Azusa, CA "Morgan's Company" KD Shoot, 13-14 July 2013

[Rocket Man]

Those who've been to Appleseed and those who know the history of our great nation probably know the name of Daniel Morgan -- skilled Rifleman, general, statesman, and hero of our Republic.  We've wanted to do a shoot worthy of his name for a while.  Well, last weekend we finally put it in motion.

Up at Burro Canyon, nestled high in the San Gabriels, we've got a nice little corner of the canyons featuring 100 glorious meters of range all to ourselves.  Now, shooting at 100 meters isn't that difficult... right?     Try it with a rimfire.  As the pros will tell you, shooting .22 at 100 meters is rather like shooting .308 at 400 meters.  Come-ups are about the same, correcting for the wind is about the same, and so on.  Try it without a bench, only you and your faithful shootin' iron.  (No Barcaloungers, either.    Though you do get a sling, naturally.)  Try it at a target decidedly smaller than a pie plate.   

For this inaugural event, we had two returning Appleseeders step up to General Morgan's challenge, along with six new students here for the regular show.  By Sunday our KD-kids numbered four, reinforced by long time Appleseeder Dave, and first-timer Laura had progressed so rapidly that she got to go the distance as well.  And it was a hoot.  So, off to work!

All of our new students showed promise right off the bat, with not-too-shabby Redcoats and commendable command of their rifles.  My partner in crime Psych Doc led the eager bunch, assisted by Calgunners pennys dad and BuckleNose, and their form sharpened up in a hurry. 

Meanwhile on the right I led Del and Mike through a series of exercises, those 4 MOA squares getting farther and farther away.  Pretty soon we had some solid data on our rifles and ammunition performance, and the Rifleman's Trajectory was a mystery no longer.

The two groups converged for the first AQT of the shoot, all at 25 meters on the left, starting at 25 meters and walking into the distance at each stage on the right.  And while nobody cleared the magic 210 this time, they sure didn't look too bad.  Our final Redcoats on Saturday revealed serious progress, without a single person being forced to cook.  Guess that means the Shoot Boss has to do it.   

On Sunday, that slightly sweltering second session of the shoot, we walked through a few squares and went right into the Known Distance experience with all four students.  Mike and Del refined their rifle data while Dave and Laura caught up quickly.  Though I should mention that Laura cleaned her Sunday morning Redcoats.   

We took a lunch break at High Noon and reconnected with our shoot's namesake, along with stories of some other renowned Riflemen who started April 19th as citizens, and putting their skills to good use, became something much more.  You'd think that with all the heat we didn't need much firing up, but it seems to have worked nonetheless, as groups were still continuing to shrink afterward.

And, wouldn't you know...  Dave made the grade on the final AQT of the day, sneaking across the North Bridge at the last second with a perfect 210!  He's been teetering on the edge of greatness for some time, even scoring a solid 209 in the past I think, but this time did the trick.  He accepted his baptism with aplomb, helped by the fact it was warm like bathwater...   

So I think we chalk up this event as a success.  We're planning another in October, but that won't be the last.  Absolutely everyone learned something this time, including the instructors.  And the shooting was pretty nice too.   

Thank you all for coming.  Nowhere I'd rather be.  See you all again soon.

[Rocket Man]

Some pictures from the shoot.  Drop me a PM if you want a copy in higher resolution.


pennys_dad reviews the lesson plan, as our target backers loom in the distance.  Looks a little different than the usual 'Seed, doesn't it?   


New students zero in on their first Redcoats.  It never fails to amaze me how fast they get better...


Del and Mike set their sights on Stage 1...


... while at the other end of the line, the rest do the same ...


Sunday.  Getting serious.  Dave, Del, and Mike line up on the big One Zero Zero Meter targets.


But, just because it's serious doesn't mean it isn't fun.  Look sharp now, Zombie Thomas Gage is lurking downrange...


And finally, presenting California's newest Rifleman!  A bit damp perhaps, but no less deserving or proud.

That's all, folks.  See you at the next one!