A quick end-of-Saturday update ;D
We had just over twenty patriots out on the lines today in Castro Valley, braving the cool and overcast weather. Beyond the clouds, conditions were fairly good for February -- though winds picked up late in the afternoon as temperatures dropped. We're supposed to storm some overnight and clear up for tomorrow.
The cool weather brings out the committed; truly a great group of shooters today. Attentive, safe, and most important -- teachable! Marked improvement was seen as we went through our steady hold factors and the six steps. We only got one redcoat in to close the day, but we'll have two tomorrow for a more direct comparison.
We also saw a rifleman's score: Jeff requalified, switching between a just-built AR and a bolt-action CZ. Another shooter turned in a 208, and few knocking on the door in the 190s. Only one crack at the AQT today, so they'll get a chance to try again tomorrow.
More updates after Sunday's instruction -- and pictures to come.
If you want to contact any of the hats from today's shoot, here's the forum name directory:
Tim - Nero
Pat - American Amazon
Chris - Freeman
Ken - haleson
Paul - SonJ
Anthony - enkidu
The weather today is perfect. Hope all went well today!
A couple of quick links as promised at the shoot:
For Appleseed friendly activities at Chabot, including downloads of 'geometric AQT' targets you need for the public lines:
http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=23542.0
To sign the petition to keep the Chabot Gun Club in the park:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/chabot-gun-club-safe
I'll let Ken post up the shoot results, not to steal his thunder. Photos to follow as soon as we get the cameras downloaded.
As Doug mentioned above, we could tell from the beginning that Sunday's weather would turn out to be even more beautiful than expected.
The shooters arrived early and selected the drier (did I say drier? I meant "less muddy" ;D) spots to lay their mats. We got underway with a few words from the Shoot Boss and a review of the safety rules, then took aim at our first redcoats of the day. Now, something must have been percolating overnight, 'cause that first redcoat target showed marked improvement from the night before -- the first sign of how our day would turn out.
Interleaving reviews of the material from Saturday with courses of fire designed to re-acquire zeros, catch returning bad habits, and flat-out torture their neighbors (combined ball-and-dummy drill with calling targets) left us time for one AQT before lunch -- and that was all it took to make a new rifleman! Mike turned in a rifleman's score along with a requalification from Big J at 220 ^:)^ Hey guys, can I interest you in a hat?
Lunchtime also saw us recounting the tales of Dangerous Old Men -- Pat's characterization of ol' Sam Whittemore as the guy Chuck Norris checks under his bed for was as spot-on as Chris' recounting of his tale. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Nero capping the tales of Dangerous Old Men with a tale of an audacious young man -- George Rogers Clark and his war in the northwestern frontier!
Post-lunch returned us to the grind -- four more AQTs over the course of the afternoon. The shooters took to it like fish to water -- and the red hats took advantage of a short line to join in. A short break mid-afternoon saw Bella join Bryan as this weekend's recipients of the Luther Blanchard patch, as well as a new hat going Ken's way . . .
But the real story of the day was the marksmanship. Sunday's benediction revealed a few targets squirreled away by a mischievous Shoot Boss . . . Jamie consistently turning in AQTs in the 190s, as did Ron, and Bryan pulled out a 194! Mike took the warning of the North Bridge Water seriously and gave us a 211 in the afternoon, and Art shot a 201, a 204 . . . and a 214 with his beautiful 6.5 Grendel-chambered AR. The high score of the weekend, however, went to Paul, who requalified with a 228!
Normally, the highlights of the day end when the shooters are dismissed, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how many stayed behind to help tear down the range and clean it up. Not just great marksmen, but civically-minded to boot.
And a personal note from Ken to everyone who attended this weekend: this was a fantastic shoot and a fantastic weekend, and I hope you all come back again -- whether as a shooter at another of our events at Chabot, a student at the San Jose KD weekends, or with a new hat that reads RWVA across it.
And now, some pix! ^:)^
Here's Anthony (enkidu) our new Blue Hat! Huzzah!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yOuIoNv42Dk/UwLSrO-Iy_I/AAAAAAAAFsc/6uSZ69efvsY/s640/100_2458.JPG)
The right side of the Saturday line
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QIss2rBviG4/UwLSwAoIkAI/AAAAAAAAFtU/Ua5N2GpAt_A/s640/100_2465.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wNuRwoJPYyY/UwLStZGeDYI/AAAAAAAAFs0/ZpaThtndr_c/s640/100_2461.JPG)
Under that hoodie was Jeff, our Army guy. He's the only one who thought it wasn't muddy enough. ;D And he turned in a (re)qualifying score on our only AQT of Saturday. Congrats and thanks for your service!
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-L1O8TUGbfyY/UwLSwmSxiXI/AAAAAAAAFtc/t7K9hCWtftQ/s640/100_2466.JPG)
We had some Coasties on the line with us as well.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KluI875fu7c/UwLSxObS-VI/AAAAAAAAFto/yY0fpD6ZLl0/s640/100_2467.JPG)
BigJ and his family had a nice assortment of firearms
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T8InEyn76CM/UwLSy_pkHVI/AAAAAAAAFt0/eft7LnkoTV0/s640/100_2470.JPG)
Paul - nearest - is an Appleseed 'frequent flyer' and Albert at the end of the line is an instructor getting a little trigger time
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7FJA41d0rzU/UwLSz_yqBJI/AAAAAAAAFuE/N6ZdZJA0QiI/s640/100_2473.JPG)
On to the afternoon and AQTs
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cF6EZwTfKes/UwLSvbC3QSI/AAAAAAAAFtM/spExksik58M/s640/100_2464.JPG)
Bryan receives his Luther Blanchard patch
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v4srx2Y4Nzw/UwLS1PpY8mI/AAAAAAAAFuU/zN53ejuVlUA/s640/IMG_0268.jpg)
Sunday AM review. Look! Sunshine! O0 Unfortunately it came with a little more mud from the evening rains.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-51BVwicNmws/UwLS7Zg_QRI/AAAAAAAAFvU/qCJ_r25VSZ0/s640/CIMG3642.JPG)
By lunch we had one new rifleman, MikeL!
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TGLCt9rO3Cs/UwLS8sFtPFI/AAAAAAAAFvk/SiRfX6_IrL8/s640/CIMG3645.JPG)
And BigJ turns in a nice requalifying score with his AR. (That's Curt, the chief RSO of the Chabot range, visting at left)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ngbovGKLf7k/UwLS5KKbJSI/AAAAAAAAFvA/QW8QBapAb68/s640/100_2475.JPG)
And haleson (Ken) takes the step up to Shoot Boss. Well earned, sir!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6O50SljR1Gk/UwLS4v8-7XI/AAAAAAAAFu0/e31dD_KtQDc/s640/CIMG3650.JPG)
And we have some more riflemen! Art makes it across the finish line
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DbCJ6N__aNw/UwLS6DpHR8I/AAAAAAAAFvI/dBinHdgb_iI/s640/100_2476.JPG)
And Paul has enough requalifying targets to wallpaper part of his home! And high score of the weekend! Well done. O0
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Gu2mJA_jTfM/UwLS6p2bEmI/AAAAAAAAFvQ/PLIva_TeQdo/s640/100_2477.JPG)
There are more pix in the full album (https://picasaweb.google.com/114208333789247233986/CastroValley214#).
Ken's a shoot boss! How quickly they grow up. Well done!
Thank you for a great experience! I appreciate all the guidance from our instructors - much appreciated.
MAJOR CONGRATS KEN!!! ..:.. ^:)^
Big J and Bryan, glad to see you made another Appleseed! Big J, good job on the Rifleman score!!!
Laurie
Thanks, Doug and Laurie!