Ranger, GA AAR - May 24-25, 2026

[UpACreek]

What a great weekend!  We had 8 shooters show up to an overcast weekend.  The high temps of last weekend went away only to be replaced by an obscene amount of humidity with a couple of brief showers, ending in a deluge just as we were breaking the shoot down.  None of it dampened our spirits.  We were happy to welcome 6 repeat Appleseeders, including our returning instructor BooneCaudill and 2 shooters that had attended an event about a decade ago!  It's been a while, and we're so glad to have them return. 

Centimeter got us started on the history with the First Strike.  We successfully beat the rain the first day by waiting to tell the 2nd and 3rd Strikes at the end of the day.  Centimeter, Wileycoyote, and I were able to share a number of Dangerous Old Men and Women stories the second day as well.  We also observed a moment of silence in honor of those who sacrificed so much - it was Memorial Day, after all.

The shooters got down to the shooting business and any cobwebs were quickly swept away.  Rich was our sharpshooting iron sight master.  Cripes - he had groups those of us cheating with scopes could envy.  Pancho came in from California and claimed he hadn't shot a rifle in over a decade.  Appleseed was also supposedly new to him.  You wouldn't know it.  I have a picture of his first squares target and all 5 shots were touching.  He went on to shoot the high scores of the weekend - qualifying as Rifleman with 229 and 228!  BooneCaudill also shot a Rifleman score, requalifying after about a 6 year break.  I really hope we see him back as an instructor.  Wade shot well the first day, switching to a table late in the day after the up and down proved to be a bit too much since his last Appleseed a decade ago - those fundamentals were still there though!  Larry came well prepared, daring to shoot as a lefty (cross eye dominant).  He more than doubled his AQT score over the weekend - awesome job.  The family of 3 did great.  Just the dad attended the first day, bringing his daughters back with him the second.  We had seen them at our Easter shoot.  All 3 did well.  The dad is soooo close, just a shot away from a Rifleman score.  His oldest managed a 212 shooting off a bag!!!  She's almost tall enough to shoulder a rifle correctly.  She tried the last AQT with a sling on her own and did very well.  The youngest, only 9 years old, was on a bag the entire day and shot about an 8 MOA group at 100 yards - huzzah!  All know that a rifleman persists.  With a little more perfect practice we'll have 6 more riflemen.

A special thanks to Wileycoyote for once again providing rifles, canopies, and all around awesomeness as an instructor; Centimeter for bringing his friends both near and far and pouring over Appleseed Academy (a great resource for us instructors); Pancho for his help after the shoot (I swear I don't have shoots here just to get help around my place!!!); and all the shooters for their help in the deluge to tear the shoot down and get people on their way.  I think we got a couple of inches in under an hour.


Shooting in prone


Wade and Doug looking good in prone.


Pancho's first square our first morning.  All 5 are touching!!!  He wasn't the only one with groups like these over the course of the weekend.  Nice job, all.


Centimeter explains how our targets talk to us.


Pancho shoots standing


Wade shoots standing


Centimeter and Wileycoyote demonstrate the standing position


Wileycoyote gives a few pointers to Larry in the standing position


Shooting Stage 2 with Centimeter as line boss.


Stage 2


Doug requals as a rifleman.  We brought things inside before the 1st day showers hit.  Expertly (read very lucky) timed


Day 2 Review - thank you to the volunteer models and help


Shooting to 100!  All the shooters showed good groups.


Rich and Doug shoot Stage 2


Pancho learns that he shot his first Rifleman score of a 229!  Nice!


Wow!  What great groups at 100 yards.


Part of the crew after the shoot but before the breakdown.  An after picture would have been awesome, but I thought that'd be pushing their patience.  We were soaked!


The deluge.  Thank God it was not raining like this during the shoot.

I hope to see you all at another shoot real soon!

[Roswell]

Looks like another awesome event in Ranger! I can't wait to work this range. Good job everybody!