AAR: Field Rifle Skill Builder Clinic (May 7, 2016, Sesser, IL)
Recently Revere’s Riders held a special “Field Rifle Skill Builder,” hosted by Newman’s Gun Club in Sesser, IL.
This skill building clinic was designed for intermediate shooters familiar with their rifles. The Goal? Provide the opportunity to develop skills and strategy for hits out at actual distance with multiple targets under time constraints in coordination with a team mate. Hits Count, and Steel provides immediate feedback.
We began the morning with Introductions, Safety, and History.
Our History covered “A Quiet Sunday : April 16, 1775” This was the last Sunday for hundreds of men, women and children… The last opportunity for Fellowship, as many would be dead before the next Sunday came… The final handshake with a brother, or glance at a sweetheart. Just a few short days later, these families would find themselves making tremendous sacrifices to live free and secure our unique form of self governance.
Our first marksmanship challenge of the Morning was the 100 yard Cold Bore Challenge using our Tax Stamp target. These targets are only about 4″ x 4″ and when posted out at 100 yards are a real test of practical marksmanship: can you hit such a target with your first shot under field conditions from a field shooting position? Each winner received a Gift Certificate for a custom made HAWG Holster.
After reviewing the Concept of “Come Ups,” each Team was allowed 10 minutes to verify their zeroes and trajectories on Steel targets and make any notes needed. The variety of target sizes and placement required deliberate communication to ensure valid data was collected for later use out to 350 yards.
During Lunch the Event Director discussed the Civic Engagement aspect of Revere’s Riders. We discussed a number of issues including:
- Membership at your local range
- Friends of the NRA
- Our generous sponsors
- The introduction of SB3267, which would Tax Illinois Residents per mile driven via a monitoring system.
Reviewing the Challenge and answering questions, we then proceeded to make our “Hits Count” on seven targets 4” (100 yards) through 18” (350 yards). Each team had 80 rounds and 15 minutes to land hits on these targets. Score was the actual time, with a penalty of five seconds per miss.
The first place team was a pair of brothers who not only effectively communicated, but also knew their strengths in each field shooting position and the transitions between those positions. Both received a $100 Gift Certificate toward purchasing an Optic from A&A Optics. Second and third place also received a $50 Gift Certificate.
Individually, each of these Men and Women were already excellent Marksmen. Taking the next step and accepting a challenge in a completely different type of learning was enjoyable for all.
Focusing on “What’s next?” not “What if?” is a compelling reason to step out of the confines of traditional target shooting and adding the concept of teamwork as well as time pressure.
We look forward to seeing some of these Competitors back on the line at any one of our Events!