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Gainesville, FL April 9-10

Started by 9mm4545, April 12, 2011, 11:58:02 AM

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9mm4545

I knew it was going to be a good event when everyone was showing up early on Saturday morning. Some familiar faces were spotted and some not so familiar but everyone eager to get going and learn. Several families came with young and old alike and our firing line began to fill up. The new canopies quickly became praised by all as the suddenly-summer weather started to beat down. After the usual safety briefing and review of line commands, a variety of rifles were brought to the line and the day got started with a bang--or actually quite a lot of bangs. The initial Redcoat target results showed that, while we did have one shooter who cleared the target, there was room for lots of improvement. After setting the stage with a trip back 236 years to the First Strike of the Match in our country's drive for independence, we got down to fundamentals with the Golden Triad of Rifle Marksmanship: solid position, NPOA, and Six-steps. The improvements came fast and furiously after that short introduction and the instructors were able to nudge and tweak each shooters form as the groups began to rapidly shrink. By noon the temperatures were a balmy 90+ degrees but never a complaint was heard. After a lunch break and hearing a rousing Second Strike of the Match by ItsanSKS, the day continued with Rifleman's Cadence instruction and drills, ball and dummy drills, and finally the introduction to positions other than prone. There was some struggling with the new positions by some but it was apparent that many on the line were not only familiar with the seated position but excelled in it. Yes, Josh, I am talking to you! After a long afternoon of Florida heat and precision rifle marksmanship, we took a short break and heard the Third Strike. Onto the fabled AQT! By the end of the day, we had marked improvement in the final Redcoat target, lots of people with quite respectable scores but no new Riflemen--yet. Once the line was cleared we still had some daylight left and offered the opportunity for some more AQT's for those interested. Well, drive and persistance does pay off and Josh, who was at his very first Appleseed, hung in there and turned in a winning score. Well done, sir!

Day two began much like the day one. Everyone came early and the usual confusion was minimal. The Redcoat target showed no backsliding through the night and we were hammering in marksmanship in short order. With really excellent teachable attitudes and a fair bit of natural talent, our shooters were soaking up the teaching like a sponge and by lunchtime we had shot 2 AQT's. ItsanSKS brought some life to the remarkable men and women of our Founding Generation with tales of Dangerous Old Men and Brave Women while lunch was consumed. Rested and refreshed, the AQT Grind began in earnest, hammering out Riflemen on the anvil of the AQT. From our youngest shooter at age 11 to our oldest at age (undisclosed), the grit and determination of our fine group was obvious to see. By the end of a long afternoon we had three new Riflemen, one repeat Rifle(wo)man, and at least four more who were heartbreakingly close to the score. Greg, your 209 with a centerfire rifle was a heartbreaker. On the other hand, by the time you are old enough to drive you are going to be a formidable rifle marksman if past performance is any indication. Anne, it was truly inspiring to see you working a bolt gun so smoothly and shooting so well. The Rifleman patch is definitely in your future. I worry less about the future of our country when I see folks like Tristen, Deborah, and Emma--our youngest shooters who were all under 15 years old--and awesome! Finally, to our newest Riflemen: Josh, Bruce, and David--congratulations and well done! Josh and Bruce had both done their homework and had prepared exceptionally well as this was their very first Appleseed. Katie, you showed that you have the right stuff a year ago in St. Augustine with some very fine shooting and it is obvious with your repeated performance this weekend that you have not lost it. Way to go with showing us how it is done! David, you hung in there, did not give up, learned, and performed admirably. Good work sir; you are welcome at any of my shoots. It was a remarkable weekend and the instructors were richly paid indeed. Thanks to everyone!
The American Constitution is remarkable for its simplicity; but can only suffice a people habitually correct in their actions, and would be utterly inadequate to the wants of a different nation.  Change the domestic habits of the Americans, their religious devotion, and their high respect for morality, and it will not be necessary to change a single letter in the Constitution in order to vary the whole form of their government. - Francis Grund 1837

mattra

It sure was a super fun two days.  Thanks to all the instructors for the support and time they put into making the weekend a success.  I plan on being at the June shoot and don't be surprised when I bring ant killer and lay a perimeter around my shooting mat. 

I know Bruce is going to try to bring his dad to the shoot in June and I am going to see if I can convince my brother to come as well.  I like that OD green patch, but now I have a hankering for the desert tan patch - can't wait.

Shooting the M1 Garand was one of the big highlights of the weekend for me too - hopefully I'll have my own in the not too distant future.

-Josh

ItsanSKS

By any measure, this was a successful event.  From attendee turnout, to % of Riflemen (22%) this was an EXCEPTIONAL event. 

Many of our shooters showed great promise, having worked through most of their issues very quickly on Saturday morning.  I'm still reeling from how quickly the instruction was absorbed, even by shooters who had never been to an Appleseed event before.

The weather, while unseasonably hot, was definitely cooperative, as we didn't have a drop of rain throughout the weekend... A light breeze on Sunday worked to cool us off, somewhat mitigating the mid-90's temperature.

I'd like to congratulate our newest Riflemen:  Bruce, Josh and David.  Josh and Bruce had obviously done their homework prior to the event, requiring very little in the way of corrective instruction; it all came down to 'putting it all together on the same target'.  David initially struggled with some fundamentals issues, but was able to make the grade mid-afternoon on Sunday. 
Katie repeated her past Rifleman score, this time scoring a 214.


There were also some "Honorable Mentions" that should be recognized:
Todd, a first-time Appleseed attendee, was able to score a 207 by the end of the day on Sunday.
Anne, whose skill with a bolt-gun was awe-inspiring, put down a 202.
Dan, overcoming some major challenges (cross-eye dominance) ended up with a 208.
And finally, Greg; a graduate from our Rifleman Boot Camp back in December, has previously shot Rifleman with a .22;  for this event, trying to up the ante, Greg brought out his AR-15, intent on scoring 'Rifleman' with a "Real Rifle".  And all he got was a 209..  !@#)


Vastly more important than the Marksmanship improvement, of which there was tons, I believe that the vast majority of our students at this event really "Get it" as far as the Mission of Appleseed.  All the marksmanship in the world means nothing, if the next generation doesn't have the freedom to practice it. 

I'd like to remind everyone about that all-important 7th step.  Getting off your couch (and you've already proved you can do it!) and getting involved.  Get involved at a local level.  Get involved at the State level, and get involved at a National level- even if you didn't vote for the person currently representing your district, make sure they know how you feel about the issues that concern you.  Make sure that those people answering the phones know you by the sound of your voice.   It is not enough to simply vote- that is but the first step. 

I want to thank everyone that helped make this event truly special; from the attendees to my fellow instructors, and more importantly, the members and staff of the Gainesville Target Range. 

-ItsanSKS
"Those who would trade an ounce of liberty for an ounce of safety deserve neither."

"To save us both time in the future... how about you give me the combo to your safe and I'll give you the pin number to my bank account..."

iloveliberty

i look forward to seeing that video of anne with the bolt rifle. so proud of all the youngsters that attended this weekend. gregory has since burned his 209 target and is determined he'll get it next time with the AR.  :~ i got to hear all about the event through smoak and smoak jr.'s perpectives. sounded exciting and has me ready to go to another when i am able, probably june. i am getting the word out around our community as much as possible.
"Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." John Quincy Adams

douglas34474

Quote from: iloveliberty on April 13, 2011, 11:51:13 AM
gregory has since burned his 209 target

**) **) **)

I really felt for him when I scored that target; So close! When he shoots the score, the taste will be that much sweeter. The young man has grit, he'll make it.  O0

Had a great time as always. Good seeing old friends and making new. Hope to see you all on the Trail.

iloveliberty




I really felt for him when I scored that target; So close! When he shoots the score, the taste will be that much sweeter. The young man has grit, he'll make it.  O0

[/quote]


yes sir, i think the burning ceremony was a sort of not looking at what could've been, but only looking ahead. he has learned his father's grit and i am confident he'll do it with the AR. the most important thing to me, is what he learns at appleseed.
"Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." John Quincy Adams

smoakingun

This weekend was representitive of how I wish every weekend would go. Motivated, attentive students, not a bad attitude anywhere. It also helped that out of 22 students, 11 had spent a lot of hours working on marksmanship the entire month before the shoot O0 All in all, a fantastic weekend
A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.

Thomas Jefferson

9mm4545

I know there were pictures taken during this event. Come on, give them up! Inquiring minds want to SEE!
The American Constitution is remarkable for its simplicity; but can only suffice a people habitually correct in their actions, and would be utterly inadequate to the wants of a different nation.  Change the domestic habits of the Americans, their religious devotion, and their high respect for morality, and it will not be necessary to change a single letter in the Constitution in order to vary the whole form of their government. - Francis Grund 1837

ridefun2

I was just backing up my picture files and realized I never posted the pictures for this event. :slap:  My sincerest apologies!  Here is the link to the pictures; there are a few videos at the end (sorry for the poor quality, it was all the camera could do).

https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=09308724B579BF43&id=9308724B579BF43%21282
Evan

"Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue; and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles." - Patrick Henry

ItsanSKS

Thanks for posting those!  Better late than never, right? 

Brings back memories of an outstanding event.

So, when does the crew intend on returning to Appleseed?

We've got the 2011 RBC coming up in October....
"Those who would trade an ounce of liberty for an ounce of safety deserve neither."

"To save us both time in the future... how about you give me the combo to your safe and I'll give you the pin number to my bank account..."

Camljr

Sounds like a great shoot!

By the way, consider your quote "shamelessly stolen!"

All the marksmanship in the world means nothing, if the next generation doesn't have the freedom to practice it.

Cam


Quote from: ItsanSKS on April 13, 2011, 12:54:53 AM
By any measure, this was a successful event.  From attendee turnout, to % of Riflemen (22%) this was an EXCEPTIONAL event. 

Many of our shooters showed great promise, having worked through most of their issues very quickly on Saturday morning.  I'm still reeling from how quickly the instruction was absorbed, even by shooters who had never been to an Appleseed event before.

The weather, while unseasonably hot, was definitely cooperative, as we didn't have a drop of rain throughout the weekend... A light breeze on Sunday worked to cool us off, somewhat mitigating the mid-90's temperature.

I'd like to congratulate our newest Riflemen:  Bruce, Josh and David.  Josh and Bruce had obviously done their homework prior to the event, requiring very little in the way of corrective instruction; it all came down to 'putting it all together on the same target'.  David initially struggled with some fundamentals issues, but was able to make the grade mid-afternoon on Sunday. 
Katie repeated her past Rifleman score, this time scoring a 214.


There were also some "Honorable Mentions" that should be recognized:
Todd, a first-time Appleseed attendee, was able to score a 207 by the end of the day on Sunday.
Anne, whose skill with a bolt-gun was awe-inspiring, put down a 202.
Dan, overcoming some major challenges (cross-eye dominance) ended up with a 208.
And finally, Greg; a graduate from our Rifleman Boot Camp back in December, has previously shot Rifleman with a .22;  for this event, trying to up the ante, Greg brought out his AR-15, intent on scoring 'Rifleman' with a "Real Rifle".  And all he got was a 209..  !@#)


Vastly more important than the Marksmanship improvement, of which there was tons, I believe that the vast majority of our students at this event really "Get it" as far as the Mission of Appleseed.  All the marksmanship in the world means nothing, if the next generation doesn't have the freedom to practice it. 

I'd like to remind everyone about that all-important 7th step.  Getting off your couch (and you've already proved you can do it!) and getting involved.  Get involved at a local level.  Get involved at the State level, and get involved at a National level- even if you didn't vote for the person currently representing your district, make sure they know how you feel about the issues that concern you.  Make sure that those people answering the phones know you by the sound of your voice.   It is not enough to simply vote- that is but the first step. 

I want to thank everyone that helped make this event truly special; from the attendees to my fellow instructors, and more importantly, the members and staff of the Gainesville Target Range. 

-ItsanSKS
96 SHOOTS SO FAR!

WSMR Instructor 03/10  -  SAPPER STEEL!

�The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection�   Thomas Paine

Proverbs 22:3  -  A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even when checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy, nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat".
Theodore Roosevelt

ridefun2

QuoteSo, when does the crew intend on returning to Appleseed?

We're rounding up a new group of shooters for the October event in Gainesville.  I'm pretty sure about four new attendees for that event, and we're talking to some others as well.

Keep up the great work!
Evan

"Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue; and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles." - Patrick Henry