Just a reminder to everyone that there will be a condensed 3-day RBC coming up September 7-9 at the Ben Lomond Gun Club in Ramah, Colorado.
Long Rifle will be running this event that will focus on 100-400 yard shooting all 3 days. All aspects of full-distance shooting will be covered including range estimation, wind estimation, trajectory and comeups. Full-distance AQTs will be shot.
Come join in the fun! More information can be found at:
http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=23788.0
Kim
Jim and Kim Heath
CO State Coordinators
This was a great RBC. The format (3day) is spot on as far a being just the right time. I've been to a few six-day events. They are fantastic as well but in this case, Alan had the plan and methods down to keep it running and get the info out in a clear manner. For those that have the time I'd say go to a 6 dayer. If your time is scarce then a 3 day is the way to do it.
We did KD all day and thanks to Crazy Tim for hauling us to and fro with his new truck! Best part is networking and finding new people in the program to share ideas and make new friends.
Good shooting all, and best regards, Sheepdog
Owing to poor attendance for our upcoming RBC in Myakka City, we have been forced to shorten it to a 3-day event. I am working up a high speed POI for same. We should compare notes afterwards. Sometimes necessity is the mother of great invention! :--- :---
PH
I strongly recommend speaking with Long Rifle. He has some good notes, hand outs and such. I bet he'd be willing to share.
S-dog
Dan and Alan are planning a 3-day RBC at Whittington in May. I'll be there. Made it to 5 days of the week-long RBC this past summer. Too long for most...too much time off work. Alan's format is superior...takes into account that most folks can take a day off work adjacent to a weekend. We just have to require that a person have been to an Appleseed first. Spend the whole 3 days on full distance.
-David
I was a full RBC skeptic until we had our first in FL. Yes, it's a lot of time, but it's well worth it. The full RBC is king at creating better instructors and bonding those instructors into a team. Where I once considered the RBC concept to be obsolete - I am now converted. IMHO, every state should run one RBC per year if at all possible.
That said, it is what it is - improvise, adapt, and overcome. We had the choice of cutting this year's RBC from the schedule or adapt - we chose to adapt.
My plan is to run day one on an "enhanced" Sat POI. I will focus on teaching the students how to perform Safety Rules, Line commands, Six Steps, IMC, and only a proper prone demo, to save time. While this will leave gaping holes in their education, it will allow them to be of some use on a firing line after the event.
After dinner we will work on telling the story (They can sleep when they git home). Day two and three will be advanced marksmanship and how to do a standard event KD presentation, with more history each evening.
We'll spend the AM of day two covering the academics of KD and the following 1.5 days shooting at full distance. I already have a well proven POI for that portion. The day one POI will be outlined using past experience as a guide to time constraints and we'll see how it goes.
By pulling 12 hour days, I hope to get most of the RBC POI completed within the reduced time allotted. We have a regular event still following, so the students will be expected to serve as instructors, using what they have learnt at the modified RBC.
This would not work at all well for truly green attendees, but the ones we have signed up so far are all "veteran" attendees, or "repeat offenders" as we call them down here.
Needless to say, it's something of an experiment that was begat by necessity. I'll post a full IAAR upon completion.
PH
With Riflemen, three days is about right. To bring a full line of attendees who are not riflemen to a Riflemen level, averages four days in my experience. When we add in KD instruction and field work we get to six days.
The idea behind the original RBC's was to give someone the skills that he needed as both a rifleman and instructor in a short time frame. The side effect was that it created long standing relationships that many of us believe improve the program. In other words, a win/win!
If your students are riflemen or instructors it can run faster. For example, you can cut out the mock Appleseed completely with a class of instructors. You can use evening hours to work on history and instructional improvement. And, you can make the most of your shooting time via close attention to the student's progress.
I will say though, that my usual POI runs 8 AM - 9/10 pm for the first three days. Sunday's after dinner class is improving your telling of "The Story." Monday's is AR/M1/M14 maintenance. Depending on weather I like to do a night target identification class on Tuesday or Wednesday. The other nights are student request. We can work on whatever they might like and I might even have a "Rifleman" movie, or historical documentary (such as the Patrick Henry Speech at the 2nd Virginia Convention in 1775) with me for us to watch as a group.
It is true that it is not easy to take 5 full days off of work. But for me, it has proven worth it at six or so RBC's over the past few years.
Just to clarify, it is not one vs. the other as the only choice. A condensed is designed around the KD skills and simply another tool in the instructors tool bag.
Not everyone wants to become an instructor, but many want the full on KD part which can be done in 3 days.
To maximize the experience, one needs to have attended an Appleseed or 2 and preferably shot "Expert".
Different areas could actually have slight adaptations to suit their needs.
I see this as an exciting new option.
Dan