AAR: Sierra Vista, AZ, April 25-26

[MOGromit]

AZRedhawk and I arrived the night before the first southern AZ Appleseed to be put up graciously by Lysander6's family.  Saturday morning found us out at the Sierra Vista Range (http://www.sierravistarange.org/) bright and early to start setting up the line.  The participants started arriving as did the wind and 8:30 found us welcoming 36 shooters into the Appleseed fold. 

First the pledge, followed by the welcome, intros, safety and unload and clear definitions.  Most folks showed up pre-caffeinated so TPI was looking good.  We got the shooters onto the first redcoat and then started marching through the points of instruction on squares.

A brisk wind started moving the targets a bit (ok, quite a bit) and playing hob with the equipment line.  Many thanks to the young shooters on the line who seemed to have infinite energy supplies to run down anything that hadn't been sufficiently weighted down or covered up.  A spliced target line (to fix a break from a high shot originally) came apart due to the wind during the 1st strike at lunch.  While Lysander6 and myself fixed it, AZRedhawk finished up strikes 2 and 3.  The afternoon saw quite a bit of target line motion, sometimes a foot or so vertically.  We finished up the first day with an AQT and a re-shoot of the redcoats.

Sunday morning was much calmer with winds predicted in the 5-10 mph range.  One of the range members brought out a home made cannon in the morning to give a loud salute before the pledge got us up and running once again.  Initial redcoat and then one sheet of squares and then it was into the AQTs.  Dangerous old men and women saw the Appleseeders through lunchtime and the day was finished up with AQTs as far as the eye could see. 

Congrats to Chris K. for shooting a 215 after a couple in the 200+ range.  Lysander6 passed him an orange hat and we've started the IIT process.  Ryan A. also stepped up to volunteer with some work still to do on attaining the 210 score.

A great time was had by all, with much improvement in shooting skills.  Typical was one shooters experience of moving from an initial AQT score in the 50s to finishing up the weekend in the 140s.

The range was a great opportunity for Appleseed to start introducing folks in southern AZ to the program and we plan on holding more events there this year and moving forward.

Pictures to be posted next.

Many thanks to AZRedhawk44, Lysander6, the Sierra Vista range and all of the participants for putting on a great Appleseed weekend.

AZG

[MOGromit]

Pictures from the Sierra Vista weekend, courtesy of Jim S., one of the range personnel who joined us on the firing line.

AZG

[lysander6]

  The wind (which reportedly had up to 40 knot gusts) provided quite a challenge but served to show that a rifleman persists no matter how arduous the circumstances.  I have had the privilege of hearing Fred tell the RW stories and anecdotes at an AS in Coeur d'Alene, ID several years ago.  I consider the historical presentations at the AS this weekend by AZGromit and AZRedhawk to be just as good and told in a way that captivated the audience.  You really know you have struck a chord when several new Appleseeders come to you for recommendations for further reading on the RW.

  Steady improvement was demonstrated by most of the shooters who stuck it out to Sunday.  The Range has now offered to put in pilot holes and removable posts to accommodate more 25m Appleseed Shoots in the future.