Out of respect for the solemn importance of Patriots's Day weekend we've decided not to boast about the hallowed ground of Good 'Ole Bay 7 or tout the magic gravel dust or even make up a new nickname for it like "The Valley of the Rifleman" or something. Instead we'll attribute the amazing success of our brave band of shooters to their humble dedication to the cause of Liberty and the preservation thereof.
Twenty patriots fortunate enough to get on the roster at Clinton County Farmers' and Sportsman's' Association range in Wilmington, OH presented arms and made ready on a Glorious Saturday morning upon which we marked the 249th anniversary of that fateful day so long ago. All were truly humbled by the responsibility they hold to keep our history and heritage alive.
Our event opened with a stirring rendition of the First Strike of the Match that set the mood for the rest of the weekend as History took a front seat at our table of liberty. Once the serious business of safety was concluded we faced off against the battle line of Redcoats and watched Nate, Bryan, Joe, and Michael each take one down!
The firehose of instruction began and only paused when the second round of The Strikes riveted our attention at lunch. Afterwards, as we took our places on the line, it was clear that we were in for a special weekend of marksmanship. All of our student seemed adept at producing tight groups centered in small squares!
The final Strike was stirringly given followed by the first AQT that, late in day, saw Steven earn his first Rifleman patch in convincing fashion with a cool 216. Micheal, Nolan, Nate, and Robert re-qualified along with Doug who led them all with a 233. The shadows had grown long when Bryan and Doug closed our day by knocking down a couple of Redcoats for us.
As the sun rose on Good 'Ole Bay 7 Sunday morning it was cold, cloudy, and a perfect day for shooting! After a quick review, Avery, Nate, and Nick showed us that their Hits Counted and we were off. A couple of drills and a few squares led us to the first of what would be an amazing list of Rifleman scores put up by a talented group of shooters. Joe and Bryan re-qualified along with Nick and Nancy. Avery nailed his first with a 215 and Edward showed us all how it's done with his first at 238.
Another round had Robert and Nolan joining the fun with re-qualifiers and young Joe cranking out a Distinguished with the weekend high of 246. Further rounds of AQTs saw Jim post his first at 213, Nolan nail Distinguished with a 243 and Joey also join the corps of Riflemen with a 217! The young guys may have had the highest scores but it was the crew of Dangerous Old People, Susan, Doug, and Bryan (the DOPs) who took home the Fabulous Prizes of Unspeakable Value in our team drill.
Soon the time was upon us to commemorate the loss of life and the shedding of blood that gave us the Liberty we are struggling to hold onto today. A stirring Memorial Volley reminded us all of the ultimate sacrifices made by those few on that fateful Glorious Day for America.
We then squeezed in a couple of Quick and Dirty AQTs for good measure and brought it to a close with a Redcoat CoF allowing Susan to clear her first with Robert, Nolan, and Bryan backing her up.
So many others were giving everything they had. Sammy was so, so close and Katheryn made the best of a very challenging weekend. Remember - persist, persist, persist! Don't forget to Dry Fire Practice, too. And we would love to see Ayden, Jeff, and David come on back for more!
Overall an amazing weekend. Five new Riflemen and nine re-qualifiers out of twenty ain't a bad way to remember our heritage!
Special thanks once again to CCFSA - "The Greatest Range in Appleseed" and to our dedicated corp of instructors specifically Redleg, Owl1, SawdustJake, goodoldfriend, REDNINE, Griffin, Sparky117, HikerMatt, and Longrifleman.
We'll see you next time!
This was a great weekend for America. The folks who attended the event in Wilmington displayed the attributes of our patriotic ancestors.
They held up well on the crisp Ohio days and followed instructions well.
The stories of April 19th were riveting and the marksmanship was impressive.
It is a blessing to be among people who love and support their country.
It was a great weekend. It's always fun watching shooters work and strive and achieve the rifleman's badge and clearing a red coat. Those are no small achievements. I did get a real joy out of watching Robert take the time to very calmly clean his rifle on the fourth stage of one of the AQTs. Even with taking the time to clean the rifle he still finished in the 5 minute allotment. Later on the "Dangerous Old People" (they chose the name) team decisively removed the Morgan's shingle from existence and securing themselves a victory! Hazza! Hazza! Hazza!
Just a couple of pictures from early Saturday morning.
Action Packed!
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Great Appleseed weekend. Enjoyed working with all the shooters and fellow instructors.
Over the years I have enjoyed watching Nolan and Joe grow in their marksmanship and now to see them achieve Distinguished Rifleman; well done!
Many thanks to Redleg for demonstrating all the positions and Goodoldfriend for scoring all those rifleman AQTs.
More Pics
And more pics.
And still more pics.
And yet some more.
and yet still some more pics.
And finally.
First day was outstanding. Beautiful day with quality drills. Saw much growth on the last red coat. That translated into riflemen on Sunday. Great instruction and use of time! Huzzah!
Always a great group of shooters and instructors.
What a weekend! Thanks to all the shooters for braving the always questionable April weather and taking the time to come out and spend the weekend learning about the founding of this great nation and how to be a better marksman.
Congratulations to our newest riflemen Steven, Edward, Avery, Joey & Jim! Your persistence has paid dividends and this shows in your shooting. I look forward to seeing you at future events!
Congratulations to Joe as well for shooting a Distinguished score of 246 then backing that up several more times throughout the day Sunday.
Fantastic job to all the repeat Rifleman and Nolan for shooting Distinguished again.
For those knocking on the door keep in mind, a Rifleman persists. Continue working on your skills through dry fire and getting out to the range on your own. Hoping to see you out at another event as well.
A heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers, be they Instructors, IITs or Blue Hats. The program would not exist without each and every one of you.
Until next time!