Castro Valley, CA August 16-17, 2014 AAR

[haleson]

A belated report belies a stirring tale!

As dawn broke Saturday morning, a blanket of fog reminded us of that cool April morning in 1775 when farmers and crafters were roused from their beds . . . and left us wondering whether we'd start on time.

But start on time we did, with a small-for-Castro-Valley crowd of about thirty shooters.  Even more exciting, our host was almost one-third youth -- including an Explorer crew from Watsonville.  Your humble Shoot Boss will need more Luther Blanchard patches in the future 

We started out with the basics of sling use and prone, then worked our way through sight adjustment and shot group analysis.  We were just about ready for AQTs by lunchtime, when we broke for a little history -- discussing the circumstances and choices of our forefathers.  This group was a little more historically savvy and "spicier" than usual . . . your humble Shoot Boss loved every second!

Refreshed, rested, and hydrated, it was back to the line for some more positions and an AQT!  We finished off the day with a redcoat and the third strike from Wes.  At the end of the strike, your humble Shoot Boss announced the results of the scoring: no riflemen, but two excellent scores: a 189 from Fred A., and a 208 from returning rifleman Andrew J.!  Whether these scores would be bested on the morrow remained to be seen . . .

"Rest well," the shooters were reminded, "for tomorrow comes early and with it comes aches and pains." 

***

Sunday dawned much like the day before: a cool blanket of fog settled upon the range, dispersed only by the cheeriness of camaraderie shared by returning 'seeders.  Waiting for the fog to lift, we got underway a little later than usual -- but all eyes and ears were attentive and before long we were underway.  Reviews of safety, position, and sling use brought us up to the lunch break and the Dangerous Old Men.  The after-lunch discussion was truly excellent.



Sunday afternoon brought what Sunday afternoon does at a CV shoot: AQTs and wildlife!  Three full AQTs before a shooter-requested break to get out of the sun, to be exact -- and a couple of turkeys running across the range    While we hydrated and cooled (and Kim scored targets), we talked about another oft-overlooked hero of the Revolution: Deborah Samson, who enlisted under the name Robert Shurtleff.

One more AQT, and then time to wrap it up -- excellent scores were turned in on Sunday.  Al gave us a 187, and Kiril returned to shoot 190 and 199.  "Z" from the Explorers turned in a 189, later bested by a 203.  One rifleman requalified: Andrew J, who warmed up with a 200 before turning in 210 and the weekend's high of 230!  It should be noted that Andrew J. also cleared every redcoat target during the weekend.

Another excellent shoot in the books for Castro Valley, and the heartfelt thanks of your humble Shoot Boss to all who made it possible: the Chabot Gun Club, the instructor cadre, and most of all: the shooters!