Camp Atterbury Aug 2-3 Review from a first timer

[Piston556]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen Instructors, Pit Crew and Volunteers.
I attended the Aug 2-3, 2013 Appleseed KD at Camp Atterbury, IN. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of those who offered to help me and each of the other shooters that took part in the 2 day event at the base. What a great time I had!

I made the comment on Saturday that there was no way I would be able to hit the target from 400 yds. Boy did I have to eat crow later that day after some fine instruction and a lot of hard work. Allow me to offer my thanks and just a few observations as a first timer.

I felt comfortable with the course instruction from the safety briefing to the transition to sighting-in, then progressing to the 100-200-300 and 400 yard positions. I valued going over the use of the sling, standing position, sitting position and prone. Instruction was given for proper use of the sling and NPOA which helped with the confidence factor. I felt ample time was given for sighting-in and then off to our first AQT. Not too bad for the first time out if I say so myself.

I was using iron sights and this was the first time shooting over 50yds and that was indoors at the range. I felt I was a little behind as I came without a true BSZ and had to learn on the fly. Each stage presented its own set of rules and I thought your team did one heck of a job making each shooter comfortable and giving ample time to get ready to transition to the new distance.

The history of the start of the revolutionary war and what our forefathers had to endure and the personal sacrifice that each man woman & child gave for this Country was echoed in the stories as told by your dedicated staff of volunteers. Each had a specific part of history to relate and all did very well in making thier points to remember what sacrifices were made those long years ago.

I have only one item that I would like to mention about the weekend and hopefully it will be a learning experience for all of us and I'm not sure how it might be addressed in the future. I know that time was our enemy during the shoot. During our lunch periods, we began to hydrate, have our lunches and were delivered our paper target results of the preceding one or two AQT's. About the same time, you began relating heartfelt stories from the heroes of the past, how the war began, who were the key players etc. I was extremely interested in the lessons and wanted to hear them all but I kept wanting to look at the results of the AQT and have time to digest the information and make adjustments if necessary! Being employed by a Para-military organization I felt it my duty to stay attentive to the speakers and I put my target results away as I didn't want to seem ungrateful or inattentive to the instructors.

I know we were short of time but I had a hard time being confident with beginning a new AQT without looking over those results. Maybe in the future there could be just 5 or 10 minutes of looking at the target results and a little Q&A for those like me that haven't done this before and needed a little direction. As the day progressed after lunch, my targets indicated that I was off on the windage adjustment that I apparently had forgotten to set back to Zero.

When AJ overheard that I was out of adjustment in the following AQT he asked if I needed to re-zero and the class waited as I sent a few more down range and made a few adjustments. By that time I was mentally behind the eight ball and knew I wouldn't be close to getting a rifleman patch but I was enjoying the competition just the same. Thanks Boss for letting me catch up! I loved the balloon drill and wish I would have scored a few but you students had better watch out next time because next time I'll be ready!

All in all it was an experience I'll never forget. The mental challenge was as great as the physical. I (we) did not give up no matter what our setbacks and all shooters displayed the utmost care and respect for Camp Atterbury, the soldiers and the opportunity that they gave us in allowing us civilians onto the their base and trusting us to shoot AR-15', AK's and other long guns without incident. THAT shows the respect that each of us have for safe gun handling and your instruction.

I hope to see all of you again very soon and next time I'll be going home with a rifleman patch so make sure you have enough on hand. Thanks also for each instructor who took the time to work with me and offer helpful advice, tips and encouragement.

Till next time;

Rich (AKA - Bump Fire)

[slim]

Excellent write-up, Rich. Thanks a bunch for your feedback and I'm sure your suggestion of a little target review after the AQTs will be heeded. Stuff like that is why we have this forum - to make it better for next time.

Hope to see you out there again soon!

[brianheeter]

Rich,

Thanks for you comments.  I'm glad that you were able to join us and that you feel your time was well spent.  It was great to have you on the line I and hope to see you next time we have an Atterbury shoot.

C ya,

brian

[SPQR]

Rich we can't wait to have you on the line again.  You can even bring that bump firing mo-sheen again.

[Wild Deuce]

Rich we can't wait to have you on the line again.  You can even bring that bump firing mo-sheen again.

BTW ... he checked that rifle this week with my gauge. The trigger breaks around 7.12 lbs (10 trigger pull average).

[SPQR]

In retrospect it wasn't the weight it was the way it broke. 2 stagers exist for a reason.

[Wild Deuce]

In retrospect it wasn't the weight it was the way it broke. 2 stagers exist for a reason.

I have yet to get my hands on that rifle. I never had that opportunity at Atterbury while we were there and my neighbors are so uptight that it would not have been a happy ending to the day if I had pulled the rifle out to test it when I got home. He had to leave right away anyway for the last two hours of his trip.

He tried as best as he could to explain the trigger break to me but I wasn't getting it. Not sure even now if it's a single stage trigger or a two stage. He said something about the gun firing during the reset?

[SPQR]

It wasn't bumping during the squeeze past of the pull.  It was doing it when he would slowly re set the trigger.  It bumped as soon as the seer reset. I did a couple little function tests and it appeared to be operating as intended.  It wasn't an issue when he was jumping off the trigger and jerking his squeeze.  When we taught Rich how to squeeze and release slowly it became an issue on the release.  Happened for me too and I at least like to consider my trigger control above average.