Raton, NM NRA Whittington Center March 19-20, 2011

[TaosGlock]

This cold blustery March weekend was the 2011 opener for the Appleseed Project's schedule at the NRA Whittington Center.
Oscar from Taos and his friend Frank from El Paso were the  first 2 shooters of the season to turn out.
With a high instructor/student ratio we got 2 very full days in.
Temps were high 30's to mid 60's. Typical for NM this time of year, and great shooting weather.
Winds however made it a bit more challenging and averaged 10 mph with gusts on Sunday afternoon to over 30 mph.

Our founders would be proud of both shooters and instructors for continuing the tradition of marksmanship that birthed this great nation. The heritage they left us can never be repaid. The Appleseed Project will be sure the flame of liberty never burns out.
Here the flags of our Founders fly proudly. They represent the blood shed to obtain our liberties.
Do you know their story? It is one of the many you will hear when you attend one of our 2 day marksmanship and heritage clinics.


More pics and write up later....

[TaosGlock]

a few more...

Safety rules by redneck.


Sling and prone demo by oneshot_onehole and redneck.




6 steps by oneshot_onehole


Inches, minutes and clicks by oneshot-onehole.


Instruction on the line. Note the flags in the distance and the wind flag in the foreground.


coloradomike.


coloradomike demos sitting.


BlueFeather and oneshot-onehole instruct the standing position.


Frank and Oscar shoot in the standing position while redneck and coloradomike watch the line.


redneck and coloradomike.
Note the flags in the background. Typical wind for the weekend.

[TaosGlock]

more...
After April 19th, 1775, there were so many folks wanting to join the up with the various colonial militias that a marksmanship test
was designed to weed out less qualified shooters.
Could you pass a similar test with a modern rifle? The Appleseed Project has such a test and it is fun to shoot!
Frank and Oscar did!

A chilly Sunday morning Redcoat target is explained by BlueFeather. This is a 25M qualifying
Target. 13 rounds, one for each colony for distances to 400M.


Firing in prone position. BlueFeather instructs Frank.


Instructors all got trigger time on Redcoats, squares and AQT's. BlueFeather with her AR15.


Me with my M1A.


BlueFeather and Frank on the KD line. We shot at 300 and 500M steel.


Both Frank and Oscar brought out their 30-06 bolt guns for this portion of the shoot.

Oscar finishing a course of fire on the the AQT.

[TaosGlock]

more...

BlueFeather shoots rednecks totally tricked out M1A and Shepherd scope at the 700 yard 3MOA target. Do you know how many inches that is? Come to an Appleseed and find out.
Redneck, btw, is a gunsmith student at the Trinidad State Junior College.

Hey BF! Save some ammo for the rest of us. Look at the pile of brass you made!
Yeah I know that M1A is all blinged out...yada, yada.


Just above oneshot_oneholes Red cap is a group of wild turkeys that quickly makes their way across the firing line just before the first Redcoat target gets shot.


Ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire! Stand easy! A group of deer get too close to the end of the firing line.


Oneshot_onehole and his wife Prone to Knit.
Hey, did oneshot_onehole's hat just turn green?
Sure did!  And he ran the entire event by himself from the get go! Congrats Jim!
Colorado is richer with one more Shoot Boss!


Group shot: Frank, Mike, Jim, Kim, Bob, Gillian and Oscar.


Congrats to all the shooters and and all the instructors.
Thanks Frank and Oscar for the honor of letting us instruct you in the ways of marksmanship and to tell you the story of our heritage.

Our Founders would be proud and as John Adams said,
"Posterity, if you ever forget the sacrifices we made for your freedoms, we will repent in heaven we even made the sacrifice".
The Appleseed Project will never forget.
Marksmanship and heritage, April 19th, 1775 style.

Join us right here as we celebrate 236 years of freedom and liberty, April 19th 1775 style, on April 16 and 17th.
But hurry as this events fill fast!

[redneck]

March weather is kinda iffy up here, hence the poor turn out. April is always better. However, our two shooters got lots of one on one instruction and the improvement in accuracy was very impressive. If I heard it correctly, one of the shooters bought his first rifle the week before the shoot. He was totally new, and rightfully proud of his newly developed shooting skills by the time we got to closing time late Sunday.

Dan, you gotta stop putting up such nice pictures! Now everyone will want to come out here! Hope you save a spot on the line for me, cause this is the most incredible range in the country! I'll shoot with you guys anywhere anytime! See you on the trail.....

[CSHR]

That 'tricked out' M1A looks like it belongs in 'the terminator' or one of the transformers movies....must be fun and accurate to shoot though.

Dan, once again you gotta start writing for a newspaper or magazine, I come away wanting to 'be there'. I envious of the KD 

Gill, I had your namesake this last shoot....cold, hot, rain, tired, sore, every AQT and not a peep out of her....well maybe..are you doing ok??? 'yes sir' and back to the line....great girl who shoot well at 11.

Congrats 1S1H  another GH

CSHR

[redneck]

Nothing shoots like a tricked out M1A1 Match Grade rifle. My scope is at the factory for warranty work, life time warranty, so I was shooting with a "loaner". How many companies will do that for you? I "cleaned the clock", hitting all the redcoats and the 250 yard HS, twice. Later, I hit one of the little steel targets, which was at 300 yards, the equivilent of a 1,200 yard shot. With a good rifle and three years on the Apple Seed trail, it can be done.

After I get my gun shop business started, I hope to build such fine toys.....

Out shooting the shoot bosses.... thats priceless! See ya on the trail....