Appleseed had a single day event at an elegant indoor facility, SharpShootersUSA, near Atlanta. Georgia is almost unbearably hot in the summer, and shooting in air conditioned comfort was a real blessing. After our Welcome and Safety Briefing, we got down to the business at hand, realizing we had only a limited amount of time. Our initial Hits Count! target showed we had lots of work to do, although one student, Ron, a second time Appleseed attendee, cleared the target. We began with Sling Use and Steady Hold Factors in prone, then the second leg of the tripod of rifle marksmanship, the Six Steps, lastly Natural Point of Aim. We also devoted as much time as possible under the circumstances to diagnosing and addressing cross eye dominance and poor rifle fit. After Rifleman's Cadence, Talking Targets, and Inches-Minutes-Clicks we broke for lunch and heard the first two parts of the wonderful day of our nation's birth, Strikes One and Two.
After lunch we studied the Sitting position, then the Transition to sitting and prone, although due to safety concerns, we did not actually practice Transitions due to safety concerns (we had had a couple of slips on the very slick concrete floor at prior events there and wanted to avoid a repeat). We then took our afternoon break and heard the last part of the Story of April 19, 1775, Strike Three. We returned to the shooting lanes and studied the Standing position before we shot our AQT, then ended with a very moving benediction presented by "V", who also awarded the coveted Rifleman patch to Ron. Ron, your improvement since your first Appleseed event some months ago is remarkable. It is quite evident that you have been giving a goodly amount of effort to practicing and it shows in your AQT score of 227. Well done!
Jose and Jennifer, your enthusiasm and dedication were wonderful. And Jennifer, if you keep making improvement as quickly as you did at our event, you will soon be giving Jose a run for his money in the area of rifle marksmanship, which I expect Jose would greatly enjoy. Robert, you shot a vintage bolt action rifle better than I have ever seen a first timer do. And your receptivity to learning new skills made you a most enjoyable student. Please do come back and join us again. With your same rifle. Keith and Charles, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your presence. Not only did your marksmanship improve considerably, but your enthusiasm for the Story of April 19 and our God given gift of Liberty was magnificent. Tammy and Steve, it was a joy to have you again, and your persistence in the face of physical challenges is inspirational. I am sure you are a wonderful role model of good spirits and determination to your son, and I certainly hope he is able to join us at the next event. Daniel, I know you are a fine pistol shooter, and your willingness to extend your comfort zone and re-learn some rifle marksmanship skills that had grown rusty made you a most enjoyable student. Please persist, dry fire, and come back and join us soon.
As much as we emphasize marksmanship skills at our Appleseed events, our shared heritage and our birthright of Liberty is far, far more important. And I cannot express to you how much I appreciated your sharing that with me and the rest of our gallant instructor group last Saturday. Blessings to you all, and my Liberty increase forever!
What a great event at Sharpshooters USA!
V kicked things off with the Welcome speech
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After the welcome speech, we went over Safety. Then it was to the range as the day took off with some instruction and of course trigger time. :---
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By early afternoon everyone was ready for a little break and we were treated to DrJohn regaling the Third Strike.
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V and Mechanic instructed us the standing position right before we rolled into AQTs
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V gave a touching benediction to a wore out and attentive crowd. (Even Tiva was tired)
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Our one AQT saw a Rifleman emerge among us. Congratulations Ron with a very respectable 227! Huzzah! O0
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Thank you to all who attended and I hope to see you all again. Remember to Dry Fire! Perfect practice makes perfect. All of you can achieve Rifleman. A Rifleman persists! ~~:)
In Liberty,
Roswell