This is to get a thread started on Gainesville, FL Jan. 4-5. This was one of the most enjoyable shoots that I have had in a very long time. The weather was challenging: near freezing on Saturday morning and well up into the 70's by Sunday afternoon. Mud from the days of heavy rain before the shoot was in abundance but we did find a patch of mostly dry ground for our shooting endeavors. Seeing folks dressed in parkas and fur hats was a bit disconcerting here in sunny Florida but Florida's weather is noted for changeability. Despite the chilly temperatures, every single one of the pre-registered shooters showed up on time and we even had a few extra walk-on students, ready to learn the fine art of rifle marksmanship. Saturday morning was spent working out a proper stable prone position, sling use, the vital Six Steps, NPOA, and fitting the rifle to the student. Right off the bat it was obvious that this would be an exceptional group of students and their shooting did not disappoint. By lunch time the groups were quite acceptable for the most part and everyone seemed to be getting dialed in on their sights. During lunch we revisited New England on a certain spring day 238 years ago and relived the tense moments of confrontation between the Patriots and the Redcoats. By now the day had started to warm slightly and we were on to positions other than prone. Reloads, Rifleman Cadence, and transitions challenged our hardy crew and the fire hose of information did not slacken in the least. After a break where the second strike of the match was told, it was AQT time. By the end of the day we managed to shoot two AQT's and a new Rifle(wo)man was revealed. Congratulations go to Chris P., who showed dogged determination, persistence, dedication, and a remarkable level of shooting skill. This was her fifth Appleseed and there was never any doubt that she would be wearing the coveted Rifleman patch in time. With a heart breaking 209, Jean was almost, but not quite there. Remember: 2-2-3-3!
Sunday morning was much more weather friendly and we were very quickly into marksmanship skill development. During the course of the day, we heard about some dangerous old men and how one man can truly make a difference. By lunch time we had already shot one AQT and there were several who were doing quite well indeed. Over the lunch break we had an introduction to known distance shooting. As this range was not set up for any actual KD, the introduction was information only. Our afternoon turned out to be sunny and warm but the shooting was hot. By quitting time, yet another Rifleman had joined the ranks. Congratulations to Rondre! That Rifleman patch looks good on you. I expect your son Elijiah will also be sporting a similar patch very soon.
To everyone who shot well: congratulations! To those who might be kicking themselves: just keep after it and do your dry practice and you WILL become "masters of your musket" and a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to everyone who came out. You made for a truly great weekend.
Stay tuned because pictures by Rambo Granny are coming...
As usual, all of the instructors did a bang up job of coaching all of us and making this one of my most enjoyable shoots as well. Hats off to our wonderful shoot boss Bruce and his amazing instructor wife Janet, and to Doug, Micah, and Evan, all of whom with extreme knowledge and patience led us through the two days of learning marksmanship and history. Not often does one get a Winterseed and an Infernoseed all in the same weekend! Haha, not really, but it sure felt like it, at least to me! My brother and sister joined me on the line this time for a wonderful weekend of sibling bonding, ribbing, and competition. I was so proud of them - with TJ finishing up the weekend with TWO 200 point AQTs, and Beki not far behind with a 196! Jean and Frank, who my sister and I had met before at a previous seed, and Jean's brother Jeff kept our spirits up with their smiles and encouragement, and I think Jean kept my brother on his toes with her good-natured heckling at any excuses given ^-^. Jean, get your numbers straight woman, and come to the next shoot so you can finally get that patch that you deserve!! Congratulations and kudos to all of the shooters, because there were MAJOR improvements in scores between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. Extra congrats to Rodre for earning the coveted patch! And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Brandon, 11 years old and my son's best friend, who came out Sunday for his first time ever shooting a rifle. He was a real trooper and didn't complain once, not to mention making great progress even after missing the important Saturday instruction. I know that every single person on that line can be a rifleman with determination and practice, some c'mon guys!! I hope I'll see y'all at the next shoot!!
Chris
Quote from: Minutemom on January 07, 2014, 10:30:21 AM
some c'mon guys!!
LOL, I meant SO c'mon guys. Where the heck's the edit button?!! ;D
This was one of the best events I've been to as well. Congratulations again, Chris. It was great to see all your hard work finally pay off in the form of a brand new orange hat!
Oh, and there are edit buttons at the top and bottom of your post. It's a little piece of paper with a pencil over it. If you hold your mouse over it, it says "Modify Message."
Thank you Micah! I'm looking forward to working the next shoot with you guys! Really, I must be blind or dumb, or possibly even both, because I can't seem to find the modify message icon still #)
What a great event! Thank you to all of the students for not only braving the cold weather, mud, and uncomfortable positions, but doing it with eagerness. Your efforts paid off with great improvement, and the instructors all left very well paid. It was an honor to be able to spend the weekend with you.
And the donuts on Sunday were great! O0
Warm hearts and awesome attitude rose above the Frozen Florida weather and Mud as you can see in these pictures. Enjoy!
http://s1125.photobucket.com/user/bruce_smith1/library/ (http://s1125.photobucket.com/user/bruce_smith1/library/)
When you get to the link, be sure to scroll through the other pages as many pictures were included.
Sharp Shooters, wanna make Riflemen in future Appleseed?......DRY FIRE -- That includes calling your shots!
Quote from: rambo granny on January 08, 2014, 01:47:31 PM
Sharp Shooters, wanna make Riflemen in future Appleseed?......DRY FIRE -- That includes calling your shots!
+1 O0
Another great shoot, thanks Bruce, Janet, Micah, Evan and Doug. Looking forward to the next one Jean and I can fit in.
Frank