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Bloomington, IL June 25 & 26 AAR

Started by TheEditor, June 26, 2016, 11:31:46 PM

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TheEditor

A productive and fun Appleseed was had this weekend in Bloomington, IL at Darnall's Ranges. 

20 shooters, all the pre-regs and three walk ons! 

Excellent staff, good support, and most of all, shooters who had a teachable attitude!

5 Riflemen showed us they knew very well what they were about, plus one re-qualification. 

One of our high-school age ladies scored a 197 - running a bolt with iron sights! 

Several young (and not so young!) people took the opportunity offered to experience running a Garand. 

Despite the heat, it was a great weekend. 

Thanks to the shooters (one coming from Indianapolis, several from Chicago and Springfield, and three from south of St. Louis) for getting off the couch, showing up, and learning.

Thanks to Wurstmacher, Shooter 30-06, AK, Shooter 559, Flyr 521, OuttaAmmo, and our newest IIT, Rev. 357, for instructing, helping, and generally making the shoot boss look good. 

Thanks to GunsSaveLife.com, who sponsored the shoot and took care of the range fees.

Thanks to GSL Defense Training for the use of their equipment, shade shelters, generator, and fans, without which we might very well have had heat-related casualties. 

I'm  sure others have pictures and stories to tell.

Let's hear them. 

TheEditor

John N.
Author of "50 Things You Didn't Learn in School - But Should Have"
www.heuristicbooks.com

Rev.357

#1
Wow.  Great to be included in the list with the real instructors, but it is intuitively obvious to any casual observer that the operative terms for me this weekend were, "In Training."  It has been well said that teachers often teach by doing an imitation of a teacher whom they have observed and admired.  TheEditor was my first SB.  He has a gentle and caring way about him.  He pours so much of himself into his work, that I actually wonder that he may stroke out.  At one point in the hundred degree heat index I told him, "If you were in my bait bucket and looked this wrung out, I'd release you back to the water."  This is what commitment looks like. 

Shooter30-06 drives both the marksmanship and history home with the forceful didactic that comes from conviction and training.  Keep a notepad handy to steal phrases like "drinking from a fire hose." 

AK has a strong sense of empathetic zanshin.  She is alert to and aware of which shooters are in the sun and need shade, and she seems to track the shooters' attitude, disposition, and frustration levels as they ebb and flow in the challenges, heat, and dehydration. 

I had met everyone in the cadre previously with the exception of Wurstmacher.  At first blush, he seemed detached; but as I observed, it became clear that he seemed able to observe and participate in the event with almost a third person objectivity.  He could look at himself in the situation and then act in a manner that would advance the mission rather than himself.  Additionally he had a cadence and consistency to his line commands.  I found myself singing along quietly so as to memorize the commands, cadence, and inflection.  He also had a noteworthy "mat-side manner."  I think he took time to lie next to every shooter and address individual propensities.  Wurstmacher needs help in Bonfield July 9 & 10.  I cant make it, but if you can - step up and teach and learn something on a top notch range. 

Flyr 521 and Shooter 559 might be the hardest working people on the line.  They are on site early, pawing the ground impatiently until they can grab the paperwork and dispense the office work.  We all know how we all scramble to seize the joy of doing the paper work.  I also know that they routinely go to the range before an Appleseed, so that they are ready, their rifles are ready, and rifles they are preparing to loan are ready. 

OutaAmmo has allowed me to assist him with the RSO duties on the 4-H circuit.  I think we were accused of running a tournament like a workshop, but if a first time shooter comes to our line with sights welded out of adjustment or if you don't know what a peep and post sight picture should look like, or if your cased rifle is not pointed in a safe direction; you will get competent, caring, and positive instruction.  Advising a shooter that the top of the post should appear in the center of the aperture will not influence the outcome of the contest, but it may change the life of a young shooter who has been labeled "special."  God bless Dave for all the time and effort he pours into passing some truth and light on to the youth of America. 

Tornado was not on site at this shoot, but as the SB who said, "Everything looks good.  You can do this."  His calm, relaxed demeanor was in my thoughts.  By the way, I think I could faintly hear TwinEagles and Aftermath telling me to keep it simple.  Yeah.  You may have to cross that state line and keep repeating that.  Just remember, when you cross the line; turn South and you"ll be fine. 

A big Bravo Zulu to Guntuckian, Kimber Custom, and Nomadichillbilly and to the rest of team that covered the NRA booth in Louisville.  We had at least one Great shooter come out because he had heard about Appleseed for the first time this May 19-21.  He experienced the frustration and disappointments that come with borrowed rifles, but he pledges to come back to another Appleseed. 

2 clicks low and Shooter 30-06 are right.  The NRA RSO training is worthwhile and commendable.  Saturday, and Sunday I saw stovepipes, double feeds, stuck cases, stuck rounds, damaged rounds, and assorted misfires; on a line with 10/22, AR, bolts and a beautiful and esteemed M1.  (Practicing on the Friday before I saw my first relio trulio squib.)  I watched myself identify rifles, identify problems, clear rifles, and step back from the line.  I'm thinking, "Cool. Training works." 

I asked my wife how good I looked in the orange hat they issued to me.  She said it will look good with the orange jump suit they are going to issue to me. 

Keeping it as simple as Rev. can, I point to a target and say, Here's what you did."  Shooter says, "That is what I did."  I say, "Here's what you need to do."  After lunch, shooters actually run up to thank me.  I'm a little unclear until the shooters explain, "It worked.  For the first time we shot a group.  Now we can sight our rifles."  This is rewarding.  If you all can put up with a guy on the line that doesn't learn as fast as he once did, I want to do this ride again. 
He that beliveth on the Son hath everlasting life: John 3:36
Life: Endowed by our Creator, made possible by Christ the Lord.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
Liberty: Endowed by our Creator, made possible by Christ the Lord.

Repent yet therefore, and be converted, Acts 3:19
Pursuit of Happiness: Endowed by our Creator, coined by John Locke, made possible by Christ our Lord.

Author of: "Ad  Hoc,  Post Hoc; Educational Programs In Camping." Christian Education Journal, Winter 1993.
Author of: Interpersonal Physics: Authority Statics and Effectivity Dynamics as Factors of Influence. Wheaton,  IL: UMI 1991.

Laredo

April 21-22, 2012 - 1st
Oct      6-7, 2012 - 2nd
April 20-21, 2013 - 3rd
Sept     7-8, 2013 - 4th - Rifleman!!

"The cost of a thing is the amount of life required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run. When one has obtained those essentials necessary for well-being â€" food, shelter, warmth, and clothing, there is an alternative to struggling through steel jungles for the luxuries. That's to adventure on life itself, one's vacation from humble toil having commenced." -Townsend Whelen

AK

Fantastic weekend!  Great group of shooters and instructors. The heat was an unpleasant inconvenience but shooters were able to deal with it and persevere. We had 5 new Riflemen. Congratulations to John, Rock, Jeff, Eric, and Jeff! ( Two Jeffs). We had several more shooters knocking on the door. They will I doubtfully be receiving their patches at a future Appleseed. Our red and orange hats all worked together well with all contributing. I will post my photos soon.
I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

"We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ~Abraham Lincoln

Twineagles

Good to see it went well. The rest will just get easier.

Mike
Every time I teach a class, I discover I don�t know something - Clint Smith

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. � John Wayne

AFTERMATH

"We intend to produce men who are able to light a fire for Liberty in men's minds, and make them the finest rifle marksmanship Instructors on the planet." - Son of Martha

"Tyrants rise and fall, but tyranny lasts forever." -Me

[What kind of megalomaniac quotes himself?]