Project Appleseed

Summer is in full swing and we were blessed with clear skies, tolerable temperatures, and another fantastic weekend at the WCW Shooting Sports facility as they prepare to celebrate their 80th year of bringing safe and fun marksmanship of all disciplines to this community. WCW (Wildlife Committee of Washington) held true to their name and we got a few three-point velvet deer wandering the 100 yard berm in the morning as we were getting setup. Sixteen shooters joined us and the critters, including three families, six youth, and one even celebrating their 12th birthday with us at the range! It warms our hearts to see so many young shooters learning safety, new skills, and their heritage.

We start as always with history and the first strike, then the Hits Count target. We were actually quite excited to see most folks not engage that many silhouettes with at least three rounds - sure maybe a bit more work overall, but the WA crew is up to that challenge and know the reward in seeing groups tighten and shooter's confidence level rise is worth every second. After hearing about what went on at Concord in 1775, shrinking groups is exactly what happened, rifle fits were sorted out, slings adjusted, and NPOAs shifted. We did not have quite enough time to get through a second hits count at the end of the day, but shooters got a taste for the time demands of the AQT, and history questions were answered with the third strike.

Sunday saw all shooters return, none dissuaded by the rushed pace at the end of Saturday. A bit of honing to the skills learned yesterday and we started shooting AQTs. Beau was first to qualify with a 219! He followed up with a 213 and 215. Eric was next with a 216! Chris B wouldn't stop and got it done with a 211! Jamison, who's been tenaciously practicing, finally achieved his goal for a distinguished score with a 241 on the last AQT of the event! Volunteers Amy, Wes, Eric, and Matt all were able to requalify and prove they're not just all talk, they're pretty excellent shooters too. By the end of Sunday, most shooters were hitting the smallest two silhouettes. All had measurable improvement, and to those who were close, or still trying to get close: A Rifleman Persists. We look forward to seeing you again a the next one!