Crawfordsville, IN Nov. 9-10, 2013 AAR

[ATM]

Fantastic first day with 19 shooters on the line at Crawfordsville Gun Club sharing in the heritage and marksmanship. You all did great!

We had 2 Rifleman scores on the AQT at the end of the day, congratulations to Cameron (engineerpower) and Brian (millsusaf)! 

There will be several more AQT opportunities and other drills mixed in to tweak and fine tune these fundamentals for those returning Sunday ...and we have more great stories to tell you.

Check back later for more details and pics after the event and leave some feedback of your own.

EDIT: Sunday saw continued improvement (...and hot chocolate at the equipment line  ) for those who were able to return.

Congratulations to Rich (boileralum) and Emma for achieving Rifleman scores!

Several others were very close, literally knocking on the door, with great form and perseverance. You have everything you need to practice by the numbers and continue on the Rifleman journey.

This weekend was safe, fun, challenging and rewarding. Thanks for letting us share the experience with you and please, help us pass these traditions on.

NOW GO MAKE YOUR RIFLE SAFE 

[grunt soldier]

what a amazing weekend.  great American's, great history, and decent singing

Just kidding ATM, as always the show was top notch!  You truly rock good sir. 


Our posterity!  doing great things and learning so much.  They were all awesome to have on the line and they did amazing jobs.  Harmon it was blast having you. Bacon rocks!  Eli, Patrick , miranda you guys learned so much and showed crazy amounts of improvement.  thank you for coming out.  Sean you did a awesome job too. I thought at the end you were going to get it. Next time for sure.






Some Rifleman and some Rifleman enjoying MEAT CANDY!!!!  rock out America!!!!!

Congrats Rich!


Congrats Brian!


Congrats LT!  Well done sir!'



And huge congrats to my buddy Emma!  You rocked it out today! especially since you gave me the bacon you earned



Meat candy!!!!





Definitely not all the pics but this is what I got and they are best posted up    Thank you everyone for attending and bringing your Friends.  we appreciate each and everyone of you who spent the time and gave up a weekend to learn so much.  It was a blast hanging out with you great American's and sending some rounds down range!

[boileralum]

Had a great time, and was ecstatic that I earned a strip of bacon (and a pretty little patch as well)!  I will certainly be back.

Big thanks to ATM, grunt_soldier, TJ, Bald Eagle, Kate, Rifle Girl, AQT, and anyone else I forgot.

Rich

[Mudcat]

Bacon mmmmm. Looks like a fine group of Patriots! Congratulations to all the Riflemen and Riflewoman!

[Gear Head Patriot]

Where do I get that shirt?!!

[TJ Kackowski]

@ boileralum ... it was a real pleasure meeting and working with you.  You're a true Patriot! 

Emma had a slightly different opinion after she scored the AQT you helped her with ... but it was all good after grunt soldier coached her to a solo rifleman score.

If I'm not mistaken, after another seed and you're eligible for one of the fancy colored hats ... you'd make a fine addition to the Appleseed Instructor Corps.

[kate]

Had a great time, and was ecstatic that I earned a strip of bacon (and a pretty little patch as well)!  I will certainly be back.

Big thanks to ATM, grunt_soldier, TJ, Bald Eagle, Kate, Rifle Girl, AQT, and anyone else I forgot.

Rich

You are welcome back on my line anytime!! Remember to bring someone else with you 

It was a pleasure working with you,
-kate

[Uncle Davey]

Ahhhh...another shoot with ATM! (Allen-a-dale) with bacon! Way to go all!!

[grunt soldier]

The shirt ATM was wearing was a group buy here on the forums. The first run was a success and there is a rumor of another run of them by slim.

[BALD EAGLE]

What a great group of patriots we had on the line this weekend! With four earning the Bacon and many so close I'm sure they can taste the grease! I can't wait until it finally gets cold so we can see who really wants to be tested.

[BALD EAGLE]

Awards time

[engineerpower]

LT here for the "dam ossifer" comments...

First off, what a great weekend! My thanks to everyone who put this together and supported from behind the scenes, and on the line.

Where I'm coming from: I've personally planned and run many ranges including pistol, rifle, medium machinegun, and automatic rifle fire, running from international Schutzensnur events to battalion-level qualifications, so I'm going to call myself a sufficient judge of range operations.

Keep it up: This was an extremely professional and safe  event. Everything was relaxed and comfortable, but with an obvious focus on safety and prudence. Instructors were very friendly, helpful, encouraging, and enthusiastic about helping out the shooters. If there's an award for best crew at a range, my vote would be these guys.

The crew allowed everyone to work within their comfort levels, and by the end we were all friends. Feedback was continual and positive, and even as an experienced shooter, they had something to offer me. I saw several instructors mentor and support a shooter working through some difficulties and stress, and after a break they had her back on the line and training. The history stories were informative and entertaining, and ATM was very engaging in his dramatic telling of the tale and his commentary. The hot cocoa was very welcome, and Rifleman bacon is icing on the cake.

Operationally, the crew made the range run without a hiccup. Even with some issues cropping up from the host range's scheduling (eavesdropped with my Howard Leight's), they handled everything behind the scenes and ran a very smooth show. I never saw any safety violations, and the instructor-to-student ratio was very conducive to learning and safety.

Suggestions:
- We had a good-sized group the first day, but I didn't get to know everybody. Starting off the day with introductions and personal backgrounds can help people open up a bit and get to know their fellows better.

-I looked for the medic on a couple occasions to offer some extra supplies I had, but didn't see her right off. It was a little chilly and I certainly don't blame her for wanting to get out of the cold (if she wasn't still out there). I'm sure if there were a need for her services that she'd be there in a hurry, so it just may be the OIC in me to look for the medic. While the the line is receiving instruction is a great opportunity to cross-train; the medic can train any instructors not on the line in first aid (if they haven't been already), or train the group in the same (most people don't have a clue in how to respond to traumatic injury). I've been certified as a Combat Life-Saver, so I could have shared some of my training/supplies with her or the group as well.

-I understand why current politics are a taboo subject. Believe me, I really do, as both a .gov and a .mil employee. But don't stop the history at 1783. American marksmanship has been a hallmark of liberty for generations, and we can offer relevance to the importance in the modern age. From the exploits of Berdan and his sharpshooters, to the liberation of Europe with the '03 Springfield and '17 Enfield, to Yamamoto's hesitancy in the face of "a rifle behind every blade of grass", there are many examples of Americans and their rifles making a difference. Remind us of our obligation as a Free People, and the importance of self-reliance and a vastly-neglected skill. The young won't get this from school; it's up to us to instill the respect and awe of history.

Wrap-Up: All in all, a wonderful time. Thank you so much for having me, and doing your best to improve me both as a Rifleman and as an American. It's a lot to give up your weekend and family-time to help out strangers, but you're doing a great thing for your home. I was speaking with an instructor last time and he told me "I feel like I've done more for my Country in instructing Appleseed than I ever did in serving with the military." I completely agree; please keep up the good work and do great things for your Country, one Rifleman at a time! 

[millsusaf]

This was my first Appleseed.  I have wanted to take this training for a couple years and finally got around to it and am very glad I did, it was well worth the time and money.  I'm a decent shot but even given that, I learned a lot thanks to the help of the knowledgeable engaging instructors.  They explained, demonstrated and reiterated the steps needed to shoot safely, accurately and consistently.

The stories told during the two days by the instructors were interesting and eye opening.  Who knew the Revolutionary War didn't start at Lexington and that it was a massacre for the patriots, I sure didn't.  It just goes to show you how much history has been re-written over the years.  There was also an added bonus that ATM has missed his calling on Broadway, he kept us laughing after every shooting session.  He does need to learn some Johnny Cash though.  lol

The first day I was cutting it close on the timed shoots especially if I had a failure to fire but by Sunday I was able to clear missfires in plenty of time to finish the stage.  I also learned how to effectively use a sling to accurately place shots out to a simulated distance of 400 yards.   I have not had many opportunities to shoot past 100 yards and was not confident shooting much past 200.  After my Appleseed training I am now more than comfortable shooting out to 400 and beyond at man sized targets.  I see some trips up to Hillside in my future to shoot 400+.

Day 1 I used a dedicated CMMG .22LR upper, topped with a Primary Arms 1x4 scope with a Redi-Mag MP15-22 magazine conversion using S&W MP 15-22 mags.  I had also purchased a Riflecraft RS2 sling to use.  All my gear performed very well and I am very happy with it.  The RS2 worked great although it took a little more time to get adjusted than a USGI sling it is a solid sling.  Once I pulled my head out of my butt and marked the sling for loop and hasting lengths the process was MUCH quicker and a lot less frustrating.  Because of the instruction we received I was able to earn my Rifleman patch during Saturday's AQT.  I had three goals going into this.  I wanted to learn how to shoot more accurately, further prove out my gear, and earn my patch. 

Once I met those goals on day one, day two's goals were to additionally score another Rifleman score using a .223 upper with an Aimpoint reddot.  Unfortunately I ran out of ammo before I was able to meet that goal, I was almost there though and had fun trying. 

A big thank you goes out to the staff that put the shoot together.  It was a big success!

[redbaron]

Dang! I need to get to one of those shoots that has bacon! 

Congrats to all the riflemen. Mills - stick with it and persist and you'll score it with the .223. 

[grunt soldier]

Mills and LT.  I hope to see both of you on the line again very soon.  both of you guys did outstanding jobs and improved a ton.   thanks for the feedback.  it is greatly appreciated!

[millsusaf]

Mills and LT.  I hope to see both of you on the line again very soon.  both of you guys did outstanding jobs and improved a ton.   thanks for the feedback.  it is greatly appreciated!

Thanks, I'll get it next time.  I was right there high 190s-low 200s but just couldn't get over the hump.  I was able to get another Rifleman score after switching back to the .22 upper toward the end of the day.

I'll definitely be back, but will bring more .223 ammo next time.   May also bring the .308 

[Riflegirl]

I'm so glad that everyone made it out to the Appleseed. It was a great group of people and I hope everyone will come back.

[ATM]

Thank you all for the feedback, we're always learning and seeking to improve on the overall experience (though you'll still find that each event is unique in many aspects.)

Tell others about Appleseed and be sure to let me know how I can help you to get a LibertySeed scheduled in your community.

Every American should know the true story of our heritage. I look forward to seeing you all on the line again!