Biloxi Appleseed AAR

My first Appleseed was during the summer of 2012 over at a great range in Vale, Oregon. I'd heard about the Appleseed program on The Survival Podcast, and after just buying a Smith and Wesson 15/22, I figured it would be a decent way to sight in the new rifle.

I didn't understand what the end result that the Revolutionary War Veterans Association were trying to accomplish before my first shoot. That said, I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't open to using a sling or doing things differently at my first shoot either. Even being hard headed on some things I listened and through the course of the day my shooting improved, even without using a sling. More importantly I saw two young men, that came with my best friend and I, start to believe they could shoot.

By the end of the day it was dry, hot, and as much as I wanted to stay and visit with fellow People of the Gun, since I'd rode with my best friend Adam and he had to get the boys home, I too had to leave. But, I saw that Rifleman's Patch, and I wanted to earn it.

I knew I could shoot better than I did that day, so I put earning that Patch on my to do list while I'm at Tech School. The more I thought about the more I wanted to earn that patch.

So I learned a few things from the first shoot. Bring your maintenance gear, lube, cleaning supplies, latex/nitrile gloves, padded shooters mat (if you have one), knee pads (if you're old like me) are a great idea, Leatherman, Cell phone (on silent, don't be THAT GUY), first aid kit (duh - I brought my GO Bag as a conversation starter), elbow pads if you have problems with bony elbows, eye protection, hearing protection (I rock foamies inside my electronic muffs), water (lots of water), pack lunch (some jerky or other snacks aren't a bad idea), ammo (300-400 rounds if you're shooting a .22, you can get by with less if you're shooting center fire, but don't cheat yourself out of getting to know your rifle), and finally unlike my first time - an open mind.

Oh, and if you're over 30, pre-load the Ibuprophen. You'll be sore by the end of day one. Even if you're in good shape. Ask me how I know.

So here's my soapbox for this post...

I know, you've been to Frontsight, you shoot with Costa in your free time, you've got two Sandbox tours, and still refer to Somalians as skinnies. This isn't a tactical shooting course, it's a learning how to be a rifleman. The two are not mutually exclusive, but rather complimentary. Being able to slow down your shooting, "Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast" will translate into being more effective in the tactical environment.

It was a small group at my shoot which allowed us a lot of individual attention by the instructors. Among the other shooters was a retired 0-6 who brought a Henry Golden boy (you know officers and shiny things... He was a great guy and by the end of the day he was planning on his next rifle purchase.) There was an electrician and self employed handy man that rounded out the class. The weather though tame by Idaho standards (notice the instructor bundled up with my in a shooting shirt...) was chilly, plan for the weather. Plan for rain, just in case.

During this Appleseed, I did everything the instructors (who were phenomenal by the way) suggested, even if it was out of my comfort zone and/or not "tactical." I hadn't shot my rifle (I took my Stag G3 AR platform, equipped with a bare bones Primary Arms 1x4 scope) since before I left for Kuwait, sometime back in January of 2013. I shot re-manufactured ammo, PMC Bronze, and some Winchester White Box. I went through just over 200 rounds in the two days, primarily because I earned the Rifleman's Patch on the first round Sunday morning, and secondarily because Christmas is just around the corner.

I learned how to effectively shoot with a sling, something that I may not use everyday, but if a Mutant Zombie Biker has a loved one in a headlock at 100 yards I'm pretty confident now that I could make that shot. My groups still have a ways to go, but I took a huge step forward.

Where the sling really made a difference was in tightening up my groups due to the more solid foundation. My first time standing at this Appleseed I shot 48/50 which I'm really proud of. The final score tells the story, my 173 below, and a 222 above being presented my Rifleman's Patch. Almost a 50 point improvement from my first AQT, that's an improvement that speaks for itself.

So the first step in signing up for an Appleseed Shoot is to visit their website here: Appleseed Project and get signed up!