Saturday began in a rotten fashion for me personally. After getting up early, I became ill and had to go to the hospital. !@#) Fortunately, Spanner and ie were available and did a terrific job in my absence. When I arrived late in the morning, 10 shooters were working in earnest and an additional one arrived later, after he had completed his ACT test. These shooters were one of the most serious and dedicated groups which I have had the honor of working with. They absorbed the information and applied it quickly and effectively. Because of this, we progressed more rapidly than usual and managed to get in three AQTs before the day was over. And this resulted in three Riflemen scores.
Eight of the original 11 shooters showed up on Sunday and after some preliminary work, the AQT grind began. ~~:)
This produced another Rifleman. :D Later in the afternoon we proceeded to shoot at a longer distance, 265 yards. Some used centerfires graciously provided by Spanner. Others had their own larger caliber rifles. A brief preliminary discussion aided them in setting up their sights for this distance, and after the first volley, an examination of their targets enabled them to fine tune their groups. Afterward, there was time for one more AQT.
The end result was 4 Riflemen out of 11 shooters. And most all the others had very high scores: 180s, 190s - up to a 199, and a high of 207 by a remarkable lady shooter. Furthermore, they seemed enthused about the event and plan to return for future Appleseeds. ^:)^ And I look forward to seeing them.
This was my first Appleseed, and I am already signed up for Ramseur on December 18th. I want to make Rifleman!
Thank you Don, Spanner, and Jeremie for the instruction and patience. Your willingness to give so much to teach us is greatly appreciated.
It was great meeting all of the shooters. Good people, and I'm proud to be an American along with them.
Congratz to the new Riflemen!
The AQT 25 yard range
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The 265 yard shoot with Spanner's M1 Garand
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I hit it, 3 out of 8 shots.
I had a great time as well, I did not make rifleman - to my own consternation - but with a high score in the 190s I feel like it is be within reach. I will certainly pursue this in the future.
My first day was wrought with rifle problems, but with the gracious lending of a nice 10/22 with upgraded trigger by dond, I ran out of excuses and got down to the business of learning for the second day. We did a total of 12 AQTs overall.
Thanks to the great instructors we had! You guys were the best and I appreciate the dedication and donation of your time and resources to further the cause of liberty.
This was my first, but certainly not last Appleseed shoot and it is one of the most satisfying things I have done in quite sometime. I had the opportunity to make several new friends from all across this side of the Mississippi that I'm sure I'll be friends with for a lifetime. I'd like to thank the instructors for their donated time and for the enthusiasm and passion they have not only for the shooting aspect, but also for the historical aspect of the program, you have inspired me not only to increase my shooting skills, but also to study up on the history and sacrifice our forefathers gave for the cause of liberty that we still have today. In fact, the book you all suggested is on it's way to me now!
I'd like to also note that my girlfriend came and participated and she had a blast. I was worried she would not enjoy herself, but she's actually disappointed we have to wait until summer to attend another local event. I'd also like to point out that she was very apprehensive to attend right up to the start of the shoot, but I was able to coax her to come along. Understand that she had never shot a rifle until about two weeks prior to attending, but scored a 207 the first day and a 205 on the second day!
One more thing, I found out that I'm not nearly as good of a shot as I thought I was! ;D
I must reply that JPL and his girlfriend were excellent students. O0 And he is being modest about his abilities. He learned a lot, shooting a Rifleman score the first day with a 22, and then shooting a Rifleman score the second day with an M1A. I believe his score was a 233 with the M1A. He learned how beautiful NPOA is in the sitting position by noting that after recoil the sights came right back on target every time. ^:)^ He was elated and so was I.
I'm pretty sure JPL scored a 235 with the '14. :o
Great club, great people. I only wish that Boaz was on my end of the state! !@#)
In any case, after seeing what I saw there ;), I'll be back.
I hope to see you all again soon.
O0