With Colorado winter weather reducing attendance on outdoor events during the cold months, it was a treat to hold the inaugural event for Appleseed at the Arvada Rifle and Pistol Club in Golden, CO. A big thank you to the club for their hospitality and the great facilities. Space was a little cramped behind the equipment line for instruction, but we rearranged the area a bit and made it work well.
10 participants signed up and 10 showed up on Saturday. The participants were a good mix of men, woman, and minors (10 yo Oliver and 8 yo Benjamin). Taildragger acted as shoot boss, with instruction help from Codefogey, Flux, and Lead Sled.
On Saturday, we made it through sitting position before lunch, with some historical context to April 19 thrown in during breaks. At lunch, Lead Sled and Codefogey regailed the group with stories of the first two Strikes of the Match. In the afternoon, we made it through standing position and the transitions by early afternoon after which Flux gave the riveting story of the third Strike. The participants got to shoot a first AQT on Saturday, on which participant Ray shot his first rifleman score after having attended a few Appleseed events prior. Significant progress on the Red Coat targets was noted between morning and afternoon, and Taildragger closed the day with a brief benediction.
On Sunday, Rifleman Ray elected not to return, and participant Dave stayed home to deal with a clogged sewer at his house, so we were down to 8 participants. Because it was Super Bowl weekend, most of the participants drifted away through the afternoon, but we got a good review of all the instruction in the morning, and an afternoon mix of standard and 4 minute AQTs. Codefogey gave an excellent KD presentation in the afternoon as a break between AQTs, and the instructors took turns telling stories of Dangerous Old Men and Dames during other breaks. Participant Trey earned a rifleman score on several AQTs using a loaner rifle from Lead Sled and took home his first badge.
By the closing red coat target, only 4 participants remained. Taildragger again closed out the day with a benediction.
What a fantastic inaugural shoot at Arvada Rifle and Pistol Club! Thanks to everyone for coming out to shoot with us. What a great group, great attitudes and it was really a pleasure to be a part of this event. Great shooting and I saw big improvements across the board. Special kudos to Ben and Oliver especially for their safety and maturity. Both shoot with skill well above what their age would imply. Thanks taildragger for coordinating this event and thanks to Arvada Rifle and Pistol Club for having us. Having an indoor venue for the cold winter months will be a game changer for Colorado, and I am looking forward to many more events there!