Drinking From the Fire Hose: The Dog Whisperer

[Miller]

Another weekend, another 'seed, and three new Riflemen.
Where to begin....

Well, begin at the beginning....Check In.

My first experience with the admin duties of getting waivers signed, range fees collected, and the rest of the bits of an Appleseed weekend that involve a chair.  Impressions?  Meh.   Had one shooter unable to make it and one walk-on.  I can see where at a shoot with more people and/or more walk-ons it could become a  bit of a buggaboo but so long as you have plenty of pens, markers, and Duck tape you're fine.  The only change to my load-out is adding a small Admin box with those things an a few paper clips.  Having to dash a hundred yards back to the equipment line for my bag of pens is a waste of time.  Also, the Duck brand tape seems to tear easier than others and is available in both white for easy to read name tags and a variety of hi-viz colors for marking gear.  Consider it endorsed.

Thinking of adjusting the load-out...  At my prior 'seeds my range gear lived in a large dry box.  It worked well enough but larger items like my clipboard (with handy cheat sheet) had to be carried seperately.  The new hotness was a low, wide plastic box from Lowes meant for easy stacking or stowing under a bed.  The inside dimensions are almost perfect for a stack of AQTs to boot.  This was a great improvement over all but I did spend a bit of time hunting for stuff.  The solution for that is a few small plastic baskets to organize tools, staplers, etc.  The June shoot in Montrose will show how well that solution works.

Also on the subject of keeping track of stuff on the line...  Most of us are already carrying keys, cellphone, a pocket knife probably.  As the day progresses a couple of spare chamber flags, a timer, Sharpie, sight tool, etc  tend to collect.  Now while all this may be perfect when the shooters are in prep and one needs a sling added remember, you are an instructor.  You will be laying on the ground demoing prone.  And all that stuff in your pocket will be under you.  In the most uncomfortable positions possible.

Another point at which that accumulated junk may cause issues is if your shoot has the time and staffing to allow you to take to the line for an AQT or two.  What?  You're not going to take the opportunity to polish your skills?  I've had precious little time to shoot and given the chance last weekend it showed.  I first proned out behind a new LTR I was building with an inexpensive scope.  An experiment mostly and a poorly executed one.  The scope was a poor fit to both the rifle and myself and I abandoned the attempt after utterly botching stage two.  I did shoot the next AQT using the Shoot Boss' rifle. (Thanks Alex)  Slightly different stock and sights than I'm used too and a lighter trigger but a sweet shooter.  Alas, my rusty skills only produced a 205 and the page quite clearly showed my personal bad habits had begun sneaking back in as I focused on calling the line.  Breathing and follow through should anyone care.  So by all means, if the opportunity presents for you to shoot, even if only a string, take it.  These skills we are teaching need practicing.

This weekend also marked my first attempt at telling a strike.  I had told D.O.M. stories before and that helped a lot.  To get more comfortable with my delivery I spent the week before telling the story to my dogs.  Don't laugh now.  By the time I earn my red hat one of my schnauzers will know more about our history than too many teachers.  The other just wishes papa would shut up and make with the treats.  Over all my telling of the second strike got good reviews.  Come Montrose in June I'll do the third.  With a month to work on it I might even feel brave and take the first.

And thinking of the D.O.M. tales...  A visual aid helps.  In telling the story of Samuel Whittemore I pause at the point where he is shot in the cheek and take a brief detour that really helps people understand his injuries.  I carry a .22 bullet, a .30 bullet, and a .73 lead ball (thanks Cooper) in my box.  A brief digression of this is what all of ya'll are shooting today(plink as the .22 is dropped on the table),  this is what the AQT was originally designed for (plonk as a 150 grain .30 cal bullet hits), and this (THUD) is the ball used by the Brits. The sound of that musket ball hitting tends to get some attention which is nice as you list Whittemore's injuries and the outcome.  Passing the ball around also helps form that connection with the story.

So...
A month to scratch out the written portion of PC3 and rehearse some more history.  At least one schnauzer will learn all about inches, minutes, and clicks, and I'll be making a few copies of the next version of my sight alignment visual aids. 

Hope to see you on the line.

[Miller]

This weekend was at the Madison County Sportsmen's Club in Winterset.  A range that holds a special place for me.  It's where I finally broke 210 and where I took an orange hat last fall.  It's still an excellent range and the weather was as close to perfect as we could ask for.  Even got a brief visit from Teddy the neighbor's German Shepard. 

Had a dozen shooters on Saturday and ten back for Sunday.  Minted three new Riflemen and have several more folks that will be there in a 'seed or two.  All in all another great group of American's out for a weekend of leaning where they came from.

And a special thanks to Dick Cleaveland.
At most every Appleseed after the final Red Coat on Sunday the line is left open for anyone wanting to run another AQT.  Dick stayed for another AQT.  Then he asked if it would be okay to work on transitions.  Okay?  Hells yeah!  So while a few folks worked on sighting in different rifles or tried different sights I ran Dick through transitions to both seated and prone with visible improvement.  And after that?  Another AQT and another Red Coat.  All at the end of a long day in the sun and wind.  Oh, and if all that wasn't enough he also managed to bring two new shooters to the line for Saturday.  Dedication, he has it, and as soon as he breaks 210 I hope whoever is Shoot Boss that weekend has an orange hat to offer him.  He'll make a good one.

[Alex]

You did great job this weekend Ben instructing and telling the history. As for your 205... It is obvious that the floggings for will have to start all over again. As I said to my IITs last weekend I am going to make sure that everyone there shoots at least one AQT. My skills diminished very quickly after becoming an instructor, but I now take time to shoot at every event. It helps to show the students that a 210 is possible, and that it is easily accomplished when you do all of the things you are instructed to. From now on I am going to make sure that every other Red Hat or IIT knows they are still a Rifleman when they leave an Appleseed. So Ben you should get some dry practice in so you can really show them how it is done in Montrose.

[Miller]

Dry fire hell....
I have a three day weekend.
If I don't spend at least two boxes of rimfire I have failed in my duty as an Appleseeder.

[Cooper]

Dry fire hell....
I have a three day weekend.
If I don't spend at least two boxes of rimfire I have failed in my duty as an Appleseeder.

My plans exactly!!
You rock, Miller...   HOOAH!