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AAR: Azusa, CA 12 Sept 2015

Started by Rocket Man, September 15, 2015, 01:44:45 AM

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Rocket Man

It's been a real scorcher this year, even to the point of a forest fire just spitting distance from our range last month... but good times and good folks turned out for the Patriot's Day / Constitution Day Appleseed last Saturday, up at Burro Canyon. 

We'd sent Dan off to help out at Corona, but Jacob and David were with me as usual.  On the line, over half of our group were youngsters, and not just dragged there by their parents either -- Ron the record Seventh-Stepper had brought his gaggle again, ages 10 through 17, and they all shot with alacrity, while on the other side of the line Pearl was there representing the spirit of Debra Sampson (not to mention Annie Oakley!).  But even though it was 95 in the shade even before we'd touched a trigger, or at least it would have been if there was any shade to be had  **), we dug right in.

The one day format is kind of like drinking from the firehose, but we were all pretty thirsty.  It looks fun and it is fun -- fun enough that Bambi sauntered over for a good look at what we were doing, which was well enough given that we were in a long dry practice tune-up at the time.   &) But with the wildlife discouraged and sent packing over the berm, it was time for live fire.

As is often the case, we did have a few mechanical gremlins to work through, but the key is to work on consistency.  If your shots are way off the square, but they're making a nice group, then you're learning and we need to beat on the rifle a little bit.   :DH:  Which we did, eventually getting everyone where they belong, and starting to put down some very fine groupings indeed. 

Lunchtime as always is story time, and as we talked through the tale of April 19th, the weather cooled, the breezes rose, and so it was that shortly after lunch it was a balmy 75 F -- and soon after that, a brief shower!  Coincidence??   :cool2:  I'm not so sure.  I think the Founders were expressing their approval, and boy were we glad of it.

Getting on to the final AQT and our closing Redcoat, it was clear we had the big issues licked and most of our class ready to start grinding against the heartless timer -- Brad for one putting down scores easily in reach of a patch, but also Redcoat scores improved literally 100%.  My favorite moment, though, was watching Pearl, ever focused on the line, as she went in for the bonus box, only to get a misfire.  Well, no hurry, so we got her a fresh round, and then waited as she got back into her NPOA.  And waited.  And waited...  so it's not a good idea to fuss the shot, but then again, there is something to be said for getting yourself nice and centered in the Rifleman's Bubble.  At last, she took the shot.

Nailed it.  Centered, even.   :---

We'll be back for another one-day shoot on October 10th, and it's not quite sold out yet.  Might even be able to rustle up a pumpkin for that one, you never know. 

So... how was your weekend?   O0
... if ever a mistaken complaisance leads them to sacrifice their privileges, or the well-meaning assertors of them, they will deserve bondage, and soon will find themselves in chains. -- Joseph Warren (anon)