It was a WONDERFUL weekend at the Beautiful Tusco Rifle Club.
Thank you to the many gracious and friendly members there.
Two riflemen were formed over the weekend. Many young shooters performed admirably over the two days earning seven William Diamond patches.
More to follow... after sleep.
My daughters first red coat target had 2 of 13 shots on it. By the end of Sunday she had all 13 shots on the paper. That's an improvement to be proud of. The instruction given made the difference in her shooting. She struggled with all sorts of things. The instructors were great at helping her get into position with out becoming overbearing drill instructors. They allowed the new shooters time to adjust themselves and offered the occasionall pointer. Your learning curve depends on you. They offer pointers and it's up to you to absorb them.
There were 8 kids at our event. All of them were a pleasure to be around. They maintained great safety skills. The kids had fun the entire event. The instructors handled the kids with respect. The kids got the same treatment as the adults. The kids also got a patch for sticking out the two day event. My daughter was thrilled about the patch. I suppose I could mention one funny kid story. A kid came up to me and asked,"What was your score?." I replied, "218". The kid tells me, "Good thing, because 8 points less and the prize is a cold bucket of water on your head". There's nothing better than the honest humor of a child.
The history lessons between shootings gives everyone a rest from the challenge of learning something new. The history offered information you probably haven't though of. Have you ever worn wool? Have you jogged all day in wool carrying equipment? They weren't wearing Nike and Under Armor.
For those of you trying to decide on gear. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Talk to the shoot boss ahead of time about your needs. Read the info at Appleseed.org Other shooters are also a great asset. Don't worry about the patch or score. What you learn can be worked on the rest of your life. Appleseed will make you a better shooter at any skill level. Rome wasn't built in a day and chances are your shooting platform won't be either. If your old like me, it's tough to break old habits.
Most of the kids took a turn at .223
Great to hear some honest feedback. Particularly happy to hear about your daughter and your perspective on the kids as they are our future.
I agree, the kids as well as all of the adults made for a great weekend. It is a real pleasure to have such a group gather and learn some challenging skills AND maintain a great attitude. This is why I do Appleseed! It is my honor to work with fellow Americans like you and your daughter.
I think you will appreciate the analogy we use: Appleseed can be like drinking from a fire hose, but everyone hung in for the duration.
A Big Thanks to Chuck, Dale, Doug, Lee and Vern for a safe and fun weekend. My son, father in law and I had a wonderful time shared by a lot of nice families from all over Ohio.
A special thank you to Dale (Chipendale) who worked so hard helping my son and father in law the entire weekend improve their shooting.
The highlight of the weekend was Sunday when Chuck brought out his AR and putting skills he learned at the Appleseed my 10 year old son was able to hit steel with open sights. He hit the 100 yard target, barely missed at 200 and came back to nail the 300 yard target! Now that's really a cool. Except for the drive home where my son kept talking about wanting his own AR for his birthday this summer :)
Again, a big thank you Appleseed's tireless dedicated volunteer instructors who leave their families for two days to invest it in future of our country ! Without you these events would never happen.
Wow, what a fun weekend! We had 17 shooters, with half of them being kids. This is what made me want to take the orange hat. I appreciate the dedication of Moms and Dads to teach their children responsibility with "dangerous" things (rifles).
Each time the youth are presented with William Diamond patches, I tear up :'(. The focus and fortitude involved in a rigorous course of instruction over a two day period to learn something new is a remarkable feat that these youth can (and should) brag about.
By Sunday afternoon, I was starting to drag, but the other instructors along with the other shooters helped to pick me up. They followed Safety Rule #4 to the tee! Make sure those around you follow the safety rules.
To all the shooters, continue to improve towards shooting to the Rifleman standard of 210 on the AQT. Make sure to tell your friends so they too can be introduced the history of April 19, 1775. Just by showing up you displayed that you have what it takes to get off the couch and do something that can better yourselves and your country.
Anyone interested in staying in touch or seeing more pictures can find me on Facebook. Look for Red Ranch. Thanks to all for a great time.
No, thanks to you for getting off the couch and joining us! And for bringing family with you. Also, BIG thanks to Stand for coming over from PA to lead the Merry Band of shooters and instructors. Sounds like a great shoot. Chippendale great job on your first event, from all the good things Stand told me, you can join my line anytime your able.
huzzah !!!!
Corvette
While boarding today, A TSA agent asked me about my Appleseed shirt. He asked what Appleseed was. I told him a rifleman's course to learn history and marksmanship. He said, "cool, I need to take my wife to one of those". Maybe we have recruited another shooter?
I've heard there may be some tri fold flyers available to help promote Appleseed. How do I acquire some?