Bailey, CO July 13-14 2013

[Fred]

    Nestled high (8000') in the pine-covered Rockies SW of Denver, overlooked by Cathedral Rock (being from NC, I could only compare it with our famous Chimney Rock - but I suspect CR would fit in Cathedral Rock about 100,000 times!), Buffalo Creek Gun Club says it's "the prettiest gun range in Colorado". Not having been to all the ranges in CO, I can't judge that claim but can say that if there's a prettier one, it is really pretty!

     The range also has history, dating back to being a military range from 1917 - that'd be the era of 1903 Springfields, 1917 Enfields, likely some Krags, and I wouldn't be surprised at a few 1873 Springfields having shown up!

    I was visiting Bailey from the East Coast to fill in for a missing Shoot Boss.

    Bailey is less than an hour from Denver, a good location - and scenic Forest Service camping nearby is $7 a night for those who want to combine a weekend getaway with an Appleseed.

    We did a long-range course of fire on Sunday afternoon at 300 yards (standard Rifleman zeroing distance, right?).

    Saturday served up periods of light rain, heavy rain and hail. Because I brought rain gear out Sunday, the equally black rain clouds refused more than a couple of light sprinkles.

    We had a good crew of students, and there were examples of steep improvements in marksmanship over the course of the two days. One among the many was 13-yr old Nathaniel, who altho relatively new to the AR-15, put 3 out of his 5 sighter shots in the "5" ring at 300 yards! Way to go! A future, rifleman, for sure!

    Like all Appleseeds, this one ended too soon, despite everyone being tuckered out. Let's hope some folks took the message of "saving the sinking ship" home with them...

[Metalhed]

Fred,  Thanks for the kind words.  Buffalo Creek Gun Club is proud to have RWVA as a partner.  We look forward to shooters coming out and walking up the stairs to the 600 yard line and going WOW!   I think a prettier range woudl be hard to find, but I am somewhat biased.

The rain was tremendous on saturday.  I have to admit that I sought Shelter, all the while the shooters laid in the puddles and kept pulling triggers and got soaked.

I hope that many more folks will come out to enjoy our range and to partake in an anwesome program-- Appleseed

Best regards
Gavin W
President, Buffalo Creek Gun Club
Bailey Colorado

[Send_It]

Thanks to Gavin and BCGC for being such a spectacular host and site. Thanks to Fred and all the instructors who helped me grow this weekend. What an opportunity.

Best,
Jason L Allen

[BrassBucket]

Sorry it took so long to get these up! The file sizes were so large I had to compress them all individually. If you would like the full sized versions, send me a message with your email and which pictures and I'll shoot them off to you.

Amazing shoot in beautiful Bailey. Thanks so much to our hosts and kudos to all the fabulous shooters. It was a pleasure to work with all you gentlemen.

Alice

[Offy]

Took me a week, sorry for the delay.  Enjoy these pictures, I had a great time with a bunch of people who know what they are about.  Even got to meet the man, the legend himself...Fred.

[Offy]

Last pictures are here...

[BrassBucket]

Thanks for the awesome pictures, Offy! I few of them make me feel all soaked and cold all over again! I have to say to all the shooters and instructors how impressed I was with the persistence and willingness to still get down there and shoot while Mother Nature battered us pretty substantially. It was one of the many lessons in Appleseed -- always bring rain gear!

[Massasauga]

I wish to thank everyone for the show of persistence through the weather we had on Saturday and then showing up again on Sunday. Along with the beauty of the range was the awesome sound of the rifle reports through the valley. To me it sent the message "Let freedom ring".

[Fred]

   Oops! I am informed that "Cathedral Rock" is actually named Castle Rock (even if I prefer the former as capturing the reaction on seeing it in person!).

    Here's a picture taken in winter, kindly supplied by the club. I hope we'll be having some events at this location this winter...

    Thinking about it, this would make a nice screensaver for summer months.

[Taylor]

Thanks for the awesome pictures, Offy! I few of them make me feel all soaked and cold all over again! I have to say to all the shooters and instructors how impressed I was with the persistence and willingness to still get down there and shoot while Mother Nature battered us pretty substantially. It was one of the many lessons in Appleseed -- always bring rain gear!

Great to see you back in action BB.  We do miss you and The Dud back here in the Northland.