La Crosse, WI, Oct 8-9, 2011 - AAR

[Cooper]

What a memorable Appleseed event for Western Wisconsin!!!

First, a HUGE THANK YOU to the LaCrosse Rifle Club for hosting the shoot!  Club members donated over a thousand rounds of .223 ammunition for the young Marine trainees ("Poolees") that were our guests for the weekend and made rifles available to them.  The range and its facilities are the best I've seen, and the weather requisition sent a few weeks back was approved.  What a joy to work with them and to shoot there! 

While the LaCrosse Rifle Club members were more than cooperative, the Weather was incredible...  Beautiful Fall colors, sunny skies, warm and with an intermittent light breeze.   Coffee and donuts inside the spacious clubhouse helped break the ice before doing introductions, framing the mission of Project Appleseed, teaching the 4 Safety Rules and Safe Rifle. 

Most of our shooters were well prepared with appropriate rifles and ammunition, and all had a teachable attitude.  Confronted by the "evil Red Hat in Shoot Boss's clothing," they were doused time and again with the firehose of Appleseed knowledge, were sent to the mats and got right back up to check their targets.  Down to the mat with a flurry of slings ringing in their heads (Hasty! Hasty-hasty and knocked for a Loop!), down to the mat with the 6 steady hold factors, down to the mat with the 6 steps of firing the shot, down to the mat after Inches-Minutes-Clicks, and down to mat again with NPOA.  You'd have thought they were descendants of Rhode Island's Maj Gen Nathaniel Greene who wrote, "We fight, get beat, rise and fight again."  After watching an instructor demonstrate finding and shifting NPOA, the students were armed with laser-equipped demo stocks.  The immediate feedback made lightbulbs appear over their heads and they saw firsthand how relaxing into the sling and making multiple small adjustments got them on target and kept them there.  Soon their groups began to shrink with each course of fire. 

It was soon time for lunch, and some history!  Guest Senior Instructor colycat shared the story of April 18th and Paul Revere's ride, with fife and drum playing in the background to help set the mood.  We heard about the events leading up to this fateful night, and how well-prepared colonial Patriots mustered 14,000 men willing to risk all to defend their Liberty. 
With bodies nourished and spirits replenished by the first dose of Heritage, the brave band of students marched back to the fray and were joined by a half-dozen Marine Poolees.  The young Marines were quickly brought up to speed by one of their own, IIT2 browningman, with safety brief, steady hold factors and 6 steps of firing the shot.  Blue Five introduced the various seated and kneeling positions and later encouraged shooters to "embrace their wobble" in the standing position as they beat back a double column of green zombie targets! The firehose of instruction was turned off and a mad minute team contest on the evil triple-star target rejuvenated their spirits. Returning from the target line, they were met by one of the Acton Minutemen that had trained and fought at Concord's North Bridge under their beloved Captain Isaac Davis, and had later bore his body home to his grieving wife Hannah and their children. 

Thus inspired, our persevering shooters took on a pair of AQT's, applied the day's lessons and two new riflemen proved their worth: Amy and Trevin.  As the day came to a close, Blue Five's stories of Meriam's Corner, Parker's Revenge, Lord Percy's cannon, Gen. Heath's "Moving Ring of Fire," and Col Pickering's hesitation framed our final redcoat for the day.  The improvement in effective distance was dramatic and the lasers had clearly burned the concept of NPOA into their heads as EIGHT shooters proved they were worthy of joining Col Daniel Morgan's Rifleman company!! To crown his rifleman performance, Trevin CLEARED THE REDCOAT TARGET!  Great shooting, young man!  Seriously consider becoming an instructor and teaching others how you did it!

The Sunday morning Redcoat target was followed by a drill of volley fire on command ("Ringing the Alarm Bells") using a 100 yd scaled steel D target and cruelly swinging 4 inch steel squares, emphasizing rifleman's cadence and trigger follow-through.  The ringing steel was as sweet as the sound of distant church bells!  The early string of AQT's was followed by cock-eyed squares to emphasize large NPOA shifts in the prone position, and later horizontal green zombie targets were used to reinforce NPOA shifts in the seated position. 

Over lunch professor gun told of Hezekiah Wyman's marksmanship and illustrated how the choices and actions of a single person (even someone "past their prime") can affect history and the course of a Nation.  Blue Five told of the bravery and incredible resilience of Samuel Whittemore.  Having fulfilled all the requirements to become a Full Instructor, Blue Five was presented with his own Red Hat, and received a loud round of applause from shooters and instructors alike.   After everyone had eaten their fill of handmade hot dogs provided by MN State Coordinator Kosciusko, the Rifleman's Quarter mile and the concepts involved in known distance shooting were introduced.  After lunch, three flights of centerfire shooters took a CRACK at a full distance AQT, and all rimfire students applied sighting 4" high on a full-sized steel D target at 100 yards.  Big grins all around as they heard their rounds ring steel. Then they had their choice of firing the shoot boss's M1 Garand, AK47 or AR15 carbine 3" low and saw how the lessons that they had learned really did work at the longer distances.  The youngest and most enthusiastic shooter, George, went from firing his AR-styled 10/22 to firing the AR15 carbine and was giddy with joy as he rang steel with 9 out of 10 rounds.
The afternoon monotony of the AQT drills was broken by a devious "mad minute" team contest against the dreaded TV target.  However, they were instructed that they had to "eliminate" a small pumpkin placed below the TV targets before they could shift their sights (and NPOAs) onto the evil television... Everyone had a "blast" as they discovered that the pumpkins had been packed with Tannerite, and as pairs of 22cal bullets hit the pumpkins at the same time they exploded into a cloud of smoke and orange mist !!  Half of the TV targets were blown off the backers and two of the teams had to shoot their TV targets as they lay on the ground...  The afternoon slump disappeared into howls of laughter and animated conversations, and the remaining AQT's produced two more Rifleman performances by Doug and "anonymous." 

While the target line and wires were being repaired, the shooters heard about the fates and sufferings of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and were reminded of the price many people paid to give US our Liberty and Freedoms.  After the sound of the shots on the final Redcoat target had echoed down the valley, we said goodbyes to new found friends.  Amy accepted an Orange Hat and will become an instructor-in-training.  Diane accepted a blue hat and will continue to use her photography and videography skills to promote Project Appleseed.  Well done, All! 

Keep dry firing at home, come to another 'seed soon so you don't forget the skills you learned, and bring your friends!  Remember how easy it is to double our program if everyone comes back, and brings just one friend.  Just don't promise them that they will get exploding pumpkins!  That little "surprise" was just for you !

Thank you all again for making Eastern MN's  Western Wisconsin's Fall Appleseed Shoot a success!!

Feel free to post your photos or comments

Cooper

[Blue Five]

Awesome weekend!  The shooters were enthusiastic, even on Sunday afternoon.  We had a great number of shooters who showed up and we as a club were glad to host yet another successful Appleseed!

The Known Distance range was a huge plus, and I feel that kept shooters interested in the instruction and going throughout the day.

It was great to have three new rifleman (Trevin, Amy, and Doug) and to have two new hats, orange and blue!  Thanks Amy for taking the orange and CIVLAKFLT for taking a blue hat!

Pictures!  (More to follow late this evening)

[zamboni_driver]

Hmmm, seems that you might have missed mentioning your own new Red Hat   
Congrats...

[professor gun]

And Zamboni Driver forgets to mention the three boxes of .22 LR ammunition that he brought to the shoot for the purpose of donating for use by our Marine Corps Poolees who were present.  It is much appreciated! 

Also, Cooper donated hundreds of rounds of.223 ammo for their use.

For the two days, we had a total of 6 Marine Corps poolees participate in the La Crosse Appleseed.  We had enough AR-15 and Ruger 10/22 rifles on loan from the members of the La Crosse Rifle Club and Appleseed instructors along with ammuntion donated to support these young men learning rifle marksmanship with us at no cost to them.  VeeKay also had prepared lunch that was free for the Marine Poolees as well as Appleseed instructors, Kosciusko brought about a gazzillion hot dogs that were free for everyone.  One of the young poolees I think set a record for number of hot dogs consumed at one sitting. 

It is an honor to have some small part supporting these young men who are willing to protect our freedoms.  Thanks, everyone!

[browningman]

And Zamboni Driver forgets to mention the three boxes of .22 LR ammunition that he brought to the shoot for the purpose of donating for use by our Marine Corps Poolees who were present.  It is much appreciated! 

Also, Cooper donated hundreds of rounds of.223 ammo for their use.

For the two days, we had a total of 6 Marine Corps poolees participate in the La Crosse Appleseed.  We had enough AR-15 and Ruger 10/22 rifles on loan from the members of the La Crosse Rifle Club and Appleseed instructors along with ammuntion donated to support these young men learning rifle marksmanship with us at no cost to them.  VeeKay also had prepared lunch that was free for the Marine Poolees as well as Appleseed instructors, Kosciusko brought about a gazzillion hot dogs that were free for everyone.  One of the young poolees I think set a record for number of hot dogs consumed at one sitting. 

It is an honor to have some small part supporting these young men who are willing to protect our freedoms.  Thanks, everyone!

On Saturday morning when Sgt. weighed us in, he got on that kid for being to close to his minimum weight. He has been cutting weight for wrestling season. On Sunday i jokingly asked him about eating so much, to which he replied "oh, i have a month until i have to be that weight, and i don't get to chow down like this that often" 

[CIVLAKFLT]

New Riflewoman, Amy Burns


New Rifleman, Trevin Thomson


Another new Rifleman, David.





New Red Hat, Blue Five


The poolees enjoyed their weekend, too!

[Cooper]

Forgot to mention one of the more useful drills when shooters weren't getting all their rounds off on stages 2 & 3:

The morning ended with the "see, you CAN do it" magazine drill: prone with two EMPTY magazines and NO live rounds in sight, shooters "built their nests" with the magazines easily accessible without looking.  After finding NPOA and shifting it on the target, shooters are instructed not to break their cheek weld and are given a "with ZERO rounds load" command.  After the fumbling ceased, they were given a "change magazines but DO NOT break your cheek weld" command.  Despite much grumbling and exasperation, by the third time through the drill everyone was able to load and change a magazine without losing their precious NPOA and reduced their times on the fast transition stages of the AQT by 6 seconds or more.  CIVLAKFLT was able to complete stage 3 in 45 seconds routinely, and had her rifle cleared and made safe before the ceasefire command was given.   

[CIVLAKFLT]

I found that it was easier to exchange magazines if I kept both eyes open. I will continue to practice.

Forgot to mention one of the more useful drills when shooters weren't getting all their rounds off on stages 2 & 3:

The morning ended with the "see, you CAN do it" magazine drill: prone with two EMPTY magazines and NO live rounds in sight, shooters "built their nests" with the magazines easily accessible without looking.  After finding NPOA and shifting it on the target, shooters are instructed not to break their cheek weld and are given a "with ZERO rounds load" command.  After the fumbling ceased, they were given a "change magazines but DO NOT break your cheek weld" command.  Despite much grumbling and exasperation, by the third time through the drill everyone was able to load and change a magazine without losing their precious NPOA and reduced their times on the fast transition stages of the AQT by 6 seconds or more.  CIVLAKFLT was able to complete stage 3 in 45 seconds routinely, and had her rifle cleared and made safe before the ceasefire command was given.   

[RustyRed]

Great Job to All

[Kosciusko]

Good club, good weather, good people, good shoot.

It was one of the most enjoyable Appleseeds I've ever attended, on multiple levels for multiple reasons.  Thanks  to all who helped pull it off.

[CIVLAKFLT]

[Cooper]

Attendees of any Appleseed event are invited to visit/join/praise/slander the Facebook group "Cooper's Troopers of RWVA" at http://www.facebook.com/groups/CoopersTroopersRWVA/
Membership is free on request, opposition will cost you some introspection and does require polite behavior and some minimal intellectual capabilities.

[gmw]

Here are a few more photos from the Sunday session.

Good shootin' with great people, that's Appleseed.  (Well, I suppose there's some discussion of history and heritage thrown in there, too.)

[Vee Kay]

gmw,

Glad you were able to make it on Sunday! If you haven't already check out Wisconsin's Facebook page.http://www.facebook.com/wisconsinappleseed .   

Vee Kay

[CIVLAKFLT]

Welcome to the forum, GMW! Thanks for posting the pix!