Project Appleseed

What a memorable first-ever Appleseed event in the northern half of Iowa!!!

First, a HUGE THANK YOU to "Chase the Adventure" for hosting the shoot!  Dale, the owner of the property, set up the target line exactly as requested.  In what may be a first ever for an Appleseed, as I was thinking out loud about my need to plan around some wooden posts on the range, Dale immediately brings out his Bobcat, tears them out and then gets fill dirt for the holes!! Talk about a responsive range!!!  What a joy to work with him and to shoot there!  We can hardly wait to come back again in September, and may even try to squeeze another event in before that!

While the "Chase the Adventure" staff were more than cooperative, the Weather was not...  We spent a little longer than usual inside the spacious Lodge doing introductions, framing the weekend and the mission of Project Appleseed, teaching the 4 Safety Rules and Safe Rifle while a rainstorm blew through to guarantee that the range would have an ample supply of mud for us to enjoy.  The wind remained our constant companion and nemesis throughout the weekend, and "chase the adventure" often transformed into "chase the targets and the handouts and the Shoot Boss's schedule and instructor's evaluation forms and anything that was not staked down."  From Saturday's first Redcoat target to Sunday's "Peppered Peep Revenge," a 25 mph wind with gusts to 35+ kept everything on the move.  One of three canopies was shredded even before the students reached the range and a second canopy had its metal frame snapped in two places overnight.  Our beautiful flag display was beginning to tatter by the second day and had to be retired early. One of our young "designated marksmen" cleared the first Redcoat with only 3 shots!  Martin so frightened those Regulars that they threw down their arms and "flew" from the field of battle!  HUZZAH!! They are most likely hiding far to the East in the Land of the Illinnoying! 

Most of our shooters were well prepared for the elements this weekend, and all had a teachable attitude.  Confronted by the "evil Red Hat in Shoot Boss's clothing," they were doused time and again with the firehose of Appleseed knowledge, were sent to the mats and got right back up to check their targets.  Down to the mat with a flurry of slings ringing in their heads (Hasty! Hasty-hasty and knocked for a Loop!), down to the mat with the 6 steady hold factors, down to the mat with the 6 steps of firing the shot, down to the mat after Inches-Minutes-Clicks, and down to the mat again with NPOA.  You'd have thought they were descendants of Rhode Island's Maj Gen Nathaniel Greene who wrote, "We fight, get beat, rise and fight again."   Soon their groups began to shrink with each course of fire.  Alex illustrated the seated position which soon made all appreciate how much less the frigid gusts affected their accuracy back in the prone position. 

Wind-chilled to the bone, it was soon time for lunch, and some HISTORY!!  A replica Brown Bess made an appearance, along with her 16 inch bayonet.  Instructor bagel shared the story of April 19th and Paul Revere's ride, with the sound of fifes and drums in the background to help set the mood.  We heard about the events leading up to that fateful night, and how well-prepared colonial Patriots mustered 14,000 men willing to risk all to defend their Liberty.  BuzzG told of Hezekiah Wyman's marksmanship and illustrated how the choices and actions of a single person (even someone "past their prime") can affect history and the course of a Nation.  Designated marksman Martin was awarded a "No Redcoats" sticker for his amazing feat against the opening Redcoat.  Our youngest designated marksman, August, was rewarded a small American flag for his persistence battling not only the cold wind, but an uncooperative scope.  Our "eldest youth," Michelle, was awarded the SBIT's personal Betsy Ross flag for displaying the heart of a rifleman while persevering against the elements with her bolt-action rifle and self-destructing magazines.
 
With bodies rewarmed by the heater in the Lodge and hearts rekindled by the bravery and sacrifices of our Forefathers, the brave band of three Reawakened American families marched back to the bulwarks along with their supply wagons.  In the gusty wind they learned from Kosciusko not only to "embrace their wobble" in the standing position but also how to time their shots with the blustery breeze!  Returning from the target line, they were met by one of the Acton Minutemen that had trained and fought at Concord's North Bridge under their beloved Captain Isaac Davis, and later bore his body home to his grieving wife Hannah and their children.  Thus inspired, our persevering shooters fought off hordes of green zombies while learning transitions and reviewing the morning's lessons.  As the day came to a close, the stories of Meriam's Corner, Parker's Revenge, Lord Percy's cannon, Gen. Heath's "Moving Ring of Fire," and Col Pickering's hesitation framed our final redcoat for the day.  Turning down the palatial rooms of the Chase the Adventure Lodge, our brave shooters set up camp among some whistling pines for a well-earned rest. 

The Sunday morning Redcoat target was followed by a drill of volley fire on command using a 100 yd scaled steel D target and emphasizing rifleman's cadence and trigger follow-through.  The ringing steel was a sweet as the sound of distant church bells!  The monotony of the subsequent AQT drills was broken by a "mad minute" team contest against the dreaded TV target.  Despite being pitted against "the rest of the world," Michelle with her boltgun and her father with a loaner rifle featuring a "walking" scope blew the competition and the television away and were rewarded with bottles of Hoppe's #9 (my favorite perfume... "Every riflewoman alive loves Hoppe's Number 9")  Before the final Redcoat of the weekend, the shooters took on the challenge of the "Peppered Peep Revenge" and after three rounds of 40 round Marshmallow Madness, "Dads Team" of Greg and Tim carried the day.  The final Redcoat would have been an anticlimax if it hadn't displayed a three-fold improvement over the weekend's opening volley!  Well done, All! 

Keep dry firing at home, come to another 'seed soon so you don't forget the skills you learned, and bring your friends!  Remember how easy it is to double our program if everyone comes back, and brings just one friend.

Thank you all again for making Southern MN's  Northern Iowa's First Appleseed Shoot a success!!

video of a stage 3 AQT with howling wind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ88XVxZAiw

Amended to correct typos and add photos/youtube link

Huzza!  Who crossed out Southern Minnestota? 
I'm certain you've got 'em all sayin'; ya, shure, you betcha!

Sounds like perfect seedin' weather!  Great work shooters!

Congratulations Cooper!

Quote from: Cooper on May 02, 2011, 07:35:25 PM
...In what may be a first ever for an Appleseed, as I was thinking out loud about my need to plan around some wooden posts on the range, Dale immediately brings out his Bobcat, tears them out and then gets fill dirt for the holes!!

Wow! That is amazing!

Quote from: Cooper on May 02, 2011, 07:35:25 PM
...and were rewarded with bottles of Hoppe's #9 (my favorite perfume... "Every riflewoman alive loves Hoppe's Number 9")

LOL! It does have a distinctive fragrance. We just bought a whole quart of the stuff over here. ...we still need to get the cosmoline out of that Mosin...


God bless you instructors for doing what you do and the types of weather conditions you do it in, week after week after week! And with patience and good humor, too.