News:

We need volunteers in sales, marketing, PR, IT, and general "running of an organization." 
Maximize your Appleseed energy to make this program grow, and help fill the empty spots
on the firing line!  An hour of time spent at this level can have the impact of ten or a
hundred hours on the firing line.  Want to help? Send a PM to Monkey!

Main Menu

Azusa CA 16 September 2017 (One Day Appleseed)

Started by Rocket Man, September 19, 2017, 02:19:47 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Rocket Man

Well, it's that time again.  We took a little break over the hottest part of the Summer, and wouldn't you know, it cooled off right nice just in time for Patriot's Day, and for our last one-day shoot of the year at Burro Canyon.  We had nine folks turn out, one returning Rifleman keeping a sharp edge, four grown-ups still reaching for that Rifleman patch, and four youngsters.  Pretty good balance.   ^:)^

Also returning was intrepid Green Hat whangdoodle, no stranger to these parts but gone off to seek his fame and fortune among the glittering lights of Nevada.  Always good to see him again, and him backing me up, we could do no wrong.  So, on to the show.

We started out with some wise words from and astounding facts about our Colonial brethren, the Rifleman Companies of 1775, and then tackled the range for ourselves.  However, the Redcoats got the worst of us, just like in Lexington, as when the dust cleared we had only a third of the class qualified.   ???  Well, that's OK.  Nothing a little persistence and hard work can't fix.

They say the family that shoots together, is real cute together... is that the saying?  Well, it's true.   :1luvu  Anyway, three of our four youngsters were all from one family, and with Dan watching over them, had a ball.  I did hear a little bickering over who was going to get to shoot the bolt action, but they all took a turn and got dialed in pretty quick under his tutelage.  Kiddo #4 came with his dad VERY hot on the trail for the patch, and obviously he'd been watching his old man -- but watch out, because those youngsters will fly past you so quick you'll wonder what happened.   ;D

That isn't to say that everything went smoothly.  It wouldn't be Appleseed if it did!  While the weather gods were clearly rooting for us, the equipment gods had other ideas...  we had several magazines flake out, actions jam up, creative double feeds, and one student's rifle went down hard enough that we couldn't get it repaired.  Luckily we got everyone else back on track, but it just goes to show that there is more to the Way of the Rifleman than hits on paper.  If you learn to persist, you'll be ready for just about anything that gets thrown at you.   :---

After we wrapped up a second AQT, we had some time left to talk about long distance, stretching our .22's out to 100 meters or so.  Everyone got a turn to blast away at a 6 MOA reactive target, working with a spotter.  Let's just say that it wasn't worth picking up the reactive target afterward.   $$-0  But lesson learned -- how you group at 25 meters determines how you group at longer range.  (Also, teamwork is awesome.)  :snipersmi

No new Riflemen stepped forward this time, though.  Hard to do in a single day.  But you remember our morning Redcoat numbers?  In our closing volley, we had 100% qualify.  Where we had only a third score in the morning, in the evening, a third hit the shingle.   ^-^  Top honors went to Anthony, close enough to the patch to smell it, who cleaned his Redcoat.

Thanks again to all who turned out and made this a good one, for us, for our nation, and for our posterity!  See you next month!
... if ever a mistaken complaisance leads them to sacrifice their privileges, or the well-meaning assertors of them, they will deserve bondage, and soon will find themselves in chains. -- Joseph Warren (anon)