Just got a call about an hour ago from TreadCarefully.
21 shooters at Tonopah.
That was incredible.
I learned the rifleman's cadence, now just taking one breath between shots instead of two. Now I get through the stages without unfired rounds.
I learned that you can adjust your NPOA while working the bolt. Duh.
I finally, at long last, have a sitting position that works. No more kneeling for me. Thanks, Tread! Much steadier. Usually. It's going to take some practice to cement it in.
I learned that there are no breaks at an Appleseed. There's too much to learn to stop. If you need to use the creosote bush, run! Because you're using up your prep period.
I learned to use the sling in offhand, sort-of. I have work to do when using the sling in offhand. Range time!
I met a whole lot of wonderful, self-motivated people. One couple got too beat up to continue, but still wants to learn. And I want to try my hand at instructing, but on a small scale. I'm not ready for boot camp yet. We'll meet up at the local range and see what what we can both learn.
I never once survived the charge of the redcoats. But I did shoot a lot of officers, and took a lot of those lobsterbacks to the underworld with me.
I took home a brand new Rifleman patch. That was nice.
I feel like I ran a marathon. I better drag my butt to work.
Wayne drank deeply from the firehose. :-)
Everybody drank deeply from that hose, including myself. First Appleseed as one of the guys calling the line, giving instruction and motivating shooters to continue to improve. It felt just like I were on the range myself, aiming for that redcoat, but with 21 barrels. How to get all those shooters in sync with each other?!? Six steps, and get them out of your mouth quickly and accurately! Find a little something for each shooter to work on for each AQT session! Watch for shooters to re-acquire NPOA on target shifts! Fundamentals and basics... that gets the scores higher for your line.
It was amazing to see the "before" and "after" show of hands for effectiveness on the Redcoat target at 100/200/300/400/250head.
I'd like to know if we in AZ beat Texas again this year. ;D
Someday I'll make it to an AZ Appleseed, if I can keep a rifle long enough. :-[
Armoredman,
Access to a personal rifle isn't a limiting factor for participating in an Appleseed, as typically we can arrange for an LTR to be available for loan. If you find an Appleseed that is convenient for you and you're interested in going, then ask in the organizational thread or one of the general forums if there are any that will be available.
I always take 3 to every AS I work.
Gromit
Quote from: AzGromit on April 22, 2008, 12:38:28 AM
Armoredman,
Access to a personal rifle isn't a limiting factor for participating in an Appleseed, as typically we can arrange for an LTR to be available for loan. If you find an Appleseed that is convenient for you and you're interested in going, then ask in the organizational thread or one of the general forums if there are any that will be available.
I always take 3 to every AS I work.
Gromit
This is probly true of most instructors, folks all you need to do is ask.
While there are no garantees from the program, if you ask usually some thing can be arranged on a personal basis. (You will be glad you did!)
No excuses anymore. Git yourself to an Appleseed! ;)
Some pictures of before and after the line setup.
Gromit
Some more pics to augment Gromit's.
Our hosts, the Marauders. A huge thanks to these guys.
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/azredhawk44/Tonopah%20AS%204-19-08/100_0123.jpg)
Our firing line, complete with portable shade. ;)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/azredhawk44/Tonopah%20AS%204-19-08/100_0131.jpg)
Wayne, hard at work earning that Rifleman Patch (Good Job!) ;)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/azredhawk44/Tonopah%20AS%204-19-08/100_0136.jpg)
A young woman, Krystal, from University of Arizona in Tucson. Showed up with a pink AR. Very cool. BTW, she provided us with some pink Duct Tape for nametags when we forgot to bring it ourselves. Kudos to her.
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/azredhawk44/Tonopah%20AS%204-19-08/100_0126.jpg)
TreadCarefully hard at work, giving pointers on the line.
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/azredhawk44/Tonopah%20AS%204-19-08/100_0129.jpg)
Gromit giving us some Points of Instruction.
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/azredhawk44/Tonopah%20AS%204-19-08/100_0128.jpg)
First of all thanks to Shoot Boss Treadcarefully, IIT AZgromit and AZ redhawk44 for there time and patience,as well as the site sponsers, I for one was very impressed with the Appleseed , I was only able to attend Saturday but I gained much knowledge and will return again, this was an experience that I will never forget. As a 50 year old I considered myself a fair shooter before attending but after a few hours I realized that I was a cook and not a rifleman, shooting off a concrete bench with sandbags and my spotting scope I was convinced that I was good, my first few rounds out with my newly purchased CMP M-1 Garand prone added to my ego as I was able to punch some decent groups but as the day progressed my shooting skills or lack of skills was evident as I showed that I was not able to shoot consistent, and my scores got worse as the day progressed as my choice of weapon the M-1 Garand kicked my ass and wore me out physicaly and mentally to the point of almost giving up, that Garand turned into a 20 lb ball and chain after lunch and I was bruised and battered, I can only stand in awe of our WWII and Korean War vets that used the Garand in battle to defend our liberty. I was a whipped pup and would not have survived April 19 1775 or any other day, but I live to shoot another Appleseed, and will succseed, thank you to all RWVA supporters.
Sun, heat, sand, flies, bees, lizards, cow pies, one toad and two Riflemen. Can't wait to go back!
I didn't think it possible to drink so much water, but there we were, middle of the desert, sucking it down.
Many thanks to Mike Simpson and Mike Berryman for hosting an awesome shoot. They, and AZGromit, AZRedhawk and Wayne Conrad, all deserve kudos getting this site ready. The conditions were spartan, but I don't think the shooters even noticed. Talk about enthusiasm! Talk about dedication. These people are SERIOUS about becoming Riflemen.And at a round count of 480, they PERSERVERED! (When is the last time someone 'lent out' some .308 to keep another shooting? It happened here. Thanks Brian!)
I am impressed!
We had active military, father/son teams, a father/daughter team, husband/wife teams, new shooters, old shooters, Garands, M1As, ARs, LTRs, an HK, a PTR, bolt actions, volley fire, team fire, rapid fire, we had it all. And from the sounds of it, there will be 10 or 20 shoots in AZ next year. Every other attendee had an idea for a site in their neighborhood.
Wayne Conrad set the standard for marksmanship with Buck nipping at heels. Many were knocking on the door. I had to leave before the final RedCoat was reshot, but I am confident that there were marked improvements all around.
The Arizona team is in great hands with Gromit at the helm. He took charge this weekend and will be a fine leader for the Appleseed cadre in great Southwest. We can expect great things down there.
Thank you all.
I thought this was supposed to be a tough, spartan site, but the pics sure do make it look inviting. Wish I'd been there! With a rifle! ;D
Good reports, good pics!
My thanks also to Shoot Boss TreadCarefully and IITs AZGromit and AZRedHawk44, and the Marauder's guys - I really enjoyed the effort and attitude of everyone at the event.
The "wilderness" aspect of the location I think added, rather than detracted, from the shoot - it was us and no one else there with only one purpose. Kudos to the guys that cut brush, drove fence posts and prepared the line!
I learned an incredible amount of things that I would never have even suspected and some very practical things also (e.g. 58-year old eyes and a poodle shooter with an 11" sight radius is NOT the way to break 210). So now I'm looking for an LTR to take to the next Appleseed.
The Monday after Tonopah I joined RWVA. Now, with my training certificate, my RWVA membership card, and the $600 of my money the government is giving back to me - I'm buying a CMP Garand! Stimulate the economy, Buy American! ;D
Regarding the LTR, in my recent quest for a cheap shooter I just found out that Ruger appears to be going to a plastic trigger group on all 10/22s. I've not seen anything on this board about that change so I'll post more info in a more appropriate group as soon as I figure out where that should be. (This is my first post).
Thanks again to everyone and I'm sure you'll be seeing me and some of my friends at future Appleseeds.