What an amazing Project Appleseed Weekend - 15 Americans ages 10 - 69 spent 2 days re-learning History, enjoying our Heritage and improving Marksmanship.
The names and experiences on my end will have to wait until day light when we can navigate the 2" thick ice on the driveway to bring up Pictures - but for now this placeholder is for everyone to share.
To the Attendees, Instructors, AppleCore, and Range a hearty - Huzzah! O0
It was a great weekend to be at an Appleseed, we had snow, freezing fog more snow and single digit temps but fortunately we held Illinois first indoor Appleseed at the CIPS (Central Illinois Precision Shooters) new facility. It is an outstanding facility with a full kitchen with lunches available and paid for by a very generous donor and running water and restrooms. I was impressed with each and every shooter they all made outstanding improvement and all seemed to embrace instruction and also the history. We had to run relays which actually worked out well because it gave students a chance to ask questions about the instruction and we were able to work with them with dummy rifles off the line and also several questions about history were asked during this time also.
Great Shoot! Myself, my daughter, father-in-law, and friend were lucky enough to attend the first indoor AS in Illinois. The facility was incredible. First AS with running water and real toilets. The kitchen staff cooked us two incredible lunches. Further, the lunches were paid for by a donor. Wow!!
A couple of the coaches/instructors from the host club were hanging around. They are a great group of guys. Lots of experience and great to talk to. The indoor targets are simply amazing. They are home built and ingenious. As the coach told me, they are being looked at by many national organizations because of the ingenuity, low cost, cleanliness and ease of operation. Should anyone go to this range, be sure to ask about the targets, how they are built and how they work... They are so much more than what meets the eye. I would describe them, but it would take up too much space and I am not sure I would do it properly...
Thanks to all the instructors who volunteered their time to carry the message and make it a great weekend. It was great meeting all of you and I hope to see you again on the trail.
I always leave an AS event feeling better than when I arrived and, as a shooter or an instructor, I always learn something. This weekend was no different. I learned (or relearned) that a great way to tell if my elbow is properly placed under my rifle is to breath in and out deeply... if my sites go straight up and down then I know my elbow is correct. If the sites go up and down at a diagonal, then I know I need to adjust my elbow.
I also learned about some of the differences in the AS model of teaching and the objective of the training when compared to other methodologies. We had two precision (competition) shooters on the line. They were incredible shooters. However, they came from a different perspective. To them, anything less than perfect was not good enough. I thought it was interesting because AS has a saying that would probably go against how they think: "Perfect is the enemy of good enough." I was reminded that AS intends to teach us to become effective out to 500yards with a rack grade rifle. This means we can take any old rifle, site it in efficiently... and without any bipods, tripods, sand bags, rests, benches, chairs, pads, jackets, electronics, grips etc.... be effective out to 500 yards. It's a different mindset. One, I think, the precision shooters had a hard time grasping at first... as I had a hard time grasping their point of view. It's nothing against them... nothing at all. They picked it up and both scored Rifleman. It's just that I believe it's important to remember this for future events where experienced shooters come and challenge me with a different point of view. Before this weekend, I wouldn't have known what to say. Now I do. There is no right or wrong way of doing it. I just need to keep our mission crisp so I can explain our objective concisely and in a way that doesn't judge other approaches to shooting. I also took from it that there can be lessons learned, for myself, from different styles of shooters. Their precision coach left me with some tips that I won't soon forget. Further, my daughter has expressed an interest in their type of shooting. The whole experience reminded me that an open mind = a rich life.
So, thanks again to the AS instructors and the host range. Without their spirit of cooperation, friendship, serving and sharing, AS and our community in general would not be what it is. You all continue to inspire me to be a better person and a better citizen.
...cant wait to see some pics!
Proud to be at the first Illinois indoor Appleseed shoot. It was great! Wasn't sure how it was all going to work doing the relays. I thought there would be too much down time in between and shooters would get bored; but this was not the case. The time was well spent as noted above getting time to ask and answer questions, using the dummy guns to practice positions, slings, NPOA... It all worked very smoothly. I enjoyed meeting the two precision shooters and learning more about their sport. Congratulations to all the shooters; they all made nice improvements. Congratulations to all 3 new Riflemen and the ones who requalified. We had several of those as well. Enjoyed seeing old instructor friends and meeting new ones. It is a great facility. Also want to thank the generosity of the donor providing paying for lunch for all attendees and instructors.
Sounds like you all did a good job. When I hear that things ran smoothly, I think that the Shoot Boss did a fine job. I would be interested in details about the target stands/backers. Anybody get pictures? Tell us more how the relays worked; did you do the instruction with the non-shooting relay in another room? I'm thinking "how could they hear over the noise?".
UL
One important note about the relays: Less ammo!!!!
It could be an option for a low ammo shoots. Keeps people busy but about half the ammo. You would need more instructors than an average shoot... a set to run the shooting line and a set to do instruction.
...may be a great option if 22 never comes back to normal availability.
From the shooters perspective I have to say the breaks between shooting were nice. Time to ask questions, get instruction, hit the head without running, etc.. :) Down side is that you dont get through as many AQT's. Less chances to qualify. ...only downside I can think of off the top of my head.
It seems to me that I used about half the ammo that I normally would. My daughter and I used just a hair more than a full brick between the two of us. I would be curious to hear from the other shooters as to how much ammo they used.
The instruction was done in a seperate room with a big observation window looking in on the range. The room was not 100% sound proof but good enough for instruction in a normal voice. With the window you could point out good positions and explain what was good about them. Without going into too much detail about the target bullet traps they were individual target traps about 7 feet tall and 2 feet wide on wheels. The center of the targets were filled with plastic pellets . One side had a sheet metal plate for pellets rifles with a trough at the bottom to collect the pellets the other side had a self-healing material to shoot small bore at and the plastic pellets would stop the bullet and be captured inside the target trap. The target traps also weighed around 700 or 800 lbs.
Team A posting targets:
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View from inside:
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Sighting in:
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AK and Josh
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David:
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Hey Mark - What is your Talking Target saying?
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Cinco and I.M.C.:
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Morgan off the "No Sweep" rest:
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We asked the entire group to take notes on the back of their squares for I.M.C. - they quickly realized the usefulness. Great job AK on the presentation:
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Team Leader RBKL:
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Kat gets feedback from Ball and Dummy:
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Kasandra : Six Steps Dry Fire:
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AK and The Nailer
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Nap? She caught about 15 minutes and then came on back:
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Notice the CCW class in the Range next door? They frequently stopped to listen to our History or Instruction (and we caught more than one peeking through to watch). Our youngsters encouraged them for the Future.
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Youth Patch. I asked the Youth to pick which person present had most affected their decision to attend Project Appleseed. Unanimous decision was OutaAmmo:
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Kat with her Rifleman Patch - 219 (she followed that up Sunday with a 242) - first time @ Appleseed
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J.C. with his Rifleman Patch - 225 : first time @ Appleseed
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This is J.C. in his Rifleman's Bubble - where he earned that patch:
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Josh - couldn't get you still enough for a Photo - 224 first time @ Appleseed:
The Patch is in his hand - The Achievement is in his face:
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3 Generations on the line and he brought a Friend too - thanks David -
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SlingBurn calling the Line - what a fantastic job:
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AppleCore are some of the finest support staff anywhere. They know the process and provide excellent feedback while keeping Project Appleseed organized. Thanks PlentyOfAmmo
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We had a special treat when Joe Miller from C.I.P.S. showed us his first period Flint Lock and Necessary Bag. Even more, he shared the sacrifices and hardships our Revolutionary War Veterans had to endure to ensure the Opportunities we have today could even exist. And they did so without knowing the outcome.
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Thanks to everyone who attended and instructed. Remember - this is not the End - we are just beginning our Journey
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Photo Set : http://www.flickr.com/photos/22465254@N04/sets/72157641125716613/
What a great weekend, thank you to all the shooters and instructors. Looking forward to more Appleseeds at CIPS!
Saturday morning was COLD! When we reached Darnell's several of our Instructors were already present and unloading, ahead of schedule. This was hearting to see because, with Friday's foul weather, I was worried that the weather would affect attendance. However all of the attendees arrived right on time. RBKL and PlentyofAmmo got everyone signed up and ready to go with great efficiency. SlingBurn gave a clear and concise Safety Rules, also was spot on with "Safe Rifle". The idea of relays was brilliant! Without splitting the line into two teams, the weekend would have been run much less smoothly. It was perfect, while team A would be shooting, team B would be behind the glass spotting and be being taught the next step in the process (and vise versa). AK presented a solid IMC demo, the attendees caught on quickly.
The day started off a little slow, however by that evening we had completed 2 AQT's and had picked up the pace. I also heard some well delivered History, a moving Benediction. By 5 pm we were packed and headed back.
Sunday morning our determined group arrived sore and recharged with coffee, but eager to start again. We reviewed the basics and began. Right from the start I could tell this was going to be a great day. The attendees had really embraced the instruction and were proving that on paper. Consistent improvement, solid positions and huge smiles everywhere. An excellent KD demo by Mutti. In fact there were lots of questions and everyone was writing down the info.
We even had some special presentations, that were both informative and quite interesting. The first was Mr. Joe Miller. He brought in his Revolutionary War era Flintlock, explained the usage and History behind this fine rifle. This was a special treat for us. Also on Sunday evening Shooter 30-06 shared with us the Battle of Trenton and the impact it had on his own family. It brought to life, the fact that the History we tell are not fables or tales, indeed they are an important part of our past and deserve to be remembered. By closing time we had grown closer as a community. When hands had shaken, hugs been given and the group photo taken, the event had come to an end. I traveled home with a feeling of accomplishment.
I would have to say our group of attendees this weekend were some of the best I have worked with so far. They were attentive, safe and most of all, brought along lots of teachable attitude. I enjoyed working with each and every one of you. I worked the most with team A so I would like to put out a special thanks to some of you.
Morgan you were the shining light through the entire event. You started off using a bench, by the end of the shoot you had graduated to using a sling and prepping your own mags. You were a true example of perseverance.
Mr. Terry, this was not your first Appleseed, in fact this was the second time I had the chance to meet with you. Each time you attend an Appleseed you take precious time off of your work, and you spend time spreading the word around. Thank you.
Kassandra you attended this event after not touching a rifle for 11 years. Even if the weekend started off rough, you continued to have a positive attitude and by the end you had shown drastic improvement. I think you will make Rifleman in the near future, just make sure to watch out for loose barrels next time.
Nikko you were our example for excellent muzzle control. While during a course of fire, a piece of brass from your sisters rifle landed on your neck. While I'm sure you felt like jumping around and getting rid of it, you kept your muzzle in a safe direction. Good job.
Terry, while you had shot a rifle before this weekend you were presented with a new challenge. Not only did you pick up how to use it quickly, you treated the rifle with respect and safety. I cannot wait to see you again.
One last huge THANK YOU to Darnell's range. We could not dream up any better indoor range to attend. Wonderful warm meals, beautiful range plenty of teaching space, bathrooms at a reasonable distance, running water and of course, friendly staff. You have an amazing area and we are so proud to have been allowed to use it.
I was glad to see new faces and thrilled to greet old friends. We came up to Bloomington determined to make this the best shoot ever and I sure hope that everyone enjoyed this weekend as much as I did. I hope to see you all out on the Trail again soon,
:cool2:
RnR
A big Thanks to Mutti, the Instructors, Applecore and the C.I.P.S facility for a great Appleseed . I will be watching and waiting for the next Appleseed. Thanks again for what you do.
I had such a great time at Bloomington this past weekend and it was nice to see friends again instructing and shooting.
Nice job on the pics Mutti.
See you on the trial
GooseGun over and out
Excellent Job! Thanks to everyone involved. If we can schedule future indoor shoots, we'll do our best here in Central Illinois to fill them up!
TE