El Paso (Ft. Bliss), TX KD - 10/19-20 2019 AAR

[Ghostring]

Visitors to El Paso can sometimes be overwhelmed by this small town with a big heart - our military is welcomed with open arms here! - and Ft. Bliss Rod and Gun Club has definitely opened it's arms to Project Appleseed!  A brief ride to the right of the clubhouse brings you to Range 9, the long-distance rifle range, with a bluff as a backstop more than 600 yards distant.  The flat terrain, with it's small clumps of mesquite and comfortable sandy surface, is practically custom-made for this kind of shooting. 

In fact, if you listen very closely you can almost hear the desert calling: "Want to lay prone and poke precision holes in a target 400 yards distant?  Well, I'm your huckleberry!"

Saturday began bright and early with our crew setting 10 target stands into two-foot deep cemented pipes 400 yards downrange.  A work party consisting of Jerry and his El Paso crew had toiled the previous week setting the pipes into place. They stands were awesome: even buried they stood over 7 feet tall - and that was before the 16"x16" (4 MOA@400!) number plate was set on top.  We began our instruction with a very impressive presentation on trajectory from Chris, who used a flexible fiberglass rod to demonstrate the arc of a bullet from the barrel. Hadn't seen that before!  Each of the students had done their homework, and all had a good starting point for their come-ups/adjustments for the course, so we proceeded to check rifles at 25m, then get down to the 100 yard firing line.

Our day then consisted of getting and checking and rechecking our scope settings for each of the firing positions (100, 200, 300 and 400 yards), shooting, measuring, adjusting -- until the dope for each rifle and ammunition combination was correct for that shooter - then we'd shoot the AQT at that range and continue to the next.  Every shooter got to know how their equipment performed, or sometimes how it failed to perform -- and they got to know it well!  History presentations on Ephraim Brank and Daniel Boone were given during lunch, and then we continued with the exercise.  By the end of the day Saturday, every shooter had exact adjustments noted for his or her rifle, and we were ready to pack up and call it a day.

Sunday brought us a Ranging exercise, where we were taught how to use our scopes to range distant targets.  After calibrating our scopes, w number of targets (standard-size Texas pumpkins, a tombstone, skeleton and a large flying bat -- can you tell it's October?) were placed on the range, and our shooters had to work out the apparent size of the items in MOA/MILs as well as how far away they were!  It was a fun start to the day, and after a stirring history lesson on Fort Ticonderoga, and an amazing Ninja-like presentation on Benedict Arnold by Justin, we started the course and shot another 4 AQTs before finally retiring.  The weather on Sunday was interesting, to say the least, as a front had blown in and caused a bit of mayhem.  Our 600 yard steel, while hanging, was invisible due to sand -- and, at times, you would be challenged to see more than 50 yards downrange!  Man, the sand got everywhere!!  Sometimes, though, challenges bring a bright side.  In that vein - fortunately - Sunday also brought us some impressive practice in shooting with wind, so that was a good way to see how to adjust our aim to counter a full-value wind at distance!

Our day finished, we packed up the target stands and brought down the shelters. It was hard to say goodbye, but nice thinking about the next event, where we could once again enjoy all that this range was able to give to us - the fun, the challenge, the hospitality -- but most of all the camaraderie of friends new and old.

Our event saw some significant improvement in our shooters, some of whom had very little experience shooting a center-fire rifle.  Juan Carlos, Heidi, Gabe and Justin finished the day tired but with excellent scores - and we saw three of our shooters earn their Rifleman patch!  O.L stepped up and was able to shoot his KD rifleman score on Saturday, Traci's 205 was shot Sunday as the wind started really picking up, and Ron really earned his 202 in significant wind on the last AQT of the day!  Huzzah, and more!!!

Pics to follow shortly

Jim (GR)

[Jerry Hall]

Howdy All,
Yeah we had a heck of a time, can't wait to see the pic's!

[oladcock]

You guys did a GREAT job! Jerry, you and your crew went above and beyond setting up that range. Thanks Ghostring for running the show. I look forward to shooting there again...

[Ghostring]

We've got pictures!

[Captain]

Dangit! I missed out in Texas . . . I'm thinking those are the best looking target stands / backers ever seen at a KD. West Texas is knocking it out!

[WhitePaladin]

This looked like a fun shoot in challenging weather conditions!  I would have loved doing this. 

-Chris

[A-lister]

Wow looks like a great shoot! Well done!

[scuzzy]

Really nice shoot.

And congrats Traci & Ron on the shooting.

[Grandpa Chuckie]

 I don't believe the wind was blowing......at least not very hard.....look at all those smiling faces!!! And we don't see any sand in those teeth!!     .   Great event!!! Definitely you guys had a lot of fun!! Thanks for sharing the comments & photos.

[TaosGlock]

You guys did a ton of work planning for this event and running it. And especially the work days to build backers and digging holes for them That really shows commitment.  That line looked great!  Keep up the great relations with Ft. Bliss.
That place is special to me too. I took my orange hat there and got a red one there too.
You guys are the essence of liberty.
Huzzah to your dedication to our glorious cause.

[Mrs. Smith]

Aww thanks everyone! It was awesome 

[Jerry Hall]

Thanks All,
We had the receiver's for the target stands planted before 1:PM on the work day(I rented an auger, Rob, Traci and I busted it out, Andy showed up to give us immoral support). The target backers took me 2 days to build.
And yes this is commitment...    

[M1bzrk]

Wow! Great frames, Great pics& obviously great time.
Well done, Patriots.