AAR: Racine WI July 31-Aug 1, 2010

[JoeZ]

Hello all,
Another Appleseed is finished. If nothing else, our Sunday shooters should always remember to "turkey neck"

Great weather both days and 7 walk-ons turned a low prereg shoot into a fair sized shoot.

A big thanks to our instructors with out whom this would simply not work out, Gumballhead, endpoint, Colin Z, and a surprise Ahhshoot showed up.

Great job to Gumballhead, a well deserved promotion is yours. You have earned every bit of it.

A job well done to our new rifleman Karl. Also to our 3 junior shooters, 2 shot marksman 1 got sharpshooter. Two full days of Appleseed is tough to stay focused and motivated at your age (Jake is only 12 for example) and you all three did well. I'm proud to have helped you.

Thanks again to the Racine County Line Rifle Club for their more than hospitality. The 25m berm is being improved and we could realistically raise the max number of shooters by 10. All you locals there, let's really promote our Oct shoot. If it fills up we can add target line and raise the max. With the KD promise this range has and the rapport we have with them only good things can arise from more effort put here.

Shooters, do your homework. You have the instructions in print...don't cheat yourselves and do nothing. Work on improving yourself.

Pictures will surely follow,

Thanks to all
God bless.

JoeZ

[dragonfly]

Great job everyone.       

dragonfly  Keeping the Faith

[Johnnyappleseed]

Good job Wisconsin
Is ther really a nice cool breeze off Lake Michigan at this venue?
JA

[JoeZ]

In summer it's always cooler by the lake. In winter it's always warmer by the lake. It really works out for us. WI is a great place by some Great Lakes.  (Too bad it only applies to about 5 miles in from shore.)

[Gumballhead]

Hi there everyone. 

Joe put it well. We had some great weather this weekend, and our repeat shooters from May really appreciated the cooler temps!  I wanted to thank everyone for coming out, and sticking with us.  We had a great time.  We learned some history, and improved our marksmanship skills. 

Our three younger shooters did a great job.  Guys, keep up the dry fire practice, and get some practice with the shooting positions.  Remember, there are many adults who are unable to do what you've accomplished!  Next time you're on the line, you will be amazed with how much you have improved!  Superdave went off with Ahhshoot and Endpoint for some KD action.  From what I hear, you did a great job @ KD, Dave.  Congratulations!  Shooting at 600 yards is easier than 25 yards, in my opinion.  Also, congrats to Karl on achieving rifleman!  WE had several other shooters who were knocking on the door.  Stay with it, you will get there!

It was a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope to see you again on the line with us in September!  Remember, we have spots for just the first 300 shooters.  Once the line is full, that's it!  Come on and join us for this once in a lifetime event!

[ahhshoot]

Congratulations to Gumby on the RED Hat. Well earned.
Seems like all those flatlanders have to come up here (to God's country) to be promoted.
Great job to all the young ones we had this weekend. Very focused, and safe.

[Super Dave]

Thanks, Gumballhead!

Really enjoyed doing the 500 yard shoot!  Boys asked me if I had shot further, and I had not.  Haven't shot 300 yards since Basic Training qualifying in 1985.  Was happy with what I did with all your help with my new rifle.  The other AR, well, I've had it for less than two years and really haven't shot it much.  Feeling pretty confident with both, but I would really, really, really, really like to shoot Marksman.  Ball's in my court on that one.  Boys want to do that also.  I'm encouraging all of us to have our own personal AAR's to write down some notes of what we learned so that we can review it and move forward with out foundations.  Things are always fresh after, right?

In the end, I didn't shot as well as I had in May with my 1022.  However, the bigger rifles put some holes in my technique, technique that I was most likely muscling around.  Yeah, I spent more in ammo this weekend, but the value of what I learned using the larger rifles was beyond that cost.

[ahhshoot]

[ahhshoot]

[Gumballhead]

Nice pictures!
Ahhhshoot can shoot pictures too! 

[colycat]

I had always thought Ahhshoot the best shot in Appleseed, that I know of, untill now.  Endpoint put all his shots into the 10 ring at 600 yrds.  Sub 2 mininutes of angle .  Way to to go Endpoint   I can't believe the fruits of letting him shoot my m14 last year, at Racine.  AS a student and rifleman, he could not not comprehend that I would let him shoot my gun and supply the ammo.  This is what Appleseed is about.

BTW, Elmer Keith, one of the greatest shooters ever, said no one can group a M1 Garand.  Go figure.

[Patriot Gal]

Great job to Gumballhead, a well deserved promotion is yours. You have earned every bit of it.

Congrats Gumby!!!!!  Ditto on the well deserved promotion!!!!       Sorry we weren't able to be there to see you get your well earned red hat!!    Other duties called us to be in Waterman.  Sounds like we also missed some good weather. 

I hope you take a well earned weekend off, my friend.  You certainly have earned the right to sleep in on a Saturday!!!   

See you on the trail! 
Patriot Gal and Castle Mountain

[EEL]

Man, what a beautiful range!!  Now I remember why we annexed it     I gotta tell ya, that range with the ability to have 2 lines going, one at 600, is the bomb!!  Nice place, great facilities, good people.

Another nice job by our friends and neighbors to the north.     Is Illinois blessed, or what?  

Thanks guys,
EEL

[endpoint]

Congratz on the red hat Gumballhead and great job Karl!  Hope to see everybody who shot at this Appleseed again!  Don't forget we have another one in Racine October 2-3!  And it looks like another in November too, so keep your eye on the schedule for that one!    

As to Colycat's post about my shooting, I believe I have a bit to go before I catch up to him or his son  I killed a few redcoats but due to my ill conceived cheek riser I was no where near Rifleman's Cadence.  Aahshoot wins, hands down, on accurate volume of fire!!  (I did like those groups though and I've already addressed the cheek riser issue.  Endpoint vs Redcoats II coming soon.... )  Coly, I do remember being somewhat sheepish about digging into your ammo and thanks for letting me shoot it!  You as much as anybody are the main reason I have a Garand right now.  The M1A will come later!

To aspiring Riflemen reading this, this is my part of the history of my Garand:
Eight shots fired by me on this rifle before this weekend (got Rifleman and practiced on a .22) and twenty-four rounds total.  I'm just getting to know this rifle!
One group of four rounds at 25 meters for a sighter,
Adjusted sights ONCE using IMC,
Four shot group in the black at 25 meters,
All good hits on rounds 9-24 at 300 and 500 yrds this weekend.
It's there in black and white.  What we teach at Appleseed works and works well.  There's no trick.  If I can do this, you can do this.  If you lack faith, work on what we taught you, persevere, and faith will come very quickly.  Hope I'm there to see you get your Rifleman's patch!!!

[Gumballhead]

To aspiring Riflemen reading this, this is my part of the history of my Garand:
Eight shots fired by me on this rifle before this weekend (got Rifleman and practiced on a .22) and twenty-four rounds total.  I'm just getting to know this rifle!
One group of four rounds at 25 meters for a sighter,
Adjusted sights ONCE using IMC,
Four shot group in the black at 25 meters,
All good hits on rounds 9-24 at 300 and 500 yrds this weekend.
It's there in black and white.  What we teach at Appleseed works and works well.  There's no trick.  If I can do this, you can do this.  If you lack faith, work on what we taught you, persevere, and faith will come very quickly.  Hope I'm there to see you get your Rifleman's patch!!!

Thanks for the congrats!  You made a very valid point in your post about what we instruct, and the real world applications.  I was the same way with my other two rifles.  Earned my rifleman's score with a .22, and pretty much only shot that, until it was time to upgrade.  Using the same basic skills I learned at my 2 previous appleseed shoots, I was able to place sub 4MOA groups within one enbloc.  Learn on the .22, save wear/tear/.$$, and the lessons apply directly to ANY rifle you've got!

Thanks for making such a good statement, and see you back in October! (Hopefully sooner @ Waterman 9/11-9/12)