A comfortably average day greeted the 5 patriots (including two pairs of father and son) who assembled at Farmington Fish & Game Club to learn rifle marksmanship fundamentals, and the history of what it means to be an American including the role therein of marksmanship.
Bright and early at 8:30, after the introductory administrative trivia, we heard about the Shot Heard 'Round the World, the key points that led to it, and why it alone didn't start the War for Independence.
Then, after a safety briefing, we shot a baseline assessment.
For another couple hours, we alternated between explaining a concept and practicing it on our own rifles at the firing line but without ammunition. We learned how to use a sling as a shooting aid, how to build a solid prone position, how to fire every shot "by the numbers", and the importance of dryfire. Only after these learning objectives had been met, did we send more rounds downrange. The groups were all reasonable right off the bat!
With a few more groups on target to show a consistent pattern, we learned how to adjust our sights - and then it was time for lunch, where we heard what happened in Concord after the Shot Heard 'Round the World, and why that too was not enough to ignite the War for Independence.
With a couple more sighter groups to warm up again, we then learned a few more concepts - how to fire quickly, change magazines and build a prone position quickly - which led right into the first Appleseed Qualification Target of the day. In the midst of these topics, we took one break to learn where and how the War really got started; and another shorter break to hear some more details about the brutality in Menotomy during the troops' retreat from Concord to Boston.
After the first AQT was done, the day was yet young and the shooters still enthused, so we proceeded to shoot another AQT which revealed two Riflemen: our own MattNH requalified with a score of 236, and one of the shooters, Brandon, requalified - after an 18-year hiatus! - with a score of 217. Everyone else saw improvement; a Rifleman persists!
With the enthusiasm of the shooters, we shot a third AQT, revealing no further Riflemen and some fatigue clearly building. So we concluded at around 5pm with the same target as the first target of the day; scores on it had dramatically improved.
Thank you to all the instructors who joined me this day: MattNH, Brent1775 and ShaneO. And congratulations to ShaneO for working his tenth shoot; and to MattNH for working his seventy-fifth shoot. Here's to the next seventy-five!
Last but not least, I'd like to give a big "thank you" to Farmington Fish & Game Club for having us; we look forward to returning at least twice next year.
Photo roll: https://imgur.com/a/FajmIIY
(https://i.imgur.com/uUWJlj3.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rk1aZ4c.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/EnmRMEX.jpeg)
Riflemen:
(https://i.imgur.com/PdenUGu.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rnOdK4h.jpeg)
Instructor recognition:
(https://i.imgur.com/PbjLnH7.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zs0IMLx.jpeg)
This was an awesome new range. mmriate, good work getting them on board and great job running the shoot.