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Lewiston, Idaho August 15-16

Started by Reformed Redneck, August 18, 2009, 12:13:44 AM

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Reformed Redneck

Friends,

I would like to make only the briefest of reports here, and defer to Earl and Fred for more detail.

On Saturday we started with 26 shooters. The weather here was remarkably cool for this time of year, in low 70's as opposed to the low 100's. We were certainly thankful for this.

The shoot began with the Redcoat targets, proceeded through a series of 1" squares, practice AQT's, etc. I must say that we had a disproportionate number of equipment related issues, more than any of the previous shoots I have attended. These tended to compound the difficulties for a number of the students.

We worked through the course of fire on Sunday and, despite the typical fatigue that sets in on Sunday afternoon, a number of shooters began to improve considerably. Late Sunday afternoon, about 1/3 of the shooters got to try their hand at 4MOA targets at 300 yards. All of them shot quite well, and there were a lot a smiles when they came in from the targets. Hats off the the man with the Swiss straight pull rifle!

There were a number of other shooters that showed a lot of promise and improvement during the afternoon's shooting, and we were just beginning to see things come together for some of them when time ran out. While we didn't get any riflemen out of this group, there are a number of them who will attain that status in the near future if they simply persist.

I would like to offer one simple piece of advice to those who attend an Appleseed for the first time. Plan ahead, and prepare for the shoot ahead of time. This gives you a chance to sort out your equipment issues so that you will be able to gain the most from the instruction you will receive during the weekend, rather than consuming a lot of your time and effort during the event. We want you to succeed, so pay attention to the suggestions elsewhere on this forum as to what to bring and how to prepare for a shoot. You stack the odds in your favor by doing so.

A special thanks to Mike and all of the guys at the range who worked hard to make this shoot happen. Thanks guys!

Pictures will be forthcoming when I can get to it.

Great meeting you all!

Best regards,
Reformed Redneck
I'll keep my faith, my family, my church, my liberty, my property, my money...oh, and my guns. You can keep the chains.

"...Of Zebulon, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war...which could keep rank: they were not of double heart..."

Earl

Just so the RWVA world knows I am paying attention, I am here and happy. Long drives in the darkness Friday and Sunday evening, thank you volunteer organizations manning the coffee stands at the rest stops, thank my dear wife for her waiting for my return and a good report from my trip.

I know the only reason that we didn't have more Riflemen was the choke up factor. The Swiss Army bolt action rifle and its shooter were ready until the AQT was posted, then it counted and the Fight or Flee factors took over. He was not the only one, there were many potential riflemen and riflewomen, and doing the rifleman's dance when the sunlight or wind changed the shot from your call would bring many of us back into the black. I would add the same advice about preparing before the first day, and I advise always use only one rifle, with a good sling but mechanical problems do happen. And Murphy is my constant sidekick.

I know, and I have to prepare to get off to work soon, that as soon as Fred said I had to get ready for my PC to become an Instructor that I started freezing up when I should have had that confidence in my ability to perform. So when Fred asked me a question it was what does "Fred want?" mode, and when Larry or Leslie (both very able LSO and ITTs, a real pleasure to work with) asked me a question it was what will make this Appleseed work better for the shooters and the program. And if you think Math in Public puts you in a state of performance fear, try answering the inches, MOA, clicks for a scoped rifle with 1/4 Minute adjustments, for an inch and a half low, while trying to follow Larry flying down the highway to MossKO, to meet the folks from the other Appleseed of the weekend - by the time I thought I was ready I had forgotten it was a scoped rifle and had to multiply. I will be back to post more, as always I enjoyed the continuing the tradition of the American Rifleman, standing up and answering the call, knowing that it will take us all to get our Country strong and free again.
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Western Rose

#2
A picture of The Swiss Army bolt action rifle and its shooter.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook

50th Appleseed
Appleseed: From Coast to Coast

Earl

AAR Lewiston, Idaho  15-16 August 2009

Host Range       Lewis Clark Wildlife Club Range at 27007 S Tom Beall Rd,  Lapwai, ID

Shoot Boss   Fred                                          North Carolina

ITT4             Earl                                                                                      Washington
ITT               Reformed Redneck - organizer, coordinator, and principle point of contact  Idaho
ITT               Leslie         Line boss, LSO, instructor, coach              Idaho
ITT               Bill, Saturday, LSO, instructor, set up                           Idaho
ITT               Hansen, Sunday, volunteered to instruct, coach and rifle maintenance,   
                     Oregon

Saturday Shooters     26
Sunday Shooters       18

Good stuff:
Host Range, did a lot of preparation work for target boards, range had the capability of shooting to three hundred yards and conducting shoot in a separate facility/area for club members not on the Appleseed trail.

Hot lunches were available for purchase., thanks again to the Host Range.

Fred was there to make it a great Appleseed, polishing the History and the Training, honoring the forefathers.

Many family groups shooting together.

Reformed Redneck made a 4MOA target board with six targets for shooting at the 300 yard distance for the best center fire shooters. Just the target out at 300 yards brought home to all the shooters the constant of 4 MOA - the black squares at 300 yards (12 inches by 12 inches) looking very much like the black squares on the target line (one inch by one inch). The reports from those shooters, that they were hitting the target in similar groups to what they had done at the target line, was good for the newer shooters to hear.

Volunteers stepping up to help set up, individual coaching, rifle maintenance, clean up.

Meeting the Appleseed crew from the Garfield, WA Appleseed in Moscow.  Many that we had worked with as budding Riflemen in other places now ITTs.

Things to try to do better:

Get the Host Range administrative needs at the same table as the Appleseed in processing, one stop admin central.

Get the Equipment line as marked as the firing line was so the stuff isn't underfoot, and a bit of an obstacle.

Better use of the practice AQTs prior to the real AQTs, bring more targets and keeping control of them all the time.

Take better notes for 'thank you's' to all those great shooters and Appleseed supporters. and so more points could be recorded on the Afteraction report. Perhaps a log of the two days, each major teaching point presented, each time and type of target, each story of April 19. 1775 and who presented it. Could use the POI and jot the notes upon it.

And do reward the official photographer, recording the event and sharing the pictures.

I had a great time, and I have added so much to my knowledge about Appleseed, shooting and the tradition because Fred took the time to fly long and far across the country to stir us up, to keep the ship afloat and on course. Returning to Liberty. Thank y'all for being good solid folks, see y'all at the next Appleseed, somewhere.




... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Earl

Placing photos on AARs really helps promote the next one.

A super Appleseed family's home, that they shared so kindly. I was reminded that John Hancock and Samuel Adams were also hosted in Lexington on the 18th of April.
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Western Rose

#5
Here's a few of the pictures.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook

50th Appleseed
Appleseed: From Coast to Coast

Western Rose

#6
More photos. Sorry guys, for some reason the internet is not letting me upload any more pictures right now. I'll try and post more tomorrow.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook

50th Appleseed
Appleseed: From Coast to Coast

Western Rose

Here's some more.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook

50th Appleseed
Appleseed: From Coast to Coast

Western Rose

#8
Our two youngest shooters. Eli, 9 and Patrick, 11 doing Ball and Dummy.










Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook

50th Appleseed
Appleseed: From Coast to Coast

botham

I am tankful to describe all situation and the scene of shooter. I think its a interesting one but be careful!