Wilmington, OH CCFSA Oct 7-8, 2023 AAR

[Longrifleman]

Whoa, whoa whoa...did you hear that?

Was that the CLASH of arms? Resounding battalia from the remotest corner in southwest Ohio? A call to arms echoing from the valley of Good Ole' Bay 7?

Nope. It was Riflemen! A whole bunch of 'em and a gaggle of cooks chompin' at the bit of Liberty trying to join that elite company of Patriots who know VERY WELL what they are about.

There has GOT to be something magical in the gravel dust down there, there's just got to be!

We started off normal enough. Twenty ordinary American citizens descended onto Wilmington, OH's Clinton County Farmers and Sportsmen Association range to shoot a few rounds and to enjoy each other's company on the first chilly fall day of the year. What they got was a spectacular reacquaintance with our extraordinary heritage, our unforgettable history, and that elusive skill of those who have the fire of Liberty in their hearts and minds- Rifle Marksmanship!

Ominously, the Redcoats made quite a stand early Saturday morning. After a brief engagement all were left standing and they took up a defensive position on the heights of Good Ole' Bay 7 just to taunt and jeer at us all day. Well, that proved to be the incentive needed for our courageous clan to get to down and dirty with the marksmanship instruction.

We opened the firehose and the teachable attitudes absorbed it all. The Strikes the Match, the USGI sling, The Steady Hold Factors, and, of course, those three essential ingredients to rifle marksmanship: Proper position, the Six Steps to Firing the Shot, and Natural Point of Aim all came flooding in as only the Appleseed Instructor Corps can deliver!

The groups were shrinking fast and the improvement was evident in them all. Before we knew it the first AQT was posted and out of the clouds of gun smoke four Riflemen proved their worth! Nick, Doug, and Nelson all re-qualified and Jeff posted his score of 222 to become the world's latest Rifleman!

The Redcoats were visibly shaking in their boots (ok, maybe it was the wind) as we lined up for the final assault of the day. Before you knew it it was over and the victory was evident. Four dastardly Redcoats lay at the feet of some proud American shooters. Nick, Clark, Nelson, and Isaiah all claimed an Ohio Appleseed Patch!

Sunday dawned a Glorious Day for America and a perfect day for shooting. The instruction review flew by. The drills and squares were duly dispatched and we got down to business with some AQTs. The first saw Isaiah claim his Rifleman Patch with a 213. Not to be outdone, Michael grabbed his with a 220 and topping them all, Clark knocked out a 226 for his first, and the re-qualifications were piling up as well. Nate and Mark both proved they could do it again.

All were looking impressive. Mike and Mike on the end were coming on strong. Steve, Nathan, and Mike O. kept on persisting. Nancy and Susan were becoming masters of their rifles. And, best of all, our youngest men Beck and Evan were tightening their groups like true marksman!

The scores were climbing fast and suddenly TJ finally proved he had it all along with his first at 221. The madness finally peaked when Jeff cranked out a 240 to earn a Distinguished rocker and our team drill used up almost all remaining rounds we had!

Sunday also saw some Redcoats fall as Doug and Clark made their hits count and our weekend came to a close!

As always, we thank our shooters for a safe and fun weekend. As always, we're eternally grateful to the volunteer Revolutionary War Veterans Association Instructors who gave their all to promote Liberty and Marksmanship. But most of all we thank the wonderful members and board of Clinton County Farmers and Sportsmen Association for their unending support of our great Project Appleseed program and mission.

See you all next time!

PS. Congratulations to Messer454 for earning his Red Hat full instructor status and to SawdustJake and Octopus for advancing in their Instructor In Training adventure. Also kudos to Squeeze (Mark A.) for taking on the challenge of the Orange Hat.

[Pow Chicka Wow Wow]

Hey Longrifleman, did I hear that Doug's dog ate his Ohio Appleseed patch?!?

[Longrifleman]

Well, I didn't believe it either but then he presented irrefutable evidence...

[RedLeg]

I'm up in New Hampshire at another shoot but will post pics as soon as I'm back in town.

[RedLeg]

 

As promised, here are a few pics from the fantastic shoot held a couple weekends ago. Thanks to all the shooters and fellow instructors, You were all amazing and I am privileged to have worked with each and every one of you.

[RedLeg]

Pics round two.

[RedLeg]

Pics round three