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My Appleseed Trail

Started by Western Rose, January 05, 2010, 11:52:47 PM

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Leftey

When I was 11 years old  my dad (tdow)asked me if I wanted to go shooting for the weekend and at that time I didn't even know what an Appleseed was! I went and I wanted to keep learning how to shoot and to become an IIT like my dad. I did my first appleseed in Lewiston, ID then I did one in Garfield, WA I did another one in Lewiston then one in CoerDalene and my last one in Lewiston where I got rifleman. After the first three I got a little discouraged but I still wanted my orange hat so I kept going. The rifle I used in four appleseeds wasn't very accurate so at my fifth appleseed I used Gunslinger Girl's rifle and I think it was the fourth or sixth  AQT of the day when I got rifleman. It was tough. Especially when each shooter could have their own instructor! Western Rose and Gunslinger Girl decided to help me the first day and then my dad was helped me the second day. Gunslinger Girl the george name just didn't fit for me ! When I got rifleman though my smile was so big my face could hardly make it fit!This part is mainly for Western Rose and Gunslinger Girl because Gunslinger Girl accidentally scored my first target wrong so instead of it being a 212 it was actually a 202! My next target I got an 210! So Western Rose I deserve that water you wanted to pour on me! I want to thank all the IIT's that helped me through my appleseed trail because because of you I made rifleman and am now an orange hat. So that is my appleseed story.
Leftey   

Leftey


A.Q.T. monster

i was kinda in to shooting pistols so my dad asked if i would try rifles...i said sure why not. i didn't really know what to expect when i came i was just dragged along. i learned everything i know about rifles because of AS. i just loved the environment that the instructors created i just felt at home. i fell in L-O-V-E with AQTs every AS i went to i always begged the Shoot boss to do just one more but of course the answer was always no its to late. I started on April 17 so it was a special weekend and i learned a lot about the 3 strikes and i didn't like history much but the stories that were told and just how they were put drew me in i became so interested in the history. I'm 14 and an instructor in corona, i love checking the line and just being able to interact with other shooters and help them with the problems that i had. i also love telling the stories... as much as i love hearing them its just as much fun telling them. As helped my get over my fear of public speaking now i can stand in front of the shooters during lunch and tell them about dangerous women without stuttering. I learned that i could really connect with people if you know how to talk to them. I love AS it has helped me open my mind to the country not just my city but what's happening in the country and what had happened in the country.
shoot like a girl... if you can
In a box

CAPshooter

I went to my first Appleseed in April 2010 in Saratoga, NY.  I had read everything there is to read about it, so I knew pretty much what to expect.  I am really interested in firearms and shooting but the only gun we own is a single shot .22 :wall: but I had taught myself to shoot decently.  My first Appleseed was well run but cool and raining. I brought my dad along to get him shooting.  I used an SKS all day both days and didn't have a chance at the patch because of the reloading time and sights.  I had been working with my dad and he improved a lot.  My second shoot was in Lake George this May.  We had wonderful weather both days :).  Buzzworth convinced me to use one of his 10/22s ("Brittany" - his favorite, a great AR ed one with a target aperture) I shot exactly 210 on the first AQT with that and got the patch :) :D.  The second day I used Buzzworth's "Natalia" with a Dragunov stock and a scope.  My best score w/ scope was 229 :) I'm glad I made the score w/ irons before that though ;).  My dad is definitely improving and I'm working with him to get the patch :).

Great job to everybody else, keep shooting  :---
"You cannot invade the mainland United States.  There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass."         -Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

OhioLeatherneck

Hello, my first Appleseed was May 22-23 In Athens Ohio! It was a great time! I learned alot about shooting I didn't know.
Well my Dad (Mike) talked about AS, and I said I would go with him ;D

I am 15 years old (16 in July) and I live in Athens County. I ENVY ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HOMESCHOOLED!!!!!  **)
I pretty much hate public school and private school wasn't any better, I prefer do it myself or have a *Single* person teach me one-on-one like at AS. Some of my hobbies are writing, graphic creating, video games (yes i love them :D), anime, manga and other good books! but of course I LOVE SHOOTING! It helps me release the pressure and stress of everyday life :---

My AQT's were ok I guess my highest score was actually my first AQT so far is 171 that was on the 22nd >:D but on Sunday (which was hotter and the .22 kept jamming and BLAH BLAH BLAH) I didn't score any better in fact worse (160's area  :wall: :wb: :wall: :wb: ) but I'm going to make my Rifleman next AS ^:)^

HUZZAH!!!!!! and Semper FI!

Roland

Hey all,

I finally got around to posting my Appleseed Trail.

My first shoot was September of 2009. In our range newsletter, there was this weird thing called Appleseed. I and my dad thought that it sounded pretty fun. Someone who had shot it before gave us some advice on what to expect, and let us shoot some of his spare AQT targets.

We showed up on the first day. I learned a lot! As others have said, it is like drinking from a fire hose. All this info wasn't enough to get me to rifleman though. My high score by the end of the weekend was 159 (OUCH!).

As we were driving home, I realized that I didn't care how many shoots it took. I was going to shoot a 211. Since then, every time we went out to the range, I shoot AQTs and redcoats for practice. Two months before the next shoot, I started dry-firing. Every night.

At the next shoot in May 2010, I was shooting pretty well. Nailed the 400 yard redcoat straight off. Most of my groups on the squares were well under rifleman's standard. The only AQT we shot that day was toward the end. I shot my stage 1. After shooting, I knew it wasn't very good. One of my shots had completely missed the target.
After that, I followed advice originally given to me by Earl and then repeated by Fred. Shoot each stage at a time. So, that's what I did. I shot pretty good on the next two stages. On the last stage (always my favorite in practice), I shot very well.

When I pulled my target, it didn't really look all that good. I had shot a 37 on the standing, which is pretty bad. My two middle scores were 45 and 46. On the bottom row, I shot a 49. It would have been a 50 with the .30 cal rule! (I used a scoring template to check). I had a final score of 226. I got that patch.

The next day, I shot two more rifleman AQTs, although none beat that score of 226. At the end of the day, I took the orange hat.

Thanks for reading, hope to see you all some time or another.

Roland

The doorway to freedom is framed by the muskets that stood between a vision of of liberty and absolute anarchy at a place called Concord Bridge--Charlton Heston, 1997

"Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep your word. Live with integrity. Be brave. Believe in something bigger than yourself. Serve your country. Teach. Mentor. Give something back to society. Lead from the front. Conquer your fears. Be a good friend. Be humble and be self-confident. Appreciate your friends and family. Be a leader and not a follower. Be valorous on the field of battle. And take responsibility for your actions. Never forget those that were killed. And never let rest those that killed them." -- Major Douglas Zembiec

Law man

     My Appleseed Trail started with the second Appleseed ever since my Dad and I missed the first one at the home range in Ramsuer NC. My Dad heard about Appleseed from a friend and we decided to check it out. The only experience that I had with rifles was at a range in Goldsboro where I plinked with my 98k and an M1 Garand. I was 12 years old at the time and was really looking forward to the Appleseed. I remember it was a chilly morning and that we all stood in the sun to warm our selves up. I started off shooting my 98k Mauser which was kicking my butt so I switched to a Mini-14. I can't really remember the size of the groups I was shooting or how the rest of the day went for that matter. But one memory is still stuck in my head which I remember clearly to this day. I remember the passion with which the history was told in the middle of the day, which is why it stuck with me. I was wondering to myself why I had never heard this story before in school, it was the most fascinating story I had ever heard about history. I wish I had more to say but it has slipped my mind, all of the other countless Appleseeds have swirled together with my first, but I know that the experience was different for each and every one of them.

     I earned my rifleman's patch on the second day of our boot camp with a score of 221 with the help of JB and DW :) Ramsuer 7, 08 

     Appleseed is the best program that I have ever seen and it will continue to be so. It has helped me grow in so many different way and I learned many valuable lessons at Appleseeds. Some of the best people I know are involved with Appleseed. And so, my Appleseed trail continues on...
My Dad's a Drill Sargent, I can't help the way that I am.

Squib

Hey, I'm Smart mouth from Minnesota. I first learned about appleseed from my uncle. I attended my first appleseed in March early this year. It was cold the first day and the next day all the snow melted and the whole shooting line was almost completely submerged  ;D. But I still loved the experience. The shooting was a ton of fun. Even though ive been shooting most of my life i had developed a LOT of bad habits. The instructors all did an awsome job and i enjoyed learning the shooting techniques as well as the history. I improved my AQT score from about a 95 to a 168 that weekend. Since then I've been to three more appleseeds. Improving each time but still falling short of the rifleman score. At this last one i was determined to do it. I made it, I persisted all day and finally it all came together on the very last AQT of the day. It was actually the one after the official appleseed was over. I took an orange hat and am looking forward to my first appleseed as a new IIT  :)   
Squib

GRYPHON

I'm Gryphon from MN. my real name is Michael, and i'm 14 years old. i'm very sorry that I haven't put up my story until now.

I first heard of appleseed from my dad (Javaguy) and wanted to try it out. So we went down to the Winona appleseed MN Sept. 2009. It was a BLAST O0.  I scored a 38 on my first AQT ever  :wall: and a 152 on sunday. when we got back home, my dad liked it so much that he built a backyard range!  :) ;D. and that helped me a lot because 2 weeks later, I scored a 213 at Hinkly MN. BUT on stage four I shot 3 3 2 2 instead of 2 2 3 3 so it didn't really count and it was the last on of that appleseed too  >:( . Next spring, we went down to Henderson  MN and THERE I scored a 214 on my 2nd AQT in 10 inches of mud on Sat.  ^:)^ . when I got my patch, I also got my orange hat ^-^  :cool2: and from then on I have been instructing and trying to score rifleman with my AR-15  :---.  And thats the end of my beginning.  8)

Gryphon
"Those who have lost Freedom have nothing left to lose"

MadHatter

i expected to just start shooting right off the bat, like i do at my club/class in lapeer. I discovered that i didn't really know a lot about paul rever's ride until after the stories were over and that it isn't fun at all to shoot in the rain!!! !@#) my dad (superheat) found out about these, he has gone to three in the past year, he has been trying to get to as many as he can :)      i stared shooting at the local rifle range about a year ago shooting 22 small bore and still am! ;D

Madhatter
"Glove up!" Wizard
"Those who stand for nothing fall for everything." Alexander Hamilton

Western Rose

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Cor. 3:17

A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

"When an honest man who is mistaken, is confronted with the truth, he will either cease to be mistaken, or he will cease to be honest." - PHenry

"The teenage years are not a vacation from responsibility... They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now."

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Toshbar

Ahh....Where do I start?  I'm 19, go to NC State University, and live 2 hours east of Raleigh, NC.

I started shooting pistols when I was about 12 with my dad, but never got into rifles until my 18th birthday -the turning point of which afterward all disposable income went to guns. :~

I frequent a few gun forums and heard this guy talk about 'The Appleseed Project'.  Hummmm - never heard of it, so I googled and searched and researched. I asked around and found out that one of my close friends had been earlier that year and DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME.   :'( 

I planned to attend an AS and got my buddy to go back with me.

I went to my first AS last November at the RWVA Home Range in Ramsuer, NC - about an hour west of school. It was a blast. I scored 191 on my first ever AQT, and by the end of the day had a 225 ;D under my belt.  I was on the NJROTC rifle team in high school, so don't think it was all natural talent.  It might as well have been though. I hadn't learned anything like what I learned at my first AS, even being on the rifle team in high school! 

I've gone back 2 times to Ramseur, learning more and more each time. This last time, I asked for my orange hat.  I have since become good friends with The Kid, who was a red hat at all 3 ASeeds I attended.  I'm going back this weekend to instruct and hand in my first PC :cool2:.

I went to AS thinking the sling was a gimmick, but half way through my first AS weekend I was begging 7.62BBQ for one and went to walmart on the lunch break to buy some swivels. Now, my sling is my favorite thing in my gun box. It has magical powers. I still find it amazing that I can reach out and touch something consistently from .28 miles away with only a $350 rifle(saiga 5.45x39) loaded with some 30 year old Russian surplus ammo, a 12 dollar USGI sling, and the dirt beneath me. I have rustled some feathers on the AK forums.

If you're ever in Central/Eastern NC give me a holler.

~Toshbar
The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants.

GoldFish

Quote from: Toshbar on October 26, 2010, 11:06:26 PM
....the turning point of which afterward all disposable income went to guns. :~

Now.....where does that sound familiar? ::)

Anyway, thanks for posting your great story Toshbar. O0 

I totally agree with you, the USGI sling does have magical powers, waiting to be imparted to those that will accept the responsibility of being an exceptional shooter.

Thanks for posting, and keep rustling feathers on those AK forums. ;D

---GF
"Freedom is preserved by those who die for it, but it will not survive unless people are willing to live for it."
-Boba Fett (The RWVA Instructor, not the Star Wars Bounty Hunter)

'Yes, I am a Rifleman, but I'm also a Ninja....and a Jedi.'

"Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do."

"Remember, my opinion on the totem pole of life is somewhere below whale s***..." -Chris Costa

"The more you care about something, the deeper the fight will come from within."  -Travis Haley

42          ΙΧΘΥΣ           كافر           MOÉ...ΩN É...ABE         αδάμαÏ, 

Merc, Mr. Fishy, Goober, Achmed, Cornflake, FBC, Tabilasco, Mowhawk 1 Alpha

What we do in life echoes in Eternity

Beastmode44

#43
Well, I'm new to the forum but not at all new to appleseed. My first appleseed was in 2006, when I was 12. It was in Yakima, WA, and I really didn't know what to expect. Ya, I've been shooting since seven and I've taken hunters ed, why do I have to do another shooting class? This was the logic of an ignorant junior higher who would've rather stayed home and played video games. But I went because he wanted me to, so I went.  :o Oh my goodness, I was in awe. At the hotel Saturday night I was recovering from the mass of information that was almost as confusing as dividing by zero! Well, when I got sharpshooter and my dad was getting rifleman every aqt, I was irritated. Why couldn't I get a rifleman? Weeeeeell, let's just say that the rifleman didn't come till my sixth appleseed at age 14. And for those of you who know me, I am very competitive, so that was irritating :wb: Anyhow, my experience with this program has been a great one, and after finishing my last appleseed on this last weekend at Fernan, Id, I am seriously considering becoming an instructor. After all, this is what our nation needs right now, a wake up call from the very disturbing age we are in right now. God bless you all for your hard work, and I hope I will be able to do so also in the near future.
Victory is 100% Training

"For I came not to bring peace into the world, but a sword."
-Jesus Christ

Sly223

 O0 Look forward to having you aboard Sir ..:..
Oh to be young and unable to wait for life to get started again!
"Smoakin'2" IBC11/12
"Plattka 3-12"(IBC)FL
What have you done for this program lately?
IBC-Tampa 8,'10
RBC-"Myakka12'10"RCR
C-1, Do-1, Teach many!
"Run all you want, you'll just die tired"!
There is U.S. & there is Dems!

RiflesnReins

Hello I am RiflesnReins. With a passion for guns and horses. My first Appleseed was in Sparta IL, in the middle of the summer.  what I expected was a few people, to shoot for a few hours, come back the next day, and never to learn anything. Well I got more then I expected that day. Laying  on a plastic trash bag with a dark blanket thrown over the top was a big mistake. So broiling in the sun, having a gun ( that I had gotten recently for my birthday and never shot it before) that I had no idea how to work, added to a scope that was way off, plus it kept jamming every other shot. If my poor Marlin had been alive I probably would have strangled it. I was NOT planning to come back the next day. Then something  hit me.  If I never shot it at an Appleseed, then I probably not ever shoot that gun again. So I showed up the next morning determined to shoot that gun any way possible.  :wb: I don't know whether it was me, listing to the Instructors or if some huge miracle happened but I shot ten times better then the day before. So I found myself signed  up for a September shoot in Marian IL. The conditions there were....somewhat wet. Anyway we shot next to an Airfield which gave me plenty of experience with the cease fire command. After deciding that my Marlin was the only gun that I could shoot I did quite well. So recently I went to the Alton shoot on the 16th-17th of July. Making a Marksman is an improvement but since I want to become a Rifleman before my birthday my family worked to create this range:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/64166653@N04/5959255177/in/set-72157627244268506  compare to this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64166653@N04/5971032180/in/set-72157627244268506/

I thank all the Instructors who had to put up with me! ( You know who you are!)
"Come on guys!  Keep your eyes on your magazines. Stop looking at RnR to tell you when to fire. I know you can hear her down there. Trust me I should know, I live in the same house!."  Mutti

"The truly blind are those who will not open their eyes to see"

"How can a man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his Fathers, and the temple of his Gods."
"Horatius At The Bridge"
Thomas Lord Macaulay

I am not sleeping... I'm just practicing the prone position.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
― Winston Churchill

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for."
― Mark Twain

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
George S. Patton

BonnieBlue

I went to my first Appleseed when I was 12 (Sept 2010). At first, I was so proud of my self for going with my Daddy (tn_dadx5) to a shoot. But the only thing was, I had NEVER shot a .22 or any gun before! (well, air soft guns.)  So, when we started to shoot, I started to think," what am I doing? This thing might blow up in my face!" But all the instructors helped me out, told me there is nothing to be afraid of. At the end of mt first day, I had shot a 185 on my AQT. My dad, who had been in the Army, got his rifleman. Right when he got his, I wanted one soooo bad. So by the 2nd time I went ( I only went for 1 day the first time) I was determined to get rifleman. Every thing went really well. I was getting 5 shots on a 1inch square. People were saying they wanted me on their shooting team. I started to feel really good. So, my 2nd day on the range, I got my rifleman, shot a 218 on my AQT, got a orange hat. And was very happy!
I LOVE Appleseeds. I'm 13 right now(2011) and still an IIT 0. lol!   
I hope to be on my way to IIT 1.

Best wishes,
Bonnie Blue ( a.k.a Jenna)

kate

#47
My first Appleseed was this year, August 6th. I went with my mom and we had NO CLUE what to expect. I had talked about wanting to shoot more (because firing rifles in a subdivision is frowned upon  :'(  silly rules) and my mom had told me simply "Go find a place to shoot that's free". A few days later, we were driving down the road and saw a billboard for "Project Appleseed: appleseedusa.org". The billboard was painfully vague, so I needed to get more info before jumping into it. I asked my gunsmith about it and was instantly handed an AS trifold and told "You have to go, you'll have so much fun!"

We showed up dreadfully unprepared. All we had was my rifle, some ammo, and lunches. We didn't have shooting mats and I hadn't even HEARD of the USGI sling. Turns out it was an instructor training day, so we were swarmed by helping hands. I was loaned a mat and my mom was loaned a mat, rifle, ammo, mags, and a chair to sit in.

We started off the day with a redcoat and I was told that the 'prone position' would be the best. I looked at the guy like  ++) whaaaaat? (I had never heard of the prone postion before) Without pause, he got on the ground and showed me the proper way to get into the 'eating dirt' postion in about 15 seconds. I had always thought I was a pretty good shot, but I was gravely mistaken. My uncle had taught me to shoot in a "here's the rifle, there's the scope. Point and shoot" kind of way, and that does NOT work at an AS. That day I was introduced to prone, sitting, standing, NPOA, AQT, and the 6 steps (which presented themselves as perfect opportunities to use the  ++) face again). My brain was on sensory overload and when I got home that night, I crashed without a seconds notice and slept like a baby... a very sore, tired, and wimpy baby. That day I was also introduced to the most interesting and amazing history I had ever heard. They don't teach you that stuff in school! I didn't know that there was going to be histoy given at Appleseed, and I loved that there was. I have always had an interest in it but as the stories played through my mind, I couldn't get over how awe-inspiring they were.

The next day was better. Less confusion this time, because we got to lay/stand/sit down and focus on getting everything right. But I was almost more frustrating because I got to see how absolutely terrable I was at shooting then. My wimpy little city kid arms couldn't hold my rifle up (I have a M4 .22) and my mags were too long to be efficient in prone, plus I just plain sucked at sitting. I was starting to get frustrated, not to mention it was BURNING UP that day (and after sitting in air conditioning for months, I was super whiny). Pick up your black gun:it's hot, get brassed: it's hot, stand in the sun: it's hot, prep your mags with bullets that have been sitting in the sun: they're hot too. A break finally came when it started pouring down rain. It helped me focus, calm down; and yes, cool off.

The rain was also a cause for a slight panic attack later in the day when yellowhousejake mentioned that "when you get home tonight, clean your rifle or else it will rust".  :o I had no clue how to clean my rifle. The panic must have showed on my face, because Huff stepped forward and and cleaned my rifle while the one other shooter who was there and I got to shoot YHJ brand new (to him) M1 garand. That was the best target I had shot all weekend because I was so scared of the rifle that I threw my ego aside and took every piece of advise offered and ran though the steady hold factors and the 6 steps a million times in my head so that I didn't accidentally blow my arm off or something along those lines. After I finished shooting that wonderful piece of American history, AuntieBellum and HQ asked me if I would consider being an instructor someday. I didn't know what to say at the time, but the more I though about it, the more I wanted to become an IIT and take the seventh step.

I had a fantastic time at my first appleseed; it was probably the best day of my life... if you don't count the day I became a riflewoman and an IIT. Now that was a memorable day. After shooting 3 rifles over 4 appleseeds ( :wb: )  I finally got a score of 210. All the new orange hats from the day before (there were 3 of them) got to dump a bottle of water on me and let me tell ya, that was the greatest feeling in the world. I was cleansed of my terrable shooting habits (even though some of them still come back to haunt me from time to time) and I was a RIFLEWOMAN! I was so happy that it was ridiculous, me running around with this goofy grin on my face  %)  calling all my family and friends once I overcame the shock of it all. There was this guy I helped in ball-n-dummy that got made fun of by his buddies for "being taught by a girl". Huff's speech before I got my patch and hat was about how "you gotta put your ego's aside and learn from everyone who can teach you". Shoulda seen the look on their faces! ;)

So I just recently got my IIT title last weekend and am looking forward to learning, growing, and becoming a full on instructor red hat, which won't be for another 4 years, (since I'm 14 now and you have to be 18 to be a full instructor) but that gives me just the right amount of time to banish bad habits and polish my skills!

That's my full Appleseed Trail, so far anyway, without writing a novel (which I'm not completely sure I didn't do, how many paragraphs was that?) Hopefully I'll see many of you out there on the trail, blazing the way for future generations because, among us 'kids' I think that it's safe to say "I have not a man (or woman) who is afraid to go"

-kate

George Hacker

Quote from: kate on October 14, 2011, 09:14:43 PM
So I just recently got my IIT title last weekend and am looking forward to learning, growing, and becoming a full on instructor red hat, which won't be for another 4 years, (since I'm 14 now and you have to be 18 to be a full instructor) but that gives me just the right amount of time to banish bad habits and polish my skills!
Thanks for sharing your story, Kate.  It is inspiring to some of us older folks.

I think you will be getting your red hat a little sooner than you think.  Re-read the instructor FAQ (http://appleseedinfo.org/tips/faq.php).  You only have to be 16 to be a full instructor.  ;D

- ShadowMan
Tell your Pacific Northwest facebook friends to "like" and post in the Northwest Region Project Appleseed page.

"You can't miss fast enough..."  "Aim small, miss small."

kate

Awesome! Then it's only 2 years! I got told 18 lol but I'm not one to argue with a good thing, 16 will work just fine  ;D

Wy Knott

#50
Hi. My name is Anna. I'm 13.I'm homeschooled and my family is another ''Appleseed family".My dad is franklinfarmer and my younger brother is an IIT0 (no screen name yet).I also have an older sister and a younger sister who are not yet rifleman.
The first chance I ever had to go to a shoot was in Augusta.That was probably about 3 Years ago.I didn't go though.You see my dad found out about Appleseed but he wouldn't/didn't take any of us four kids until after he shot rifleman/took the orange hat.I guess he didn't want any competition  ;D He said one of us could come and I took the part of a "nice sister" and let my brother go. My first shoot was cold, rainy Toccoa in Feb. $$-0 I won't go into details but it was miserable.(I now  have a tendency to bring more clothing than is actually necessary but.......)Since then I guess I've been to about ten shoots all of which have been in GA except one in TN where I first shot rifleman first. ^:)^
If you hadn't noticed yet I'm from GA.
I really enjoy meeting other girls about my age and hope I can meet more of you all some time.
If you are wondering about my fourm name read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Hienlein

I also wish "they" didn't hold young IITs back from THE RED HAT with the age limit but oh well. :-\

"I have no respect for a man hoo can only spell a word one way"
-Andrew Jackson
I love you goose- you brought cookies and sharpies...what more could a person want?

Red Niva

Hey my name is Hannah. I'm 13 and i am a homeschooler. First i want to say i am happy to see Anna is on the forum now O0. When i meet her she wasn't. Anyway, what did i expect on my first appleseed? Well when i heard about appleseed i thought it was just a place that people could go and shoot. So i expected that my family was just going to go and shoot rifles. Well i was half right lol.

What did i did i discover? Well i found out i had a talent for shooting(if you wanna read my story just go to the woman of appleseed page). And i learned a lot more about history than ever!!!

How did i first come to appleseed? Well a friend of my family was in the GA militia(yes I'm from GA). He invited us to one of their meeting one night. After that meeting we decided to join the militia. Quite a few of the people in the militia had been to appleseed and gotten their riflemans patch and even a few of them were orange hats(ones forum name is endangered i don't remember the other one)!! So we decided to go to an appleseed( again you can read about that on the woman of appleseed page).

When did i start shooting? :~ I started shooting when i was around 9 years old and that was only BB guns. But i loved anyway. I gradually moved up to, in my opinion, real guns. And boy did i love it!!!!

What was my experience at appleseed? There are so many things i could say but i will try to narrow it down. I was thrilled. Everything blew me away. The instructors were very patient with me. All of my hard work has paid off though. I am now an orange hat and my first appleseed as an orange hat was yesterday and the Saturday before yesterday. I loved it! I was afraid at first that people wouldn't listen to me cause i was just a teenager. But i remembered that Anna and her brother Seth were also my age and people were listening to them cause they realized they had gone through the same process to get rifleman. That made me feel a lot better. My next appleseed is at the end of this week and i cant wait to be there!!!!!!

  Thanks a lot for reading this!!!!
"Darkness is returning to Paradise. Are you ready?" Johnny Drake

"From the desert has come a voice crying in the wilderness, and his name is John. Johnny Drake to be more precise. But ask his disciples and they will tell you his mission is no less defined than the mission of John the Baptist, who first introduced the Light from heaven to the world over two thousand years ago. The multitudes listened to John, who told them that Jesus of Nazareth was the Way to God. Then Herod toke John's head.
  Now the question begs us: Will the world listen to Johnny Drake? And who will take his head?"   Quote from the book, "Sinner" by Ted Dekker

worM2

        Hi
Just wanted to check in.
I got interested in Appleseed after my father (franklinfarmer) became an instructor.
He kept ridicueling my position,so I desided I would show him what I could do.
After my first Appleseed I went home very sad. :'(.Iwent to six more A.S.s befor Papa
decided he had had enough. :DH:
A few months later we made a new stock for my rifle.The first A.S.I went to after that I
shot Rifleman. ^:)^.Since then I have realy enjoyed instructing. 
                           Worm
What what! Men dodging this way for single bullets! I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance.
--- Last words of Union Major General John Sedgewick, 1864

Sly223

You Kids are great!
Keep up the Great works this is why us elders do what we Do! ^:)^
Posterity,
"Smoakin'2" IBC11/12
"Plattka 3-12"(IBC)FL
What have you done for this program lately?
IBC-Tampa 8,'10
RBC-"Myakka12'10"RCR
C-1, Do-1, Teach many!
"Run all you want, you'll just die tired"!
There is U.S. & there is Dems!

Smurf

I thought that you should read the following written by a young post-teenage female student.

The four ladies came to us last spring with NO, NONE, ZERO prior experience or knowledge of any type of marksmanship. They have attended several Appleseed events in the past year. Their shooting skills are progressing. They all understand the different parts of instruction and could present an entire course on their own if they had to!!! And I believe that they would if we were not providing it. We have all made a difference for them and for many, many other students.

Thank You,
SMURF 
                                               
                                                     A Learning Experience

   When my friend invited me along to learn how to shot a rifle, I did not know what
to expect. All that the flyer said was the name of the program,"APPLESEED", the dates,
and that I would learn how to shoot a rifle and learn about our American history. But the
only thing I cared about on that flyer was "Rifle Marksmanship Skills". I had always
wanted to learn to shoot, and here was my chance.

   I knew I would have to find some way to ask my parents, so they would let me go.
After telling them that my friend was bringing her mom, and her mom would make sure
everything was safe, they agreed to let me go. I could not believe it; I was going to learn
how to shoot a rifle. A full day was planned, from 8am to 5 pm, with a small lunch break.
We were loaned rifles, and the day began. I could not wait to start shooting, but the most
important thing about using any type of firearm is safty. The instructor explained the safty
instructions, and also talked about the events that took place on April 19th, 1775. I also
learned some interesting facts about these events that I had never heard.

   Paul Revere's Ride, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and "The Shot Heard
Round the World" were some of the events that the instructor talked about. All the
colonist wanted was representation in England, which as English citizens they were
entitled to receive. The colonists had not even thought of seperating from England at this
point. Yet the British regulars were ordered to find and remove all firearms from the
colonists, because they did not want the colonists armed in case it came down to a fight.
All the other raids by the Regulars had been peaceful, with no opposition from the
colonists, which is why it makes this particular raidmemorable in American history. The
colonists had no intention of letting the Regulars take any more of their arms, so they
alarmed the countryside. The call for help, started by Paul Revere's Ride, even reached
people in Kentucky, which showed how the system for the Minute Men was organized
and well planned in advance, not accidental. The Minute Men were ordinary men who
were ready to respond at a moments's notice. They put up a stand to the Regulars and so
the Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first of the American Revolution.

   The instructor told these stories of people during that time in order to make it
more personal and to illustrate how much these people sacrificed for our freedom today.
Isaac Davis was one such man. He was a handy man in his town and a Minute Man. He
responded to the call and grabbing his rifle, he turned to his wife and said, "Take care of
the children" and left. His children were sick with something similar to scarlet fever and
his wife felt that she would never see him alive again. Isaac Davis died that day, during
the battle. John Adams once said, "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the
present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it. If you
do not, I shall repent in Heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it". Many other
men responded the same way as Isaac Davis, ready to give their lives for their rights and
their freedom.

   At last, it was time to shoot. I was taught to make my body as steady as possible,
in order to shoot straighter. The instructor showed everyone a little green army man, one
sprawled out on the ground, and told us to get used to lying like that. I became so sore
from lying like that little green army man, or lying prone as it is officially called. But
when the day ended, I didn't want to go home
.
   I had so much fun at Appleseed, but the first time there I did not realize how much
of an impact it would have on my life or on the lives of others. I learned through this
program, that the American people must become involved in their government, that we
have a say, and that we must write letters to our representatives, letting them know we
either disagree with or support their decisions.When I see people reenacting the American
Revolution and who are willing to share their enthusiasm for our history, it makes me so
proud to be an American. People should really get involved in their heritage and what it
means to be an American.

   Project Appleseed was founded to instruct Americans on their heritage, and teach
rifle marksmanship. The name "Appleseed" is from Johnny Appleseed, who went around
the country, and planted apple seeds. He did not wait to see if the tree would grow, he
moved on and kept planting, and if he had waited for the tree to grow he would never
have planted so many trees. The job for anyone who participates in this program is to
spread the goals, regardless of whether or not those seeds take root.

   After enjoying myself immensely at Appleseed, I wanted others to participate in
this event as well. My sister joined me at the first Appleseed I went to, and I brought my
mom to the next. Even though she did not love all the lying on the ground, she now
participates in other ways, such as letting others know of this great organization. I then
brought my dad and my other sister to the event, and they both loved it, and can't wait to
go to the next one. The only family member I still have to bring is my little brother, but I
will certainly bring him when he is old enough, because I want him to share in this
enriching experience.

   Learning how to shoot a rifle is not the most important thing I have learned from
Project Appleseed. Inspiring people to become involved in the government and to
understand the sacrifice that our freedom cost is the important thing. We risk losing our
freedom that others have paid so dearly for, by not being aware and understanding our
history.

Words written by an Appleseed student for her school project in 2012.