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Piru CA 18/19th July 2009

Started by V, July 20, 2009, 02:53:57 AM

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V

July 20, 2009, 02:53:57 AM Last Edit: July 20, 2009, 02:26:20 PM by V
Another great Appleseed weekend... and a hot one! Triple digit temperatures both days. We had both the 20x10 "car port" shades out plus a few pop-ups, we had a mister setup but it was still a pretty grueling weekend. But, the good news we had 15 shooters who stuck it out, persisted and overcame in the best traditions of the American Rifleman.

We shared some history and heritage, with Sespe giving a Hezekiah Wyman story never to be forgotten as he explained and showed a "rifled musket" and let a few people try it out as he explained why the devasting fire and tactics and the effects on the British morale of "DEATH on a pale horse" lends support to the theory that Hezekiah was indeed an American Rfileman.

With the usual Appleseed line of men, women and children, families, couples, friends, fathers and sons, exercising and continuing our long heritage we also shared the history lessons from April 19th that its hearts and minds of men, women and children which was the American Revolution and which we need to recapture. Everyone counts, everyone makes a difference and certainly in Appleseed in it the women that are the backbone of this organization.

Father and son, David and Jonas, stuck it out for 2 days, camping out at the range with Jonas being a great example of determination, great attitude and fun to have on the line. Thank you guys for coming out with us.

Cindy, who self-proclaimed herself the worst shooter on the line saturday morning, but who was responsible for dragging George out after reading about Appleseed in Backwoods Magazine, showed amazing grit and fortitude is sticking out both days and determinedly stuck in to improving positions and technique. "I never thought rifle shooting could be so physically demanding." Experienced rifle shooter and initially dubious George couldn't be kept from shooting those AQTs come Sunday afternoon.

Peter, on his 5th Appleseed brought along another friend for this one, Eric. They were signed up for one day but Peter shot his Rifleman score on the only AQT of Saturday and stepped up to accept the new challenge of an Orange Hat. Thanks and welcome to ranks Peter. Peter is our 97th California Rifleman as we continue to build our path towards generating, as a team, our 100th California Rifleman. Eric made great strides in the task of drinking from the firehose ably helped by Peter. Several of my instructors commented on how well he helped instructing his friend.

We had five total Saturday only shooters and David, Jonathan, and Alexandrs were repeat Appleseeders.

Randall, Lacey and Mark again stuck through the whole weekend and were great fun to have on the line. Lacey was great in always being first to instantly shout out an answer to the questions. Look forward to seeing you all again.

Yugi was there both days shooting full-bore and making great strides. You were an ideal student, for every step of instruction I saw them incorporated into your next course of fire immediately, long before the other shooters. Yugi was shifting NPOA long before everyone else was "wriggling." Keep up with the dry fire practice (its cheaper than that ammo) and see us again on the Appleseed Trail, I'm sure you'll make the score next time. Thanks for coming out.

We had one walk-on on Sunday, another British transplant, welcome Paul. Who did a great job of catching up, having missed the firehose on Saturday. Hope to see you again.

On behalf of the shooters I also like to thank our crew who as usual did a great job. Greg, Grandson of Liberty, stepped into his Red Hat, Sespe, Dano and NewMOe all stepped up the IIT ladder and Cal 7.62 gave up his Birthday weekend to come out and help me. Laylopro brought NewMOe up from Corona who like Dano was stepping out under the hat for the first time. Great job guys and look forward to working with you again.

As always, it was an honor and a privilege to once again share and celebrate the history and heritage of this great country with a great bunch of Americans.

Thanks
Phil

sespe

#1
July 20, 2009, 11:48:28 AM
Did you mention it was hot?

I know everything is supposed to be bigger, stronger, wider, in Texas, but when a certain Texan leaves the range because of the heat, you know things are better in California!

I'm proud that every participant from Saturday showed back up Sunday morning, ready again to tackle the heat and AQT.
I appeal to you again to constantly bear in mind that with you, and not with politicians, not with Presidents, not with office-seekers, but with you, is the question, "Shall the Union and shall the liberties of this country be preserved to the latest generation?"  -Abraham Lincoln

Junior Birdman

#2
July 20, 2009, 11:55:35 AM
  I was overhead the range at 1510 yesterday, climbing through the low 20,000s, looking down and wishing I was there. I didn't notice the heat though...... ;) However, the third shooter from the left was dragging wood.  ;D

  Congrats on another great Piru shoot, and a bigger congrats to Grandson of Liberty on that spiffy new hat! Now quit slacking off and get back to work!

   PS- when I passed Wades DAR there wasn't anyone there shooting. Maybe you guys could have a word with him?
"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." John Adams

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Fredrick Douglass

V

#3
July 20, 2009, 01:26:53 PM
Quote from: Junior Birdman on July 20, 2009, 11:55:35 AM
  I was overhead the range at 1510 yesterday, climbing through the low 20,000s, looking down and wishing I was there.

Puts a whole new meaning on "the founders looking down on us."  <:)

MeanStreaker

#4
July 20, 2009, 03:44:37 PM
"That's not sunshine beaming down on you!  It's the praise and thanks of the men and women that sacrificed on April 19, 1775!.... and by how hot it is today, there are A LOT of proud Americans watching approvingly from above!"

:)
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
--Thomas Paine

Used to ride a Kawasaki Mean Streak motorcycle.  I'm not an angry, naked runner.  :)

Grandson of Liberty

#5
July 20, 2009, 04:19:18 PM
Quote from: Junior Birdman on July 20, 2009, 11:55:35 AM
  I was overhead the range at 1510 yesterday, climbing through the low 20,000s, looking down and wishing I was there. I didn't notice the heat though...... ;) However, the third shooter from the left was dragging wood.  ;D

  Congrats on another great Piru shoot, and a bigger congrats to Grandson of Liberty on that spiffy new hat! Now quit slacking off and get back to work!

Thanks JB! You know, at the time I figured it was the heat getting to me, but I could have sworn I saw a tiny little rubber ducky soaring by yesterday afternoon. :)
"Who hasn't done 'Number 2' on Bob yet?"- Jr. Birdman, Piru IBC, Three-Oh-Nine

V

#6
July 20, 2009, 04:32:32 PM
OK, so to get this thread back on course...

Feel free everyone, especially our shooters who newly register, to post your observations, comments, praise or blame, and pictures are always welcome. If you are not sure how to do that click the "Additional Options..." just below the box you type your post in. Browse for the attachment (photo, doc, pdf, whatever) and add it.

Cheers
Phil

Grandson of Liberty

#7
July 20, 2009, 05:31:54 PM
One thing I'd like to mention about the shoot is the fine quality of attendees we had. (But can't we say that with just about any Appleseed?)  :)

We had several shooters help us set up on Saturday morning, but even more impressive was the group on Sunday afternoon- people who paid to come learn and shoot- in near 110 degree heat, sticking around to help us clear the range, take down canopies, etc. It would have been easy for them to hop in their air-conditioned cars and bug out. No one would have blamed them either! But just about everyone stayed behind to help. Folks, that is greatly appreciated- thank you!
"Who hasn't done 'Number 2' on Bob yet?"- Jr. Birdman, Piru IBC, Three-Oh-Nine

Camljr

#8
July 21, 2009, 03:09:51 AM

Congrats to Grandson of Liberty on getting that red hat.... Was it hot enough to fade the color on it yet?

I wish I could have been there... but could not. I was in Las Vegas laying by the pool... in 109 degree heat.

Of course, i was able to cool off every 10 minutes in the pool! AND  the casinos were air conditioned...

I know, that last comment was downright mean  &)


I am looking forward to working the next Appleseed at Sacramento in August!

Should be a scorcher also!!!   >:D   

96 SHOOTS SO FAR!

WSMR Instructor 03/10  -  SAPPER STEEL!

�The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection�   Thomas Paine

Proverbs 22:3  -  A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even when checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy, nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat".
Theodore Roosevelt

LayloPro

#9
July 21, 2009, 03:49:59 AM Last Edit: July 21, 2009, 03:54:46 AM by Laylopro
Ahhhh, yes!! What can be better than a nice July afternoon spent surrounded by some of the best folks in our state??

Since I had a brand-new IIT raring to go, and I thought it would be fun to "just be a red hat" for a change, early Sunday am, NewMOe & I toddled our way up to Piru's facility.......with a quick stop @ the main range to introduce NewMoe to Mike Thompson, our range saint, we finally arrived at our DAR range....ahead of schedule, but -still- almost the last ones there.....talk about some dedicated attendees!! ;) They were getting checked in, and their name badges on, the whole deal.....

I -finally- got to meet some of our "newer" folks up in the Piru DAR AO, and will heartily attest to the basic fact that we have some truly awesome folks here in Cali....all over the country actually, but as a group, the Cali Corps just seem to be.......well, special, somehow.....it's hard to explain, but Fred gets it.....I think he said we have "happy shooters" here one time.....maybe that's part of it.... 8) :)

After introducing ourselves to the attendees, we started talking with them about what they were "having problems with"......one gentleman had a LTR w/ Tech sights, but being around my age (I'm guessing here, don't shoot the messenger!!), he was still having problems with the targets.....
Broke out the scoped LTR, and the clarity was amazing for him!! He was able to improve greatly thru out the day, and will be prepared for his next AS with his wife, and their friends! Being able to focus on the platform instead of the gear is a wonderful thing...... O0 <:) O0

Working with the shooters, being able to walk to the target line and back with them, reminded me of how much we have to offer our attendees.....
both in shooting analysis, and historical history, which dovetails with today.....and I didn't even need to have a clipboard with me 24/7!! ::) :o O0
I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to lay down in the "Piru Dirt" next to a shooter, to offer help in what they were doing, or needed to do for better accuracy....and control of themselves......Absolutely awesome!!!

What a great bunch of folks...... O0

Having GoL get his red hat while we were there was great fun as well.....after all, wasn't it just a few months ago we hung an orange hat on his head here?? No wait, that was in January.....where's the time gone? Oh, yeah, there have been a "few 'seeds" between then & now.....how could I forget? They are all starting to sort of blend in together.......or maybe it's my "Mad Cow Disease" kicking in....... :o

NewMOe and Dano got to RSO for Sespe calling the line, and then they traded around some in the afternoon.....it's a ball when you watch some one else go thru the stuff that was "kinda hard" when you did it......NewMOe made the comment to V that while he had been at different AS's with different SB's, we all made it look kind of "easy to do"......that's what trying to be like Bob210 will do for ya!! :)) @) The IIT's did an excellent job with the DOM at lunch, and are discovering that heartfelt passion for what those guys did for -us-, way back when...... O0

One thing we could -not- get around tho', was the simple fact we were roasting our brains out there.....hot, hot, energy sapping heat.....the tents were a HUGE improvement over last year, the mister was a welcome addition, and the twin coolers that we went thru 10 gals of water & 30 lbs of ice in were nice, but no matter how much water you drank, and staying in the shade, by the late afternoon, we were -all- done in......it was time.....These folks stayed, and helped, as if it was -their- range they were cleaning up......they are welcome to come back to any AS I am at!

A brief benediction, group photos of those who were left, and after reassuring ourselves that some A/C would help with the hallucinations we were having (Greg thought he saw a tiny rubber duckie flying by, way up in the sky....I looked & thought it was "Big Blue Bird", the cousin to "Big Yellow Bird").....

So, we went our separate ways......another AS in the can.....more Americans that now know their beginnings better, some good shooting having been done....what could make it any better? As NewMOe & I were headed down the freeway with all the other Sunday return traffic, I knew........





And took NewMoe over to the Bear Pit, for some Bar-B-Q......... >:D





So, how was -your- weekend?
LLP






"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

LayloPro

#10
July 21, 2009, 03:51:53 AM
Mo' Pix.....

LLP
"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

rokitman

#11
July 22, 2009, 11:14:37 PM
   What great fun !  Despite the hi temp and dust it was a great time. I attended the San Luis Obispo shoot in Apr, so I knew what to expect. I was not disappointed !  Excellent instruction and patience provided by the very capable instructors.  And very friendly also ! After saying "I can't" several times saturday, I started to say "I can" on sunday. My positioning and steadiness improved .  But doggonit I was fighting sighting problems all day after switching rifles and the heat finally caught up to me. Sorry I could not stay to help take things down but I was burnt out. The friends I brought, Lacey, JD, and Marine Mark, were very happy and glad they came. My Remington 22 took a crap on me so it's off to Big 5 to buy a new Ruger 10/22 for my next Appleseed which will probably be in Santa Barbara (closer to home). At 56 years old and falling apart, achievable goals are hard to find but " I WILL GET MY RIFLEMAN PATCH " !!!   That is my now obsessive current goal !   Thank you all very much . Randy the Rokitman

horsecavalry

#12
July 24, 2009, 02:18:14 PM
   I've been thinking about the Piru event for almost a week. I'm an old dog and have been shooting and wasting ammo for 50 years. I had no expectations at first. I found out my eyes weren't up to the sights on my old guns , neither were the guns themselves.
   Nice people, I mean genuinely nice people lent my wife and me their 10/22 s to use over two days. Phil V is simply awesome, both as instructor and history teacher.
It was hot but tolerable, there was shade. Thank you instructors and participants. Cindy and I will be back with new equipment and a better appreciation of our challenges past and present. This is such a valuable program, I
have to share with others who might listen.
George Naas and Cindy Love. 

LayloPro

#13
July 24, 2009, 02:44:05 PM
Hey, HorseCav,

Glad to see you made it onto the forum!! Welcome! <:)
You are one of the ones who "gets it", when we speak of people needing to understand the debt owed our Founders, ourselves, & -our- prosperity by sharing the simple message of becoming a Rifleman.......you are so close to achieving the goal of the target, and from then, the goal of informing other Americans of what their duty is........ O0
I look forward to working another event with you and Cindy, & bring your friends! @) :~

Literally, the more, the merrier! ;)

LayloPro
"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

Cal 7.62

#14
July 26, 2009, 12:45:43 PM
Here are a few pics from last weekend. More to follow

"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

Kelly's Hero

#15
July 27, 2009, 12:51:33 AM
Well here is my first post to this forum or any internet forum for that matter.  I hope it works.

After five (5) Appleseed events, I finally shot the score I was striving for and was honored to be awarded the 97th Rifleman's Patch last Saturday, 7/18/09, at the Piru event.  It was even more special because Phil "V" was the Shoot Boss when I earned my patch and, if I remember correctly, V earned his Rifleman's patch at my first Appleseed event last Septemebr 2008.  What a great Instructor and Shoot Boss.  All the other instructors from this event and four (4) prior events were terrific and contributed to my success so far.

Additionally, I accepted the Orange Hat and invitation to start my journey towards joining the ranks of the other fabulous instructors this organization has.  I look forward to contributing in any way I can.  Thanks for posting the nice photos Cal 7.62.

So far I have planted seeds with co-workers and friends with two (2) of them accompanying me to Appleseed events.  They are hooked and wanting more; even with the extreme heat at this last event, Eric has vowed to come back too.  Thanks to Bob 210 and V for arranging Eric's loaner LTR.

So long until the next event.

Peter/"Kelley's Hero"
"Kelley's Hero"
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