Dearest Appleseed Nation,
Our IIT Andy Fong stopped by the gun store on Sunday and ended up conducting a Miniseed with the owners children, at the indoor range, located in this facility. :--- ..:.. :~
That's 7th Stepping!!! :bow:
Andy's AAR to follow.
After our regularly scheduled Appleseed event fizzled (no shooters, pre-registered, or walk-on), I stopped by the local gun shop to tell a prospective walk-on attendee that there would not be a Sunday session (he intended to at least attend our Sunday morning skill //technique review, before he had to open up the store). He asked if would I be willing to teach his children, on Sunday afternoon. I quickly agreed; I was already planning on instructing that weekend.
Some details were discussed: A maximum of four shooters (limited by number of useable shooting lanes). I'd need a classroom to lecture/discuss in (at the back of the shop). I'd need a responsible non-shooting adult on the firing line, an extra set of eyes (not a problem).
At 2 pm Sunday, there were four shooters (girls, youngest age 8, eldest about 15), with rifles, ammo, ready to do some learning & ready to do some shooting. They got the first three hours of what's usually taught at an Appleseed event (Safety/Safe Rifle/Line Commands, Redcoats, Six Step of Firing the Shot, Steady Hold Factors of the Prone, and use of the Loop Sling).
From 15 yards, two strings were fired, the 13-round Redcoat and 5 rounds on the center square, before we closed out (just plain run out of time). The 8- and 10-year old cleared the 200 yd Redcoat; the 14- and 15-year old had groups on the paper, just not on the target. On the squares, groups (4 of 5 shots) were about 1" to 1.5" for all the shooters (who were applying new techniques with new/unfamiliar rifles). With additional strings of fire (more repetitions), group sizes would have definitely gotten smaller.
When I wasn't looking, the range staff snapped a couple of pictures: