather and more wind.   With some not able to make it Sunday, we were able to all fit comfortably on one line.  After shooting some redcoats, we had a short presentation on the philosophy of liberty and a range estimation exercise.

Over some squares and final zeroing of rifles, we had a review of prone position, the six steps, and NPOA led by warp. 

During lunch goose shared some of his thoughts on the opportunity to meet interesting people in Appleseed and on a book he has been reading about Samuel Prescott.  Red Niva then shared a poem she wrote from the perspective of Isaac Davis and related the actions of some Dangerous old men and courageous women.

We then tried to give everyone an adequate chance to get a rifleman patch, doing at least 5 or so AQTs.  The opportunity was seized by three more persevering students: Sarah, Brandon, and Jim.  There were also a number of requalifications.   Sarah mentioned the following to me afterward, and it might be of use:   There were two "building blocks" that seemed to push me over the line.  I've always found the seated position difficult, and DrJohn told me to not "overthink" the position, but just look at the target, index, and get into the position.  The second was to understand step 4b.  Rather than "focus your mind on the target," it's "focus your mind on keeping your front sight on target so that *nothing moves*." 

After the AQT grind, we had a team strategy/elevated heart rate shoot.  The winning  team didn't pick up their Bloody Butcher Broadsheets, but I'll be happy to provide them at any later date if I have them on hand.

After that, Tribe gave instruction on what to expect when shooting from distances beyond 25 yards and the three tasks of a rifleman out there.  We proceeded to verify the effect of bullet drop and scaling of groups at 100 yards.  We then experienced the fun of pinging steel targets.  Thanks go to Morpheus' family who, aside from all their other contributions to the weekend, provided the steel targets.  After a patch presentation around 6 PM, a few shooters stayed on to shoot final red coats off-hand at 100 yards. 

Many thanks to all those who helped clean up.  Please post here your comments and criticisms to help us improve and make progress in preserving and expanding liberty in America.

With respect to marksmanship, it might be said that we put extra emphasis on inches, minutes, clicks, and being able to efficiently zero a rifle.  This included the exercise in range estimation using the front site method, and everyone was able to obtain some reference scale in their sighting apparatus  in minutes of angle---or at least understand how to do that.  This is not something we usually do, and it came at the expense of some other topics which are usually covered.  This means simply that you all will have to attend further events or pick these things up on your own.  As with all things, the ultimate responsibility to learn the skills of the rifleman and honor the tradition, lies with you.
It is certain, I think, that the best government is the one that governs least. But there is a much-neglected corollary: the best citizen is the one who least needs governing. The answer to big government is not private freedom, but private responsibility.

--Wendell Berry, "The Loss of the Future" in The Long-Legged House  (1969)

The problem is not Democrats.  The problem is Republicans who lack the intellectual clarity to become libertarians and libertarians who lack the physical discipline to become riflemen.  ---Kenneth Royce

Roswell

#1
April 22, 2013, 05:31:57 PM
I had an excellent time this weekend. It was great to see such a big turnout and have such a great group of shooters. As FranklinFarmer said, except for a slight chill in the mornings, the weather could not have been better. Saturday, we had shooters showing up as early as 7:30 eager to learn and with walkons we had 27 by the time we were ready to get underway. By the end of the day Saturday, I had had numerous people come up to me saying, how much fun they had had and how much they looked forward to Sunday. And then to be followed up on Sunday by even more people saying, how much they looked forward to their next Appleseed. Everyone left with skills developed or honed and an increased love of Liberty, not to mention the heightened since that they were not alone in their patriotism. As Goose said, "a friend for a day, a friend for a lifetime."

The team strategy/elevated heart rate shoot seemed to go over particularly well with the group as evidenced by many of them asking to do it again despite the lateness of the day. The tag-team presentation of the 3 Strikes by Morpheus, DrJohn and FranklinFarmer flowed well and was particularly captivating. The playing of the "White Cockade" by Wy Knott coupled with the Liberty Volley really moved this instructor. The poem Red Niva read was also a nice change of pace and as always the presentation of Dangerous Old Men left me with goosebumps. Speaking of goose, I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation on Samuel Prescott and it definitely left the shooters with something to think about. Also, the presentation Tribe made for inches/minutes/clicks went particularly well and his demonstration of throwing a football perfectly illustrated the idea of trajectory. Thank you to FranklinFarmer and all the other instructors for running such a smooth, safe and memorable event.

Congratulations to Daniel, Rich, Rick, Scott, Sarah, Jim and Brandon for getting their Rifleman patches. Huzzah! Also, congrats to the many shooters who re-qualified.

I look forward to seeing each and every one of you on the trail.

Roswell
Known Distance Qualified: Talladega, AL 12-3-16 - 45/50; Distinguished 49/50 - Talladega, AL 12-8-19
Instructor Boot Camp: Toccoa, GA 7-13, 8-15; Pelham, TN 2-14, 2-16; Columbiana, AL 2-15; Canton, GA 2-18, 1-19, 2-20, 2-21, 3-22, 2-23, 1-24
Shoot Boss Boot Camp and Liberty Seminar: Toccoa, GA 8-14 & Canton, GA 1-19

Pistol Instructor Boot Camp: South Huntsville, AL 5-20; Canton, GA 1-21, 2-24
Pistol Qualified: Spencer, TN 4-10-21
Charter Pistol Instructor Boot Camp: Antioch, TN 2-22 & Canton, GA 1-23

PHenry

#2
April 22, 2013, 05:53:35 PM
 O0
Para ser Libre, un Hombre debe tener tres cosas. La Tierra, una Educacion, y un Fusil. Siempre, un Fusil!  Emiliano Zapata

Agrivere

#3
April 22, 2013, 07:12:48 PM
It was definitely a good time, and I am a better Rifleman now than I was before!

Thanks to all of the instructors and volunteers for making this event so much fun and instructive!

Agrivere (aka Scott)
"The great body of our citizens shoot less as times goes on. We should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys, and indeed among all classes, as well as in the military services by every means in our power. Thus, and not otherwise, may we be able to assist in preserving peace in the world... The first step � in the direction of preparation to avert war if possible, and to be fit for war if it should come � is to teach men to shoot." -Theodore Roosevelt

cswhitfield

#4
April 23, 2013, 12:52:59 PM
Outstanding!  Thank you to all who came and participated.  Thanks again to the West Georgia Youth Firing Range for your support and hospitality.  Here are a few pictures from the shoot.

csw
... what counts ... is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our bursts nor the smoke we make.  ... it is the hits that count.

cswhitfield

#5
April 23, 2013, 12:59:19 PM
A few more
... what counts ... is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our bursts nor the smoke we make.  ... it is the hits that count.

cswhitfield

#6
April 23, 2013, 01:05:01 PM
And some more
... what counts ... is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our bursts nor the smoke we make.  ... it is the hits that count.

goose

#7
April 23, 2013, 04:27:51 PM
It is the intangible reward of honoring those who gave us this magnificent experiment called Liberty that brings us together on these ranges.  The spirit of those we honor and bring to the forefront to enlighten and engage our fellow Citizen Patriots flows in our veins.

We had a superb crowd of students AND Instructors of all levels this 2013 Patriot's Day Weekend.

I treasure the time I get to spend among all of you.
"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, and intolerable..." - H.L. Mencken

DrJohn

#8
April 24, 2013, 08:50:29 AM
This was a unique and special Patriots' Day celebration. A special commendation to Franklinfarmer, who put so much time and energy into the event, to the instructors who gave, and continue to give, so generously of themselves, to the six new Riflemen, to Georgia's newest IIT, Lt. K, and the the gallant students who continue to inspire and energize the Appleseed program. My thanks to all of you. I consider you all "family" and I look forward to seeing all of you again, and soon. Remember that it is word of mouth that is the very most effective Appleseed promotional tool. Also be aware that Appleseed has an inaugural event at Graben River Farm, here in Elbert County not too far from Athens and Elberton, on June 8-9, as well as two Appleseeds on the weekend of June 1-2, at Dublin and Toccoa, and another Appleseed at Macon on the weekend of June 15-16.

Remember to dry fire, dry fire, dry fire! And we shall look forward to seeing all of you again soon. You made this a most memorable event. My thanks to all.
"It is an indispensable duty, my brethren, which we owe to God and our country, to rouse up and bestir ourselves, and, being animated with a noble zeal for the sacred cause of liberty, to defend our lives and fortunes, even to the shedding of the last drop of blood....

Ramblin' Wreck

#9
April 24, 2013, 04:29:13 PM
Sounds like Waco was a terrific success! Huzzah to my fellow Appleseed cadre who ran the event and congratulations to the new Riflemen.

There are also shoots happening in Rising Fawn (EXTREME NW Georgia  ;D ) on May 4-5 and another mid-week event at Rising Fawn on May 22-23 (Wednesday-Thursday) for those who may not be able to make a weekend event.

See you on the line.

Ramblinwreck
"If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin."  ― Samuel Adams

KD Requal Huntsville 11/13/22 with scoped Service Rifle 47/50
25m Requal 2/1/2020 with AR15 scored 247
25m Requal 4/17/2021 with .22 bolt gun - 237
61 KD and UKD events run/worked as of 1/18/22

You can't miss fast enough to qualify.

Without a heritage every generation starts over.

Beware an old man who still shoots iron sights.

"War is when your Government tells you who the enemy is. Revolution is when you figure it out for yourself" - unknown

Warp

#10
April 24, 2013, 07:07:27 PM
The memorial (edited for length) memorial volley. I was just a little too slow to get the fife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za4aV8Lsotk

franklinfarmer

#11
April 25, 2013, 03:58:38 PM
Cleaning out the target box, I found the Saturday redcoat record:

               400     300     200     100     head     cleaned
Morning     2         2         2         4          2             1
Afternoon  1         3         3         6          5(!)         1

ff
It is certain, I think, that the best government is the one that governs least. But there is a much-neglected corollary: the best citizen is the one who least needs governing. The answer to big government is not private freedom, but private responsibility.

--Wendell Berry, "The Loss of the Future" in The Long-Legged House  (1969)

The problem is not Democrats.  The problem is Republicans who lack the intellectual clarity to become libertarians and libertarians who lack the physical discipline to become riflemen.  ---Kenneth Royce

drip drop

#12
April 25, 2013, 06:52:40 PM
I see someone I know got their Rifleman patch.  Congratulations Sarah!

Looks like it was a great shoot overall.

Ray

Greenbriar

#13
April 28, 2013, 11:59:34 AM
Thanks to all the instructors who helped make this shoot the amazing event it was.  I had a great time, not least because I finally, after countless Appleseeds, made rifleman! 



Special thanks go to DrJohn for his suggestions and attention on Saturday, and to Red Niva for not marking my target with a pink sharpie.   ;) 

Wy Knott

#14
May 02, 2013, 09:44:50 PM
Awww, Come ON! Pink sharpies are totally awesome. You shoulda done it Hannah.... ;)
"I have no respect for a man hoo can only spell a word one way"
-Andrew Jackson
I love you goose- you brought cookies and sharpies...what more could a person want?

Tribe

#15
May 06, 2013, 04:24:59 PM
Congrats Greenbriar.  Great job!
"Individualism and Collectivism are not two sides of the same road, with a safe rut for you in the middle. They are two roads going into opposite directions. One leads to freedom, justice and prosperity; the other—to slavery, horror and destruction. The choice is yours to make." —Ayn Rand

"If we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom. It is a very serious consideration, which should deeply impress our minds, that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the event." - Samuel Adams
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