A fantastic weekend!
While the weather was certainly cold with horizontal rain and 40ish temps Saturday, our students stuck it out with smiles all around. We got through the entire course of instruction, saw some amazing groups, and some very solid improvement on those who were not experienced shooters.
Our Atterbury guys came for Saturday and got their zeros, in fact they came with good zeros and stayed in the black all day Saturday. They were receptive, eager to learn, and asked lots of questions. I hope we sent them well prepared for 400 yards on Sunday.
Our volley for Liberty was awesome, I love that part of Patriot's Day. We had good control, very few shots off the mark, and I like to think Issac and his men heard the shots and knew America has not forgotten them.
Sunday dawned warmer and brighter and stayed that way all day. By the afternoon we were pulling off outerwear and enjoying the sunshine. We got in plenty of AQTs, had a very good ball and dummy drill, shot a fun target and awarded the winners. Really? I saw the targets and everyone was a winner Sunday, the groups on the targets were outstanding.
Maronline and Alex were certainly our most improved shooters all weekend. They were patient with the instructors, tried anything we asked, they just got better and better as the weekend progressed. They both left Sunday far better with their rifles than Saturday morning. Their respective Steve's should be very proud of them.
Our Wild Geese from the 35th Indiana came sporting excellent chops and burns and showed they could shoot with more than a 58 caliber muzzleloader. The camaraderie was evident in the little notes they wrote on each others targets after every course of fire. You guys smiled constantly, endured the weather, and endeared everyone to your lighthearted attitudes. We truly enjoyed having you on our line, and Bedford will as well. I hope I get to see you there.
Scott, Steve, and Johnathan looked to be having a fine weekend as well and showed great marksmanship skills. Next time, we need to get Johnathan to shoot his last AQT with his own rifle. 2 MOA right would have made your last target a Rifleman target. I have no doubt you will get it next time.
Eric, we hope to see you back, practice what we taught you and it will improve your shooting in every discipline. Matt and Nathan, sorry we couldn't enjoy your company on Sunday, we hope to see you back again. I would love to see an AQT shot with a out of the box 10-22, and I think you could do it.
What impresses me most at every Appleseed is how a handful of people who have never met show up on Saturday quiet and looking around at all the strangers, end up sharing equipment, food, gear, and smiles by Sunday. When I see someone huddled against the cold and start to think we need to scrounge up some gear for them, and then see another student running back from the parking lot with a coat. I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be than at an Appleseed. It was an honor to be your shoot boss.
Thanks to my instructors Rimshot and Sentinel, my Applecore Niecie, and my videographer Ichabod Flickenheimer. You made it easy for me to look like I knew what I was doing.
Yellowhousejake
Let's see some pictures!
Saturday as cold, wet, windy. You wouldn't know if from the smiles.
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Sunday Sentinel takes over the line. "The targets are that way..."
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Alex, getting her determined face ready.
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"What should I write on Justin's target this time?"
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Maroline checking her SHF
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Rimshot demonstrating the "Instructor seated position" for everyone. I think his SBIT is truly complete now.
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Ball and Dummy time.
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Justin's Magpul slurpy loaders.
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Concentration everywhere...
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Smiles everywhere too.
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The winning teamS!
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Our Rifleman for the weekend.
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A great weekend all around. If anyone wants their picture sent to them as high res, just PM me and we will get it emailed to you.
YHJ
Awesome weekend!! We had such a good time. Thank you YHJ, Rimshot, Sentinal, and Niecie!!
-Steve and Alex
Your line looks like they were having fun the entire weekend, I couldn't tell they were cold at all! It looks like you had a great shoot! Nice pictures!
Rimshot spends A LOT of time at home practicing that Instructor Seated Position, and it shows. Good job, everyone - looks a good time. I love Atlanta - hope to see some of you there in June!