Lapeer, MI Sep 6-7, 2014 AAR

[Rascal21]

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[Graywolf]

What a great time we had at Lapeer this weekend.  We had 16 shooters for this event - all of them first time Appleseeders.  They were excited and eager to learn.  (Several had never handled a rifle before.)  The weather was perfect.  We could not have asked for better.  All of our shooters showed great improvement in their skills as the weekend progressed and I am convinced several of them will have a rifleman's score in the not too distant future.

Special thanks to the team that got together on Friday night and set up pretty much everything from line to flags.  It made things so much easier for set up on Saturday.  Thanks guys!  Also thank you to Round Baller for joining us on Sunday and giving an excellent living history presentation with his Brown Bess.  I know everyone enjoyed taking a shot with it and I am certain it helped connect to the history we taught.  Thank you also to the instructors who came out and helped make this event a success.  You all are the best and it was a joy working with you.  Thank you, too, to Superheat and his family for inviting us out to their home for the instructor dinner and meeting Saturday night.  It was much appreciated.

And now, because  . ; let's post em up!

[Miki]

Thanks to you all for coming out this weekend. I had the pleasure of working with two sets of father and son new shooters on Saturday. You are amazing. Super safe and made a LOT of progress. Sunday I got to work with six different shooters who are all good shooters. Keep practicing. You will all make rifleman with persistence. It's a mental game of putting it all together on the same AQT. (Wouldn't it be nice if you could cut and paste your AQTs at the end of the day and get the best score from each stage?)

Special thanks to Nathan  for performing 100% as safety officer when I found myself flying solo on Sunday afternoon. I really appreciate that you stepped up to help! And special thanks to Austin  for helping out by running errands when I couldn't leave the line...like running to get more AQTs when we ran out. That really helped keep the line moving.

Can't wait to see you all again!

[Roundballer]

This was the first time that Graywolf has been to Lapeer, so he was warned that he would be challenged.  I am of the firm opinion that every Appleseed instructor, when given the opportunity, should be able to give a first person account of firing a Brown Bess. Most of the instructor cadre that attend Lapeer events have burned powder, even the younger IIT's.

After all of the participants were given the chance, Graywolf stepped up, he also showed that he could walk the walk.  With only minimal instruction on what he should be seeing looking down the top of the barrel, and only having a bayonet lug for a reference, he was on target.  Huzzah!

Here is all I have in the way of pictures:





And maybe I should explain what you are seeing in that second pic.  Here is the same thing with a little mark up.  The range was only about 22yrds, but it is what it is.



I appreciate being invited out, and being allowed, to pass on a little of my experiences with the Colonial Period.

[Oz]

What a great weekend!  A wonderful group of students--I am always thrilled to see families come out and we had several families this weekend.  Everyone was so attentive--I've never seen a group pounce on the math on IMC faster!  I wish I'd been able to stay until the end on Sunday to keep working with you.  I hope to see you all again.

I'd like to add my thanks to Roundballer to coming out and helping the history come to life.  And it was nice seeing and working with friends from the east side of the state.  Lapeer is a great host range--the covered line, convenient classroom, restrooms, water, parking--wow!

I have only a few photos:



Saturday, Line 1: Stage 4.



Sunday, Line 2.  Everybody gets a chance to use a laser demo rifle to check NPOA.


]
Why, is that Professional Rifle Designer Mac66 explaining the history of the Ruger 50th Anniversary 10/22 of his design--using a rifle from his personal collection?  It is!   



Lock, stock and barrel.



Roundballer in action.



First shot, cold barrel. 

[mac66]

I'm back....Appleseed is good therapy. Good to get out of the house and back into the swing of things by sharing the weekend with other instructors and students with a learning attitude. Nothing better to heal up. Great working with everyone.

[Whippet]

This was my first event with all first time Appleseeders and I hope they all come back and bring friends. I was proud of all the Macomb County fellas that showed up, way to represent. I am always surprised by the character of the people that attend an event and this time was no exception. Thank you for standing up and doing something to benefit yourselves, your county and the future.

I salute you.

[Roundballer]

Oh, Grindstone, Caliper;

At Smallbore Tuesday evening we saw that there were four pieces of the flag-pole re-bar sill in the ground.  We pulled them and put them back with the rest of the stuff.  It looks like there was a total of ten of them back there when we added the four to the pile.