San Jose, CA November 30, 2013 AAR

[Nero]

You might think a KD shoot on Thanksgiving weekend would bring out the hard core, and so it proved.  9 Americans and one visiting New Zealander decided that marksmanship and heritage beat sitting on the couch or hitting the malls.  They were all safe, focused and efficient, and we got right to work.

We led off with a lesson on basic ballistics, and procedures for collecting come-up data.  This range is set up so we can fire 25m QD AQT, 100 yard rimfire KD, and centerfire KD out to 200 yards with scaled stages 3 and 4.  Meaning that three different sighting-in procedures were happening simultaneously.  This kept the instructors hopping, but the shooters soaked it all in, collected their data, and were ready to roll with the AQTs after two sighter shot strings. 

And the results showed up immediately.  Ron has been out multiple times, and he posted up a 43 on the Centerfire KD ('Hits count' scoring) on the first round!  Well done!

Next was Robert, on the 25m line.  He has also been out multiple times, and the perseverance paid off with a 217, which he backed up later with another qualifier.

Adrian, our visiting Kiwi, had been to a shoot previously back in 2011.  He's been using the time between productively, as he picked up one of my loaner 10/22s and posted a 210 on the QDAQT.  On being warned about our quaint colonial customs with North Bridge water, he upped his game and shot a 223, which stood as the high 25m score for the day.  But he wasn't done...

Meanwhile, the noisy part of the line was getting dialed in.  Bob was next across the finish line with a 42, shot with his AR.  Well done!

Gregg had been to our recent 25m shoot and just missed qualifying that day.  Most people would come back and try to get across the finish line at 25 meters, but he decided to go straight for the prize and shoot his score at KD.  Which he accomplished with a 40!     On being warned that the North Bridge water that Adrian had missed was now available for him, he kicked it up a notch and turned in a pair of 42s to end the day.

Down on the right end of the line, Leo had been rocking a sweet AR-10 with a mildot scope.  Closer and closer, and then across the finish line with a 41!  (And thanks for the brass!    )

...and Adrian was back.  He'd paid good attention to the KD lecture, and after posting his pair of QDAQT scores decided to go for it.  On the next-to-last AQT he shot his sighters at 50/75/100 yards, and on the last of the day he put those come-ups to good use by shooting his rimfire KD score.  25m and KD scores in one day - huzzah!     We look forward to seeing Adrian on our lines again when he returns to these shores on a more permanent basis next spring!

Others were out there doing good work, but were having their issues with equipment and sighting.  Steven, get that stage 4 nailed, and you're there!

This was a great group to work with, as evidenced not only by the results, but that we got in 5 KD AQTs on a short day, where I had planned 4, and still wrapped up 15 minutes early.  Kind of a shoot boss's dream.  The time monkey was not only defeated, but left gagged and tied in the range's dumpster.

And we will do it again next year!  We will have 2-day KD shoots on the San Jose the last weekends of March, August and November.  More KD AQTs, a chance to try out some other rifles, and some unknown distance shooting are in store!

(A few pix to follow when the camera is downloaded.  If you've got some, post them up!)

Edited to add:  Here's the article on 'generalized' Battle Sight Zero that I mentioned.

Further edited:  For our history of the day, we had some relevant quotes from TJ, a telling of the story of Elizabeth Zane, and my history of American gun rights.  For Ted, here's the relevant citation:

William Blackstone, Commentaries, Vol. 2 at 412 (St. George Tucker, ed., Philadelphia 1803).

[Nero]

Here we go with a few photos - all we got, in fact. 

Range setup


About as close to a Winterseed as we get in these parts, but it was actually comfortable in the 60s for most of the day.


The right side of the KD line - Gregg, Ted, Ron and Leo


Left side centerfire - Steven, Bob and Ken from near to far, with the rimfire line of Adrian, Steve and Robert in the background.


The full range setup - centerfire racks in a V to the right, three rimfire KD racks to the left, 25m to the far left. 


The crew at day's end.  There are six Riflemen up there (Ron's holding the water bottle he won as high KD score of the day).  American Amazon and Han Solo were behind the cameras.


And here's what happens when the windage is a bit off on your 30 cal.  Goodbye Mr. Foundation Stake!

[winks]

Fantastic day at the range  , and big thanks to Tim and Pat and all the orange and red hats present (including incognito) for their help, guidance and instruction  . Absolutely wrapped I got my rifleman patch and the KD on the last shoot as well, I know what I need to work on and improve for the next time I am out next Spring and will be looking to help out with an orange hat as well.

Would be great to take on the KD with my own rifle as well, but for the shorter range I do love a good ol' Ruger 10/22, and thanks for letting me add my notch to the loaner. 

Here are some pics I grabbed on the day, looking forward to getting more involved as soon as I can.

[winks]

hopefully some pics this time...