Thank you to all the shooters and volunteers who took part in our Patriot's Day event at SaraSpa Rod & Gun Club (https://sarasparodandgunclub.org/). This was a special occasion for us, being the first Partiot's Day shoot in the Upstate NY region since 2018, and a unique opportunity to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Lexington & Concord, as well as the 20th anniversary of Project Appleseed. Many thanks to SaraSpa for hosting us, and to everyone who participated.
We had to contend with quite a bit of rain and gusty winds on Saturday, but the shooters stayed focused while we worked through the fundamentals; learning to apply their Steady Hold Factors for standing, seated and prone positions, and leveraging their Natural Point of Aim (NPOA) while executing the Six Steps to Firing a Shot. During breaks we covered how to zero our rifles (IMC), and told the first two 'strikes of the match', remembering what those early Americans were facing 250 years ago as they took a stand for Liberty in the towns of Lexington and Concord.
On Sunday morning we wrapped up our story with the third strike covering the British retreat from Concord where they faced overwhelming fire courtesy of Gen William Heath and the militia forces who were rising up from towns across New England and descending on Battle Road. Afterward, shooters took part in a solemn memorial volley honoring those patriots who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms on that fateful day.
We were able to get our first Appleseed Qualification Test (AQT) knocked out before lunch, followed by a few NPOA drills and another crack at the AQT. Congratulations to our Riflemen; Ryan and Lee! Also many thanks to Dude for entertaining us with the rich history of Saratoga battlefields during our lunch break. In the afternoon we discussed the challenges facing a Rifleman when shooting at longer distances, before splitting into two groups with the first team heading over to SaraSpa's newly built 200yd range, and the second team returning to the 25yd range to run the 'Parker's Revenge' fun-shoot and another AQT.
On the 200yd range, shooters applied the techniques they learned to acquire their come-ups at 100 yards and then engaged a steel target in honor of the Appleseed volunteers we've lost in New York. Thanks to everyone who participated in that activity to honor historybuff, sgtmarine, Seven97, and Josey Wales - that meant a lot to us.
Afterward the teams swapped ranges, and we determined the outcome of our Parker's Revenge fun-shoot: Congratulations to Luke, Graham, Eli and Wesley for capturing the top score overall by aggressively dispatching Col Smith and his troops! Nice work gentlemen!
Thanks again to everyone who joined us for this special event, and to our wonderful crew of volunteers who came in from across NY and Michigan! We hope to see you all back on the lines with us in NY this summer!
Without further ado, here's some Event Photos (https://photos.app.goo.gl/48S71jaTov7R8CxV8)!
(https://i.imgur.com/vuBb8eN.jpeg)
Many thanks to T. Wolf and the rest of the crew for an extraordinarily well run event. NY is definitely getting back on track thanks to the new instructor cadre.