Ah, I need to fix that in my life...

   Notice that all I seem to write about is my latest Appleseed. I am hardly telling y'all about the Sunday School class, the old men and lively ladies of the YMCA, my wife and her adventures, and how much I do love a good nap in the afternoon and a good book on my kindle... hmm, boring fellow I have become.

   Last weekend I drove out in the early morning darkness to get to the Custer Sportsmen Association for another Appleseed. A small one.Four full instructors and ten students, three of them likely young men some of which we had instructed before. The club was very welcoming,  I got to do the sign in and t-shirt give away, something I haven't done in a long time. I do the line or the meet and greet in the parking lot, more often, change up is good. Doing the money for range fees was also strange, note to self - twenty dollar bills don't change much except hundreds and no one walks around with them.

GTEngineer talking about the Redcoat target

 

I did miss the introductions, and since I wasn't there they talked about me behind my back, not really. I was turning in range fees and the list of shooters. The day seemed to be smoothly paced. The shooters listening but having some difficulty in making it all happen at once. Some of the best first day scores, lots of good groups and positions seen. The shifting of body to find the next target was noted.

   I think consistency will come with much dry and live practice, one has to live the six steps on each shot. Our drills for NPOA and Ball and dummy will be used to refine the shooters, perhaps they will use digital cameras to record how they move and take their trigger into the shot. Lots of things to think about in shooting. Try to keep it all simple, learn it well, and keep practicing. 

On the road again, CAP cadets to make into Riflemen...

  I haven't been around as much as I once was, just often in the otherwheres.  So I packed my car and headed down the road to the range. Found it easily, as local as it gets for me.  Out of three CAP events we have held here, this was my best. Nothing to do with me, just that I have done one before so only the cadets calling me 'Sir' made me happy and uneasy. Difficult to believe there really are polite young people wanting to learn something.

   I had only one loaner rifle, and day one the sights kept coming off, combination of heat from sun, and lack of proper tension on the retaining screw? Well, the cadet was patient with me and on day two I only had to tighten it one time. I did get to fire five rounds while the cadet sat out, should do that more often, since it confirms my ability, and my errors to work upon. All the normal Appleseed things were taught and demonstrated but in a shorter version. Several shooters were improving rapidly and will one day, with practice do much better. We did have a shooter on day one do a 210 without transitions, and given a normal AQT he made 218 on the same day. He earned his patch.

NW Appleseed photo report.  Two fine days of making better marksmen.  Sunday was quick review of all that had been taught, a Redcoat target and an AQT, some dangerous old men stories. The fun stuff was in the afternoon, we brought the target line in to fifty feet (from 82) and posted NRA targets for the shooters to get scores to earn their awards based on their uniforms. Looks very much like the targets I shot in 1962 Junior High Rifle Club, in the high school gym.. under the watchful eye of Mr. Mauger, the American History teacher.

  Next trip is to Custer, 25-26 Aug. Hope to see y'all on the range.