AAR - Manhattan 8/12-13

[kDan]

Well we're getting better at this; that's for sure.  As VietVet said a couple times last night, "We're fine-tuning it."  I know a big part of it is the fact that it was just easier to run this second SubwaySeed with fewer shooters and fewer Instructors - it's a very small space - but that's not the only or even the most important dynamic at play here.  We spent a LOT of time on Friday night with shooters slung up and dry-firing in both prone and sitting positions.  We carded sights and ran through NPOA drills before anyone had even seen a live round.  I've heard that dond (Master Instructor from Kentucky and my friend), will run an Appleseed up until the afternoon on Saturday without firing a shot...  all dry-firing.  While I've always been intrigued by this, I have never tried it.  No one could argue that this technique is anything but heavy on fundamentals of marksmanship instruction, and we got a feel for this on Friday night.  Basically, we ran an entire first day of Appleseed with only dry-firing.  Granted, the entire day was four hours long, with a half hour lunch and an hour and a half of "the message".  But a more useful two hours could not be found east of the Hudson, and west of the East, Rivers.

The Westside Rifle and Pistol Range (westsidepistol.com) conveniently maintains five Ruger 10/22s without firing pins, so dry-firing indoors is easily accomplished and encouraged.  Not only was it nice to do Six Steps, NPOA, slings, triggers, breathing and positions in a safe and controlled environment, but what an advantage to both shooters and Instructors when even brand-new shooters come to the firing line with a working knowledge of how to functionally operate a rifle.  The whole finger on the little steel bolt release and all that?  No problem, just handle the rifles empty on a carpeted floor taking aim and dry-firing on a piece of paper tacked to the wall for an hour.   Breathe, Slide, Whack, Breathe, Click, Hold...  where are your sights?  Breathe, Slide, Whack...  (the whack is the bolt sliding forward)

At the risk of Appleseed Sacrilege, I will say that I don't even mind the Ruger's factory bolt release - it makes shooters really, deliberately and attentively learn how to manipulate their rifles.  The sights...?  well, let's just say, we're getting better at adjusting them, but it seems that "consistency" amounts at best to around 10 minute groups.  But I love the Ruger 10/22!  http://www.ruger.com/products/1022/index.html  Thanks Westside for providing us with a full line of them each time we do this.  Thank you Darren, and Bion (sp), and especially John for sticking it out with us.  I know we ask a lot.  Like I always say, "Give Applseeders a quarter inch at 25 meters, and they take a Rifleman's Quarter Mile!"

I take off my hat and kowtow to my man, my partner in crime, the guy who drives all over Long Island in a shot-up (jk!) truck full of everybody else's stuff - VietVet.  If it weren't for him, Appleseed would still be an upstate phenomena and I'd still have a car full of t-shirts!  Rich, what do you want for Christmas brother - name it!!!  I'd like to think we're quite a team - Adams and Hancock, Crocket and Tubbs, Ponch and the other guy...  probably more like Abbot and Costello, but  I really count on this guy and the two of us ran the show Friday night.  Big Matt showed up Saturday to boom and loom.  I've said it before, but not enough; Matt has shown himself to be quite a skilled and dedicated Instructor, and shooters love him!  Several times last night he solved problems, or made suggestions that I was just too dumb or lazy to figure out on my own.  It's nice to be able to slack off a little and know that somebody else will do it (don't tell Fred I said that).  Even VietVet can relax a bit... if he could only relax a bit.  I hope Matt and the rest our Long Island Red Hats get to do some traveling because I swear we've got some of the best Instructor talent in the country. 

We had three SubwaySeed returnees, and several Calverton (Strong Island!) Alumni.  It looked like everybody had a good time.  I have not brought a camera to Manhattan yet (they're all over the place, right!), but I think I saw VV snooping around with his, so we can expect some photos from him soon.  Sometimes he likes to send them to me cuz I gots the photobucket skillz, werd.  But with all that guy does, the least I can do is edit some photos and make up some clever (to me) captions once a month (twice now with Calverton AND Manhattan!).

We showed improvement up and down the line.  Sue topped out with a 201 and walked away with the prize for our couch target competition.  We'll make a Rifleman yet!  Calverton Applecore volunteer and Rifleman Dog Days didn't make it, but she keeps 'em coming out with her Seventh Stepping.  I have a feeling we'll get an IIT out of this group soon - I saw Jan helping her friends with their positions Friday night.  Old Salts like me spot behavior like that a block away!  Sophie's groups were some of the best I've seen with those sights.  Bronwyn left her villainously giant-brained imaginary friend at the station and she and Alison showed themselves to be dedicated 'seeders.  Evan is joining the ranks of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway "HipsterSeed" contingent.  Be there or be kidnapped!  Hey, SunnyAM - he's from OHIO!!  Treit made it out again, although without his angelically well-behaved daughter.  It was good to see JimmyJames again - might still have a hat for you brother...  somewhere.  Brent says we can expect a write up by him on a national gun blog (I'll post a link).  Andrzej reminded me of a theory I'm realizing - that many of our best Americans were not born here.  It's true.  Paul showed the calm, reserved patience and considered intelligence I think was probably on display across Middlesex County in the spring a couple hundred years ago, give or take.  Hope to see you again. Thanks to Paul, I now have a sight picture hand-out for the Ruger stock sights and I know that each of those little lines is 4moa!  and you know what?  IT IS!!  I can't believe you couldn't see those targets, mister sir.  Your groups don't lie. 

Woohoo!  First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin!!! 

[VietVet]

Oh yes.....fine tuning this we are.
This was our second time doing a "Seed" in the Big Apple and we've already managed to take out a huge bite. We're just about nearing that core. You know the area where the seeds are. Once we do that (next event for sure) we'll start them growing en masse. Nothing better than adding a few "Appleseed Trees" onto the streets of Manhattan.

A short time ago this event was something that one could only imagine. Today it's reality. Looks like a monthly celebration is going to happen at this Range. We've added a new element to partying in the "City That Never Sleeps".

I'll also throw out a GIGANTIC Thank You to the West Side Rifle and Pistol Range. They've given us the soil to plant those seeds.
They're growing as we read.
Thanks WSRP!

This event did go very smooth.
Both Shooters and Instructors have got their groove going.
Also have to say thanks to those who attended.
Their getting the credit for us being able to fine tune this.
Never thought we'd be able to hear someone yell FIRE in a building in Manhattan and not see people running out the door. Instead we watched people just take Six steps, acquire their NPOA and get their breathing rhythm going into a Rifleman's cadence.
It seems those little black squares on the 50' targets get bigger as the night goes on. Some of the groups we saw were amazing.

Hey Dan....still have some room in my truck.
Lets fill it and hit the Big Apple again next month.

New York, New York................Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today, I want to be a part of it.........New York, New York...........Where have we heard this before?

Photo bucket?
I'll send you a disc Dan.
Stay tuned for photos.