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View Full Version : I'm an Appleseed Rifleman



Robinhood4x4
04-21-2009, 06:35 PM
If you haven't heard about this program it's a great event which will teach you how to shoot a rifle out to 400 yards and at the same time, teach you revolutionary war history. There are many Appleseed events all around the country throughout the year and they are open to anybody and everybody. In fact, women and children can attend for free.

At our particular event we had about 40+ people attending from all walks of life. About 10% were women. The day starts out with a safety briefing and an introduction to appleseed. Throughout the weekend, they go over the significance of April 18 and 19th, 1775 (Paul Revere's midnight ride) and the days leading up to that event. They also go into detail about the riflemen who made up the colonial militia at the time and those who died on April 19, 1775.
http://www.robinhood4x4.com/gallery2/Payson%20Appleseed/images/P1010842%20(Medium).JPG

Everything is shot at 25 meters with the targets shrinking in size to simulate a man sized target at ranges up to 400 yards. A lot of people choose to shoot a ruger 10/22 since ammo is cheap and it's a cheap gun.
http://www.robinhood4x4.com/gallery2/Payson%20Appleseed/images/P1010843%20(Medium).JPG

The instructors teach you how to shoot from standing, sitting and prone, while properly using a sling. This is not "tactical" shooting at all, as the idea is to stop the redcoats well before they can get within range. Out of the 40 attendees, 3 of us qualified for "Rifleman", which meant we had to score higher than 210 out of 250 points.

The targets look like this:
http://www.robinhood4x4.com/gallery2/Payson%20Appleseed/images/P1010898%20(Medium).JPG

The top one simulates a man sized target at 100 yards. You have 2 minutes to shoot 10 rounds while standing. In the second set of targets you start out standing, transition to sitting and shoot 10 rounds in 50 seconds with 1 mag change. This simulates a person at 200 yards. The third row is the same, except you transition to prone and you have 60 seconds. This simulates a person at 300 yards. The bottom row is done in the prone position and you have 5 minutes to shoot 10 rounds. This simulates 400 yards.

I was most impressed by how much a sling can improve one's steadiness. It's a world of difference. In the past, I've used a sling in a way called the Hasty Sling, but moving up to a Loop Sling is so much better. You're almost as steady using a loop sling as you are bench resting it.

I highly recommend this training class to anybody out there. You can shoot any rifle you want, scoped or iron sights. They take any age as long as the parent believes the child is mature enough to safely handle a firearm. In fact, the youngest instructor in the program is a 14 year old girl. There are a ton of these events in California and all across the US. Plus, this also qualifies you for one of those CMP Garands.

For more information:

Website: http://www.appleseedinfo.org/
Another website: http://appleseedshoot.blogspot.com/
Forums: http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php


http://www.robinhood4x4.com/gallery2/Payson%20Appleseed/images/P1010837%20(Medium).JPG

04 Rocko Taco
04-21-2009, 07:16 PM
Definitely cool! Thanks for sharing! I am looking up the info right now!

Bob98SR5
04-22-2009, 12:04 AM
steve,

great that you finished it. so do they include you in some kind of registry for the CMP? and is that for life and free?

fustercluck
04-22-2009, 05:40 AM
Those are tight groups and done while standing......! Good job!!!

Robinhood4x4
04-22-2009, 07:18 AM
Thanks guys. They provided me with a signed form saying I participated in the event. This, along with signing up for a shooting club, like the revolutionary war veterans association (appleseed) makes you eligible. So, the participation part should be forever, but the membership is annual.

http://www.thecmp.org/eligibility.htm

CJM
04-22-2009, 08:47 PM
Good job man! I have never been to a appleseed shoot but personally when I have the freetime enjoy that kinda target shooting-that and reactives and a few 3 gun matches i did.

These shoots are very good for rifleman skills and good ol' Fred (does he still show up?) is a nice guy from what I gather.

What rifle did you use?

Robinhood4x4
05-04-2009, 07:30 AM
Forgot to answer this...I just used an off the shelf Ruger 10/22, seen in the second picture above.

reggie 00
05-13-2009, 10:03 PM
I just signed up for the Saturday June 13th session in Sacramento.

4x4Mike wanna go too?

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/282209095%20%20

Robinhood4x4
05-14-2009, 06:33 AM
Good for you Reg. What are you going to use?

reggie 00
05-14-2009, 12:10 PM
I think I'll bust out the 10/22

It's a good reason to get that new scope at the gunsmith's and spend the day at the range "sighting it in"

Robinhood4x4
05-14-2009, 06:22 PM
Don't forget the GI sling. I'd also recommend a set of thin elbow pads as my elbows were getting pretty raw by the end of the 2nd day.

slosurfer
05-14-2009, 06:26 PM
Don't forget the GI sling. I'd also recommend a set of thin elbow pads as my elbows were getting pretty raw by the end of the 2nd day.


:lol: Elbow pads??!! Wimp! :flipoff: We don't need no stinkin' elbow pads!

Oh wait, I forgot, you probably drove the Miata there, so yeah, you might need pads. :laugh:

Robinhood4x4
05-14-2009, 06:35 PM
Hey, I heard you needed knee pads...oh wait, that was a different "event"... :flipoff:

slosurfer
05-14-2009, 06:48 PM
:lol: Now we know what the safety glasses were for. :laugh:

reggie 00
06-13-2009, 09:47 PM
That was the most fun i have had shooting in along time.

I don't have a lot of rifle experience but i held my own.

The beginning of the course i had 3 in the 100yd, 2 in the 200 yd, 3 in the 300 yd, 2 in the 400 yd, and just barely missed the head shot at 250 yds.

The end of the day i had 1 in the 100 (kind of rushed it), 3 in the 200 yd, if you use the .30 cal rule i had 3 in the 300yd, 3 in the 400, and you can call the guy i head shot lefty if he lived.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n74/reggiemiller00/AppleseedJun09001.jpg

on the first qual run i pulled a 194, and the second one i was almost going to break 200 when the girl next to me ejected a brass right on my support arm so i ended up shooting a 3 the last shot. for a 199.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n74/reggiemiller00/AppleseedJun09002.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n74/reggiemiller00/AppleseedJun09003.jpg
Am sure i could pull a 210 or better if i could go tomorrow, but i cant................

Going back to do a Sunday qual all day shoot in Aug. Who wants to go?



Wow I need to clean that Mirror !

Robinhood4x4
06-14-2009, 08:06 AM
Nice Reg, it's pretty fun, huh.

What rifle did you use?

Bob98SR5
06-14-2009, 11:16 AM
Don't forget the GI sling. I'd also recommend a set of thin elbow pads as my elbows were getting pretty raw by the end of the 2nd day.


...but Steve, i betcha didn't leave your well worn knee pads at home :flipoff:

reggie 00
06-14-2009, 07:13 PM
I used my handy dandy 10/22

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n74/reggiemiller00/002-3.jpg

Pretty much stock except for the stock and Scope. Took 5 of my butler creek mags with.

After i got back i stopped by the Gunsmith. Very cool guy stayed open 2.5 hrs late so i could come by and pick this up

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n74/reggiemiller00/004-3.jpg

Was talking with me about shooting CMP matches with it. Sounds like fun to me.

Knee pads we don't need no stinking knee pads.

I shot the whole day in shorts and a t shirt. Picked up an inexpensive shooters mat from sportsman's guide and was all good. calves got a little sun but no biggie.

That mat actually helped, knew i was in the right spot as i had made indentations in it with my elbows.

Anyone who hasn't gone should go out and give it a shot.

get it a shot.

Robinhood4x4
06-14-2009, 07:29 PM
How did the leather sling work out? Pretty easy to transition from loop sling to hasty sling?

reggie 00
06-14-2009, 07:38 PM
I just ran it as a hasty.

To do the loop you just un hook the one end and make the loop. My gun smith showed me how to do it, but i figured i wanted to run it like i would hunting, so i stayed with the hasty.

slosurfer
06-14-2009, 07:52 PM
I just ran it as a hasty.

To do the loop you just un hook the one end and make the loop. My gun smith showed me how to do it, but i figured i wanted to run it like i would hunting, so i stayed with the hasty.


They didn't teach you that in squiddy basic? :flipoff:

Seriously though, looks like they are teaching very similar to how the Marines learn to shoot in bootcamp. :thumbup:

reggie 00
06-14-2009, 08:10 PM
Nope.

They didn't have enough time to fit that in along with the all the leatherneck ego deflation training that we had to undertake.


So the mighty marine corp used the AQT?

the Army Qualification Test?

slosurfer
06-14-2009, 08:32 PM
:lol: Nope, we didn't use no AQT. :flipoff: Is that what the army and the appleseeds use?Are you shooting everything in the prone? Army doesn't qual out to 500yds. :roll: :flipoff:

What you are doing is very similar to how we zeroed in our rifles in prep for the range. It's cool stuff and I definately miss going to the range. Don't really miss qual week all that much though. :laugh:

reggie 00
06-14-2009, 09:38 PM
You do 100 yds standing

200 yds from standing to sitting

300 yds from standing to prone

400 yds slow fire prone.

Fun stuff. I'm definitely going back in Aug, and will probably volunteer for them too.

Robinhood4x4
06-14-2009, 09:42 PM
It's cool stuff and I definately miss going to the range.


You have no excuse. The range is right down the road from you and they even do appleseed there. :loser:

Robinhood4x4
06-14-2009, 09:45 PM
...but Steve, i'll let you borrow my well worn knee pads :flipoff:


I think I'll pass Bob. Thanks though. :flipoff:

slosurfer
06-14-2009, 10:15 PM
It's cool stuff and I definately miss going to the range.


You have no excuse. The range is right down the road from you and they even do appleseed there. :loser:


:lol: I know, I need to get some fun guns to shoot. Heck, I need to get A gun to shoot! :laugh: Although not much is going to compare to firing the .50 cal and 40MM that I used to get to fire all the time. :(

CJM
06-18-2009, 03:04 PM
Nice mini 14! You shoot it yet? Im curious cause the old ones had horrible accuracy due to barrel harmonics.

reggie 00
06-18-2009, 07:44 PM
nope just got it saturday after the Appleseed shoot.

I am going to get it sighted in and probably do CMP matches with it.

CJM
06-18-2009, 07:52 PM
^ now that bill ruger died and isnt in control of the company you can actually buy some factory (READ AS THEY WORK FFS) mags from ruger!

Get an aimpoint btw-well worth it.

reggie 00
06-18-2009, 08:05 PM
I'm not sure what kind of optic i will get.
Not sure what can be used in the matches.

and i already had 10 rd mags before i picked up the rifle, one thing good about a 10 day wait,gives you time to pick up other things.

CJM
06-19-2009, 03:41 PM
I like the red dot aimpoints cause they are so rugged and versatile. However they arent usually magnified.