Canon City, or how to celebrate April 19th!

[Dad]

   What a great place to shoot. When the instructors showed up at the range, Franktown Kid,( our host), already had most of the work done. A little stapling and we were in business.
    This was an enthusiastic bunch of students. Saturday had a total of 44 shooters, 2 shot Rifleman scores with several " knocking on the door".
    Lost a few on Sunday, but gained 2 new students. 4 more Riflemen on Sunday. This included a young lady, (age 15) who shot a 230, and a new Rifleman who shot a 242, and a young man who put all 13 rounds on the Redcoats.
    These shooters came to work hard and learn. Nearly all asked " when are you guys having another one in Colorado? And several asked about becoming an instructor.
    Many thanks to SNAITF, Sleepy Joe, Posterity and Believer, Franktown Kid and his wife Holly. And thanks to all the students for coming and working hard.
    I look forward to going back to Colorado.

[socalserf]

Kudos to the Colorado Crew!
Nice work getting the turn out, nice work turning out Riflemen(and Riflewomen).

[cj]

Thanks Dad and all the other instructors out there! It was a great experience for me, and was surprised to be shooting 197 after only a day of training with a rifle. And special thanks to the instructor (sadly, I'm not even sure who it was!!! I just saw a red hat leaning over me and cried out 'I need help with my NPOA!') who gave me some extra tips that led to me shooting that 197, even while not managing to get two rounds off during the sitting stage.

Unfortunately I had to leave early, but with what I learned and how well the instructors got me shooting, I don't doubt a rifleman patch will be in my future.

And special thanks to Franktown Kid, Holly, and their dogs for hosting in that fantastic, beautiful setting. Each drive out every morning was an adventure...racing pronghorns, seeing deer, buffalo, and cows all along the road, in the lovely backdrop of the valley. So I hope they manage to dig up some more rocks for us to lie on for the next time around (and hoping we weren't too much of a pain to discourage that next time!) 

[boulderphoto]

Many thanks to all who helped put this weekend together.

I've never had an ounce of formal firearms training so this was long overdue.
And while I learned a lot in 2 days, I still have a long way to go - so I definitely plan on attending another event ASAP.

I chose to stick with the spirit of the project and learn to shoot a proper military rifle with open sights. I'm pretty sure I could have improved my scores dramatically if I'd used my scoped 10/22. Especially since I can hardly focus on the front sight of my 16" barrelled AR.

So I'll either have to find a rifle with a front sight far enough away that I can focus on it without specs - or get some specs, which I've never used before. I'm thinking about a new gun

As for the photos, I have added a folder to my website - just a few pics there so far.
Bookmark the link and check back in a few days -I'll be adding to it as I Photoshop more pics in my spare time.
Until then , check the other links for pics from other shoots.

I hope to see you folks again very soon.

keep in touch

Scott Murrish
Boulder-Photo.com/AppleSeed
http://boulder-photo.com/2004-shoot
http://boulder-photo.com/2008-shoot

[RifleWoman]

Great pictures.  I'm sorry I missed it, I would have liked to see Tacy beat her dad by getting her Rifleman before him.  Dang, the important things you miss.

[voortrekker]

Thanks for the really, really terrific pics.

Our flag shows the wind was bucking, so it was at Davilla, TX as well.

Speaking of Davilla, TX, I noticed some familar faces, in the pics.

SNAITIF, Sleepy Joe, Rich, and Dad with whom I shared camp at Rifleman Boot Camp in Davilla, TX November 2007.

I will never forget those memories of us shooting side by side that week of November 2007 in Davilla.


Thanks to all the instructors and shooters in Canon City, COLORADO!

Go, COLORADO, GO!!!!!

And a very special thanks to Rich for making this happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Brett out.

[Tazer]

I had so much fun at Appleseed! I was so ecstatic to get my rifleman! I have to say it was pretty cool beating my dad.  the day before i was declaring myself a cook, so i guess i improved a lot thanks to the help from Believer, "Dad", my dad (Cache), and Posterity!

Thanks so much,
Tazer ~ Tacy

[Cache]

Well I'll forgo my list of perfectly believable excuses for not scoring rifleman at the canon AS (I was one of those knocking on the door with a 205)       instead I'll bask in the pride I have in both my daughters, who both did so well.    

It was great to meet some of the fine volunteers we have. Dad, Believer, Posterity, Joe, Steve, Franktownkid (host), and Cindy (a.k.a. Hot Brass, who hadn't registered yet at the time of AS, but hopefully we see on the forum soon)... Thank you all for a great experience.  Dad, you especially set a great positive tone to the event. When encouragement was needed you were right there to give it. 

[sleepy Joe]

What a great experience, it was good to meet all the instructors outside of Texas, and good to serve again with you "Dad" inspiring to see young Alex shoot the Red Coat target, good job Alex and everyone else don't forget what you've learned and rember to "Dry Fire" every chance you get.

[Overload]

Here's my unvarnished review, cross posted from another forum:


Appleseed Project, put on by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, held nationwide training on April 19-20, the anniversary of the opening of the Revolutionary War with the battles of Lexington and Concorde. I checked out the Colorado meet north of Canon City (southwest of Colorado Springs). The range was about 4 hours from me. Both days the weather was warm and clear, with some wind in the afternoon.
We were on a slightly hilly range, with targets set at "25 yards" (my rangefinder said closer to 30). The class was overfilled at about 40 people, so we were elbow to elbow on the firing line. It was very common for brass to hit other people, for legs to run into legs in prone position, and no distance between shooting mats. The worst for me was a AR-10 with muzzle brake. I was 4 people over and it still was annoying. On the second day I set myself far right so I wouldn't cross legs with anyone as I'm a lefty. The Ruger 10/22 and AR-15 were the most common weapons used, the M1A next, and then an assortment of others including tube fed .22. Shooting strings were 10 shots or less, but many included reloads. I took a AR-15 setup for National Match Service Rifle.

Safety was strong, with much time taken after shooting a string to make sure everyone was unloaded, mag out, bolt locked back, safety on, and chamber flag in. This ment all chambers were open to the dust and grass/straw on the range most of the time. My rifle is covered in dust, but I had no malfunctions. The only maintenance I did was swab and brush my barrel after the first day. Others had problems.

The objective was to qualify on the Army Qualification Test target, a series of smaller and smaller upper torso & head targets ment to represent 100 - 400 yard shots scaled to 25 yard ranges. The closest (1 at 100yds) is done standing, the second (2 at 200yds) sitting, and the other two prone (3 @ 300yds & 4 @400yds). There is a time limit to each string, and reloads are required on some strings. The targets are scored max of 5 points per hit down to 3 points, and total point of at least 125 is qualified.
Here's what they look like:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2404913/AQT-Targets-IV

The class has two parts, the first being historical lessons on the April 19th, 1775 battles, and the second being the shooting.

The instruction focused on the three positions mentioned, with most practice and shooting done prone. We were taught to use iron sights and sling, although some rifles had bipods and scopes. I was a little fast paced for me, due to cramped positions, and little time to practice what we were taught before having to shoot the string, then moving to the next lesson. This was my first rifle course.
I got prone mostly down, but my arms are too short (I think) to cradle the AR with sling and front and rear elbows getting the rifle off the ground. One string clicked for me, felt great, and presented very stable sight picture. I shot a tight group, but was unable to replicate what I did after that. I still don't know what I did differently that time. I never got the sitting posting down as we shot it rarely. I understand the ideas, but my body seemed to be unable to match what was being taught. I could do the position without rifle, but not holding it. Standing, I feel I could do OK, but wished my rifle was lighter (a whopping 14lbs).
I came back Sunday for more practice, but gave up around noon. I was too tired from the first day, and my shooting was worse than when I started. I'm glad I did the class, and will try and implement what I was taught in the future as I work on my shooting. I would recommend this course to others. The instruction given was sound, although the size limited 1 on 1 help (5 instructors). I received none the first day, and a lot the second day as a lefty instructor took pity on a lefty. The best part was the price, $79 for two days, so I feel I got my monies worth. If I attend in the future, I would join the .22lr ranks, both for the inexpensive ammo, as well as the lighter guns. If I had known we were shooting only at 25 yards, I would have this time. Or I could have taken my M1 Carbine, as ammo is still cheaper.


As an aside, I rented a class B RV, a Pleasure-Way, for the weekend. It was an additional adventure, and while more expensive than a hotel, I was able to say at the range, instead of 15 miles away in Canon City. It was my first time in an RV and I learned a lot about them. I won't be renting a Class B again. It did have everything I looked for: bed, fridge, microwave, toilet, sink, shower, and more. For less money I could have rented a trailer with the same amenities, and had a vehicle I was comfortable with, wasn't limited on free mileage, and could detach for a run into town for supplies. Still, if it were similar to the Class B I would pass, as the generator was loud, as was the propane heater fan that woke me up every time it turned on. The fridge never got cold (it was a new vehicle, so it could have been non functioning), the water was potable, but the rental place didn't fill the tank (to improve mileage), so I couldn't even wash up after shooting all day in the dust.

Ed
Greeley, CO

[lex]

Thank you Holly, Franktown Kid, Dad, Hot Brass!, Believer, Posterity, SNAITF, Sleepy Joe and Robert, and all of the attending Citizen Celebrants for the great good work producing and instructing and shooting the 19 April Appleseed.

It was thrilling to see the range right on the busy state road, with the flag flying high on the hill for all to see and take note.  What a beautiful Rocky Mountain site, with snow cornice remnants still on the south-facing skylines while we enjoyed perfect shirtsleeve weather down in the holler.  Afternoon winds merely added to the true-grit conditions on the line (though not as informing as the Worland Wyoming Way) so as to get us to learn how to deal with the down-and-dirty.

A great line-up of young and old, ambulatory and semi-so, newbies and experienced.  The consistent high performance of the youngest several was and is inspirational.   Their advantage of not having old, bad habits points to the value of replacing the o,b habits with new, good habits - the SIX STEPS Plan!  [ Thank You Fred! ]  Seven Rifleman patches in forty-something shooters is excellent.  Several (many?) more were knocking on the door.

The place and the people, the historic background, the teaching and coaching, the stick-to-it-iveness of everyone, the generosity and the gratitude, the work and the results ....  This was the best possible way to honor the men and women who threw off tyranny.  They had the guts to stand up and fight for their Liberty.  Let us their posterity celebrate their achievements and keep 19 April alive with meaning and relevance in this our time.

Pics to be posted soon.  Thank you all.

Regards,  Lex

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . .. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

- Commonplace Book by Thomas Jefferson, borrowing from Cesare Beccaria's 1764  Dei delitti e delle pene (On Crimes and Punishments)

http://www.survivalblog.com/2008/04/jims_quote_of_the_day_792.html

[Blue Skies]

We wanted to add our sincere thanks to Dad, Sleepy Joe, Believer, Posterity, Hot Brass!, SNAITF, Franktown Kid and Holly (and the dogs!) and everyone else for a great weekend!  Our fellow shooters there were all very helpful as well - it seemed to be a great bunch of people.  We definitely learned a lot under what were some (occasionally) trying times with the wind, dirt in the rifles etc.  But it was a great learning experience BECAUSE of all that, not in spite of it. 

Alex held up well and had a good time too.  He was very excited to get back to school and tell his friends and teachers all about it.  I didn't know until later, but the whole week before Appleseed he was telling the folks at school he was "Training to be a Patriot".  I almost had a heart attack when he told me.  (I never told him that - but he's a sharp kid...) He is a great little guy, with great spirit and monumental determination.  In any case, the book you all so graciously presented to him will be well-read, and even at 10 yrs old he already gets the messages of what it really means to be a citizen of this country. 

I am proud of that, and also am aware that he needs to be careful about how he talks about it in school (how sad is that?).  The reality is that we've drifted so far as a society that kids his age have been expelled from school for less.  We ALL need to be vigilant to restore what used to be normal back into our society.  I'm hoping to get his teacher to read some of the book to Alex's class.

Again, thank you, thank you all!  Thanks also to the photographers gracious enough to post their photos on the board!  We didn't get many ourselves, so we very much appreciate your great work! 

See you all next time!
John and Alex