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Wilmington, Ohio - Apr. 28/29, 2012

Started by slim, April 30, 2012, 08:54:25 PM

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slim

Cold and wet to start.... absolutely beautiful to cap it off. What a great weekend of saving the country.

Special thanks to the wonderful group of patriots that got up off their couches to take part in the saving of our country. We had young and ("not quite so") old, friends and family, co-workers, and even some former redcoats! Also a big thanks to CCFSA for hosting us. So wonderful to have good club support and 25% club members on the line. Huzzah!

It's always a treat to see folks show up with great skills and improve upon them throughout the weekend but even better than that - to have folks "catch the fever" and volunteer to get more involved. Outstanding! There is hope for our country after all. Personal responsibility will be restored.  O0

We had the opportunity to shoot at 25  :--- and then take those skills out to distance (100 for the .22s and 200 for the centerfires) to get some feedback and see first-hand, "this Appleseed stuff really works!" We also had the privilege of seeing a brand new rifle on the line... and by the end of the day seeing it's owner put one dead center at 100 yards!  ^:)^

There were so many highlights of this weekend but the one I'll take with me forever is the Junior Patriot who had to leave early for a baseball game and said, "Can you do the history before I go?"

That's what it's all about.

I hope to see you all out there next time and all around Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana in the very near future. Don't forget to dry fire and don't forget to tell someone about John Parker, Isaac Davis, Hezekiah Wyman and on and on and on.

Keep up the good work, shooters. And speaking of good work - Help me congratulate Ohio's newest Red Hat, Blair, aka the buckeye trapper and please welcome our newest Orange Hat, Tim. (Who we didn't dub yet. I knew I forgot something!)

See you folks on the trail.  ~~:)

NavyChief

Second 'seed.  I had high hopes.  I really did.  Maybe next time.  Synopsis:

Day one went well.  Yes, my skills have improved a wee bit since the last one.  Not a lot, but some.  I also saw a bit of an improvement when Slim loaned me a GI loop sling to use.  Good grief!  I should've gotten one of those and quick-release swivels ages ago.  But noooo, I could make the cheap (operative word: cheap) sling I got from - where? ...I don't even remember - work.  Right.  As it is, I'm still sort of muddling through, since the GI loop sling is 1¼", and the swivels on my 10/22 are 1", so right now "zip ties are our friends."  Sigh.  This will be rectified.  Of course, not before tomorrow.  Perhaps the Rifleman patch inventory is in no danger from me just yet.  OTOH, anything could happen.  I actually did passably well on the 25m Drill targets.  Switching to the Redcoat or AQT targets seemed to throw a monkey wrench into my poor li'l pea-brain though.  I mean c'mon - same distance, rifle, sights, and ammo.  Just different target.  I dunno.  I'm doing it to myself.  We'll see.

Day two, for me, was pretty disappointing.  My 10/22 absolutely did not like the Federal Bulk Pack ammo I was shooting.  It consistently ran about 15% failure to extract, or it would partially extract then try to feed another round...  On and on it went.  The good news was I had an opportunity to try someone else's rifle and shot with Tech Sights for the first time.  I like 'em.  I'd say about another 100 rounds or so of practice with them, and I'd probably do as well (at least) as I was previously doing with a 4x 'scope.  I've also come to the conclusion a new stock is in order.  The pretty wood stock from the factory sure is - well - pretty, but it adds a lot of unnecessary weight.  At the very least, if I keep running this stock, the forward sling swivel stud needs to come in about 2-2½".  More good news:  An Instructor was promoted to Shoot Boss this morning, and one of our shooters - at his first Appleseed! - made Rifleman.  (Out of a field of a mere seven, I'd say one patch ain't bad.)

All in all, it was still a great day.  Good fun with good people, and by shortly after lunch the weather was actually quite pleasant.  What more could ya' ask for?  "Trigger time is happy time."

So, what's on my list for the next few months?
- Practice, practice, practice
- A GI loop sling, along with new quick-disconnect swivels (recommendations, anyone?)
- Tech Sights (at some point); I actually think these might improve my shooting in the long run over the 'scope, since I won't constantly be "chasing my rounds"
- A new stock, or at the very least get that forward stud moved back
- Did I mention practice?

the buckeye trapper

After action NEWS. Thanks to Dirtdog and the members of the CCFSA, the facilities this weekend were as Appleseed friendly as any venue could be. The rain held off til just before noon but the heated pistol and rifle building was a perfect place to get out of the weather and tell some history. After 1st strike the volunteers from the club offered up a great lunch and then the sky cleared as we went back to the range. Sunday morning the showers ended just before we were scheduled to start. After a review of the safety rules, steady hold factors, 6 steps, and IMC, Slim presented me with a NEW hat. After all the PCs and practice it was still a surprise and quite an honor to be part of such a fine organization. Laura shot her NEW rifle then and Mark became a NEW rifleman. Tim stepped up and became a NEW IIT. Since Slim didn't have a NEW orange hat with him, I gave him my old one. Now, just like Samuel Whittemore, Tim can say "he got his hat from someone who had no use for it."
I'm sure Slim could get him a NEW one, but personally, I'd recommend holding out for that NEW red one.
   

Ledfoot

My first Appleseed shoot. What a treat! Excellent weekend. Excellent instructors - thanks Slim, Buckeye Trapper (congrats on the red hat)  and - sorry I forgot the 3rd instructor's nickname. I was very proud to shoot a Rifleman score and get my rifleman patch. I joined the RWVA on the spot and will attend the next Appleseed shoot in Wilmington, with an eye to getting an Orange hat and joining the ranks of the instructors... If they'll take a former Redcoat (been a US Citizen for 8 years) and assuming I can make the grade ;).

My wife Diana also had a great time. A new shooter, so the fundamentals she learned, taught by great instructors, will set her on the right path. She wants to come back to the next shoot too.

Also great to meet all the other shooters. Hope to see you all again somewhere down the trail...
The constitutions of most of our States assert, that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves, ... or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of the press.

Thomas Jefferson

NavyChief

And thanks to ledfoot for the handful of rounds that proved to me the malfunctions were the ammo and not my rifle!

KAH

Ledfoot:  just a thought - why not drive a little further north on I-75 and attend THIS WEEKEND'S Appleseed event in Miamisburg.

Put this new skills to use. Do some dry firing this week and join us again!  Beautiful weather forecast, great location, Rifleman Opportunity Card lets you shoot fir free - what more can you ask for?!

Hope to see you on the Appleseed Trail soon.
"We are in reality common Americans teaching our fellow common Americans to shoot uncommonly well. In addition we teach them their heritage." TaosGlock quoting SamD

dirtdawg

Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm pretty sure we got lucky with the weather.  Not too hot; not too cold.  Not too rainy, and only a little bit muddy (elbow plantable).

I think everyone can agree that using the 50 yard pit really improved our shooting experience; plus, that freed up the big kid ranges.

Ledfoot: We had no doubt about you getting a patch.  The transitions and magazine changes were the only things we could think of to hold you back, but those barriers didn't hold you back for long. Very fine shooting! You had better bring Diana back to an Appleseed soon, because I see a patch in her future as well.  You two will make a superb Riflemen team.

All shooters on the line made some outstanding improvements.  Danielle, Navy Chief, Dan, Ben, Laura, and our conscripts, Doug and Tom, should all be congratulated for their hard work and perseverance.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with all of you on my first shoot as an orange hat.  It was very exciting to see (There are those that call me) Tim step up and receive the buckeye trapper's old hat for which he (t.b.t.) no longer had a use.  Congratulations, Blair! It is obvious that the Red Hat fits, and it was a pleasure to see you put it on.

As always, Slim's easy manner,  combined with his outstanding knowledge and skill, made this a fun and meaningful experience for everyone.

Lastly, an apology- I was so focused on the goings on about me that I totally forgot to take the relevant photos.

Ledfoot

KAH: wish we could join you in Miamisburg, but we have a scheduling conflict. Actually in a good way - I have a new member orientation for the Miami Rifle and Pistol Club in Batavia. They have ranges out to 600 yards and I'm looking forward to see if I really can hit a man sized target at 500 yards.  ^:)^

Dirtdawg: We will be back for sure. Diana was very encouraged by your comments, and as I told her, considering she has fired a rifle maybe half a dozen times in her life (sitting at a bench resting on a sandbag) and the Appleseed shoot was only the second time she had used her 10/22, I thought she did brilliantly with a 163 on the AQT!

The constitutions of most of our States assert, that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves, ... or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of the press.

Thomas Jefferson

dirtdawg

Danielle Has just assured me that she can hit a laptop-sized object at 300 yards. :~