Antioch, TN AAR - March 26 & 27, 2022

[BluegrassColonel]

Another Project Appleseed is in the books at the tremendous Stones River Hunter Education Center in Antioch, Tennessee.  Stones River HEC is a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency facility.  The classroom is first rate, the officers and volunteers are very helpful, and the range is concrete and asphalt - so no mud!

8 shooters came out to brave the winds on Saturday - and the winds were definitely sporty! Anything not heavy or weighted down was subject to being blown down range at any moment.  Cinderblocks, popup canopy weights, and sandbags were on most of the mats on the line by the end of the day.  At various times PA speakers, sheafs of papers, targets, plastic bags, and a folding table were blown over - and some went all the way to the target line.  Popup canopies were out of the question.  The result was windburn, sunburn, and dehydration - and that was among instructors.  Shooters were reminded to drink lots of water, and it definitely could have been a negative factor, but they dutifully took breaks to hydrate.  What the wind did affect was the time monkey.

The day kicked off with a group of shooters who were ready to learn!  Teachable attitude was in abundance, and it made the event a joy.

Eagle Keeper presented the First Strike with passion and enthusiasm.  Rusty Gun, who came from Memphis to help, got things off to a productive start as Line Boss and the Hits Count ("Red Coat") target results were very promising.

The shooters took to heart the statement that we weren't there to turn money into noise and soaked up each of the blocks of instruction with genuine attention.  Even with a small group of shooters, the wind made instruction difficult to hear.  We were very fortunate to have a portable PA on the line.  Thank you, Nashville Stage!

Back in the classroom for lunch, Nashville Stage gave a stirring presentation of the Second Strike.

An impressive young lady of 10, Madeline, attended our event and shot very well.  She has the persistence of a Rifleman, and I have no doubt that she will earn that badge.  She was adamant that she wanted to learn all of the positions.  She will make an enthusiastic Instructor should she choose to volunteer someday.

Holding a whiteboard for the presentation for IMC by Eagle Keeper was a physical challenge in the wind.  All of the position and transition blocks of instruction were covered and the second Hits Count target was engaged.  The Third Strike was postponed until Sunday morning.

Sunday dawned bright and very pleasant - and no wind!  It was a relief and made for a wonderful day to shoot.

The Third Strike was presented, a thorough review of the blocks of instruction with good participation by the shooters followed.

Dangerous Old Men and the KD presentation made for a very full lunch break.

After some squares targets and "ball and dummy" exercises, AQT's were posted and everyone got down to business.  Scores improved and each shooter made every trip down to the target line a learning experience.  Chuck overcame a challenge that might have caused some shooters to give up or mentally check out when his scope rings became loose Rusty Gun noted the problem and quickly corrected it.  Chuck worked to re-zero his rifle through the AQT strings, and made an impressive recovery.

Daniel and Holly both requalified twice.  Huzzah!  Clay just missed earning his patch - but he'll be back, and I feel confident he will walk away with one.  In fact, all of the shooters are capable of earning the Rifleman patch.  The improvement over both days was noticeable and encouraging.

As a bit of fun, 2 20" Known Distance targets were posted and the shooters were divided into left and right sides.  They were challenged to out-shoot the other end of the line by putting as many shots as possible into the "V" circle.  Both sides put 18 definitive shots in that circle, but the left side also had one additional shot just outside that circle, so they prevailed.  (Other than the one shot outside the circle, there were no other holes in the target!)  I want to note here that 10-year-old Madeline participated and obviously shot very admirably.  As the saying goes - "Shoot Like a Girl - if You Can!"  Huzzah, Madeline!

The final Hits Count reflected improvement and resulted in a "cleaned" target by Daniel.  Another Huzzah!

At the close, shooters were invited to share critiques or comments, and it was humbling to have such kind feedback.

This was a great event and it made me proud - proud of the shooters for applying the instruction and being so persistent, and proud to participate with such a great cadre of Instructors.

[Ramblin' Wreck]

Looks like a great event. Well done guys! 
Wreck

[Palousie]

I had a great time just chilling out as a shooter and getting an opportunity to requalify. Below are the pictures I took. It was such a bright day, I struggled to mitigate the funky shadows, but some still turned out good. Feel free to save any you like.

[BluegrassColonel]

Excellent photos, Holly!  Thank you for posting them!

Greg
"Bluegrass Colonel"

[Nashville Stage]

These were some switched-on students; a pleasure to teach and be with. When Eagle Keeper finished the instructions for IMC, the group not only *didn't* have glazed-over eyes, they were taking notes and asking questions!

We had fun being with you this weekend. Thanks for coming out and learning about our shared heritage as Americans. Keep dryfiring at home; you'll be amazed at how much it helps. Get a copy of the book, "Paul Revere's Ride". It's a great story, and will inspire further reading about the amazing people who founded our country.

Splendid photography as always from Holly.
See everyone on the line again soon!

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Update! I found some photos. Here they are:

Eagle Keeper being awarded his 10-event pin!


Coaching on the line.


Our young shooter doing a great job.


...and receiving our youth patch!