Redmond, WA Interlake Sporting Association AAR Sept 14/15 2019

[GTEngineer]

It started as a really comfortable Saturday and tapered eventually into a drizzly Sunday at the Interlake Sporting Association range in Redmond WA.  We had a group of folks who really knew how to shoot and a group of folks who really showed a lot of improvement throughout the weekend.  Robert and Steve shot their rifleman score on the very first AQT of the weekend, followed by several repeat rifleman scores by Steve throughout the weekend.  Robert shot a 233 with a bolt action!  What an achievement!  Laura, you also showed amazing patience and persistence on Saturday, continue to practice dry firing and sling use and I am sure your scores will climb quickly!

Sophia started with a score of low 160 without a sling at all and ended with 174 by Sunday, braving the rain and the cold on Sunday.  You showed persistence that few had at other events at your age.  We were all very impressed and I hope that you take to heart the message of Liberty, I know your persistence in the face of adversity will serve you well in the future.

Gene, Collin, and Arturo, you were all knocking on that rifleman door with scores between the mid 170s and 190s.  Keep practicing the steady hold factors until they are less uncomfortable, practice getting into position faster during transitions, and practice quickly obtaining and shifting your NPOA.

We had many many shooters throughout the weekend that were just knocking on the door of 210, the rain on Sunday did put a big damper on our comfort levels, but many stuck throughout the discomfort and continued showing progress despite of being soaked to the bone by the non-stop drizzle.  I am confident that had the weather been better, I would have been handing out many more rifleman patches.  Still, you have show a great deal of perseverance which will absolutely pay off on the next event you attend!

Remember to dry practice the techniques that you have learned, and more importantly bring along a friend/family member to the next event.  Help us be the 7th step and spread the message of Liberty!

I have uploaded the photos from this weekend to the following location, the link will be active for 30 days so that you may download any photos you'd wish to keep.  Afterwards the link will be disabled for your privacy.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_lO6vdNf-97v480k0kQDXBIKI44CXI7d

[GTEngineer]

edited original post

[GTEngineer]

edited original post

[Earl]

I was very happy to be with all the fine shooters learning about safety, marksmanship and that fateful day that Revere sounding the alarm, "The Regulars are out!". Pretty committed Son of Liberty, since he had ridden out on a false alarm a couple weeks earlier. 

I want to light that spark, so that you, too, will be looking up the truth about those folks, what was their cause and how does that become us so many years later. Learning is a life long process and pays off constantly. The general idea of the Revolutionary War Veterans Association is that we become a nation of Riflemen again.  Not because one day we could become a dangerous old man, for even those we tell the stories about, were just citizens of solid reputation doing good work in their family, community and for their posterity the generations to follow. The rifleman is independent, always learning, always sharing, always caring and concerned with making their lives count as seriously they make their shots count. I will always be happy to see you at another Appleseed, on the trail and getting better every day. Dry practice is a fine frugal way to become better, study always helps useful reference for experiences without cost the same way. 

  Proud to help the other instructors, more hands always make the work lighter and quicker, they make it look so easy. Thanks for participating this weekend. Don't forget that seventh step in making it count, word of mouth and recommendations are welcome.

[SPaikmos]

Thanks to all the instructors that worked with us in the rain over the weekend!  As I said at the beginning of the weekend, I enjoy the opportunity to shoot in bad weather because I rarely do it.  Even though it's cold, wet, and miserable, I always learn from the experience and it helps me to be that much better prepared.  I find life is better when you embrace the suck. 

This weekend, I learned that I need more waterproof clothes.  Driving home with wet underwear is less than ideal; I need to find something that dries quickly.  Stripping down my rifle, it wasn't as dirty as I expected.  The sling is still wet 24 hours after, so perhaps I should consider a nylon one instead of the cotton GI sling for bad weather.

Andy, I thought we had one more rifleman on Sunday?  Didn't see his name mentioned, should it be added to the list?

The first thing my wife asked me was whether I submitted my application to volunteer.  I asked why, and she said my answer will determine whether we get divorced or not.  Hmmm...  it's gonna be an uphill battle, but I'll find a way to get out more often.  It's gonna be a slow process tho. 

[Nashville Stage]

The sling is still wet 24 hours after, so perhaps I should consider a nylon one instead of the cotton GI sling for bad weather.

Toss the sling in the washer & drier. Seriously. Yes, it'll make a racket, but it won't hurt anything (you can remove the buckle & J-clip to reduce the noise if you want). The cotton won't shrink in any meaningful amount.

I actually recommend this for any new USGI cotton sling. It helps to take out the stiffness and rough texture of a new sling. Use the longest, heavy-duty wash cycle the machine has.

I'd recommend staying away from the nylon version of the USGI sling. The slickness of the nylon makes it much harder to keep in place on your arm while in the loop sling configuration.

[GTEngineer]

Andy, I thought we had one more rifleman on Sunday?  Didn't see his name mentioned, should it be added to the list?

You are absolutely right!  I apologize Kyle!  Kyle scored his rifleman on the 1st AQT of Sunday with a score of 219, despite the rain!  Congratulations Kyle!