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Bowie, MD: Berwyn Rod and Gun Club, Nov 29-30

Started by southseasnurse, December 01, 2014, 05:46:06 PM

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southseasnurse

Saturday dawned bright and cold on a line of 12 motivated shooters, including 7 prior Appleseeders, at Berwyn Rod and Gun Club.  We got first rounds downrange a little after 9am and rolled on hot and heavy through a standard 25 yard rimfire shoot.  We ran relays until noon, then were able to convert to a single line.  With the short winter days and the necessity of setting up and tearing down baffles, we only had time for one AQT.  However, our prior shooters showed their stuff: Once the rounds were downrange and the smoke cleared, we had three new riflemen and two requalified riflemen!  Congrats to Ray (213), Doug (222, requal), Hank (221), John (211), Gary (210, Requal).

Sunday morning we shook things up a bit.  After starting of the morning with some fine instruction about known (and unknown) distance shooting from NavyBowHunter, we did a ball and dummy drill, got our shooters to ~4 MOA at the squares, and then took advantage of Berwyn's unique layout to run  a mini-KD event.  Berwyn has the luxury of being able to shoot at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards from a single firing line: we posted 4 1/4 D sized targets on each shooter's backer.  After a short lunch and history lesson from NavyBowHunter, we passed out redcoat targets to use to collect dope on each distance, had the shooters fire at 25 yards standing, then go downrange and plot where their rounds struck and where they were holding their reticle/front sight post at the time.  Then we moved out to 50 yards and had them shoot the sitting position while holding the same sight picture.  We went downrange, plotted where their bullets struck and where their front sight posts/reticles were at, and repaired targets.  Then we had them come back to the line and make sight adjustments or work out their hold-over (battle sight zero-style) and fire again. We returned downrange, plotted strikes after the corrections, moved the target line out to 75 yards and then 100 yards, repeating the same process. Once shooters had their 'dope' for each range, we shot 2 AQTs using 'hits count' scoring (32/40 rounds is Rifleman), broken by a stirring DOM by MostlyHarmless, before darkness shut us down. 

Although a complicated course of fire, our shooters were willing and made it work. Rimfire shooters saw a .22 trajectory of about +2/+4/-2/-6 MOA at each 25/50/75/100 yards, depending on rifle and ammo.  Our AR10 and AR15 shooters saw +2/+3/+4/+5 MOA or so, at the same range, assuming zeroed to strike 2MOA high with a 6 O'clock hold at 25 yards (right in the middle of the square).  Using that method, Ray (32/40 hits with an AR15) and John (37/40 hits with a 10/22!) reaffirmed themselves as riflemen.  Altogether, we handed out 3 new Rifleman patches, 2 requalifications, and 1 Luther Blanchard patch to David, who really made progress over the course of the days.  We also had 3 new volunteers, as Hank, Doug, and Gary all stepped up to take the orange hat and start the path to instructor.   

All in all, I think it went well.  The shooters moved quickly and really took the instruction to heart.  It's one thing to talk about trajectory and wind, and another thing to see how a .22 round drops into the bottom of the tombstone target when you hold 4 MOA high and 1/2 MOA left at 100 yards with a 5 knot crosswind.  In other words, good for an MOR (minute of rabbit) at 100 yards.  I think the shooters got a lot of value out of this shoot.

That said, the only reason this was possible was due to efforts of the motivated and efficient instructor corps:   aricacic. ShiguChan, MdDivemaster, MostlyHarmless, navybowhunter, and AlexW all turned out for the cause.  Last but not least, MikeCee was the best of all possible range liaisons, working with us to give us all Berwyn had to offer.  Berwyn was willing to pause firing on other lines during strikes, and one of the members brought in his collection of WWII machine guns for show and tell.  Many thanks to our gracious hosts at Berwyn!  I think Chris has some photos, I look forward to seeing how they turned out. 
'Ask a Soviet engineer to design a pair of shoes and he'll come up with something that looks like the boxes that the shoes came in; ask him to make something that will massacre Germans, and he turns into Thomas %&*#ing Edison.'-Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon

ChestyPuller

Thanks to the great Shoot Boss for a very fun day of shooting. Great instructors and a fun mini KD. The WW2 weapons show tell was a nice bonus.
First shot hit under time pressure is the goal of every rifleman.

navybowhunter

This was an AWESOME shoot! 

Great that one of Mike Cee's friends showed up with a plethora of WW1 and 2 memorabilia!

Thanks Mike!

Berwyn RGC is an range I will surely be back to.  Several "casual shooters"/Berwyn members showed up for a few shots downrange this weekend, but I noticed quite a few looking "quizzacly". at OUR firing line with AWE!  Mike CEE handled them I am quite sure.

Everyone improved in both Marksmanship training, and also the "almost" Forgotten History of 19 April, 1775!

Thanks for a great shoot Southseasnurse SIR/Ken!

HUZZAH, HUZZAH!  HUZZAH!

southseasnurse

Chris;
     Thanks again for your help this weekend.  If you have any photos, please post em'.
R/
Ken
'Ask a Soviet engineer to design a pair of shoes and he'll come up with something that looks like the boxes that the shoes came in; ask him to make something that will massacre Germans, and he turns into Thomas %&*#ing Edison.'-Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon

navybowhunter

Will do Ken,

My pictures are already on the FB page, I only have a few Saturday pics.  I'm waiting on Mike's Pics!

I'm about 75% of the way thru this, cause it needs to be watched AGAIN AND AGAIN!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k6zq_Y_IzA

MikeCee

I try to pick the shots that tell the story of the shoot.


Appleseed Instructors get in close.


"Talking Targets:" you have to listen to what they are telling you.


4 Minute-Of-Angle groups are the goal.


A lunchtime Show-And-Tell about one BRGC member's WW2 collection.


Sitting AQT's were shot at the 50-yard line.


Center-fire rifles were an option but some shooters don't want to give up their Rugers or their Marlins.




All hits count!
Qualified Rifleman Feb 2014 - Annapolis, MD
Requalified Rifleman July 2014 - Waldorf, MD
Joined Applecore July 2014
Requalified Rifleman May 2017 - Annapolis, MD