Surprisingly for Georgia in June, the weather forecast says this weekend should be spectacular - the kind of weather you expect in New England in June, not Georgia.
So we'll take the 10/22, the SKS, and the Enfield. This will be an interesting experience - almost all my shooting experience has been with pistols, rather than rifles, and most of the rifle experience has been on short ranges. I know from previous experience that I can be taught by a good teacher, and so I have to confess that I can't wait. I'll see if I can do some posts from the event (not sure what sort of cell phone coverage there will be.
If anyone who's been to an Appleseed shoot has any advice about what you didn't bring that you wish you had, I'd be much obliged.
Take a good mat for sitting and prone firing. Elbow pads are good to have too.
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ReplyDeleteWith a forecast like that, sunscreen and broad-brimmed hats are in order. Stay hydrated too! Also, from what I've been reading, bring chairs.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, and I hope you guys score your Rifleman patches.
I hate elbow pads because they make my elbows itch. A towel or sweatshirt folded up worked well for me.
ReplyDeleteTake more ammo than you think you'll need, preferably all of one brand/type. One of the biggest frustrations as an instructor was the student with eight different kinds of .22, each with a different zero. Hopefully you know what shoots/functions well in your rifle already.
Take a spare rifle if you have it, but plan on sticking with one through the weekend. Had a guy try the "it's the equipment" game once and cycle through several rifles in the course of a day, never getting a zero or good group on any of them. He didn't come back for day 2.
Folding camp chairs are worth their weight in gold; if you have a couple extra you're willing to loan out you'll make lots of new friends. If you have a pop-up shade canopy (the 10x10 jobs from $MART) it's worth taking.
Three times as much water as you think you'll need, and just keep drinking. If you don't have to pee, you're not drinking enough.
Light snacks: crackers, veggie sticks, fruit, etc. Nibble at every break. Likewise, a healthy and filling lunch. Sandwich, fruit, cheese, a little pasta salad, that kind of thing.
Advil. Ugh. I can't stress this one enough. I know Carteach0 said the same thing, I'll say it again. Take two the night before, two with breakfast, two with lunch, two with dinner, and two more before bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. You're still going to hurt in places you didn't know could hurt.
Sunscreen, and use it liberally.
Hat. If you insist on a ballcap, put a kerchief under it to shade your neck. I always wore a boonie hat for the same reason, and it didn't have a hard brim to bang on my scope.
Stapler with extra staples - the more staplers on the line, the faster target changes will go and the more shooting can be done.
Having all your gear in ONE bag is extremely helpful. I always took one good size range bag with ammo, magazines, stapler and staples, extra earplugs, eye pro, and a towel for my elbow. Everything else would go in a backpack - sunscreen, clean/dry shirt/pants, some wet-naps, lunch, snacks, etc. Cooler for the drinks.
I usually took a reasonably-sized smithing kit, too. Rod, brushes, patches, some bore cleaner and oil, a folding allen wrench, few screwdrivers, and a dammit stick. That stays in the truck unless needed.
Label everything. It's rarely intentional, but stuff walks.
You most likely have it, but a Sling with swivels if you've got it. I've loaned out many a sling when IIT'ing to those who needed it.
ReplyDeleteA little PocketBrain to take notes, write down adjustments for your sights/scope and a pen to jot.
Also - make sure to mark your target(s) with notes. You think you will remember the information, but after a while information tends to slip.
Mutti
ZerCool nailed it well.
ReplyDeleteLots of ammo especially for the .22
Your shooting will be at 25 yds until the end of the second day. a good shooting mat, elbow pads of some sort, lots of water and an open mind.
Most of the training for pistol transfers to rifles, sight picture, breath control, trigger control is all the same. You'll add a sling and position to it.
A quick release on your sling will allow you to adjust the sling properly and then hook up or release quickly instead of struggling into it.
with the 10-22, load 1 mag with 2 rds one mag with 8. Load the 2rd mag, fire 1 rd & change mags. That saves the "click" on an empty chamber and then a mag change and then cycling the bolt. Saves time in rapid fire and reduces fumbling.
I shoot with a cheap cotton military sling. Well.... four of them now, to be more precise. Three on rifles and one spare/loaner.
ReplyDeleteI wrote my name on them in sharpie, and when I found a good sling position for offhand, sitting, and prone I marked that spot on the sling with the sharpie. That way I can return to any of the position the first time without constantly making adjustments.
Oh, I marked each sling for it's rifle as well, since each rifle will have a different sling setup.
If it's a sunny day, some way of blackening the sights helps. A can of Birchwood Casey sight black, or even just some wooden kitchen matches to soot the sight.... that works too.
Scratch your name in the 10/22 magazines. They all look alike, and that will be the most prevalent rifle there.
Get lots of sleep Friday night! Oh... and limit the coffee if you can. Most people, caffeine gives them jittery trigger control. Me, I suck down my usual pot or so before 6am :-)
I'm jealous, I'll be putting up fence this weekend. You guys have a great time.
ReplyDeleteA shooting jacket of the type Fred sells is a goodness thing to have. (Funny thing, I was the only shooter wearing one of the twenty attendees. And my elbows never complained.) A sleeping bag pad is a good idea, as is a rag for in front of your rifle at muzzle end: keeps the flash from kicking up dirt into your eyes and other places you don't want it.
ReplyDeleteSpare rifles are definitely a desireable item. Glad I brought mine when the 597 decided it wasn't going to function. (I just dicovered the problem today- three years after the Appleseed.)
Plus two on the water, chair, sunscreen and lip balm, hat, lots of snacks with a good lunch.
You'll be shooting minimum of 400 rounds, so bring a thousand 'cuz you never know. And spare magazines 'cuz poop does happen.
Good luck- shoot straight and fast. Think 'relax'.
Bandaids, and knuckle Bandaids. Gloves are nice too, keeps the Bandaids on after you have to use them, as well as making loading mags less chance of mag cuts.. You will find out just how Sharp every part of your rifle really is.
ReplyDeleteSounds silly, but write your name on the top of your target backer in big red magic marker letters first thing on Sat. morning. Makes it easier for the instructors to find out who the outstanding (or otherwise) shooter was that fired on that particular target and it might prevent someone else shooting your target instead of their own. It might even make it more likely that you will be shooting your own target. ;-) Nothing more discouraging than shooting a perfect score--on someone else's target...
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