Our fourth Appleseed at Chino Valley Shooting Complex was just what we've come to expect from this venue. Great range, great shooters, great fun! In what seems to be a trend here, Saturday showed us some beautiful weather that held all day. Sunday got a bit warm.
After 'drinking from the fire hose' all morning shooters were making progress and asking great questions about the points of instruction. We had a dominate group of proficient shooters who showed up with consistent groups in that, sometimes tough, ~5-6 MOA spot Due to this great group of shooters we got to drills like 'carding the sights' and 'ball and dummy' before lunch. After that it was time for transitions and we got in one AQT for score before end of day. Unfortunately the pressure of the clock and transition caused some groups to widen. But all enjoyed the challenge and knew what they needed to do to continue their rifleman's journey.
Sunday morning showed good weather in the morning which became quite a bit hotter as the day got on, then cooled with the arrival of a rain cloud. We had lost the proficient shooters as they were in a group and had other plans for their Sunday. So, we found ourselves with more instructors than students. That means that the father-son-son group got LOTS of hands on coaching. Everyone was involved and engaged making for an epic marksmanship clinic that even the range staff commented on.
I have some tips for attending an AS here in the future. This is a great range with great facilities and a great staff. However the bay we use is hard capped at 19 shooters so please pre-register. Bring a cooler full of ice with LOTS of water and a good lunch. It's dry in the desert and you will need refreshments. Eating a good lunch while we give our history lesson is really fun on this range and we all get into it. While there is shade, we do spend some time exposed. Stuff I would bring... hat, long selves (layers), a good shooting mat and / or elbow pads, 4x 10 round magazines, and of course a genuine GI Sling already attached to your rifle. Feel free to email us with any questions before a shoot.
Good write-up!