With so many wonderful memories made, I find myself somehow short on words. The one word that continues to come to mind is, WOW!!! A great time was had by all at this inaugural full distance event in the great state of Kentucky!! As more attendees and instructors share their thoughts regarding this event, I'm sure this AAR will come to life in the form of a written narrative. For now, here are a few of the photos I was able to take of the venue and the people that made it so memorable. Enjoy!!
This is Thunder Valley at the RockCastle Shooting Center:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1263789_707043155979382_64774873_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1263789_707043155979382_64774873_o.jpg.html)
The 400yd firing line:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1243607_707042055979492_691869892_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1243607_707042055979492_691869892_o.jpg.html)
Despite the heat, this event gets several "thumbs up" O0
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1277367_707042722646092_495794550_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1277367_707042722646092_495794550_o.jpg.html)
Thanks to our "ferry" truck, we didn't have to walk 400yds to score our targets:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1271463_707042892646075_764759556_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1271463_707042892646075_764759556_o.jpg.html)
Ramblinwreck sharing the events of King's Mountain with the group:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1294573_707043075979390_389016375_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1294573_707043075979390_389016375_o.jpg.html)
DonD demonstrating techniques:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1269114_707043242646040_1044056291_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1269114_707043242646040_1044056291_o.jpg.html)
.223 vs .50BMG:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1266510_707043679312663_1872828390_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1266510_707043679312663_1872828390_o.jpg.html)
Ross pulled out the artillery on Sunday:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1275920_707043559312675_1208944273_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1275920_707043559312675_1208944273_o.jpg.html)
Yep, you read it right:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1237481_707043612646003_1394739833_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1237481_707043612646003_1394739833_o.jpg.html)
I must say, I want that rifle:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1270274_707043455979352_1302641350_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1270274_707043455979352_1302641350_o.jpg.html)
You guessed it!! Rusty is preparing to shoot it standing:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1267761_707043979312633_782458063_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1267761_707043979312633_782458063_o.jpg.html)
Charlie and Brian confirming zero on their bolt guns:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1232994_707043732645991_1858538215_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1232994_707043732645991_1858538215_o.jpg.html)
Russ posing for the ladies:
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1239130_707043899312641_804061454_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1239130_707043899312641_804061454_o.jpg.html)
You've probably heard it said, "All hat and no bull." That doesn't apply to this guy!! Charlie is the real deal folks.
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1275790_707043795979318_1237222960_o.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1275790_707043795979318_1237222960_o.jpg.html)
...as he demonstrated by winning the "Top Shot" contest to round out the event!
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/nhurst0512/Facebook/Appleseed/1157410_707044032645961_1168515443_n.jpg) (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/nhurst0512/media/Facebook/Appleseed/1157410_707044032645961_1168515443_n.jpg.html)
I agree with SureshotSpartan, this was the best time I've ever had at an Appleseed event. Of the 12 shooters, 8 qualified at distance and the rest were sooooo close. After Master Instructor DonD's class on range estimating Monday evening we held a "Top Shot" Appleseed event for the shooters. I took 4 metal silhouette targets and we painted them camo and placed them at random distances from the firing line in the very tall grass. Shooters had 10 minutes to do target identification and verify with an instructor that they had indeed found the target. They were then given time to do range estimation using only reticles or in the case of Rusty, the front sight on the rifle. They reported the ranges they'd determined to an instructor and none of them knew the actual/lasered distance till the event was over. Then each shooter was given 8 shots, 2 per target, to shoot targets at the ranges they'd estimated. The big winner was Charlie from Illinois who came down with Russ, "polar bear" and Mutti. Finishing in a tie for second were Nathan and Rusty. I'm confident everyone had a great time.
I was honored to be among the instructor cadre with Ratchett, Unbridled Liberty, Andre and Shoot Boss DonD. We should do this again soon but can we wait till it's cooler? ;D
May Liberty Increase.
Ramblinwreck
What a fantastic weekend in the beautiful Commonwealth of Kentucky with a bunch of liberty-loving Riflemen! Free men and women gathered once again to celebrate their precious freedom, and in the process they learned that WHAT WORKS AT 25 METERS WORKS AT 100-200-300-400 YARDS!
More thoughts later, but first some pictures...
UL
Batch #2...
Final batch...
Huzzah!
What an awesome event. I was really hoping to be there but the mission took me elsewhere this weekend. (And it was just as hot there so don't go feeling sorry for me just yet.) I'm hoping to be at the next one in Thunder Valley. Thanks for sharing pics and stories from the event. You've confirmed it for me. I need to be there!
I have to admit... the heat index of 110 on Saturday just beat me down and I was grateful for the slightly cooler day (93 degrees) on Sunday. I never knew it got so hot this far up North! ;)
It was great to meet so many folks who I only see here on the forums... everyone was friendly and upbeat. Many thanks to Ross who let me fire his baby standing and keep the brass casing. That plastered a smile on my face for the rest of the day and the brass case now sits on my desk. :---
DonD and his bride Sarah put on a first class weekend. To tell the truth, I was impressed by the efficiency of the weekend. We did 5 AQTs on Saturday... which is an accomplishment considering the back-and-forth with all the gear, packing up the line and moving to the next stage required for each AQT.
There aren't many places nearby for a full distance weekend, let alone one with such great instruction. For me, the best part was watching (and implementing) the fundamentals we teach at 25y in action at 400y. It's one thing to simply know that it works... it's another to speak with the confidence of having done it. I don't have any impirical evidence, but I believe KD events make instructors better through a deeper understanding of the material.
Thanks to Don, the instructor team, and all the other shooters who made this a great weekend!
-Rusty
This Full Distance event was held at the famed Rockcastle Shooting Center in Park City, KY. More specifically, the shooting was done on their extended range located in Thunder Valley. This is a first-class shooting facility consisting of a variety of shooting disciplines on thousands of acres of beautiful land.
This was a thrilling weekend for me, and I think it was for the shooters too. After some preliminary instruction at the host hotel Saturday morning, we moved to the range and began to work on my COF in the blistering heat. The heat had a debilitating effect on most of the shooters and only one KDAQT was completed. But a Rifleman emerged. There would have been more if the weather had been better. And this was proven Sunday when six more Riflemen were added on the first KDAQT. As the day progressed, an additional Rifleman was added and several repeats and improved scores were made. Eight out of the twelve shooters made the Rifleman score and others were close. Two of the Possum Trot, KY, shooters topped out the scores with a 233 and a 228 on the full size targets.
After such a full day of activity, the shooters were game enough for a two hour class session that evening on range estimation. I had sent out my COF for the weekend activities weeks in advance of the shoot and was afraid that everyone's eyes would glaze over after looking at the contents of this classroom session. My fears were confirmed. But with the accompanying explanations, I believe the material became much more clear. Several excellent questions and comments led to this conclusion. In addition, I am told that some of the shooters continued studying the material for a few hours after they returned to their rooms that night. (And by the way, this included the winner of the event the next day.) O0 And of course we all know that Riflemen persist.
Monday morning the shooters calibrated their scopes, and Rusty calibrated his front sight for the competition event which followed. Ramblinwreck is to be commended for devising this event. It was a thrill to watch the shooters survey the field for target detection, make their calculations on paper, and then to individually refer to their notes, send the shots downrange, and listen to the clang of the steel.
Congratulations to Charlie who won this competition. He was given a new title after this: King of Thunder Valley. :bow: ::)
Most of the shooters left for home after the event, of course. However, because of their long trip home, some stayed overnight, as Sarah and myself did. And at breakfast Tuesday morning, these shooters were still going over their notes on range estimation, referring to their previous calculations, which they had brought with them.
Observing the intense interest and dedication of all these shooters, and the accomplishments they made, and the confidence they gained, made this weekend the pinnacle of my Appleseed experience. And I am proud of every one of these shooters, and instructors.
And on top of all this, Charlie and Ross, both KD Riflemen now, asked for, and received, Orange Hats! ^:)^ Thank you guys.
And I do not want to overlook the similar dedication and perseverance of the instructors: Ramblinwreck, Ratchett, Andre, and Unbridled Liberty. They all did a fantastic job. And a special thanks goes to Unbridled Liberty, the KY SC, who is responsible for arranging this event. He also was an indispensable aid in helping set up the targets Friday when I was overcome in the heat.
I can't wait to do this again, when it's cooler. ;D
'Wreck
It was great to be part of the Inaugural Ky KD shoot. Only two things would have made it better from my perspective:
1) COOLER, less humid weather
2) I was on the firing line with a rifle... :---
Great to see a full line of dedicated, determined shooters. Congratulations to all, for all moved forward in the journey.
I don't know how many were aware of the Redcoat Officer that was present during the "Appleseed Top Shot" event, but here is a picture that I was able to grab.
At first he was smiling because he thought he was out of range (little did he know...). In the end he stayed smiling because we simply ran out of time. :(
Can anyone tell me what Make/model rifles Brian and Charlie are using and if the 10 round mags are an aftermarket kit?
Trying to come up with my short list of hi-power rifles to consider for my next purchase since the only ones I own now are Mosin Nagants and the best of those is only about 3-4 MOA with surplus ammo off of sandbags.
Looks like you all had a great time. Looking forward to when I can do a FD event!
Areg,
Looks like a Savage 10 FCP-SR.
Wow! What a great weekend!! We had a great group of instructors and a great group of shooters. It was nice to spend the weekend with friends, and make new friends too!
Ramblinwreck, I agree...ready to do it again, but let's wait til cooler weather!
It was wonderful to see 2 new orange hats as well. Thank you guys!
A special thanks to Dond. I know a lot of hard work went into planning for this weekend, and I know we all really appreciate him doing that, so that we could learn a lot. Also, thanks to Sarah...for all your hard work and dedicated time you put into this, and also for getting our lunches coordinated each day.
Hope to see everyone again soon!
Leslie
That looks completely amazing!
DonD, congrats on yet another win O0
Guaranteed, every single Appleseeder reading this thread now
is looking up Park City on a map, and hoping to see it reappear on the calendar ;D
What can I say but "Thank You" to everyone. When the evening before starts with a number of us trying to Range this during Dinner - well - it's going to be awesome!
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7374/9674966044_0ae0b49d28_z.jpg)
What I learned:
Gear matters. Even if you have transport from the firing line - bring the minimum needed.
Gear matters. Just because my Rifle has run well through well over 10K rounds, it hasn't been exposed to a KD Event. Thankfully I fixed it up and kept on running. I now know what is needed to fix what I have and make it work.
Mindset matters. It was difficult to go back to being a student after having been an Instructor. Yes - teachable attitude matters and applying that concept matters even more.
Being a student will help me be a better Instructor. I remember now how fiddly my first Appleseed was and will have a more productive mindset in assisting those who are just starting on the experience.
As the first time I've really attempted any distance beyond 25 m, the Team that was assembled were just about what anyone could have hoped for.
On a silly note - I suggest that a 50 be included at all KD's. No one cares if you visit a tree when that thing is running ;D
Hope to see you all again and keep looking for the positive in everything you do!
Mutti
p.s. Anyone leave this "smoking gun" behind? :cool2:
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5530/9674966796_524a9d06de_z.jpg)
I am enjoying my new status at work as an AppleSeed pin up. All the ladies with good taste now have a picture of me on their calendars..it is tough on them getting any work done while surrounded by all that man prettiness but I trust they will adapt and overcome. ;D
Russ/IMA
Thanks again to everyone who helped put it on. I had a blast!
Brian and i have the savage model 110 LE. it comes with a 10 round mag.
Charlie/308Guy
Russ,
That's just a cross that all you guys with Adonis-like looks have to bear. ;D
Y'all come South some time.
'Wreck