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MI, Hillsdale College Constitution Day and Shooting Festival, Sept. 12, 2015

Started by number6, September 14, 2015, 09:12:57 AM

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number6

Since opening their John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Center in 2009, each fall in conjunction with it's celebration of the Constitution.  Hillsdale College has also sponsored a shooting festival.  Hillsdale is constructing a World Class shooting facility with the intent of having the only complete, Olympic Level facility east of the Mississippi, and they are well on their way with Air Rifle, Shotgun and Archery Ranges near completion.

Through the diligent work of Graywolf, Project Appleseed was invited to participate this year.  We were assigned to assist shooters through both the Air Rifle and .22 Rifle stations, throughout the day.

With over 230 pre-registered students, faculty, and alumni, we were expecting a busy afternoon.

And we were very busy.

Participants had varying levels of skills.  Some that had never shot a rifle before Saturday, to the President of the student shooting club.

With members of the Hillsdale College Shotgun Team, picking up empty mags, refilling and returning them to us, we had a constant stream of willing shooters.

At the .22 rifle station,we went over with each participant, the operational basics of an AR style rifle (M&P 15-22s provided by Smith & Wesson), then went into Sight Alignment and Sight Picture, and the remaining six steps.  Each student had only 10 rounds of donated Winchester Ammunition for each session, however they were free to re-cycle through the line and return for more instruction.  And many of them did to hone their skills.

Some that come to mind, Geordy and his investigation of whether the 3-gun clamp grip or a magwell grip gave him the best accuracy (the rifles were not equipped with GI Slings.)  Margaret, who hadn't shot a rifle before the event, and took to it "like a fish to water" or Andrew who showed a great natural ability.

For more information about Hillsdale and their mission to teach, support and defend the Constitution and it's founding principles, you can visit.
http://www.hillsdale.edu/home

http://www.hillsdale.edu/about/facilities/shooting-sports-center

I'll let others chime in and add to their impressions of the day.

number6
You still have a choice. You can still salvage your right to be individuals. Your rights to truth and free thought! Reject this false world of Number Two . . . reject it NOW!!
Number 6, The Prisoner, Episode 11 "A Change of Mind"


"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them..." � Richard Henry Lee, "Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic"

"Rifles don't read" YellowHouseJake

"Lots of work?  Yup.  You wanna grow?  Suck it up, cupcake." - SteelThunder

Superheat

This was a wonderful event.  The staff was very welcoming.  I really was unsure what our task would be.  Luckily it was instructing rifles rather than parking lot patrol. 

The Hillsdale representative stayed back to over see the event and keep the students in a queue.  Once a station opened up, he would send a student down the hill to fill the opening. 

It was noted that there were approximately 12 handgun stations and 4 rifle stations.  When the event started the students were told "one at a time, handguns to the right and rifles to the left".  We all noticed that not one student went "left to rifles" until all the handgun slots were full. 

This continued throughout the day.  Typically there were 10 people in the queue.  When a rifle position would open, it was common to see the first 9 people pass "we're waiting for handguns", the last person in line would take the spot at the rifles.  I assume the 10th person was interested in not waiting....

Perhaps this is an indicator of current popularity of handguns.