Motion pictures

Revival in church tonight, on the range today...

So I thought the talk at the movie theater would make one or two shooters happy. I thought since my wife is off finding seaweed in the ocean, I would go to the range and preach to the choir. Cause you know if they are going to the range they already have opinions about everything shooting.

What I really wanted to do was confirm my zero and check out my accuracy. I could spare fifty-eight rounds of 22 LR, couldn't I? Have to make every shot count, including the photographs.

So five rounds, adjust my sights and begin with a Zombie target and a sighting square. First shot on the sighting square, next three on the four hundred yard target, I think I failed to confirm my NPOA, don't you? Then a major shift to the 300 yard target, the 200 yard target and the 100 yard target. Thirteen rounds only forty more to go.

So the AQT without time, ten rounds off hand, no rest but I was firing a single shot rifle.






Then the second stage the sitting position.
 
Then the third stage in prone position.



The final stage which counts double, the worst of my shooting skills and why don't I work on that, okay I will.

As I finished each of my targets I wandered the line, talking to the other shooters. About what they like doing 'shooting'! The man with the left handed flintlock was really cool. I talked deer hunting in Pennsylvania, and tours from Afghanistan. I dropped off some Appleseed trifold for a man with a son and a Ruger 10/22. Good weekend ahead.

   

Wearing the Chinese field jacket around...

I took my wife out to see Oblivion, not that I like Tom Cruise, but I do like science fiction. Tom did just fine as Jack (is that his new actor character - Jack?).  Anyway, as I was waiting for my wife to get the medium popcorn and her Cola, I had a younger fellow (they are all younger now) telling me that my patches were cool.  NRA Life Member and the RWVA ones.

We talked a bit about guns, there is a gun show in Puyallup this weekend he said, I told him I was going shooting instead. Something about I didn't have any money and I wasn't sure they would have anything I really had to have. But that got me to asking if he was a good shooter, how could he say not? He told me he was the son of a peace officer and had grown up with guns.

I told him I was an instructor with an organization that taught rifle marksmanship to 4 MOA, and that is a one inch square at twenty-five meters. Since my wife was trying to get me to take some of the food off her hands I gave him my card, and told him to look up Appleseed Project, we all need to make every shot count. His companion looked happy when I said that. I imagine I will get an email from him one day.  Just for wearing my colors at the movie metroplex. 

What are the sounds of Summer?

Doesn't that sound like Spring should be warming up?

Well, I went away and found some fine people...

So I awake very early on Saturday and drive to Whidbey Island for an Appleseed weekend.  No computer and no television and lots of things to do. Mainly find willing students for the training, the History and the encouragement.

First Rifleman on his way overseas soon.

Thee basic positions taught

Looking to lock the Natural Point of Aim

Just when you think you have nailed the shooting Rifleman, we change the picture.

Great instructors, host range, Shoot Boss and hosting family (with two IITs working our lines). Cooper did a 2nd Strike that sticks in my mind, the video clip is part of her tale. Helped a lot of good shooters become better, and Americans feel most honored to be of the posterity those Patriots fought and died for on April 19, 1775.

Good news this morning, my son is back in San Diego, his men will be returning soon from their deployment.

Signs, don't they just work?

I have always disliked signs that said 'Keep off the grass'. Long before it became a anti-drug slogan. I liked the green lush grass and I liked to roll in it, play on it, and get stained up properly.  When I was an Airborne First Sergeant I found that I had some real power, and my troopers were in awe that I had stopped everyone from carelessly walking across the grass in a short cut to get  around the barracks. I called it teaching them responsibility and discipline but we never talked about it, they just knew I would be on them if they disappointed my expectations. But I never needed a sign.

Well, the military has changed a lot, seems everyone needs to read the signs and that will protect us. I got very alarmed when I went shopping at the Commissary with my wife and I saw the sign for fools with firearms to have a gun free zone. I could see them stacking up the young folks and the old retirees like cord wood  as we were wiped out by the fools with the firearms that weren't going to read, nor honor the signs. Too sad, still I shopped, since I may be one of those fools not reading the signs. You pick the battles you want to win, sometimes the battles pick you and your life depends on it.

Don't you worry none there is also a No Smoking outside the door of the building, we are very safe.

It just isn't the same any longer...

So there I am getting old, and making an observation on the shooting line that one shouldn't droop over one's rifle like a daffodil. Which got a chuckle from a shooter.

But I can't do as much as I once did, the weekend wipes me out a bit, my wife has gone on her second hiking with friends in the mountains, she comes back and the next day has a long nap in recovery. Yep, it isn't like it once was... but we are trying.

I do notice that the rest of the world is driving on, marriages happening, children learning well their letters. God is good, we are being replaced by better models.