Ramseur RBC 8-09

[crashkid2k]

Eleven shooters reported for RBC on Sunday morning, ready to learn to shoot.  During the morning introductions, we met shooters from as far away as Georgia and Minnesota with self-described skill levels from totally new to experienced.  It would appear that Crash & Stimey faced a week of hard work!

Early on, we started losing shooters left and right.  Peter had to return home for a family issue, Bob left with an unspecified illness, and Shirley wasn't quite ready for the physical nature of the RBC.

Almost everyone camped at the range.  There was a very real sense of community among the students.  The more experienced shooters stepped up to assist the newer shooters as necessary, and everyone was very professional about it.  There were no egos to be found during this RBC!

All of the shooters were great about sharing gear, tools, rifles, magazines, ammo, etc.  I haven't seen a more generous bunch in a long time.  The shooters who arrived without centerfire rifles were able to shoot the KD AQT with loaner rifles from fellow students.

We made 3 Riflemen during the RBC, with several Boot Campers making Rifleman during the following Appleseed weekend.  Ken scored a 212, and Cliff & Asa (father/son duo) battled for RBC high score right up until Friday afternoon.  It turns out that Cliff and Asa discovered some Aguila target ammo that raised their scores by 6-8 points, and the race was on!  I'm not sure how it ended.

Thanks to all of the shooters for making the RBC easy.  You arrived ready to learn, and it showed.

Thanks to Stimey for identifying and filling the need for an instructor.

Thanks to Wildman and Don for getting the range presentable in time for the RBC.

[CarrieB]

The RBC was incredible, everything I had hoped for and so much more. I felt like I'd found a band of long-lost brothers.

Shirley went home and cried nearly non-stop for giving up and leaving, and she ended up coming back Friday night to finish out the week. She's hooked; determined to get her rifle fixed (my fault it's screwed up... darn bore sighter doesn't like lead padding apparently) or buy a new one now that she knows what she likes and doesn't like, and practice at home so that in November she can get her Rifleman patch handed to her personally from Crash and Stimey. She's got a goal folks, lookout!

There are so many heartfelt thank-you's that I want to give everyone that it would take 3 forum pages to cover them all. Everyone was so patient and generous, and there wasn't one hint of ego whatsoever. We were all cheering each other on and urging Cliff and Asa to out-do each other - WOOT to Asa for being the only boot camper to hit a qualifying Rifleman score on the KD range! Anytime one of us improved in some way or got a better score, we were ALL proud.

Spanner was awesome, letting us borrow his three Rugers to shoot with since our Mossbergs were total junk and taking so much time to help us out, and practically throwing Aguila ammo at us to help us tighten our groups.  He's got me hooked on getting a Ruger now, and where I came in knowing absolutely nothing about rifles, I left knowing exactly what kind of rifle I want to buy next, what accessories I want for it, and what modifications to do to it. What a change, eh?  I was so proud to finally get my name put down in his "Rifleman notches" book when I got my patch on Monday.

Abraham, I can't thank you enough for letting Kelsey borrow your AR for the KD range. You made his entire week (heck, his entire year!) - how many 11yo's can say they've shot an AR at a full 400 yards and hit their intended target? Mine can, thanks to you! We were hoping to see you swing back through on Monday so we could give you a real goodbye hug, so the next time we see you, be prepared, hehe.

Crash and Stimey, you guys ROCK.  If I say much more I'll get all sappy; you two really made a difference for us and we can't wait to see you again at C-2 in November. It's because of you two and Spanner that I'm picking up that orange hat and heading down the Instructor path.  I've got a lot of "paying it forward" to do, and I'm looking forward to learning even more.

Listening to Fred talk about that first strike and what Appleseed means to him really hit me hard. There were times when he had me choked up. I wish everyone in Appleseed could have the opportunity to hear him firsthand.  That first evening he came to our camp and pointed at Mom and I and said "you're going to make Rifleman by the end of the week, don't ever doubt it" - and we didn't believe him, to be honest. We thought he was just being really nice to the obvious newbies, but we were thankful for the encouragement and were determined to do right by him. Hey Fred, I did get my patch after all!  Took me the entire boot camp and weekend Appleseed to do it, but I got it! *grin*

To ALL of you guys who attended, thanks so much for making this such a great experience all the way around.  Y'all have turned me into a bonafide shooter, and I'm hooked now. (Did you just feel the world tremble in fear? Hehe.) 

I've got a few pics, I'll post 'em soon.

[socalserf]

Thanks for taking up the Ornage Hat of Destiny CarrieB !
I'm going to link your wonderful AAR from the MentalMilitia forum.
http://www.thementalmilitia.com/forums/index.php?topic=23720.0;topicseen

[Gaurd Duck]

Geez Crash,
It took you long enough to post this...

Oh well you were probably busy working to post it.

Asa made a score of 244, and Cliff made 240.

[The Kid]

I might add that after a little bit of instruction over the weekend Asa shot a 244 on the AQT.  Congratulations. All it took was him not dragging wood and trigger control.

The Kid

[CarrieB]

Most of the pics I took were of rifles, so that my boys back home could see all of the cool guns we encountered. If y'all want me to post those, I'll be happy to.
Otherwise, here's what I've got...

These two are the most shocking to me.
Boot Camp lineup...


Compared to the Weekend lineup...

Wow! I felt like we'd been invaded! One of the instructors told me that this was nothing, they've had over 100 people there before, with shooters laying out in the grass on both sides of the covered range. I can't imagine the craziness that would've been.

The moon rising over the KD range


Mike trying to help Mom (Shirley) figure out how to use her Ruger


Here's what the redcoat popup stares at all day long; the firing line from 500 yards


Pasting stickies @ 400 yards


Cliff w/ my grandfather's Winchester lever-action 30-30


Cliff and Asa on the KD range, note the booklet with all the charts for sighting things in at different ranges (at least, I think that's what it was)


All of the guys getting ready to roll out and post their targets, hooting like a bunch of kids on a hayride


Abraham getting ready to put some rounds through something's head


The highlight of Kelsey's week/month/year... getting to fire Abe's rifle at full distance


If you want to see any of these larger, they're on this flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43522346@N00/sets/72157622326959416/

Sorry that I didn't get more from the 25yd range, I was too busy shooting or giving the targets a dirty look.

[Gaurd Duck]

1^st pic: On the left is Wildman's M1903A3, which he let me shoot.
2^nd pic: The 25 yd range and the 10/.22 named "Shifty", a loaner from Lyn.
3^rd pic: The G3 Abraham let me borrow for the KD range. It bruised me.

[enfield]

This is the Peter that left early at this event. It was still worth it even for the 3 days. Good to meet everyone.