Another successful Appleseed shoot--dedicated to helping awaken and strengthen the ideals of our founding fathers with an outstanding group of Americans.
Willorith, our Shoot-Boss-In-Training, did a great job making all of the shooters (and observers) welcome and kept us moving all weekend.
We were glad to welcome back a few returning Appleseeders plus some wonderful newcomers. The weather was very pleasant on Saturday, clear, sunny, dry, and warm. The area had received a lot of rain the preceding week so the ground was swampy but most of the shooters didn't have to stand in puddles to post their targets.
We enjoyed excellent history presentations--ThaiFighter did his first one ever and it was great!
This weekend was a tale of very impressive younger shooters. Grant and Reed were first time attendees with their dad. Both showed great improvement.
Reagan was there with her Dad and Mom and, though she tried her best, she had to drop out; she was trying to shoot with a not-quite-healed broken thumb! She returned on Sunday as an observer to lend moral support to her folks.
After lunch on Saturday we had six walk-ons who had gotten tied up with business in the morning. Willorith graciously integrated them into the line and we were very glad they had come. A very nice couple had driven up from Fort Lauderdale and decided to bring their friends, a family of four from Tampa (they were all first time attendees). The two youngsters had a most impressive teachable attitude. Sam did very well with his 10-22. His older sister, Katie, had a bolt action 22 that she wasn't familiar with. One of the instructors showed her how to properly manipulate the action; after a few minutes practice she looked like she had been shooting in competition for years. Instructors kept walking down to the end of the line to watch her technique--fast and smooth and neither elbow ever left the mat. While none of them could return on Sunday we're looking forward to seeing all six of them again!
Finally, Marty was there with his uncle (Willorith). He and Grant were the only young people who were able to shoot both days. He showed steady improvement and mightily impressed all of the instructors by shooting a one MOA group on the KD (known distance) range with his 10-22!
Half of our shooters were registered for Saturday only. One of them, Sean, managed to score a 209--so close! He promised to return to earn his rifleman's patch.
Sunday afternoon was rain, rain, and more rain. All of the shooters rested their muscles (but not their minds) during ItsAnSKS's well presented KD lecture. A hand full of hardy souls went out into the rain to shoot at 100 yards (the maximum for the range we use).
Overall it was just another ordinary Appleseed weekend--everyone had a ball!
RickB
All I can say is that RickB told the absolute truth......the wind and rain bothered no one......everyone even wanted to stay later...a fun event for all...even the ducks came out for awhile......so how about some pictures.....
Wow, I must've been in a bubble - I don't even recall seeing BrownBess' camera at all this weekend! Great shots, thank you!
I enjoyed hearing a couple of new stories this time, makes me want to do research of my own. Shamefully, I have never been a big fan of history.....until now. More shamefully, I have never been very knowledgeable (sp?) about the politics going on around me (in another sort of bubble, I guess), but hearing the stories of the men and women who sacrificed so much ..... makes me want to learn, comprehend, and speak out. I've said before that I attended my first Appleseed to spend more time with my husband, to learn a new skill, and to gain some confidence. The time has come for me to put to use the REAL lessons learned from Appleseed and it's dedicated instructors - it is time to do something! Might be too late for the health care issue, but I'm sure I can find something else to voice my opinion about, and direct it toward the right listeners.
Now, about my shooting - I was frustrated with myself on Sunday :wall:. I felt this was the day I would at least get close to 210! But it was not to happen. Not for the lack of instruction - everyone was wonderful, :bow: Willorith, BrownBess, ItsanSKS, RickB, and especially ThaiFighter were doing everything in their power to help me get Rifleman/Yotnottin, but I just couldn't pull it together. When am I going to learn to follow their instructions and practice at home? :wb: NOW, that's when! I have learned to correct my sight alignment, get my sight picture, even worked on my breathing to account for the shorter time frames. In retrospect, I think now that I am not truly getting my NPOA, I just thought I was. I wasn't muscle-ing per se, I shifted!, I think I just didn't have it to start with. SO... practice begins today! I've got three weeks til the next event, no more excuses!
I wish Reagan had been feeling better, I would've loved to see her shoot again. She's a trooper for sticking it out with Mom and Dad though! Loved seeing some new faces this time too, I hope y'all will be back and become familiar faces! Thanks again to everyone involved - your dedication is rubbing off, trust me! ^-^
Michelle, Ole BrownBess can be a sneaky Oldtimer sometimes......so good to see You, Rick, and Reagan again.....best Wishes, Paulie
Michelle -
Here is a post I made a few months ago to help Thaifighter get over the hump. Break up your dry fire practice into components practice each component to perfection, then assemble the components into the whole.
It helped me to break each stage of the AQT into simple component parts, then practice each part to competence, then combine the parts to build the complex whole. Practice the most complex and most difficult parts to achieve competence there. Then the easy stages will be a snap - stage 1 & 4 150 free points. Break the two transition stages down
1- transition, practice the transition until you are smooth and quick. Practice it by doing it slowly and deliberately. Analyze each motion required. Decide where your feet will be when you start. Where they will be when you finish. Where you have to be standing at the start to land in your shooting position with your muzzle correctly positioned on the firing line to maintain safe muzzle plane. Practice landing in the correct position. Remember your steady hold factors for the positions. Stretch now so your elbow will go all the way under the rifle.
2- Load, learn exactly where your magazines have to be for your hand to fall naturally to them. Figure out how you will make sure you start with the 2 round mag. Practice the motions required to load your rifle. Practice it slowly to avoid fumbling. Do it hundreds of times slowly - the speed will come naturally as your muscles learn the precise path from the magazine position on the ground to the magazine well of your rifle. Try different rifle angles to find what works best for you. Canting the mag well of the rifle towards my trigger side helps me load in the prone position.
3- NPOA, the most important element to consistent high scores. Learn to acquire your NPOA quickly after you have landed in shooting position. Remember the NPOA drill. The first three steps to firing the shot, sight alignment, sight picture, ...close your eyes... respiratory pause, open your eyes (both of them) that is your NPOA. If your NPOA is not on the target, shift the position of your entire body. In the prone position, only your support elbow doesn't move. Every other part of your body must move to shift your NPOA onto your target.
4- Six steps to firing the shot. You know what they are. Practice each step with deliberation. To work on sight alignment, sight against a plain white wall. Without the distraction of a target, it is easy to isolate and work on sight alignment. Now is the time to pad up your cheek piece and lengthen or shorten your buttstock to give you a good cheek weld for correct eye relief and sight alignment. When you can consistently plant your cheek on the rifle and have your eye fall into perfect alignment with the sights, move on to sight picture, . A 1/4" square 20 feet away is 4 MOA (you remember what 4 MOA is, right?). Dry fire on that 1/4" square a few thousand times before April 17. Practice your respiratory pause. Know what it feels like to hold the pause too long. know what it feels like to pause at different points in the breath cycle. You will probably find that empty lungs gives you the most consistent results. Trigger squeeze. you can practice this sitting at your desk with a retractable pen. You saw us demonstrate this at the Appleseed. Make sure you are visualizing the rifle when you practice with the pen. Visualize the air gap between your finger and the rifle stock. Hold the button (trigger) down as you ride out the recoil. Release the button. Consciously feel the reset click. You will need a partner to practice follow through and trigger reset while dry firing your rifle. Hold the trigger back while your partner cocks the rifle. Release the trigger only enough to feel the click. Don't forget the mental snapshot.
Practice each of these component motions until they are natural and smooth and quick. String them together to develop each stage of the AQT. Come April 17, you will shoot a 230+ on the first AQT of Saturday.
We gave you all the knowledge you need to earn your badge. Careful practice will convert that knowledge into skill.
Michelle,
I had exactly the same problem. I thought I had my NPOA but was simply fooling myself. It wasn't until I actually listened and started dry-firing at home that I learned. When it all fell into place it was like a light turning on.
See you soon,
RickB
More Pics
Willorith - thanks for spelling it out like that. i HAVE been working on it at home, but not that way. I will begin doing so. ~~:) I don't like not being good at something!! and i agree - y'all have given me the tools, can't even blame my rifle/scope this time - it's all me! what you said about practicing the transitions hit home too - in Feb i didn't transition to sitting for a few AQT's until i was really comfortable sitting - got my best score (186) the next time i transitioned. sure would be easier if i weren't so round and bottom-heavy though. LOL :-[
BrownBess - i appreciate the photos even more because i can see what i look like and critique my form. can't you photoshop off a few (or more) pounds though? It would really help with my transitions....
RickB - thanks for that admission. i think sometimes i subconsciously don't listen, because i think i've got it. "yeah, yeah, yeah - NPOA, got it" NOT! i just THOUGHT i had it.... :wb:
I'm not giving up yet. just wish the whole gang would be together (wherever that is) this time! Thanks, everyone, for your encouraging words. I'll keep practicing! (and BTW, ThaiFighter keeps quizzing me on FB...) :cool2:
This shows another angle....hope this helps, Paul
arrrgh! is my trigger finger doing the waltz?? :(
No, you must have just loaded. Your hand isn't on the grip, yet.
Nice position--not too many can get thier elbows that low.
RickB