What a weekend! It was the season opener for Appleseed at the Pikes Peak Gun Club in Colorado Springs. The event was sold out and we had a super enthusiastic group of shooters come out and grab liberty by the horns. Half of the participants drove down from north of Denver (Boulder and Erie) and camped in order to attend. Everyone was enthusiastic despite the "warm" temperatures and made great strides toward improving their marksmanship.
Of course, these events don't happen without someone taking the lead to make them happen. Black Russian did all the coordinating with the range and led the setup on Friday. Saturday actually turned out better than expected with a little wind and some clouds taking the edge of the forecast - clear, calm and 95 degrees.
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Pikes Peak in the backgroundLike most Appleseeds, this was a crew of shooters and instructors who all really enjoyed working and learning together.
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Got Sight Alignment?
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NPOA is an acronym
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Now it's time for the shooters to try it
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Let's adjust the sights
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Calculators not required
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You need to account for the orbits of the planets
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Nap time
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More pictures to post as soon as I can catch up!
Thank you, Captain, for a great event! And, thanks to all of the instructions/RSOs as well. Everything was top notch.
Beautiful, Captain! What a fantastic event!
Hey ColoradoJason - thanks for the feedback and thanks to you and your son for coming out to spend the weekend with us. We really enjoy seeing families coming out to embrace their heritage. I hope we'll see you both at another event in the near future!
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Standing
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Prone
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Can he really see under that hat?
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Father and Son
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Recognition of a Young Patriot!
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Where danger is, dear mother, there must your son be. Now is no time for any of American's children to shrink from any hazard. I will set her free or die. - Dr. Joseph Warren
Lunch kicked off the retelling of the story of April 19th, 1775.
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Captain Parker sharing the First Strike
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The Regulars go to Concord
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We were all struck not by the sacrifice, but by what they sacrificed for . . . our liberty and the freedom we enjoy today. When we think about how to properly honor what we've been given, the words of Abraham Lincoln ring out from our past. It was for a different time and a different set of men, but it was the same principles.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ...... - Abraham Lincoln (Gettysburg Address)
Marksmanship instruction continued into the afternoon with some new positions - Standing and sitting/kneeling.
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Standing instruction
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Sitting position
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What's wobble?
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In between lessons on the firing line, the history continued.
If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed. ~ Thomas Jefferson
Toward the end of the day, everyone got a try at the Appleseed Qualification Test (AQT) and a glimpse of what Sunday held in store.
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The AQT!
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Sitting position
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What's wobble?
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Day 1 came to an end and we took some pictures and shot a final Red Coat target.
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Picture of the Colorado Springs crew!
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Buddies from Boulder who camped out on the range with their wives!
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Red Coat at the end of Day 1
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Some of the shooters and instructors were able to get together for some dinner which gave us the chance to meet Monica and Lauren. Lauren is expecting in a couple of months which explained why they chose not to join us on the range. It was nice to relax after a very full day.
"I should advise persisting in our struggle for liberty though it were revealed from heaven that 999 were to perish, and one of 1,000 were to survive and retain his liberty. One such freeman must possess more virtue, and enjoy more happiness, than 1,000 slaves; and let him propagate his like, and transmit to them what he has so nobly preserved." - Samuel Adams
Day 2 was beautiful but the heat built quickly and would be an additional challenge to our crew all day. There was a mix of review, drills, AQTs and new stories from 1775.
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When the dust had settled, we recognized three shooters whose shooting rose to the level of Rifleman. These three certainly demonstrated that they knew well what they were about! "Flux" promptly took an orange hat and is already signed up to work his first event! Welcome aboard.
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Ryan was the first shooter to pass the threshold!
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ColoradoJason made the mark on his bolt gun.
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"Flux" made the score more than once.
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The entire Colorado Springs instructor crew also got the brand new Colorado Cadre patch as designed by our own HapHapaBlap! These instructors already have many Colorado Appleseed seasons under their belts but this is the start of a new Colorado tradition.
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Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. - Patrick Henry
Thanks for the great weekend! I had an absolute blast. You'll likely be hearing from me pretty soon about getting some people together for another shoot!
Hey Seams, thank you for coming out! As far as another shoot, that would be fantastic. Folks coming out for an event and returning with their friends is the highest complement we can get.
(Have a great deployment!)
Looks like you guys had a blast! I look forward to making a Springs shoot someday.
Well Brother Sleepy, you know you're always welcome down here. And besides, you're not exactly a stranger down here at Colorado shoots . . . or shoots anywhere else in the country! ;D