7 shooters joined us for a 200-yd RKD at the Watervliet Rod and Gun Club. Spirits were high, especially with the great weather on Saturday. But some breeziness Saturday afternoon and high humidity on Sunday tested everyone's endurance and perseverance.
Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day! High in the upper 70s, low humidity, and a little breezy. We started with the Pledge and safety briefing, then set up at 25 meters for the morning. Good progress was made on the points of instruction and subsequent rounds downrange. Steady hold factors, six steps, NPOA, carding the sights were all covered. By the end of the morning, all shooters were showing nice groups. After a lunch of First Strike and ballistics/KD/comeups/wind information, we moved on to longer distances. We spent the rest of the afternoon sending sighters downrange. There was just enough wind to make 200 yards quite challenging. We finished the day with a "know your limits" fun shoot using 10", 6" and 3" plates at 100 yards. Anthony and Four tied for the lead, but we gave the nod to Anthony because he was using iron sights.
As if Saturday couldn't get better, after a great dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, we came back to our hotel to find a Micro Wrestling event going on across the street!
As is expected, the event tested folks' equipment. Everything from the typical malfunctions to improvised scope hoods were present.
Sunday morning we started with the Shingle at 125 yards. Tommy missed by less than a quarter of an inch. :'( Jeff was the only shooter to earn the Morgan's patch. After, we rolled right into our first AQT. Couple of shooters came close, but no cigar. Another round of sighters and then we were on to a couple of more AQTs. Lefty Matt was our first to score Rifleman, with a 40. He was promptly baptized. >:D Given the heat and humidity, it was probably some welcome relief.
Shooters started tapping out due to the heat, and we were down to four in the afternoon. We pressed on, and several others crept closer to the magic 40. We did another know-your-limits shoot, and Jeff absolutely crushed it with a monster score of 24/30. After a few more tap-outs, we were down to 2 shooters. One last out-and-back pair of AQTs and Jeff scored a 41 to earn the second Patch of the weekend. Huzzah!
Thanks to the club for hosting us. They've been hosting us since 2012. What a fantastic facility!
Anthony - great job on the fun shoot on Saturday.
Righty Matt - Glad you could come over from Illinois. You had some great AQT stages - keep at it and you'll put it all together.
Lefty Matt - Again, congratulations on earning the patch. Well done!
Jeff - I could tell from the start that you were laser-focused on one goal. Flawless technique + persistence = RFKD patch Huzzah!
Tommy - Bummer about the shingle. You couldn't miss any closer. I look forward to watching your skills grow as you gain experience.
John - Thanks for coming out. Sorry you had to tap out so soon. You were making some good groups. Hope to see you again.
Four - You made a good run at the patch with that rifle, it just seemed you'd alway have one stage go sideways. Keep at it, and we hope to see you at another event.
And remember what I said about the three most important things at Appleseed? You guys ROCKED. Everyone was safe, very few safe rifle "fouls," and no errant muzzles all weekend. Great job!
On with some pics - hoping someone else can post pics of our RKD Riflemen!
Saturday morning - what else to say? I think it's gonna be a good day.
(https://i.imgur.com/MkI3Yg9.jpg)
Saturday morning safety brief by Oz
(https://i.imgur.com/MVxSAiV.jpg)
Redcoats
(https://i.imgur.com/XREr0y2.jpg)
Oz teaching the prone SHF with Pookie modeling
(https://i.imgur.com/Mes03rY.jpg)
Improvise, adapt, overcome
(https://i.imgur.com/vQfdC1U.jpg)
200-yard target check
(https://i.imgur.com/9ROQgrF.jpg)
Pookie telling a story during a break
(https://i.imgur.com/YTfDjdd.jpg)
Saturday night Micro Wrestling!
(https://i.imgur.com/3DwlknU.jpg)
Pookie running stage 3 at 150 yds on Sunday morning
(https://i.imgur.com/JoIlD7Q.jpg)
Jeff practicing for the AQT during sighters. Nice form!
(https://i.imgur.com/MnjSv90.jpg)
On the move
(https://i.imgur.com/6xHmcMb.jpg)
What a motley crew! We were much hotter and sweatier than we look.
L to R - Oz, ITB, Tbone4 and Pookie
(https://i.imgur.com/OYuSKZ9.jpg)
Some additional photos.
Some additional photos.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMR6W9ZebcTfV41HMWDKW96hpE1Cug5Blfsu23t
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM62gFWNF0j8-LrK6uIyXYpTQhFCUUTBhil0Wlw
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNkYunzNmLyXUTyXiRG0mY1HPM5AtkLHTaXD-YK
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOpI7-bL5KvW53D3YQHtqPLxOavksQdJ5IRdH-W
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP6tn7mbbV0v0LoOJ26ef7risj8Wm6VghDqDj2t
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNsR1e8AKeWMvfCbO-jWx2Bf7Oj_lLOFlnIgVhT
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPM91eyQH-xOTX7m4IsjcR-5kltB5KNWt3CSBJY
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN3tbmK3SaVXH1s0vKPAsvY0ZFpWMTxgWvO0NuI
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPvq1zPbxoWOy8lk4wG1PDrYZbXjKygVzn5Rjic
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNez29LqaZ8MlpOcgCy1MNtiHgsmNb91NnomNoz
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN3LzyShBXmPelbNe2nzjlAI644nPViRZOjRxjI
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPcvNbDOJJkDiVWGqtHoh7Lw8NaK3qk0hjkOP21
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPk1U4y6nMWVXR1feD8N5XLmu1zGgerp7Kil1-n
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNP7s-qRC8W-A9K4-KBHtQb-mdYBZykV66T984t
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMq0r0t68hMLi30pZvkS33EIwQ_cVeZeB-hanxp
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPAiuTt1VukQHi_pzSbBad6sIzbzceRpYNCgfKg
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOXuOThjII4prjqFYaM32-eiT8_-NW1i1rnnsVM
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPN5GiWQYqeLApQkyaXdMF-p_Ox1fyC4bZlABni
It was a great weekend. Always nice to see folks farther on down the trail. John and Sandy were students along with me at my first event as a student in 2012!
You were a fun, persistent, and skilled group of shooters. I hope to see each of you again!
ITB, Pookie, and Tbone4, it was a pleasure working with you!
Watervliet has been a great host range. Maybe it was just the heat, but we talked during the weekend that maybe it's time for a Winterseed here again. If the idea of doing this in snow appeals to you, chime in or PM me!
Until next time! Oz
(https://i.imgur.com/CjjH2zg.jpg)
First RFKD Rifleman, congratulations Lefty Matt!
(https://i.imgur.com/Ij0EfQo.jpg)
Second RFKD Rifleman, and Morgan's Rifleman, well done, Jeff!
(https://i.imgur.com/eh6PuR5.jpg)
Bookends! Look at that form.
(https://i.imgur.com/u87Luhu.jpg)
Yes, the sun was that size. There might have been two suns. Or three. It was hard to tell.
(https://i.imgur.com/2XzkqWV.jpg)
This little guy stayed right there, on the firing line next to a shooter, through a complete course of fire. He was safe, staying (just) behind the firing line. You know the ground is soggy when frogs are drying off with towels.
Had a great weekend of shooting and learning with the Appleseed crew!
200 yards was an enigma until ITB cleared the air and got me on paper.
Each AQT got better until the last one finally cracked the threshold of 40...exactly!
Thanks to OZ and Pookie for the bath in the "waters under the North Bridge!!"
It felt great to reach KD Rifleman and get cooled off by the water!
Great comradery and teaching all weekend, always a pleasure to attend an Appleseed event and this was my first KD.
Scotch, out!
^-^
Tradition upheld!
Jeff!! Nice shooting brother :beer:
One tiny fix to your AAR: Jeff tied with Anthony on the first Know Your Limits, not me.
Good shoot. Wish I could have figured out what was going on at 200. I'll get it next time.
It was a great weekend, plenty of safe fun was had by all. I almost managed a perfect safety weekend, but managed to forget my magazine in once. Still better than my last event.
It was a wet one, several of the lines were flooded but we managed to find enough dryer ground, even enough for my little froggy whom I nicknamed 'Brass Catcher'.
And it got hot enough Sunday to take me out of action earlier than I wanted. I wasn't bad, but I've had heat stroke in the past and never want to repeat it, so lots of fluids, plenty of breaks and just calling it a day when things get too hot and tired is all part of the plan.
A big shout out to the crew for looking out for everyone's well being over the weekend, ITB noticed me struggling on Sunday and had me stop transitioning into position. I had noticed also and was just trying to finish up the 150 to make it into the shade of the 200.
It's the little things like this that help keep the weekend safe and enjoyable.
A big thank you to the range for hosting us and the Appleseed crew for putting in all the hard work.
I had never shot my 10-22 over 100 yards before so this was an experience. Best I managed 10/10 at 200 yards. But then followed that up with 1/10. It was hard finding any consistency with my iron sights. So I can do it, I just need to keep practicing and actually prepare for my next event (Shelby IN, 9/16-17). I know if I put in the work and prepare I can earn my Rifleman patch, if not at Shelby then in October back at Bonfield.
Shooting Irons I plan on using larger target backers so I can see my shots when I totally miss the target when practicing at longer ranges. I might also look into joining ISRA range next year to get access to a longer range, it is kind of addictive.
I can't wait to get to another KD event again, too bad Dorr is booked up, but there is always next year.
Thanks again to everyone for all the hard work
I just wanted to post a follow up-
NPOA is soo very important, I have know it for years but really putting it back into practice lately.
My home range just installed 8" plates at 125 yards, its been at least 5 years since we had steel out here, let the fun begin.
I only had my pistols with my yesterday, so with a unsteady rest on a wobbly bench I took aim-
Best I did was 3 hits in a row, worst I did was 0/10. I think I made about 10-15 hits total out of 130 rounds.
Today I went back with my 10/22, same bench and bags.
On my 3rd relay of 10 shots I went 10/10 on the steel at 125 with a box stock 10/22 and CCI SV.
That's something for me to be excited about.
I settled into position and shot all 10 rounds at riflemen's cadence.
That was really something, it felt great.
But wait there's more, after the first shot I never looked at the front sights again, just looked over them at the target.
That's right, 9 out of 10 hits were scored without using the sights.
The bench and rest left a bit to be desired, but my NPOA felt so good that I decided to try a test and truly just trust it.
Exhale, squeeze, bang, ting, reset, repeat.
I was there and I don't believe it, but it happened.
It may never happen like this again, but it just reinforces how important NPOA and the fundamentals really are and what can happen when you put them into practice.
Next time I will try out my new Apple Seed shooting mat and do some position shooting, today was just for fun.
I finished up by mostly missing the steel with my 38, but I did hit it a few times.
Then it was time to head home and grill some burgers.
Thanks again to the Appleseed Instructors, I would have never shot like this today without my last couple of Apple Seeds
AGT, I'm glad you're seeing the improvement--and practicing it! This stuff works, now go show off at Shelby!
Pistols, you say? You know, we happen to have an Appleseed Pistol Clinic at Watervliet on Oct 21-22...and there's space available...
Oz