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SACRAMENTO, CA NOV 10-11

Started by NorCal22Gal, November 15, 2018, 01:59:17 AM

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NorCal22Gal

Couldn't have had better weather for the last NorCal Appleseed of the year.  Low to mid 70's.

16 folks came out to learn, and learn they did.

The safety briefing done, the teaching began.  Lots of questions from everyone.  I saw a few taking notes.  (That's awesome by the way!!)

We stopped for lunch and some history, then it was back on the line for more teaching. 

We didn't get an AQT in.  We did get the third strike and awarded 2 young men very deserving Young Patriots patches. 

The wind kicked up and brought in the smoke from the Camp Fire up in Paradise, it looked like fog rolling in.  We finished up for the day as the smoke came in and the sun disappeared.

Sunday was much clearer, not smoky.

We reviewed Saturday's lessons, again answered lots of questions from a smaller group of very focused folks.

After lunch, and some more history, we started the AQT's.  Lots of focus and good scores.  Then Dustin & Ben scored with 215 & 214.  Dustin backed his 215 up with a very nice 217.  On the almost last AQT, John F. (so as not to confuse him with son John G (nicknamed by the staff as Fouth)) shot a very nice, hard fought for 210!!

And yes he was anointed by  the waters of the North Bridge, an honor we gave to his son.  (Who by the way, was only too happy to perform that task....)

Thank you for coming out.

Thank you very much for staying and assisting us in tear down and clean up. It is very much appreciated.

Thank you to my instructors for making this a wonderful weekend.

Hope to see you all out next year, bring friends/family.

The schedule should be up after the first of the year, after all the dates are finalized.

Books:

Paul Revere's Ride  David Hackett-Fischer
Washington's Crossing  (same author)

Instructors:
Laurie               NorCal22Gal     Shoot Boss
Joe                    eaglescouter
Chirs                Pathogen
Darryl              3Huzzahs
Gareth              303Brit

See ya next year.

NorCal22Gal

Received this email from Ben. 
(I have his permission to post this.  Thanks Ben)

What an amazing weekend. I wanted to say thank you for your expertise, big hearts, great story telling, organization, all of the hard work, setting up, taking down - all of it.

Honestly, since the weekend, I've been on a high. Currently purchasing a 10/22 so I can take my girls more often, ordered those tech sights off of the appleseed store. It'll also allow me to practice at the local pistol range.

Now, with that said, I wanted to share thoughts on why you both rock and why this weekend was so awesome for me.

First of all, I had no idea I can shoot. 45 years of age, and here's this skill I never really knew I had. Doing something well always feels great, and when you're a dad to young ones, working a career, it's harder than ever to make the time and discover new things you might be good at. I can tell you both one thing: I'm well aware of all of the things I do poorly! My lovely wife even volunteers some information in that regard.

Secondly, as a huge history nerd, I gotta say - I loved the April 19th stories (also ordered Paul Revere's Ride from the store too). I was surprised here to be honest, I had no idea of the heritage with marksmanship. And this tie in to heritage seem vitally important today - more than ever. I felt like a 12 year old all over again.. eating beef sticks, getting a history lesson.

Thirdly, and far more personal. I come from a long line of very poor people - Appalachian poor. Everyone in my family is a vet, and a number are combat vets. My dad, who passed away years ago, was a Vietnam era Marine corp "rifleman". My uncle did 3 tours with the M79. My grandfather was a WW2 vet, who lost all of his brothers in that war. On my moms side, they were all Army, which was a constant source of disgust for my dads side, as I heard many jokes after that divorce.

When I was growing up, visiting my dad on those too-few weekends, I would play ‘war' wearing his Marine uniform, admiring his "rifle expert" badge and reading, from cover to cover, his Marine Corps Guidebook.

The Guidebook, guidebook for marines 1967, is something I still have. In it, they cover using the M-14 in all of the positions we went through - including a ‘loop' sling - all of the stuff we drilled.

My dad, who could never stop talking about his crazy experiences in "the Corps" would relay tons of gems to me. Like, when he jerked the trigger and the response of the instructor, which was obscene (can't remember, but my dad would chortle constantly when relaying the story), was followed with what happened to someone else: The instructor said "put your finger between your teeth." Which was followed up with a sharp slap upward on the chin so that the finger would go numb.

Dad also, with my toy rifles, showed me how to work the sling, which, I learned this weekend, was the "hasty" position.

Long story short. I loved my dad. Everyone did. He had one major flaw, which was a serious narcotic and alcohol addiction. He died just a few years older than I am now.

So imagine me, out there, at the range this weekend. Going through the same motions, 35 years later, remembering my dads stories - how he qualified as a ‘ rifle expert' Remembering his quips about finger jerking, sight alignment, and using the sling to brace the rifle tightly. I know for sure that I qualified as a ‘rifleman' due, to large part, listening to my dads stories. My dad had nothing to leave us when he passed, and then appleseed showed me that he had one more thing.

Very very cool.

Anyway. Buying that 10/22 this week. (The M1 CMP Garand will wait until I get my RWVA card..).

thanks again! See you both at a future event.

Ben

Panamajohn

I can attest that at least as late as 1982, USMC rifle instructors where still biting trigger fingers to address jerking.

Happened to my friend Rick.