RBC, Piru, CA, Nov 8-15

[Junior Birdman]

   And then there was one......

  This was a small RBC to begin with, and as they dropped out like flies, it became an even smaller one. Thanks to ArtKat2 for hanging in there all week long!  If not for the Instructors who took part in the event, you would have been alone.

  We started out as a "retro" RBC, harkening back to the days of yore, when RBC1 took place, and adding a few tid bits we've learned along the way.  

  Days 1 through 3 were stock RBC, and since the class was small and very talented at placing rounds on paper we moved ahead rapidly. By Tuesday we were a half day or more ahead of schedule, so we had the Advanced Rifleman class done by Tuesday night and spent all day Wednesday and Thursday on the VERY nice Piru "Wes Thompson Rifle Range" where we whacked paper targets for the AQT out to 400 yards and then gathered data out to 600 yards, finally spanking the 1000 yard steel Wednesday evening. (Who says you can't hit past 400 yards with your 16" AR15?  )  

  Thursday was more KD and the shooters got a chance to work out with rifles they'd never shot before, gaining insights, knowledge, and skills for the trail. Thursday evening we posted F.E.R.T.s, or Field Expedient Reactive Targets, (AKA "Piru Pop Ups", or balloons), and ran a course on them, whacking ballons, steel, paper, and any other item that would dare attack our position in a cacophony of dust, smoke, noise, fire, shouting, and all the other things that make this country GREAT!  What a great way to end the KD part of the RBC!

  Camping was great because I had the use of Dano's camper for the week. Not sleeping in the dirt and wind of Piru was a new experience. The shower was the ususal superb, and all attendees were glad that I could do all the work required and still maintain the coiffure in fine form every day. They all shouted dibs every evening to see who got to smell me first as I exited the shower and headed back to camp. The tradition continues.....

  Nights around the fire were excellent as always, some of the best times at the RBC are found there and this camp was no exception.

  Of course we got to play cowboys and round up the cattle occasionally, and I even saw the coyotes chasing a deer accross the hills at sunrise one morning. Piru is a beautiul place and if you haven't camped there, you miss out on such adventures.  And who can "forget" those challenging K.I.M. excercises every morning??? 

  The weather cooperated well, and we had only a few sprinkles of rain one evening. The wind was there as usual toward the end of the event, and again in spades at the Appleseed to follow, wiping out the entire line, flags, and threatening the porta jon and shower. (Piru has got to be the only place I've ever see rifles blown away!)

  All who attended had a good time, and I thanks you all for your hard work during the week. Special thanks to the Red Hats who made my job easy and my life somewhat comfortable with your camping supplies, food, etc. I think I gained five pounds.

  Y'all pitch in with your memories and accomplishments!  JB

[V]

I'm really sad I missed this event, couldn't get the time off from work, but I dropped around some evenings to sit round the fire with folks and got out to watch the thursday KD for a few hours on an extended lunch break. I'm envious of the fun and camaraderie you folks got to enjoy!

Happy2BAlive published some great photos from the event over on the AS AAR which I had the pleasure to shootboss.

Cheers
V

[jacques]

You were all part of it V.  I will post up some pics when I get home from work.

[jacques]

Yes JB, your Coiffure was in fine form most of the week. For those that did not get the experience of the nasal euphoria of JB when he exited the shower, well, maybe next time.

My choice of vacation boiled down to RBC or a week in Playa Del Carmen at my villa. I chose RBC and do not regret it one bit. The Bro time at the fire and getting to know Junior Birdman, Koolaid, Dano, Hollywood marine, Arkat, Nina, John  with some visits from V, Bob210, Socalserf, Laylopro and Desertdog was great. There is not a person amongst these that I would not trust fully. All great people to the bone. There is nothing I could think of that is better than spending time with fellow Appleseeders.

I signed up for this as a student. As Bob210 suggested it would be a good experience. And that it was. Not really sure what to expect. It truly was a learning experience for me. I have been shooting for some time, but never really learned to shoot correctly until an Appleseed. My goal going into this was to score an AQT with my AR. Everyone had a 210 or above by the end of the second day. I shot a score with my carbine and rifle. Thanks for the pin JB. My rifle swing swivel nut came loose (after scoring with it) inside my free float handguard and I didn't have the tools to get the barrel nut off to retrieve it. Thanks to Koolaide, bringing it to a master gunsmith that night to fix it. Stuck with my carbine for a few days, scored an AQT with that also.

I do not have an M1A. But after seeing the distance they can get and shooting one, I am convinced it is time to save some money and get one. Maybe I will sell my Saiga and AK pistol to help fund that. The surplus Enfield form Big-5 Arkat was shooting reached 1000 yds, no problem. It convinced me I am  going to have to get the surplus Enfield from Big-5 out of my closet (that has been sitting there for years) and clean off all the cosmoline.

Hollywood Marine, sleeping on that cot outside in the cold all night, well, the only way to get him up was to bait him with bacon and eggs in the morning. That is right, breakfast in bed.

With the bell targets hung at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards and shooting through and AQT with those, the do look exactly the same, through the front sights,  as the 25m AQT's we hang up at appleseeds. With true master instruction from a Master Instructor and gathering data on our sights and figuring our come ups I found out, Hey, this stuff really works.

Learned a lot about my reloads also. Those 69gr SMK at 2600ft/sec drop like a rock between 300 and 400 yds. Had to switch to 55gr at 3200 ft/sec for that distance. Time to figure out a new load that works for everything. With those 55gr, and JB looking on, hitting steel consistently at 500yds with iron sights was not a problem.  Just get that NPOA and trust it. Bang-ding-bang-ding-bang-ding. What fun.
What I learned at this RBC is invaluable information put into practice.

Though my elbows were bleeding, they didn't seem to care anymore after a few days. So here I am at work. Reflecting on the week and companionship, recovering (a little sore) from RBC.

The Appleseed on the weekend, well, that is in another AAR.

Jacques

[LayloPro]

Fun times to be on the range...finding what does, and doesn't work......

Walking in on Thursday to be accosted (yes, accosted!! No other word describes it better!) by Brutha Kool who pointed to his bull barreled Remmie 700 & said I -had- to try it out....ok, 2 clips of "poodle shootin' ammo", we played with his "arcade target" @ 100, then found from 100 to 300 yds only required 1 dot's worth of hold over......
However, to reach from 100 yd to 400 yrd required -all- the dots, and a tiny bit of vertical line to hit....100-500? just put the very bottom nubbin of the bottom vertical slightly above the target's top, and you could hear "ding..."

Then, my .25-06 seemed to need "multiples of clicks" added when shifting each 100 yd increment.....however, once set, being a steady "dinger" of 700 yd metal bowling pins still put a smile on my face......

JB & KA both seemed to like my trigger job on it too..... <

The campfire time was also a great time to spend together with the other instructors, altho one fello in particular seemed to keep trying to recreate a particular scene from a Mel Brooks movie....a wise man -always- stays up wind of fellow critters......

Sad to leave, but Mama was already peeved at me "staying too long" (since when did midnight become "too late?")
Another one for Cali in the bag....it's all good, and we always learn more at each one....and that just makes us better.

Wish I had brought my camera......there were some really good blackmail opportunities missed.....

LLP

[jacques]

Here we go. My camera battery was dead for 1/2 the RBC.

[jacques]

After moving to an undisclosed location

[jacques]

KD



Looking back at the firing line


Desert Dog joined us for a (needed) dinner out.

[LayloPro]

Burka burka.....Yanni's......

[jacques]

SOme one on one

[jacques]

[Junior Birdman]

  This RBC had what they all need:  More COW BELL!

   Thanks for the pics, jacques!  (It's true, the camera really does add 68 pounds to you!  )

[jacques]

I think this is where JB kicked Dano for breaking the 4th safety rule.

[jacques]

That is all I got, HM has more I think.

[asminuteman]

.

[artkat2]

Yep... Life is good!
 JB, the thanks should go out to you for 6 days of outstanding instruction, and it doesn't stop with you. Dano, Koolaid, Hollywood Marine and Jacques (I know, you were supposed to be a student!), thanks to all you guys!
 What a week, my head is still spinning with random bits of knowledge driven in by the dust of Piru (ELEVEN OH NINE!). When I hear the wind in the trees I immediately start calculating the correction, I find myself staring intently at the countryside looking for small military objects and determining whether or not they are serviceable and I keep having nightmares about a blue rock, bent rusty nail and a north pointing .223 case..

  Yep...it was a great week. Having a 700 yard range with a 1K yard gong all to ourselves has to be about the best deal going. Jacques, thanks for the time on your AR, another few AQT's & I think I may have been close.
 Dano, and Kool, thanks also for the time on your M1A's. That was my first time on either of those rifles...I can see a serious hole developing in my wallet!

 V, Dano, I'll likely be working some of your shoots in Piru in the near future. Jacques, LLP, I'll definately be working Santa Barbara. JB, Hollywood Marine and Kool Aid, when our paths next cross I'll undoubtedly be a better man for it!

 Thanks Guys
Andy

[artkat2]

Desert dog!
  I didn't mean to exclude you, That makes 5, yes FIVE red hats, and JB to one little orange hat on KD Wednesday. I'll take that kind of classroom ratio any day!
  Desert dog, I may show up out there some day soon as well. I love the desert in the winter and spring!
  Andy

[LayloPro]

(It's true, the camera really does add 68 pounds to you!   )


uhhmmmmm, in a word, no.....it's the OREO's....that's why we are now on a "Holy Mission" to kill the little buggers.....right now, as I type, I killed 5 of them.....personally. By myself....no one to help me.....

And -THAT's- the way that cookie crumbles......

LLP

[Cal 7.62]

I was really hoping to make it down there for at least an evening or two. Alas, such was not to be. Looks like I missed a good time.   <

[The Guy]

Sheesh, and I thought I ran a fun RBC.  Figures, I missed a good one.  tarnation!

[AFTERMATH]

Sheesh, and I thought I ran a fun RBC.  Figures, I missed a good one.  tarnation!

Now, Guy, don't beat yourself up....
I don't see any rain, snow, or frost; in those pics.
No cars in stuck in ditches/rock quarries. 
I'm sure it couldn't possibly be as fun as the last one you ran....



Though, I'm sure it was close!
Wish I could have been there too,
Someday I shall attend Bootcamp in Piru.

[DesertDog]

After reading the RBC COF, Day 4 called for target detection in the morning and KD in the afternoon.  I came down for Wed with only 240 rds with my M1A...mistake.   to myself.  They were ahead of the game and I didn't have enough ammo for a full day of KD and FD AQT's.

However, hitting that 1000 yd steel with my unaltered M1A with South African surplus, using only what I learned at Appleseed, was a great feeling .  Thanks to JB for spotting.  I learned alot that day.

The best quote I can come up with is stolen from JB, "It's always better in the company of Riflemen."  Breaking bread with Appleseeders ranks high on my list of great things, this day was verification of it.  

Arkat2, you are welcome in Ridgecrest and my house anytime you want.  Anybody else as well.

DD

[LayloPro]

came down for Wed with only 240 rds with my M1A...mistake.

Gee, Dog, ya think??!!??

And people think -I'm- the one who's OCD about having "enough ammo".....

You can -never- have enough ammo....there will -always- be more targets than originally anticipated......

LLP

[DesertDog]

came down for Wed with only 240 rds with my M1A...mistake.

Gee, Dog, ya think??!!??

And people think -I'm- the one who's OCD about having "enough ammo".....

You can -never- have enough ammo....there will -always- be more targets than originally anticipated......

LLP

Very true.  Ammo is like beer, you can't have too much.