Azusa, CA 11-12 June 2016

[Rocket Man]

Summer's just around the corner...  but we had one last blast of winter for our June Appleseed??   Yep, temperatures were downright chilly at Burro Canyon, high in the San Gabriel foothills... fog drifting over the range, like the smokes from Lexington Green.  With wind whipping the targets, we set to work.

Fifteen fine folks joined us on Saturday, a couple of familiar faces but mostly new shooters had come to hammer out their skills on the anvil of Liberty.  Our opening Redcoats were a little lackluster, but then that's usually the case...  Didn't take too long to start seeing groups, listening to our targets, and getting down to single-digit MOA accuracy.

Calguns honcho Jacob was there on Saturday, running a smart line and, at lunch, bringing us the First Strike of the Match.  We could practically feel the icy cold of that moonlit night, April 19th 1775, or at least that's how it seemed with everyone starting to shiver.

Shivers or not we went back to the line and kept up the instruction, and by the time the first day was over, we'd literally doubled our Redcoat count.  Even got one clean, where in the morning nobody'd qual'd at 200.  Not bad for a day's work, trying to catch up on 240 years of history.   

Sunday dawned brighter but just as windy, and eight of our stalwarts returned for another whack at the AQTs.  We took our time with NPOA drills, ball 'n dummy, and the whole nine yards, and apart from a little "target sharing" our AQTs started looking very nice.  By the end of the day, returning student Huy was putting down 190's, only needing a few more seconds on the fast stages to hit the magic 210 number.  Dave put together 40+ in all four stages, just needing a tad more consistency to make the grade... and the real heartbreak was Brandon, who beat all with a solid 209.     Soooo close.  So close.  Well, it's there.  It is within you, when you're ready.

Before we left, we had to recognize our posterity:  Anthony, all of 13 years old, stood the course and made phenomenal improvement -- going from minute-of-backer to about 8 MOA, and scoring in the 30's and 40's on Stage 1 -- in only his third ever time shooting.  Big congratulations to him, to Mark who is coaching him in the finer points of responsible adulthood, and also to long-time Appleseeder Jackie (22calgal) who showed them the trailhead to the Way of the Rifleman.  You may not know Jackie was there at my first Appleseed, and so the circle closes.  However, all we do is show you the road, the steps are all yours.   

I want to thank everyone again for turning out and making it such a great weekend.  There are so many great Americans, the ones you don't read about in the news, ready to stand tall.  Behind every blade of grass.  It is my privilege to know you and my honor to teach what I can.  See you all at the next one!   

[22calgal]

My husband, Mr22calgal, and I had the honor of taking Anthony for his first time shooting as a pre-Appleseed event.  He and Mark were very excited about the Appleseed shoot, and it sounds like it was amazing as always.  I was there in spirit all weekend.

I am still in recovery mode from West Nile virus, physical therapy and doctor visits and medication and stuff, but I hope someday to return to Appleseed and share the experience, strength and hope of being a Rifleman.

Keep shooting.

22calgal