AAR: Gainesville, FL June 26,27 2010

[ItsanSKS]

Not a week ago, I was pondering the merits of holding an Appleseed which only two patriots had decided to pre-register for.  In retrospect, this line of thinking was completely unfounded.  Even had only two of my fellow Americans decided to join us this weekend, they were deserving of the best instruction I could bring, and further, they were deserving of my admiration, as they had chosen perhaps the most difficult weekend to attend.

This past weekend in Gainesville saw some of the most miserable conditions heretofore experienced at an Appleseed event- the temperature on Saturday was a balmy 97 degrees, and with a matching humidity, the 'heat index' was well in excess of 105- tough conditions, to be sure, and Sunday wasn't much better, though persistent cloud coverage kept the 'felt' temperature down to a modest 98 degrees. 

To my great relief, more students arrived than had pre-registered;  Saturday morning found no less than 8 attendees on the line, all willing to endure whatever hardships mother nature could bring to bear.  The concepts of Liberty, Freedom, and Perseverance are alive and well in these fine folk from Central Florida. 

The pace of instruction, though slower than some previous events, was still frantic, and made especially grueling due to the weather.  All students on Saturday showed dramatic improvement throughout the day, though an attempt to shoot our final Red Coat target for the day was forestalled by a sudden, severe thunderstorm that forced all in attendance to retreat to the relative safety of the air-conditioned club house.  This premature ending to our shooting activities in no way kept us from our greater purpose; that of reminding our attendees of the debt owed to our Founding Generation.  The final moments of Saturday were spent going over the lessons learned throughout the day, and a modest call to action- our attendees, freshly educated in their responsibility to those that sacrificed everything for OUR Liberty, were asked to spread the word, and ensure that those around them were likewise aware of the responsibilities attendant to every American. 

When a break in the weather afforded us an opportunity to escape to our vehicles, everyone was encouraged to return for Sunday, as the instruction would continue, and ample opportunity would present itself to qualify as a "Rifleman". 

Only two hardy souls ventured into the misty morning dew on Sunday, intent on improving their marksmanship.  Holly and Rusty, a tip of this faded Red Hat to you;  you both showed tremendous determination and grit on Sunday, with nary a complaint.  I know that the conditions were brutal, and that the course of instruction was no easy treat, either, but both of you showed that you were made of tougher stuff, and I am glad to have been able to help you along your way to Rifleman status.  That you did not earn that estimable renown this weekend is not to say that it is out of reach- you both know what you need to improve, and have been given the best instruction that we were capable of of.  I counsel you to keep up with your dry-fire practice, improve your ability to find and adjust your NPOA.  These skills may be simple in theory, but they are not easy to master; without them, 210+ on the AQT is impossible.. 

The range owner, Mark, also ventured onto our firing line on Sunday, and was able to keep up with the pace of instruction, even without the benefit of Saturday's in-depth coverage of same.  Overcoming various equipment issues, a dramatic change in his perception of the program was evident.  He has much experience with the 'tactical' and 'run and gun' theories of riflery, but this past experience was not up to the task of making consistent hits on a man-sized target at distances greater than 100 yards, let alone out to 500 yards.   A true credit to his character, Mark willingly 'let go' of his former training, and embraced the concepts that we were teaching.  An almost immediate improvement in his marksmanship ability was noted.  With a little practice, and a focus on the fundamentals that he's been introduced to, I expect that Mark will progress from 'cook' to Rifleman in short order.

I want to thank all of those in attendance this weekend; each and every one of you contains the heart of an American Rifleman; enduring harsh conditions, willingly putting yourself in the hands of capable instructors, and putting up with our constant nagging, you all deserve recognition.  It brings a warmth to my heart, knowing that there are fine folks like you still left in this country.  I hope to see you again, and often, on the Appleseed Trail.

I look forward to our next event in Gainesville with eager anticipation, as time spent with American Patriots such as these is time well spent, indeed.

In Liberty,

-ItsanSKS

[9mm4545]

The conditions were brutal indeed but when you think of the sacrifices that our ancestors made on the behalf of liberty, our suffering seems a bit more bearable. My respect and admiration for the volunteers of Appleseed grows with every event.  For people to dedicate themselves to this movement requires guts and determination and most of all, a willingness to actually get off the sofa and DO SOMETHING! To the shooters who spent the time sweating along with us on the firing line, I hope you came away better people, shooters, and Americans, and will continue down the path to becoming Riflemen. Spending a whole day--or two--in the Florida summer heat takes some grit and you should feel good about yourselves for making the effort.

[Johnnyappleseed]

Sounds like a good shoot -- I always liked the spirit and political actions of you Florida folks --- CCWs etc ^5
Being non partisan -- i liked a govenor or two as well 
Any pictures?
JA

[ItsanSKS]

I was able to rescue a few pictures from my camera!   With the battery failure during the shoot, I wasn't sure if the pictures would survive, but a few did, and here they are:

Canopies providing (some) shade:


Rusty and Holly both showing off their picture-perfect standing positions:




Dr. John and 9mm4545 instruct the proper Prone Position:


Our students attempt to emulate their instructors:


The sun getting an early start at wearing down our defenses: