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Wilmington, OH CCFSA 21-22 April 2018

Started by Longrifleman, April 23, 2018, 10:54:17 PM

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Longrifleman

SPECTACULAR!!!

That's the best word that comes to mind to describe the Patriot's Day Appleseed event at Clinton County Farmers and Sportsman Association in Wilmington, Ohio and we're not talking about the weather (however great it may have been.) We're talking about the 22 shooters and Patriots who turned out for a truly fantastic experience down on good old Bay 7 at (arguably) the best range in the state of Ohio.

In classic Appleseed style we began with the Pledge of Allegiance and never looked back! They took the fire hose of marksmanship full force and by lunch time we were burning up ammo like it was free. Following a delicious hot lunch at the range house we were treated to 00Buckeye's first foray into the wonderful world of storytelling through his memorable rendition of the First Strike. After we wiped away the tears it was back to the knowledge fest and these shooters sucked it up like a Hoover on steroids.

Before we knew it it was 4 o'clock and time for the greatest course of fire in all of Appleseed- the Patriot's Day Memorial Volley! We joined thousands of fellow Appleseeders nationwide to honor the fallen heroes of that fateful day and it must have been all the inspiration some shooters needed. We hung our first AQT "for the money" and 2 Riflemen re-qualified- Aaron with a 214 and Mitch (Hammbone) with a (that's right) 210 so we baptized him with cool clear glory from the North Bridge!

Sunday dawned cool and overcast - perfect shooting' weather. After a quick review we laid waste to some Redcoats and busted up some squares before cranking up the AQT grinder machine and spitting out some more Riflemen! Will nailed it with a 216 (Finally!) and Mitchell racked up a 211. It didn't take long for both of them to back up their scores with a 231 and a 217 (respectively) joining Hammbone's 2nd of the weekend, a 213.

Our team drill was a Blast (literally!) when we asked our shooters to form into 4 teams and shred some redcoats in the name of Liberty. The heavily favored and slightly over populated Team 3 consisting of Trinity, Mitch, Nicki, Tori, Tyler, and Shelby claimed the grand prize - an all-expense paid trip to reach into Shoot Boss's Appleseed goodies bag!

And, it is with great pleasure and gratitude that we accept two new instructors into the fold as Redleg (Darren) and Hammbone (Mitch) accepted the challenge of the Orange Hat! Thank You, gentlemen, for stepping up! You truly are men who know what they are about!

Thank you to all our shooters who made this one of the largest Appleseeds in CCFSA history as well as one of the safest and most enjoyable for all involved and, of course, special thanks to CCFSA for their hospitality and their gracious commitment to the RWVA and Project Appleseed. Undeniably, the Best Range in all of Ohio!
Do thou Great LIBERTY inspire our Souls- And make our Lives in thy Possession happy- Or, our Deaths glorious in thy just Defense.

"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword because the whole body of the people are armed"- Noah Webster A.D.1787

". . . They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons,
that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and
delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings
said: "Stick to the Devil you know."
"The Gods of the Copybook Headings,". Rudyard Kipling A.D.1919

Texas T

Sounds like it was a great event, one of many in Ohio this year.

Thanks to our new two new hats. I hope that you will find the journey as rewarding as I have.   O0
"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."  Mark Twain


First Appleseed, September 26-27, 2015;   First Rifleman, September 27, 2015;   First Redcoat, September 27, 2015;   Second Rifleman, September 27, 2015

Thanks Corvette, great instruction!!!

MI IBC, February 2017

Double00Buckeye

Some photos taken during this great weekend!!!  I want to personally thank everyone for be so receptive to my rendition of the first strike.  Looking forward to getting into the rest of instruction and history at the next event.  The shooters this weekend were amazing and showed steady improvement.  Many of you are knocking on the door to a patch, a rifleman persists!!
1st Appleseed Oct 29-30 2016 (1st Redcoat)
2nd Appleseed Mar 18-19 2017 (1st Rifleman)

HammBone

I'll chime in here and will agree with Longrifleman that this was a fabulous shoot in a near perfect venue. The instructor team was very effective and entertaining the whole weekend. Safety was top notch. Both days just rocketed by.

A little background: This was my second experience with Appleseed having done my first one on Patriot's Day weekend in 2013. DGMilty was my Shoot Boss that weekend and I had a blast shooting an open sight Rifleman score of 238 at the end of day one. It was a cool, muddy weekend and my shooting mat is still smeared with that mud to this day. On my five year anniversary, I returned for another go and I brought my 16 year old daughter Trinity along for the ride. She started out shooting my 10/22 LTR from 2013 and I used a brand new takedown 10/22 LTR that I had previously sighted at 25 yards.

I had much more trouble seeing the 400 meter targets this time around, but managed to squeak out a 210 at the end of day one with the baptism that you saw above. That was much needed justification for Trinity who had commented that her Dad "looked like a big dork" in my shooting jacket and Rifleman patches.  ;)

She started out grouping well, but seemed to get worse as the day went on and each step of the six was added on. Her best AQT was in the mid-80s. At the end of the day, Longrifleman offered to loan her a scoped 10/22 for Sunday. Running the scope certainly helped as she topped out at 178 on Sunday, and has a fire in her heart for that purple Rifleman patch. She has agreed to return in July to try again if I will scope her rifle. How can I argue with that?

The July CCFSA will be my first Appleseed under the orange hat, if I can find one big enough to fit my ginormous noggin. Thanks for DGMilty and Longrifleman for the offer and the confidence in me.

I have also signed up for 11/2-11/3 KD shoot at New Philadelphia where I will stretch the legs of my M1A, hopefully secure a "Long Range" patch and maybe even a Winterseed if the weather turns cold. I'm dropping a few pics below to supplement those posted above by Double00Buckeye.

1st Appleseed/Cleared Redcoat/Rifleman: 4/20/2013 - Miamisburg, OH
1st Known Distance Rifleman: 11/3/2018 - New Philadelphia, OH
1st Winterseed Rifleman: 1/26/2019 - Liberty Center, OH
Donned the Red Hat: 6/16/2019 - Wilmington, OH

"Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young." - Anonymous

"Blessed is the man, who when facing death, thinks only of his front sight." - Jeff Cooper

38superrr

Hey everybody !

  This is my first post here on the forum and my first Appleseed ! I would like to start by thanking EVERYBODY that hosted the Event. I am simply amazed that all the volunteers do the amount of work that they do. The instruction I got this past weekend couldn't be beat for any price. Everything was ideal and I am still grinning about it. The storytelling and instruction blew me away. I will certainly do it again and I will try to get others to join me.

  I would also like to thank the people I shot next to on the line. Thank you Jack and Edward for helping a new guy out and for buying me lunch. I hope to speak you both again soon. Thanks to the family at left end of the line (I didn't catch the names) for chatting and for all the pointers. Thanks to the wonderful people at Clinton County Farmers and Sportsman Association for giving so generously. What a wonderful weekend despite a massive dose of sunshine that wiped me out.

  I am not much of a photographer, but I did get a few pics.


Thanks again to all that helped make this event possible,
Mitchell (38superrr)




RedLeg

#5
What a fantastic weekend!  Many thanks to Longrifleman, DGMilty, Double00Buckeye, and GoodOldFriend yet again for the instruction and hospitality. 

I was happy to be at Wilmington yet again to sponsor and coach a close friend and his two youngest children.  They all had a great time and the improvement they each showed all weekend was phenomenal!  My buddy ended up coming one 400yd shot away from clearing the last redcoat of the weekend!  He said he "finally figured out what 'relaxed' meant in the prone position".  It was also great to see a couple new Rifleman earn their patches and to see so many familiar faces among the shooters.  I was also very pleasantly surprised to see five lady shooters on the line! It is vital that we continue to reach out to the next generation to reignite that flame of pride and ownership of our great nation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend even though I didn't send a single round downrange. :)  I can't wait to sponsor more of my friends and their kids at future shoots!

It is my pleasure to volunteer as an IIT and I look forward to spend a lot more time on the line at future Appleseed events!

HUZZAH!
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace.
We seek not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

"Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it." - John Adams in a letter to Abigail, 26 April 1777

Shep

Sounds like a great shoot!!

Thanks go to the new orange hats for accepting the mission!
"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed." -Thomas Jefferson

Longrifleman

WOW!!! Check out these numbers. I see some serious potential and mad skills here!
Red Coats
                    Shooters   100 Yard   200 Yard   300 Yard   400 Yard   HS   Cleared
Saturday AM   19                11             4               2             3           6         1
Saturday PM   20                15             9               3             4           3         0
Sunday AM     18                15             7               5             2           9         1
Sunday PM     17                15             9               3             3           4         0

Do thou Great LIBERTY inspire our Souls- And make our Lives in thy Possession happy- Or, our Deaths glorious in thy just Defense.

"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword because the whole body of the people are armed"- Noah Webster A.D.1787

". . . They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons,
that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and
delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings
said: "Stick to the Devil you know."
"The Gods of the Copybook Headings,". Rudyard Kipling A.D.1919

Corvette

Looks like another great shoot, wish I could have been there.

Covette
Be bold, brave and forthright and the bold, the brave and the forthright will gather around you!

calinb

Quote from: 38superrr on April 24, 2018, 06:49:53 PM
Hey everybody !

This is my first post here on the forum and my first Appleseed !

<snip>


Wow--that was some fantastic shooting on your first Appleseed, Mitchell (38superrr)! My wife and I both send our congratulations to you on your Rifleman patch and achievement.

We both wish to extend our congratulations to everyone who participated. This AAR indicates that it was raging success and just about as good as Appleseed gets (which is always pretty darn good--even when the weather hoses us (just about literally sometimes)!

-Cal

38superrr

Thanks Cal for the kind words!
 
I would also like to thank Cal for introducing me to Project Appleseed. I hope I can get others interested enough to commit and come to an event. I found it to rewarding on so many levels !


RedLeg

Quote from: 38superrr on April 27, 2018, 08:29:05 AM
Thanks Cal for the kind words!
 
I would also like to thank Cal for introducing me to Project Appleseed. I hope I can get others interested enough to commit and come to an event. I found it to rewarding on so many levels !

I have had good luck with just inviting fellow gun enthusiasts and/or gun owners.  Even those who tend to think of a .22 as a "kids" gun have had a great time at Appleseed, whether they choose to shoot a .22 or a centerfire.  The more experienced shooters will perhaps scoff a little at shooting at 25M and how easy that must be...until they see how small those targets are at that distance, have some time pressure coupled with mag changes and target transitions, and aren't shooting from a bench.  :-)  They have all come away impressed with the history and instruction, and found themselves far more challenged than they ever expected in chasing that Rifleman patch.

I also try to lower the potential barriers by offering one of my rifles as a loaner and even throwing in a brick of ammo if they don't have anything suitable. 

With my friend Rich and his kids, Hayley and Sam last weekend, I felt the Appleseed mission was important enough that I completely sponsored them and chose to coach them as opposed to shooting the event myself.  I do understand that is not an insignificant financial commitment but just started a plan of picking up bricks of ammo when I had the funds and setting a little cash aside from time to time with the intention of getting others involved.  I have a list of parents and children that I will be working through in this manner over the course of the next several shoots.

Great meeting you, and I look forward to seeing you out there again!

-Darren
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace.
We seek not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

"Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it." - John Adams in a letter to Abigail, 26 April 1777

38superrr

 I am considering shooting another Appleseed. I would like to shoot my AR this time. It feels a bit silly shooting an AR with a 10x scope at 25 meters. Is the KD shoot too ambitious for a second event  ? I would love to shoot the AR at 25 meters before I shoot the long range event, is 10X too much scope (cheating), should I get a 4x for this event ?? I also wonder if the 20rd mags are too tall to shoot prone ? Any thoughts from you veteran shooters and AR guy/gals ?

Thx,
Mitchell (38superrr)

JustaShooter

Quote from: 38superrr on May 05, 2018, 07:40:01 PMIs the KD shoot too ambitious for a second event  ?
It really depends - how well did you learn the techniques being taught, and how easily were you able to qualify as Rifleman in your first shoot?  If the positions and techniques were like second nature and you shot multiple targets that qualified for Rifleman, them a KD for your second shoot may not be too ambitious.  But if you struggled with technique and/or just squeaked by getting over 210 on one AQT, then perhaps it is too much too fast to attend a KD event for your second Appleseed.  Remember that in addition to what you learned at 25 meters, you'll have to deal with a few more variables and the techniques to handle them - elevation adjustment, windage, rifle cant, etc. 

Quote from: 38superrr on May 05, 2018, 07:40:01 PMI would love to shoot the AR at 25 meters before I shoot the long range event, is 10X too much scope (cheating), should I get a 4x for this event ??
I also chose to shoot my AR at a 25 meter event before participating in a KD.  I chose a red dot with a 3x magnifier for that event and did very well.  I don't think a 10x scope is cheating, but it is a good bit more than you need.  Also, depending on the scope it may not be able to be focused at 25m, and likely has a fixed parallax adjustment set for 100 yards, making it a less than ideal choice.  A fixed 3x or 4x optic, maybe something designed for the AR for short range shooting, would probably serve you well for the event (and for actual use out to several hundred yards for fast target acquisition).

Quote from: 38superrr on May 05, 2018, 07:40:01 PMI also wonder if the 20rd mags are too tall to shoot prone ?
20 round AR mags will be fine in prone.  I chose to bring both 10 and 20 round magazines.  I used the 10 round magazines for the stages without a magazine change and for the 8-round portion of the stages with a magazine change, and used the 20 round magazines for the 2-round portion of the stages with a magazine change.  That way it was easy to tell which magazine had 2 and which had 8, and if the mag didn't drop free during the stage, the 20 round mag would give plenty to grab onto to pull it free.
Christian, Husband, Father
Rifleman

NRA Life Member
NRA Certified Range Safety Officer
NRA Certified Rifle & Pistol Instructor

TomMPR

One other thing to consider when it comes to magnification is "fussing the shot". Unless both your fundamentals and positions are rock solid, you may have a hard time getting your sights settled enough to take a shot that you can call and feel good about. I know i have a much easier time at 4x rather than 7x. It seems to me that an increase in magnification not only enlarges my sight picture but also pulse and any other small motion that i don't notice so much at 4x. Can't help thinking that if cmp service rifle shooters are using 4.5x optics for 600 yard across the course matches then any more magnification than that on d-silouettes at 400 yards could hurt more than it helps.


Just my two cents, Tom

38superrr

Thanks all,
I got this SWFA 10x mostly because I always wanted one and because I thought I might go after woodchucks if I had opportunity. It turns out that 10x is a LOT of magnification. I shot pretty well with my .22 with a 4x. I cleared those pesky red coats and got my rifleman.
I have decided to grab a lower power scope and shoot 25m with the AR to break it in and absorb some more knowledge. Perhaps I will shoot KD next year.
Thanks for the feedback shooters !
Mitchell

RedLeg

#16
I'll chime in here as well.

As long as you have the fundamentals down to a point where you have or can shoot a Rifleman score at 25yds, it will all come into play on the KD range.  All those same skills will be applied but will be compounded by actual range changes (sight/scope dope adjustments), wind deflection (particularly with a 5.56 AR), and mirage (assuming you're shooting in warm, sunny weather.)  You will definitely learn a TON shooting a KD, but it won't be the same things you learned at a standard Appleseed, so you really have to have those fundamentals down pat before venturing out to a KD shoot, as they are not re-taught. 

My second Appleseed was a KD and I did NOT shoot rifleman, even though I was fully capable.  I could never get comfortable behind my optic at 300yds and had an unknown equipment issue on Day 2 where my shots were nowhere close to where they were on Day 1.  The first issue turned out to be my scope being mounted a little too far back and me fighting eye relief issues while prone.  The second was caused by my direct thread suppressor loosening up and went undiscovered until I was packing up.  That was definitely a valuable lesson learned, and I shot that same rifle at a standard Appleseed last November and used it to earn a "Winterseed" Rifleman patch.  This validated that my scope was well adjusted for the prone position, and I learned to tighten up the suppressor once it warms up after the first string of fire and it stayed tight all weekend.

I echo the sentiment of those who said it's better to shoot at a lower magnification than higher, particularly while standing or seated, as they are less stable shooting positions.  The AR I shot has a Trijicon AccuPower 1-4X optic and I shot at both 4x and 1x at the 25M shoot and actually shot a higher Rifleman score at 1x, particularly at the 400yd targets.  For the KD, I shot at 1x at 100, 2x at 200 and 4x at both 300 & 400. At this last Appleseed, I had all my shooters scopes set to 2X and they did not change it all weekend.

In the end, if you feel/know you are capable of repeatedly shooting a Rifleman score at 25M, go ahead and book a KD shoot.  If nothing else, you will learn a lot of new skills and either prove to yourself that you can do it, or catch the fever to get out there and do it again!
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace.
We seek not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

"Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it." - John Adams in a letter to Abigail, 26 April 1777

HammBone

Mitchell,

I thought you shot really well at the Wilmington shoot. I was impressed.

I have signed up for the KD shoot at New Philadelphia in early November. I'm hoping it gets cold enough to put the Winterseed patch into play. I plan to shoot a scoped M1A and will spend some time with it over the summer/fall to get used to it.

If you want to shoot KD, give that one some consideration.

Mitch
1st Appleseed/Cleared Redcoat/Rifleman: 4/20/2013 - Miamisburg, OH
1st Known Distance Rifleman: 11/3/2018 - New Philadelphia, OH
1st Winterseed Rifleman: 1/26/2019 - Liberty Center, OH
Donned the Red Hat: 6/16/2019 - Wilmington, OH

"Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young." - Anonymous

"Blessed is the man, who when facing death, thinks only of his front sight." - Jeff Cooper

RedLeg

I may also be at that same KD.  I had originally registered for the June/July Marion shoot, but will now be out of town and need to reschedule.  The July New Philadelphia shoot is the weekend after I return and don't know that I'll want to immediately go out of town for the weekend, so it's either September in Park City, KY (site of my first KD) or November in New Philadelphia, OH.  Both are 3+ hour drives from Cincinnati.
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace.
We seek not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

"Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it." - John Adams in a letter to Abigail, 26 April 1777

goodoldfriend

I have not chimed in yet...
What a fantastic group of Americans who turned out.
It was an honor to help you with your shooting skills in some small fashion and to see the enthusiastic faces as the history was being told.
I hope to see all of your back as you each find your path to earning your Rifleman patch.
It is worth the journey.
1st Appleseed 11/23/2012, Crittenden, KY
2nd Appleseed 7/16/2016, Wilmington, OH
3rd Appleseed 10/2/2016, Newark, OH
Rifleman (213) 10/2/2016