What a hot weekend! Fourteen patriots braved the heat and humidity to learn some heritage and marksmanship. Thank you shooters for staying safe, staying hydrated, and knowing your limits. Safety this weekend went beyond the 4 rules. Instructors can not see dehydration or heat exhaustion as easily as a muzzle sweep. That had to be monitored by each individual. You guys did great, and I appreciate that.
We did not have any new riflemen, but Russ made up for that by re-qualifying many times with his AK. I saw shooters make great strides, groups got smaller, and scores got higher. Charles, Kirk, Bryan, and Andrew, you guys are all on the verge, do not get discouraged. A Rifleman persists!
I will get some pictures up soon, but I don't think they can convey the oppressive heat that we dealt with all weekend. If anyone else took some pictures, or wants to share comments - please post them!
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Congrats to all.Huzzah to Russ using an AK.Was it a stock model?I've not seen one used at an Appleseed.
Ken :F
The ak Russ used is stock but it is US made (at least the barrel) and is much higher quality than the basic model. Has a manual bolt lock back too.
Too bad the photos can't show how HOT it was. I only spent 1 day and was whipped. My hat is off the the shooters. It was a tough one for you guys
The first day was pretty much in full sunlight, but offering a great review and reinforcement of the fundamentals. I never get tired of listening to the history portions during the day. I made my goal of a Sharpshooter goal with a score of 191 on the last AQT on Saturday!
On Sunday we were lucky to get a few clouds and a brief rainstorm before the humidity really started pounding us. There were a few complaints, but everyone still stuck with it! Towards the end of Sunday, Brian brought out his U.S. Postal Meter M1 Carbine for an AQT, and it was neat to see that in action. I felt inspired and brought out my '54 HRA Garand to do an AQT. It was tough without a 2 rnd match clip, but I already have one ordered for next time. The M1917 leather sling actually felt more comfortable to use albeit more complicated to use.
I didnt beat my 191 score on Sunday, but I did get a few 170's. I am inspired to keep practicing keeping the front post in focus (hard to do), and find a way to practice kneeling and prone before October. My uncle is already looking forward to participating on the next one!
Thanks to all the Instructors during the weekend for their dedication and help for us participants!
I just got my 2-round Garand clip in the mail! With this and a full 8 rnd clip, I can correctly complete a stage of the AQT without having to fumble with partial clips and such. The clip is made by AEC and was about $3.50.
See you in October!
Charles
wish I could have made this one