Project Appleseed

Dateline: Wilmington, Ohio - Clinton County Farmer's and Sportsmen's Association
Subject: Good Ol' Bay 7 Withstands Hurricane During Redcoat Invasion.

The timing of the Redcoat invasion of CCFSA could not have been worse for the defenders of Good Ol' Bay 7. The prediction was dire! The situation was desperate! The fear mongers-that-be screamed from the tops of their antenna towers- "Be ready for the nastiest of all hurricane weather! Here it comes! Everyone's going to ...get wet! It's going to be BLOWEE outside!"

Eighteen brave patriots and the Greatest Rifle Marksmanship Instructor Corp in the World took up their battle stations early Saturday morning based on the latest intelligence from the Sons of Liberty spy network. The Regulars were out! And they're headed to CCFSA for another fierce battle! But what's this we keep hearing about a hurricane?!!?

It sure seemed like a perfect day for shooting. Morning drills were done. The First Strike of the Match was enjoyed by all, the safety briefing was in the books and BOOM there they were! Redcoats! A whole Line of 'em!

It didn't take long to repel the first attack as Nate and Doug made all their hits count but it was clear that we needed some time to regroup. It was at that point that the firehose of knowledge was opened wide and our fantastic group of students took it all in like men on a mission. There was a lot of experience out there and a few new faces to boot. Before we knew it it was time for some squares and a Greencoat. More instruction and still more great shooting led us to our first AQT of the weekend but the skies were getting gloomy.



Persistence was the key as the wind picked up and the rain came down. Forty rounds and a bunch of soggy mats later it was Michael (227) Nate (230) and Doug (237) all re-qualifying with tremendous ease!

The Redcoats had no issue with the weather as they lined up again for another try. Our marksmen were clearly better and another three of the dastardly demons dropped to end the day on a victorious note!

It was clear by Sunday morning that the "Hurricane" was a dud (thank goodness) and we just had some light showers to contend with. We took advantage of the wonderful facilities that CCFSA has to offer and waited out the rain with a full review of instruction and some extended history. At lunchtime SawdustJake gave us the best Dangerous Old Men stories you could ever hear, throw in a little KD and, before we knew it, the skies dried up and it was time for our own attack on those Crimson Creeps!



We had no problem driving them off the bay this time! Clearly the instruction was taking hold. After a few squares we posted an AQT and Sammy requalified with a 213 along with repeat performances by the South End Regiment, Doug, Nate, and Micheal. (Was that Nick who snuck in this morning?)

Glenn and Aaron were making some progress as were Teresa, Joe, and Russ on the other end. We couldn't miss Susan and Nancy giving it their all. Rylee was hard at it, too, with her dad, Mike, making hits count as well. Blake was a blast to work with and Jim wasn't stopping for anything!




By the late afternoon it was clear something big was in the works. Up until now it was all requals but just like that we had two new Riflemen! Irv racked up a 211 and John busted out a 213 for their first patches!




One AQT later and it was time for a North Bridge Baptism as Ian squeezed out a smooth 210!



Soon it was time for a team drill! With all they had and everything they could afford the Dangerous Old Men of the North End claimed their Fabulous Prizes of Unspeakable Value.



Finally it was time to try a Quick and Dirty AQT which was convincingly mastered by none other than Doug, Nate, and Michael. (There's a name that keeps coming up here...)

As expected those Redcoats had to try once more, it was "For King and For Country!" after all. They didn't last two minutes and were running for the berms like little red chickens thanks to excellent marksmanship by Susan, Nancy, John, and Nate..the Natural! That's right Nate the Natural was back and to prove it he shot a perfect Appleseed! Rifleman on all AQTs and four lights-out Redcoats! Nice work Nate!

When the Magic Gravel Dust of Good Ol' Bay 7 settled we racked up three new Riflemen and a good five requalifications.



A heartfelt thanks to all our safe and hearty shooters for enduring the "hurricane." Unspeakable gratitude to members of The Greatest Rifle Marksmanship Instructor Corp in the World, Redleg, Owl1, SawdustJake, Octopus, Naga, Manik, and Longrifleman. And, lest we forget, THANK YOU to the members and board of The Greatest Range in Appleseed- the Clinton County Farmer's and Sportsmens' Association.

See you next year!

I would be remiss if I didn't brag on my grandson, Ian. Immediately after his 210 on his first Rifleman, he also scored a 223 on the quick and dirty AQT! Way to go Ian!

I had a great time working with all the Appleseed shooters, both those new and returning. Hope to see you all at another Appleseed. Don't forget to invite your family and friends to come and join us.

This sounds like another incredible event in OH.  Job well done by all.