AAR: Sherburne, LA April 17-18,

[spmcpeek]

What an excellent shoot!  The weather was beautiful all weekend.

Saturday started with twelve shooters on the line.  By the end of the afternoon, two had emerged as Riflemen and also agreed to take Orange Hats.  Sunday saw ten shooters return, with an additional two Sunday only shooters bringing our line to twelve.  By the end of the day, we had two additional Riflemen and one most persistent Riflewoman, as well as several others knocking at the door.

Many thanks go out to Bama for his help as our Shoot Boss.  I would also like to thank all our IITs for their excellent help all weekend.

I'll try and get some pictures up later tonight.

[jnespappa]

Big thanks to all the shooters who showed up this weekend.

Bama did a fantastic job with history and Shoot Boss guidance.  We covered all of the fundamentals, shot plenty of AQTs and found time for several "fun" shoots (plastic redcoats, star targets in groups and hits count targets). 

I was once again amazed to see shooters of all skill levels improve over the weekend.  That is a direct testament to the effectiveness of the Appleseed program.

Hannah marched right along into Riflewoman territory!! Hoozah for you girl!  How much grief is Stephen getting?

I took a few cell-phone pics:

Close to far: M1A, AR15, AK47 and LOTS of Ruger 10/22 in various stocks with tech sights, blade sights and scopes and Johnathan on the far end with a Marlin 795 with Tech Sights.

Look out Tony, it's a giant finger!!

Bama with Jared, a persistent, patient, well-behaved, attentive young man

Mark and Jared (Father and Son)

and the RifleMEN named Derek    Derek and I have been buddies since second grade.  I loaned him my 10/22 and he goes and beats my high score by 10 points....on his first AS    That national guard experience from 20-ish years ago was still retained as muscle memory, it just took AS to re-awaken his inner Rifleman.


Nick persisted and steadily improved with the AK47.  NOT a precision instrument but he managed to pull off great groups with it (after a good beating of the front sights with a hammer).  I loaned him a 10/22 for a change and after firing his first shot he called over an RSO because he thought he had a misfire.  It was fine, he just wasn't accustomed to the low recoil of a 22, LOL. 

The little red plastic men got vapoorized.  Jason got 3 head shots in a row 

Johnathan shot his best group all weekend with his eyes closed.....gotta trust the NPOA.

Tony had some amazing rifles.

Allen and Mathew improved and Allen got a standing ovation for firing his musket for us.

Don picked up an orange hat.  Hoozah!
Derek picked up an orange hat. Hoozah!

William...if you ever need to get rid of that un-used adjustable magpul stock, let me know...I will leave you with an open offer for a brand-spanking-new A2 stock 

GREAT WEEKEND!!

Personal note:
The next morning I was getting ready for work and thought, "I can't wait to get to the range to try all the things I learned".  Ha!  I volunteered, and in doing so, I learned a lot  .  You guys helped me be a better shooter by showing up and listening to what we had to say, so I owe you all a big THANKS.

Mark

[fastmover]

Thanks to all.




William

[spmcpeek]

Pictures are here: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/spmcpeek/SherburneLA410?feat=directlink

[Bama]

Sherburne, Louisiana was a great place to celebrate the 235th anniversary of the real birth our nation! Not only was the WMA range facility top notch, but the folks in South LA are salt of the earth. Everyone shared in the food, the comradiare, the chores, and the heritage. Everyone reflected on those who gave before us and exhibited characteristics becoming of Riflemen. At the end of the weekend bonds had been established and everyone parted as friends.

Thanks to SPMCPEEK, who lit the way before my feet, so I could do my part. It was an honor to work the weekend with ya! Thanks to all the pre & post-shoot IITs! I gave three hats out and needed four! Louisiana has some firm roots started, and it's in position to grow like Alabama Kudzu! I see it choking out apathy and poor marksmanship all over the state!

Jnespappa was on the ball and worked in a capacity beyond his status, all weekend.

Johnny gets a Bama rebel yell for his dilligence as RSO and his attention to the needs of others through the drinkable warmth that is called Southern Louisiana. It's worth the effort!

Don put on the hat for Sunday, after scoring Rifleman on Sat!! Don was eager to help the program and will be a staple of Louisiana AS. I tip my kepi to you sir.

MN (not sure if he's here on the forum yet) smoked the 1st AQT Sunday with a 230-something. Spmcpeek said "that's just too good, let's score it again"  . I hope you get an orange hat soon!

Hannah (dang, I spelled that backwards), persisted and came out with a patch! My only complaint is I did not have one of the purple ones to give you. Maybe we can find one to trade out?

Steve, you will get there! You are close. Just remember you are not John Travolta in Grease, so no disco for you or your rifle.

There are more I want to address but they are kicking me out of this resturant where I have been sucking wi-fi. More later, but I am proud of all the Americans that were present this weekend in some of God's country, by Alabama Bayou!

In Liberty,
Bama

[Bama]

OK, they said I could use the hot-spot from the parking lot until they turn it off when they leave.....

One thing about South Louisiana is that they take food seriously. kd5ozj brought boudan for everyone Saturday morning. Jason brought homemade cookies on Sunday. This was my first Appleseed where everyone brought their dinner (Yankee "lunch"), and everyone shared. I never heard some much talk about food at an Appleseed. kd5ozj deflated my half-Cajun ego when he told me the place that I was so excited to go to for supper was "for tourists".    He also brought a smoothbore musket and he managed to get two shots off with it during the nationwide volley. That was awesome.

Tony, Joseph & Will were great guys and I felt like I could have known them for a long time. These men were thinkers.

Jason decapitated three redcoats in a row and won an Appleseed challenge coin.   I bet he's more likely to show off those limeys that lost their heads than the coin!

Nick shot really well with a Romy AKM and has a great head on his shoulders. Hope to see you again my friend.

We had a Chinese Mutant Ninja Zombie shoot, a redcoat team volley shoot with plastic redcoats as the prize, and a "bloody underwear" shoot. That's what the red QDAQTs look like upside down, bloody underwear.  

The young men (Joshua, Matthew, Jared & Jonathon) were all well behaved and impressed everyone with their persistence, uncommon attention span, attitude and focus. Future riflemen, they all earned the Young Patriot Patch!

Jared won the Paul Revere's Ride book! Nick won a Culpepper flag, and Fastmover won a Moultrie flag in the team volley star shoot. Mark & his team of young shooters all earned the reward of shooting their next Appleseed for free (Mark won a coupon and the boys shoot free anyway)! Another free coupon was donated to a deserving LA college student that was not present.

It was a great time with great folks in a great place. I will be back to Louisiana!

Bama

Deo Vindice

[POP]

Mark and Steve:  Terrific photos!    

BAMA - Hannah (dang, I spelled that backwards) - I'm still laughing.  Too funny.  Good going Hannah.     Same to you MN - 230+ is quit an achievement.   

I am really looking forward to the Shreveport shoot May 22-23.  Don, Johnny, spmcpeek, jnespapa?, and a few North Texas folks will make that a great event for the shooters.  Great instructors and a terrific instructor/student ratio.  But, Congratulations Don on your Yotnotin Ranger Rifleman Patch.  Don earned his by practice, practice, practice.  He told me he used a shot clock to time himself on the AQT.  It shows.   

And, BAMA, you mentioned you needed a Yotnotin patch for Hannah.  I happen to have several left over from the Corpus Christi Shoot and, I'll be more than pleased to send it to you or spmcpeek or directly to Hannah.  PM me an address and instructions and consider it done.

Another great South Louisiana Shoot.  Thanks to you all.  I hope to see you in Shreveport next month.

POP

[Bama]

Yea, the Sherburne Shoot Box came in early and did not include any Yotnottin Ranger Rifleman patches. So all the patches given were green. I know Hannah (drat, I did it again!  ) said she would like one of the purple patches.

I think SPMCPEEK as BOTG would be a better choice to get it to her as he works with her cook, er ah, boyfriend!

Bama

Mark and Steve:  Terrific photos!    

BAMA - Hannah (dang, I spelled that backwards) - I'm still laughing.  Too funny.  Good going Hannah.     Same to you MN - 230+ is quit an achievement.   

I am really looking forward to the Shreveport shoot May 22-23.  Don, Johnny, spmcpeek, jnespapa?, and a few North Texas folks will make that a great event for the shooters.  Great instructors and a terrific instructor/student ratio.  But, Congratulations Don on your Yotnotin Ranger Rifleman Patch.  Don earned his by practice, practice, practice.  He told me he used a shot clock to time himself on the AQT.  It shows.   

And, BAMA, you mentioned you needed a Yotnotin patch for Hannah.  I happen to have several left over from the Corpus Christi Shoot and, I'll be more than pleased to send it to you or spmcpeek or directly to Hannah.  PM me an address and instructions and consider it done.

Another great South Louisiana Shoot.  Thanks to you all.  I hope to see you in Shreveport next month.

POP

[POP]

BAMA, spmcpeek,
PM inbound.
Thanks.
POP

[Shmannah]

Ya know, Bama, I really get that all the time.  Most people don't even bother to acknowledge the mistake.  But really, it's okay.  I'm used to it.  Lol.

As to the patch, whatever is easiest to get it to me, I can PM Pop my address just to cut out the middle man, but then again, who am I to deprive spmcpeek of another opportunity to give my cook *AHEM* (dang, now you've got me doing it) I mean <i>boyfriend</i> a hard time.  I'll PM

[Shmannah]

(oops) you my address just in case, Pop.  Thanks!

As to everyone else, thanks so much for coming out, it was really a great weekend.  I would never have been able to earn that patch without all the support and instruction of the Red and Orange hats, not to mention my fellow shooters.

Bama, we certainly hope to see you and Belle (and her big yellow ball) back here soon (the same goes to Pop, by the way!)

Spmcpeek, as always, I appreciate everything, from letting me borrow your rifle to all of your patience and advice.

And, of course, a big thanks to the Orange Hats that helped out.  Great job, guys!  I can't wait until next time.

[Don71047]

Good job on the pics steve, really had a good time. Met alot of good People this past weekend and I know I will see some of them again in this great program called Appleseed!

[geeck]

All I can say is I AM HOOKED and next time I will get the patch and take the Orange Hat... I almost did it.. if I could just count 2-2-3-3 I'll be practicing.

Bama and Steve thank you so much I had such a great time and learn so much. Hopefully by next time I can UN-Learn some of my bad habits. Mark, Don, and Johnny such great gentleman and patriots thank you for your insight and encouragement.

All the people I met at the Appleseed are the kind of Americans I wish we all could be.

Bama you had me choked up there a couple times this pass weekend, truly inspirational. I thank God we have Gentleman like you watching out for the future of this Country. Please accept a very heart felt THANK YOU, Brother!

Tony

[fastmover]

Thanks again to everyone:

I feel I made friends and improved my shooting.

Thanks to the Red and Orange Hats; the History and Philosophy was moving and technical instruction was top notch.

Thanks to the shooters, you can't help but learn something shooting with others.

<on soap box>
There are approximately, 4 million guns in LA, the class should be overflowing and have a impossibly long waiting list, but no, 14 people showed up. To the 14 that showed up; that makes those that showed up the top .004% of gun owners, while the other 99.96% were sitting on their couches.  To the 99.98% that where at home; Just 'cause own a Gibson Guitar...don't make you a #$%@&  musician.
<off soap box>   

Any of you shooters form Lafayette ever want to hook up and go shooting, drop me a PM, i am a member at Hub City and shoot a couple weekends out the month.   

Mark, if i ever get tired of the $220.00 high speed low drag, fully adjustable rifle stock, i will let you know.

Thanks to Appleseed, for providing the venue; the Practicing basic marksmanship is harder on your own, hard to simulate the stress of qualification, running a gun under a timer, transitioning though shooting position etc. training on your own without a set of eyes on you can develop bad little habits, that turn into training scars, that turn into operational deficiency's.  Can't go out and practice the basics enough, Masters are Masters because of Mastery of the Basics. 

[Bama]

Just 'cause own a Gibson Guitar...don't make you a #$%@&  musician.

I can attest to that! I have two Deans, a Gibson and a Traveler, and I aint no musician!! If so, I'd be hot on the trail of Ted Nugent's job!

Masters are Masters because of Mastery of the Basics. 

Well said, friend.
There are no advanced techniques, only advanced applications of the fundamentals.

You guys give me hope. See you on the trail, brother.

Bama

[geeck]

I know some folks was asking about those Midway Competition Shooting Mats at the Appleseed shoot. Well Midway has them on sale this month for $24.99

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=169107

[sleepy Joe]

Thanks for the tip on the mats, looks like they are out of stock now.

[StephenSavage]

Thanks for the heads-up on the mats, I just ordered mine.