News:

We need volunteers in sales, marketing, PR, IT, and general "running of an organization." 
Maximize your Appleseed energy to make this program grow, and help fill the empty spots
on the firing line!  An hour of time spent at this level can have the impact of ten or a
hundred hours on the firing line.  Want to help? Send a PM to Monkey!

Main Menu

Piru, CA Nov 14-15 AAR

Started by bob 210, November 16, 2015, 12:34:57 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

bob 210

Placeholder. Post your comments or pics here.
If ye love wealth better than liberty,the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom,go home from us.We ask not your counsels or arms.Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. SA

whangdoodle

#1
     We were joined by 14 fellow Americans at Piru this weekend. As always, shooters came from all over and from different backgrounds to inherit their American heritage. Of notable mention, we had a father and son team drive down from Salt Lake City! The weather was beautiful on Saturday as we started putting rounds downrange. After every instruction session, the groups were getting tighter and tighter. Everyone was diagnosing their targets early with instructors helping and giving advice. The groups shrunk more. By the end of Saturday, we had some good scores on AQTs with many qualifying. I believe the highest score of the day was a 201 with many not far behind! While we didn't have any riflemen yet, there were high hopes for Sunday.

      Sunday Morning was also beautiful as 8 returned for the grind. Many of us kept an eye above the mountain looking for dark clouds. There were reports of rain a comin'. We quickly got through reviews and the first AQT by noon. The sky was darkening and the wind was getting cold. With a few dirty chambers needing a scrubbing, an AR down with rocks crushed in the barrel extension, and a drizzle starting - we called lunch and told tales of old men. As Redfeather was finishing the last tale, the heavens opened up.  The rain was deafening and we were sinking into the ground as it turned to mud. The runoff crevices on the firing line showed us why they existed as they filled with water. We tried covering some rifles with plastic sheeting but they were swiftly blown away despite the rocks weighing them down. There was no point, though. Everything was soaked. I saw hours of cleaning and oiling in my future. Bob saw opportunity. "Shooting in the rain is good practice." he said. I must have looked skeptical but Bob schooled us on the finer points of shooting in the rain. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see what he described. Most of the fresh AQTs had melted off and backers were falling. The ground was getting softer.

     Our father/son team decided to leave as they had a 10 hour drive ahead of them to Utah and we wished them safe journey. We watched them slide down the hill with locked tires and get a little sideways onto the muddy road leading out. We took inventory of the parking line and what we saw worried us. Only one vehicle had anything resembling 4 wheel drive. I started wondering if a GI sling could tow a Camry out of the mud. Another shooter decided to leave worrying his VW rabbit wouldn't make it out of the valley. We tried to wait out the storm but there came a point where if the rain continued, the road would become dangerous and possibly impassable. When you start talking about keeping tires in grooves to avoid sliding off a hill sideways, it's time to call it. It was decided to err on the side of safety. The instructors were bummed. The shooters were bummed. Bob said later that is was the first time he had ever called off a shoot. That's a long track record that got broken that day.

     We saw off the last of the shooters and started to clean up. An hour later I was halfway downrange walking toward a downed backer and the sun started to shine. It mocked us with it's warmth and light. I wished it was pouring. I wished there was thunder, lightning, and a flash flood on the way. Instead the sun reminded us that riflemen persist. Hindsight is 20/20 and it's tough thinking about potential riflemen walking away without a patch or a hat. We had an above average group of shooters and I dearly hope that they return and get their patches. The instructors learned things on this shoot, as is usually the case, but this weekend had some additional life lessons sprinkled in.  Next time around, I'll pack tire chains, a tow rope, and let the floggings continue.

P.S. Don't go to one of Bob's shoots if there's a tornado warning. I don't think he'll ever call it off again. :)

Redfeather

There is something to be said about a history lesson under a thunderstorm. There is certain irony in telling stories about telling stories. I want more shooting stories and less stuck-in-a-mud-on-a-car-with-low-clearance ones. But then again it's hard to be wrong about weather after the fact.
I'd love another opportunity to give out those patches - clearly we now have several which are likely not ours. I hope certain shooters will return to claim them.

walt33

This is Mark,  I was the guy with the astro turf mat and retro style ar.   While it was disappointing to have to stop early on Sunday, after watching the VW basically slide down the ramp in the ruts I completely understand the decision to stop.   Other than having to quit early on Sunday I had a great time and learned a lot.   I've about got 3  people at work convinced to attend soon, and I'm planning to come back and really work on figuring out what I was doing in prone that changed my sighting compared to standing and sitting. 

whangdoodle

Hi Mark! Hopefully your new prescription will solve the sighting mystery. I also remember you talking about some strain on your back? Go through the NPOA drills a few times a week and it'll stretch things out. Eventually, everything should get relatively comfortable. It's a closely guarded secret but riflemen sleep in the prone with the elbow underneath the pillow :) You were well on your way to scoring rifleman. I look forward to you coming back and getting your patch!

fatman

As the driver of the VW, I can tell you, it was something of a scary ride down that hill.  As I drove home with the sun coming out I seriously contemplated turning around and trying to finish out the day.  Wouldn't you know it that only the stretch of road that we could see was a slip and slide, the rest of it was actually fairly solid.

Hindsight really is 20/20.  Gotta say I am kind of relieved to hear I didn't miss anything, as pretty as the drive home was I was sure Bob would have had the range back open within the hour.

If there is a chance of rain, having the less capable vehicles park at the bottom of the hill would allow the show to go on in the worst rain CA can throw at us.  Not that slipping down that hill on foot and ending up with a rifle chock full of mud wouldn't still suck.

I will be back to shoot my rifleman score,  I counted myself a solid shot before Appleseed, and I will earn that title back.

whangdoodle

#6
     Good to hear, fatman. Riflemen persist and I'm glad you're on the right path. There's a shoot in Corona at Raahauge Dec 5-6th. There's another shoot a week later at Piru which will probably be a little quieter and hopefully drier.  The last event of 2015 is after Christmas at Angeles Shooting Range (Sunland). Plenty of opportunity before the end of the year to get your patch.

     You're absolutely right about the parking. It should be SOP from now if there's a possibility of rain. I'll take muddy people over upside down cars. Also, I hope A's shoulder is feeling better.

fatman

About A, I talked to him on Thursday and he was still sore but back to 80% or so.  What's more and he was insisting, loudly, on coming back for his patch.  He is definitely a glutton for punishment.  He has a working theory that he may be able to accept a slightly compromised form in prone, and not get beat quite so badly.  He and I have shot thousands of rounds together without him having disabled like this, it was only when you and I were giving him grief about getting that support hand fully underneath the rifle during ball and dummy that he really stressed it apparently.  I suspect running through a few AQTs on our own will be quite telling.

I am going to do my damnedest to get my patch before winter is over, but with the holidays coming I expect it is more likely that you will see me reappear after the new year, Corona is closer, but if I really am fetching A again, it won't be by much.  If I have any luck with timing and whatnot you may see me show up with a new (to me) M1 to see if I can't gild the lily by earning that patch in 30 caliber.  worst case scenario I'll just have to save that for a known distance event at some point.

whangdoodle

Good to hear he's feeling better. Nothing wrong with a modified position to work around injury prone areas. An M1 is always welcome at Appleseed. We love hearing the deep thumping sound of freedom on the line.

walt33

Unfortunately I think the back and eyes are just part of the fun of getting older.  I have been trying getting into prone position and one problem I've noticed is with no magazine in the ar I can my get support hand under the rifle but with a magazine in it can interfere a bit. 

Parking at the bottom is a good idea.  I briefly thought about it when it started to sprinkle but figured it won't be too bad.  Oh well,  next time I'll know to pay attention.


fatman

walt33,

I don't recall, were you using standard size magazines?  I am a huge fan of the aluminum 10 round magazines, they are cheap, dead nuts reliable, and extend out of the magazine well just enough to get a grip on them in case of a mechanical issue (though I have only ever seen the polymer mags get jammed in the magazine well, presumably aluminum/polymer his a higher static friction coefficient than aluminum/aluminum).

walt33

They were blocked 20 round magazines.    Using the 10 round size is a good idea.  I prefer metal to polymer mags too, and there a lot more choices for factory 10 round vs modified 20 round metal ones.   I just got a couple acs 10/20 mags which I think are about the only metal factory ones available now and they all had a problem with reliably feeding the last round in the magazine.   I really only got the 10/20 size figuring the extra bit sticking out would help with a lack of dexterity.   

crobjones2

Quote from: fatman on November 21, 2015, 08:29:29 PM


I am going to do my damnedest to get my patch before winter is over, but with the holidays coming I expect it is more likely that you will see me reappear after the new year, Corona is closer, but if I really am fetching A again, it won't be by much.  If I have any luck with timing and whatnot you may see me show up with a new (to me) M1 to see if I can't gild the lily by earning that patch in 30 caliber.  worst case scenario I'll just have to save that for a known distance event at some point.
I know there will be at least one 30 or 8 on the line at Corona :))

Redfeather

Quote from: fatman on November 21, 2015, 08:29:29 PM
you may see me show up with a new (to me) M1

M1 is excellent teacher. it breaks not-100%-solid-prone apart as it did with mine for the longest time - until it no longer did.

Cal 7.62

whangdoodle,
When I read your post and your comment about bob, it reminded me of this post I read a long while back.
A rifleman persists. O0
Indeed!


http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=3845.msg37436#msg37436

Good old Scout (God rest his soul)  @)
"Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions - The Eyes of all our countrymen are now upon us..." - George Washington

whangdoodle

Thanks for sharing that fantastic AAR, Cal 7.62!
I'll keep the story in mind and tell the tale next time.