Adventure Camp is like Appleseed on Steroids. We have 56 kids per group the camp lasts eleven full days. For the most part they sleep in cabins and have youth counselors who are assisted by grads of the program who are themselves counselors in training.
Students are divided into four groups and there are over four shooting disciplines (rifle, shotgun, pistol and muzzle loader) besides archery, knot tying, tent raising, fire starting, outdoor cooking, etc. taught at Adventure Camp. Other activities include swimming, outdoor survival, hunter education, hunting ethics, tracking (blood trail), wildlife management and compass reading. The attendees IMO represent some of the finest youth in America. They are attentive, eager to learn, are not glued to their smart phones or music devices, respectful, behaved and wear their pants up and hats straight.
There are instructors for each and I and another are the ML instructors. Last night We had two Savage .308 rifles (one Leupold scope and the other Nightforce) sighted in at 1100 yards. We divided our group into two and I had seven on one rifle. While six students watched, I coached and a student counselor (graduate of Adventure Camp) played spotter. We got each of our kid to hit this huge white metallic buffalo at over 1k yards. The students are offered to keep their cartridge case (no one turns that down). It is so rewarding to see the smiles on their faces when they are told they hit it.
With respects to muzzle loading, they are given a very brief history of muzzle loading, the various projectiles and the types of powders or propellants. Everything is shot off hand. The first ten are at 25 yards against paper. The next five are 25 yards against metallic chicken silhouettes, then five at prairie dog silhouettes at 50 yards and finally five a steel buffaloes at 100 yards. Their ML are loaded with 50 grains of some black powder substitute and it is upped to 70 grains for the buffaloes. Kids are taught the saying, "Powder, patch and ball or it won't shoot at all." During lag times, I question the kids on simple things like who wrote the Declaration of Independence (and not, it's not George Washington), the expected rate of fire for a Revolutionary War soldier, safety rules, etc. The ones who answer right are given an empty percussion cap tin and told to use it to make char cloth. When their course of fire is over, they are instructed on how to clean their muzzle loaders.
The program and Whittington has many sponsors (We're staying in the Leupold Cabin) and many of our firearms have been donated by the industry. The muzzle loaders are from Thompson Center (Hawkens) and Lyman (Great Plains). Bench Mark knives are given to the instructors, counselors, counselors-in-training AND the students who are encouraged to carry them during their stay here.
Some of the things we try to instill is an appreciation of our heritage. These kids are the future of this country and the lessons they learn here at Whittington should serve them through their lives.
Students are divided into four groups and there are over four shooting disciplines (rifle, shotgun, pistol and muzzle loader) besides archery, knot tying, tent raising, fire starting, outdoor cooking, etc. taught at Adventure Camp. Other activities include swimming, outdoor survival, hunter education, hunting ethics, tracking (blood trail), wildlife management and compass reading. The attendees IMO represent some of the finest youth in America. They are attentive, eager to learn, are not glued to their smart phones or music devices, respectful, behaved and wear their pants up and hats straight.
There are instructors for each and I and another are the ML instructors. Last night We had two Savage .308 rifles (one Leupold scope and the other Nightforce) sighted in at 1100 yards. We divided our group into two and I had seven on one rifle. While six students watched, I coached and a student counselor (graduate of Adventure Camp) played spotter. We got each of our kid to hit this huge white metallic buffalo at over 1k yards. The students are offered to keep their cartridge case (no one turns that down). It is so rewarding to see the smiles on their faces when they are told they hit it.
With respects to muzzle loading, they are given a very brief history of muzzle loading, the various projectiles and the types of powders or propellants. Everything is shot off hand. The first ten are at 25 yards against paper. The next five are 25 yards against metallic chicken silhouettes, then five at prairie dog silhouettes at 50 yards and finally five a steel buffaloes at 100 yards. Their ML are loaded with 50 grains of some black powder substitute and it is upped to 70 grains for the buffaloes. Kids are taught the saying, "Powder, patch and ball or it won't shoot at all." During lag times, I question the kids on simple things like who wrote the Declaration of Independence (and not, it's not George Washington), the expected rate of fire for a Revolutionary War soldier, safety rules, etc. The ones who answer right are given an empty percussion cap tin and told to use it to make char cloth. When their course of fire is over, they are instructed on how to clean their muzzle loaders.
The program and Whittington has many sponsors (We're staying in the Leupold Cabin) and many of our firearms have been donated by the industry. The muzzle loaders are from Thompson Center (Hawkens) and Lyman (Great Plains). Bench Mark knives are given to the instructors, counselors, counselors-in-training AND the students who are encouraged to carry them during their stay here.
Some of the things we try to instill is an appreciation of our heritage. These kids are the future of this country and the lessons they learn here at Whittington should serve them through their lives.
Afterward, we assembled the kids beneath the plywood sign that is cut out like the steel buffalo. The sign tells the distance and dimensions of the buffalo.