NorCal22Gal
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« Reply #50 on: September 17, 2009, 08:52:32 PM » |
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Would be interesting....I know I didn't. Took me 3 tries. NorCal22Gal
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Nickle
Master Instructor
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« Reply #51 on: September 18, 2009, 03:43:31 PM » |
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It would be interesting to know the number of women who get their rifleman patch at their first AS compared to men. I'll bet it's a pretty high percentage. I did!  In my area it's a higher percentage than most folks would think, but not higher than the men. Largely due to the percentage of men we see that are already established shooters. I have recently had a lady (and I do mean lady in the BEST of terms, she was great) newbie shooter get it done her first Appleseed, and she was using a bolt gun. Not jsut once, but several times during the weekend. The bottom line is that this Instructor finds women easier to teach, as they know that they don't know. So, I don't have to deal with a closed mind, or bad habits. They came to learn, and learn they shall.
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They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about, having been employed as Rangers against the Indians and Canadians and this country being much covered with wood, and hilly, is very advantageous for their method of fighting. . . . ". Lord Percy
Sounds like New Englanders to me.
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GunslingerGirl
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« Reply #52 on: September 20, 2009, 01:47:46 AM » |
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Well, my first AS was in Castle Rock, WA. It's actually a little more than 5 hours away from where I live, so the first day I was dead tired. You know how hot the ejected cases are? Well me, having a very hard time with NPOA on my first AS, did not want to move when one landed on my arm (It would have messed up my newly aquired NPOA). This resulted in 1 second of silence, the next second me shouting "Ow, ow, OW!" I guess it wasn't really the smartest idea to leave one on your arm... So, now I have this awesome scar on my arm in the perfect shape of a cartrige case. It's the best bragging material anyone could have. I show people and tell them about AS all the time. (Although a scar from one of the shoots isn't always a real incentive catcher...)
Now I'm a Newbie Instructor and I love this program! Yay Appleseed! Ask me sometime and I'll show you my scar (If you know me that is.)
Becky
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Patriot Gal
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« Reply #53 on: October 19, 2009, 11:04:08 AM » |
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Hello Ladies (and lurking gents  ). I have read some of the posts with smiles and a few laughs. I can relate to all. Trisha mentioned what a difference a year makes. Last year or so, I was not thinking firearms at all. Then the political environment changed - A LOT! Believing a change for the worse, I purchased a handgun and got trained. I was adamant that if I had a firearm in the house (other than a few old shotguns) I wanted to be properly trained so I was not a threat to myself!! The next spring we decided to join a local range which is where we were introduced to AS at a gun show there. Pappy and Garand69 were working it and gave us the Appleseed word..."You need to do this" So off to Chillicothe we went. Our SB was Ben1775 from Missouri. He drove 6-7 hrs. to be there for us. Dedication and persistence of the Rifleman was shown right from the beginning. It was the least I could do to provide him with chicken sandwiches with the works including cilantro on sprouted grain bread rather than watch him eat PB on white bread.  ME brought her famous and fabulous cookies so we were well taken care of in the snack department. We used new rifles I had just purchased. A Savage bolt .22 for me on day one, my son from Arizona using a brand new Ruger sporter .22. We cleaned and greased them up real well with some moly lube which, I think, caused much jamming throughout the weekend and much frustration on my part. The scope on the Ruger was loose which we didn't realize until my son was gone back home on day 2. I felt bad we didn't realize it while he was shooting as he would've had better accuracy and a better experience.  In any case, I learned a lot, my shooting improved, but no Rifleman that weekend. I was unable to complete a single AQT without losing time and rounds to jams. Next AS in Bonfield 6/09 started with the same problem. I was soooooo close to Rifleman twice, Pappy was asked to looked at my rifle, so he cleaned it out real good (no more moly lube) and I shot Rifleman on the next AQT. Didn't realize the emotional release that was until I couldn't shoot squat after that the rest of the day.  I considered the Orange Hat, but had read that the Rifleman needs to shoot consistent Rifleman scores before becoming an instructor. I was far from consistent, having just shot my first rifle in April of the same year and just having learned to shoot correctly in AS. So I attended another AS back in Chillicothe over Labor Day. All my AQTs were Rifleman except the first. I cleared the Redcoat. Confidence was building. My husband made Rifleman, having solved most all his mechanical problems so he could concentrate on simply "shooting by the numbers". I finally felt confident to consider stepping up. I talked to Garand69 about the orange hat when planning my 4th AS in Bonfield 10/09. At that AS, I cleared every Red coat, shot every AQT at Rifleman, was shooting 1/2" groups. I now felt the confidence to step up into instructor ranks to pass along what I had learned to the next new shooter. This next weekend, I travel to my first AS a an orange hat. I am looking forward to it as I think we will have a pretty good number of shooters. Some will be friends and aquaintances my husband and I have encouraged to attend. I hope they will enjoy themselves as much as I have. Our mission is good and true. Our country needs the Rifleman! Thank you Fred, Riflewoman, Ben 1775, The Guy, EEL, Pappy, Garand69, Sheepdog, M.E. and everyone else who volunteers their time and their life's energy to the mission of the Appleseed Trail!  I hope to meet lots of you out on the trail. <  Patriot Gal 
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« Last Edit: October 19, 2009, 11:07:02 AM by Patriot Gal »
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"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." ~Thomas Jefferson
"No free man shall ever be denied the use of arms" ~Thomas Jefferson
"If not us, then who; if not now, then when." ~President Ronald Reagan
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Garand69
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Illinois, Home of the 3-Day Appleseed
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« Reply #54 on: October 24, 2009, 07:39:38 AM » |
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Who you calling a lurker?  Glad you listened to the arm twisting of Pappy and I at the Chillicothe Gun Show  A big thanks to all of you Ladies for participating in Appleseed, we need you!
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Garand69
SAPPER STEEL!!!!
"Keep Calm, and Carry On"
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Starbuck
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« Reply #55 on: November 02, 2009, 11:55:04 PM » |
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Athens, OH Oct 31-Nov 1 After Action ReportMy hubby MeanStreaker had talked about the magic of Athens and I was fortunate enough to get a taste of some of that this weekend. I don't always feel like I fit in with the Appleseed world and am not quite sure where I belong. I don't have that burning desire to be an instructor and my teensy tiny attention span sometimes makes two full days of shooting a challenge for me. Top that off with our two crazy dogs at home that need cared for (one of which sometimes eats things that aren't food when her man leaves for Appleseeds), and there is the tendency to feel a little left out of the Appleseed loop. That really changed for me in Athens. I never really paid much attention to the word "fellowship" before. Never really used it in conversation, never really thought about it much, never really appreciated its significance before. That's really what Athens was for me. The people there are just SO AWESOME! Everyone made me feel so at home and so a part of everything that was going on. So a part of something. Of that fellowship. Call me crazy, but I could easily skip all the shooting just to spend time with the people (don't get me wrong though, I still want to get over my 191 hump and make Rifle"woman"). The instructors that I have met, some of which only a few times are trusted friends. I have only met the Richardson family three times now, twice in Athens and once in Miamisburg, but the impact this one family can have on one's life is just astounding. I would love to have six kids too if they all turned out like the Richardson kids! Each member of that family has their own special place in making Athens the shining star of Appleseed and giving hope for what our country can be. They epitomize the family value and spirit of giving that our country is sorely lacking. So thanks for that. This weekend meant a lot for me and even for my relationship with my husband. I think it will be a little easier to let him leave for weekends now. While it's never easy to be apart from someone you love, I am so thankful he will have that second family when he is gone on the Appleseed trail. Thanks to the DryFire family as well. From my very first time at Athens him and his wife took me in and were just so darn nice to me. MeanStreaker was instructing at my first Appleseed in Athens and so I thought I would be alone on that firing line. I wasn't. Not for one minute. Interestingly enough I have only shot at two Appleseed's and both were in Athens. I think maybe there is a reason for that. So, its getting late and while some of you really like to see all the pictures of the fun shooting, my contribution is the pictures of all the people I have met. There are more, but hubby has only downloaded a handful so far and I still have some sleep to catch up on so they will have to wait for another day. Oh, and Luna, I just love your dog. Maybe if I can get a tranquilizer gun I can Appleseed with my pooches as well. Until then, I will just enjoy petting yours. Okay, I am done. Enjoy some pics.       
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Trisha
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« Reply #56 on: November 03, 2009, 12:05:33 AM » |
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Welcome Starbuck! I am happy to hear you had a great time in Athens. The fellowship with everyone involved in Appleseed is just amazing and that is why I love it so much. Ohio is doing a fantastic job with Appleseed, and it's great to have another woman in the program! It truly doesn't take much to get caught up in what Appleseed is about and become such close friends with people who are involved in it. Like I said, I am excited that you are in the program and I do hope we can cross paths some time out on the trail! Maybe at the All Women's Appleseed in Indiana next year...  Trisha
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« Last Edit: November 03, 2009, 12:08:14 AM by Trisha »
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Jules
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« Reply #57 on: November 03, 2009, 11:04:25 PM » |
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Welcome Starbuck! ( I love and support your trademark lol)
I went to my first Appleseed this last January to actually get my husband to quit "bugging" me about rifle shooting. I had a .38 hand gun, what more did this man want? I am not a hunter or a fisher, why in the world would I want to learn how to shoot? But then............... I thought of my fantasy scene. Linda Hamilton, in Terminator, running with the sawed off shot gun, pumping it as she went. Oh, sweet. I would love to be that. So, I went to Sac Valley Rifle and Shooting Center, with my recently post op husband, and took a gander at what this "Appleseed" deal was all about. We checked in, and gathered around this tall, soft spoken Brit, who gave us a basic introduction of the weekend. Counter that with a booming fellow with an red hat, and a variety of others running around in orange hats............ Safety Rules, we all chorused Safety Rules............ ok, fine, go get your rifles, find a spot on the range, and prepare for the ride of your life.
And, lo and behold, I had a female instructor on my line. I was sure I was going to be the only 'broad' there, and the rest would be Elmer Fudds, with goofy Cammo Ninja gear on. In all honesty, I didn't know the ass end of a rifle, or even how to load the thing. This would be a Rueger 10/22, about the easiest rifle in the planet to operate. Slings! They showed us slings. Slings really help! I was kind of liking this deal. Shoot the Redcoat? Sure! I pictured in my mind who the Redcoat could be. If you are my ex husband, read no further............... For a first time shooter, I actually put holes in the 100 yard Redcoat. I was starting to feel empowered. By the end of the day, I was having a blast, but my body ( that has really funky Fibromyalsia ) was letting me know it. I woke up for day two feeling like I had been hit by a truck. Determined, I did the best I could on day two, sitting out the last half of the COF.
My female instructor, Savage Shootr, came over to talk to me, and I shared, with tears in my eyes, that I really hurt, and why. She gently told me that her daughter had the same autoimmune disorder, not to worry, sit back and watch and learn. I let out a long breath, and did just that. By the end of the weekend, I was sure that I was going to practice, and be back in April for the HUGE shoot there. We came again, and brought our youngest son with us. Post op hubby, who had been shooting forever, did not get his Rifleman in January. He was back to make sure he got it this time. (which he did) Oh , and the history. We had Bob210 in his gear, and musket, and flags were flying, and stories were flowing, and I found myself crying listening to these tales I had never ever heard before. A fire burned in my belly at that point. I would like to say I shot Rifleman that day, but the weather was incredibly rude, and I got heat stroke, and was sent back to the covered area to sit and drink lots of water. Poo.
Fast forward my life. Our home range had one of the two modular homes available for rent. Our oldest daughter, who had been widowed a few years ago, had been living with us, and needed her space. I went in and told Rod that I wanted to move there. His mouth fell open. We applied for the home, and were accepted. We were out of our beautiful Lodi home in 4 days, leaving our daughter to make the modest mortgage payments. Everyone thought we had lost our minds. I hadn't. I had found a purpose to live. We now call our home, the Dragon's Lair , given by our dear friends and instructors EagleScouter and NorCal22Gal. ( My hubby's forum name is Bald Dragn), All instructors who come to our range to instruct are welcome to grab a piece of floor, or couch, or if you're like Double D, claim the spot under our kitchen table. We have a barbeque on Saturday night for the Instructor's AAR, and the bonding that occurs is unlike any I have known. We arranged to have an IBC at our home, and Dragon wood ( Master Instructor, and a possible Linda Hamilton double ) flew out from Florida to train, and encourage all of us. My husband went from an orange hat in April, to a Shoot Boss last month. I continued to persevere ( thanks to the encouragement of V and Camljr ) against physical pain, and that rotten voice in my head that kept telling me ”you aren’t gonna make it, you’re NEVER gonna make it” We bought a trailer to put ALL the Appleseed gear in. And we hauled it last weekend down to the Fresno Range for the 10/31-11/1 shoot. The time monkey was making me crazy. The guy on the line next to me with the AR15 was making me jump and flinch. The guy on the other side was throwing brass down my shirt, and plinking on my head. Come lunchtime I was discouraged. End of day one, I left the range with a 207. Sunday came, and was to be warmer than the day before. And I don’t do heat. Determined, I put on the hot shooting jacket, to keep the loop sling high on my bicep. I put squishy orange plugs in my ears. I put the “Mickey Mouse” ears over that. I put on a hat. I was creating my own “Rifleman’s Bubble” By lunch, my score was going down with every AQT. Returning, I was encouraged that the guy with the Boomer had gone somewhere else, and there was room for me to move down the line. Ryantsg IIT4 and Desert Dog (the most awesome of instructors) made the decision to run the AQT bottom up. My stage 1 was what was killing me, and my discouragement of my low score spilled over to stages 2,3, and 4. That was the golden moment. I made my score. I made a 222. Desert Dog continually got to my target before I could, and unknown to me ( remember I couldn’t hear squat) both Desert Dog and Ryantsg were instructing and watching my target through binoculars. I had the honor of taking my orange hat from my misty eyed husband. I felt so proud, so empowered. I was woman, hear me roar. And now I scour the posts on the forum to find the shoots that are within reasonable distance to me. We have a shoot here in December. Starting in 2010, we will have one every month here. California is taking off big time. And I get to be right smack in the middle of it. History in the making. My life couldn’t be better right now. And this is only the beginning. I hope all the women who come to Appleseed find something that brings them back for more. There’s no looking back for me……..
Jules
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"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do." Dale Carnegie
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vic303
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Davilla 6709!
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« Reply #58 on: November 04, 2009, 11:45:24 AM » |
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Outstanding work, Jules! I know BD from the NDE forum, so am glad to see you not only on the AS trail, but as an IIT.
Great suggestion btw, for folks who don't react well to muzzleblast, to 'double bag' the ear-pro! We do that at the range all the time, and it does help.
--Vicky
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samjt15
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« Reply #59 on: November 05, 2009, 01:57:39 AM » |
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Hey I saw this and thought that I would respond to this article, Well here's my story. I've shot a gun since my first gun safety at 12 yrs old. I probably only actually shoot a gun once a year if that. Yes I guess its not the top thing on my list of stuff to do but despite the lack of practice i'm still a pretty good shot. My brother who a lot of appleseeders know has Aftermath has been doing this for about a year or so now and finally this past year brought it to my families attention so I decided to tag along, well some days I guess i'm not a very good sport to say the least but I did attempt to try the shoot this past year in Winona MN. I honestly did not have a great time, I know who ever reads this will disagree or frown on that part but keep reading.. So I had quit half way through, yes I did and I do regret it now. Then I had moved to Missouri where I currently live and my brother had come down for the shoot in August at Osage Beach, And I had a blast. The people where great and welcomed me my fiance and my brother with open arms. Longshot, KR, let me even use his gun since my stock is too long for me and his was ajustable. The first day I did alright and was deteremind to get my riflemen, but did not succeed, however we camped out, went through the next day having again a blast and my fiance managed to get riflemen, the only one of that weekend too and I after correcting KR that his scope wasn't sited perfect went from shooting a 149 to a 173. It was great fun and now will be attending more when possible with my instructor in training fiance'. I'm not a history buff and I guess you can say i'm probably more girly then out doorsy but I did enjoy this and its a great learning experience for anybody. I'd say if you haven't tried it at least once, then you are missing out. - Samantha
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Old Glory!
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« Reply #60 on: November 05, 2009, 08:41:25 AM » |
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Sam, Welcome to Appleseed and to the forum. Thanks for your honest story. Many women read this thread and it will be an encouragement for them. Your brother is doing a great job in MN and the whole darn region. He is a border raider with determination, and I see it runs in the family.  OG in WI
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April 18-19, 2009 The seeds of rifle marksmanship were sown in good ground. In the end, then, every attendee walked away as an instructor for their friends, family, coworkers. May you tend your patch in Liberty's garden well and through a long life. Francis Marion
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Jules
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« Reply #61 on: November 05, 2009, 01:44:21 PM » |
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some days I guess i'm not a very good sport to say the least but I did attempt to try the shoot this past year in Winona MN. I honestly did not have a great time, I know who ever reads this will disagree or frown on that part but keep reading.. So I had quit half way through, yes I did and I do regret it now. Then I had moved to Missouri where I currently live and my brother had come down for the shoot in August at Osage Beach, And I had a blast. The people where great and welcomed me my fiance and my brother with open arms.
Sam,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this. Every AS has a personality of its own. Not to mention the weather. You were a good sport to try once again, and I am thrilled that you had a blast. I promised myself at the get go that if it stopped being "fun" I was out of there. It never stopped being fun for me. Yes, it was painful, but never NOT fun. I hope you share your story with other women. Welcome back! Jules
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"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do." Dale Carnegie
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charlie06
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Ottawa 6/09
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« Reply #62 on: November 10, 2009, 07:41:23 PM » |
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Hi All, I am still learning my way around the site, and just came across this board, Appleseed has been in the family for awhile. I attended my first appleseed in July, and I had a great time, even though the first day was a steady rain, I manged to make it through the day! And then the next day was sunny and warm, I was pretty impressed that I ended up shooting a 177, after not shooting for about 2 years! After attending that shot I finally got what drove my husband to attend all these shots. Unfortantly due to having a 2 year old it is hard for me to always attend them. I did get to attend this past weekend, in Ottawa, with three boys in tow, lol! Unfortantly I did not get to shot the whole weekend as the last few weeks I have been trying to keep up on all the sick ppl in the house and now that everyone is well, it decided to hit me, But, M1 our nine year old shot a 190 on the aqt! That was amazing in it's self. I am hoping to be on the Appleseed trail more in 2010 and hopefully beat wetfoots record on getting rifleman, lol!
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Strawberry Roan
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« Reply #63 on: February 22, 2010, 05:33:47 PM » |
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Jules, I can so relate to your story in the health issues department! After gymnastics and horses in high school and 13 years in law enforcement, my bod has seen better days  My story with Appleseed started about 2 years ago when I read about it and dreamed of being able to attend one. As a military daughter, mom and wife, I grew up with a passionate love for my country and being able to serve her in whatever capacity I could. Like many, I have always abhorred politics and hated being involved, so when the political situation hit the fan, I finally realized I must get involved and pay attention no matter how distasteful. When the opportunity arose for my first Appleseed in Carlsbad, NM in Dec '09,(we live in Roswell) I was so excited and worked at convincing my husband that it would be worth attending. He was okay with it because I was so excited about it(he loves to spoil me rotten  ), so when he finagled the finances so we could go, I was a happy camper! Once we got there, it was like I came home and found a new mission in life to replace the heartbreak I had when I could no longer be a law enforcment officer because of my health issues. My husband was so blown away with how much he learned and discovered how much he didn't know, even though he was a good shot. Neither of us achieved rifleman status that time, so we signed up for the Alamogordo shoot in January and he got his patch, as well as stepping up to become an instructor. For me, I was my own worst enemy because I wanted to achieve that patch so bad and was afraid that I couldn't because I was having a hard time with health issues and kept blaming myself for what turned out to be some equipment issues such as the sling being set in the rifle too long, the buttstock being too slippery and the cheekpiece needing to be higher. Well, this weekend, we went back to Carlsbad. I spent all week reminding myself that I had gotten the best training in the world and that even though I didn't have confidence in myself yet, I should trust the training, that I had done the work practicing posititions, mag changes and lots of dry firing. Sam, Chris and Dave were very encouraging, supportive without being too soft. This part is hard to explain, but they didn't "coddle" me too much, but they weren't too hard on me either. They hit the right note at the right time and for that I am so thankful! On Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, I left home as a cook, that evening, I came home a Rifleman fledgling. I say fledgling, because I'm not done improving myself yet!  I scored a 217 on the first AQT we shot that day and although I didn't achieve it the rest of Saturday(I was SOOOO tired), on Sunday, I shot 2 more AQT's at a riflemans score. My goal is to someday score a 250 on the AQT and have set as a goal to overcome my shyness to become a good instructor too. Getting out of your comfort zone is a hard thing, but what it gives back in self worth, a sense of accomplishment and helping others to bloom is simply priceless! I have been very blessed!
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vic303
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Davilla 6709!
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« Reply #64 on: February 22, 2010, 08:19:32 PM » |
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Congrats on your Rifleman patch, Roan! You have an excellent story to share, about perseverence and overcoming obstacles be they mental or physical!
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Old Glory!
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« Reply #65 on: February 23, 2010, 09:41:24 AM » |
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SR, Welcome to Appleseed, and CONGRATULATIONS. Your story brings tears to my eyes. You hit on some important points: We must pay attention, no matter how distasteful (if we are to call ourselves Americans) Equipment is sometimes the problem, it's not always us Have confidence and trust the training/teaching (persevere) Encouraging and supportive instruction works.....without coddling My goal is to someday score a 250 on the AQT and have set as a goal to overcome my shyness to become a good instructor too. Getting out of your comfort zone is a hard thing, but what it gives back in self worth, a sense of accomplishment and helping others to bloom is simply priceless! I have been very blessed!
Sam, Chris, Dave; you have found a True Rifleman. Appleseed does have a way of helping one overcome shyness. See you on the trail. OG in WI
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April 18-19, 2009 The seeds of rifle marksmanship were sown in good ground. In the end, then, every attendee walked away as an instructor for their friends, family, coworkers. May you tend your patch in Liberty's garden well and through a long life. Francis Marion
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doubleLL
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« Reply #66 on: February 24, 2010, 12:47:26 PM » |
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I will start off my story by stating I didn’t grow up with guns. In fact I didn’t know my parents had a rifle until I was in HS and even then my parents moved the gun when they found out we had found it. My first exposure to guns was a war zone. I volunteered to deploy at an army civilian to Afghanistan a few years ago. Since I am a civilian, we were un armed and dependent upon the military for security. While heading out to a site, I was asked by one of the soldiers what I was more familiar with in case something happens. I was shocked, and stuttered saying a rifle. At this point, I hadn’t wanted to think of the reality of the situation and what I would do if something ever occurred. I was so thankful to return back to base safely. Two weeks later my convoy was hit by an IED. We all made it back with just a few bumps and bruises. When I returned home I was placed on a top level government project with DHS. After getting burned out working with Congress, Senators, and top level government officials, I left the government and took a private job. At this time I decided to address my fear of guns. I went out to a SASS event and shot my first rifle, shotgun and pistol. I was terrified of dropping the guns and shooting someone, but the group showed me how the guns worked and the safety. I decided after that weekend that I wanted to learn how to shoot a rifle properly. My husband said if I could find a cheap place to learn we would go. Appleseed was FREE for woman; we attended our first event in Davilla in August. I was frustrated beyond belief: overcoming my fear, new 10-22, learning how to prepare and load the blasted thing, then trying to remember the stupid sling and so on… I set the bar so low that at one point I told myself If I could manage to get the gun loaded, and into position I had mastered that string of fire. After my first weekend, I was bound and determined to make rifleman, and do it before my husband. I felt that if I earned the patch that I had proved to myself I could defend myself in any way. I worked hard for a month solid, and made rifleman in September. Through the course of making rifleman I mastered my fear, my hand no longer shakes when I touch a gun, I don’t flinch when I hear the bolt racked and I found a skill I never knew I had. Over this past year I have met a group of outstanding people, people who have showed me through perseverance and confidence you can master and achieve anything. To all those ladies (and gents), you can accomplish anything if you make time to do it. I wanted my environment to change me, but I learned in order to change the future we must first change ourselves.
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"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." Davilla 3-10
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Strawberry Roan
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« Reply #67 on: February 24, 2010, 08:01:55 PM » |
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Thank you, Vic and Old Glory for such a warm welcome and encouragement! I sure feel blessed to have been led to this wonderful organization! DoubleLL, I think it is so great that you confronted your fears and persevered to achieve that glorious patch! It is my hope that I will be able to see more ladies and kids feel that immense joy and satisfaction of succeeding, growing and just plain being a better person through this experience. Can you just imagine all the great possibilities for our country! 
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SeanO
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« Reply #68 on: February 24, 2010, 09:01:18 PM » |
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Hi,
For some reason, I got a notification email today to go read the 'Women of Appleseed' thread. I have no idea how I got it, but am I ever glad I did. You gals are fantastic. I'm just blown away by some of the stories I've read.
I haven't had time to read through all of the thread yet, but the stories I've seen so far are way more inspirational than any of the stuff any of us guys have put up.
I've recruited about a half dozen women for the Patriots Day shoot in Columbia, Maine, and I'm going to make it a condition of their attendance that they read your wonderfully inspiring posts.
God bless you all, and thanks.
Best, Sean O'
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If you can't find a way, make one.
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vic303
Moderator
Full Member
   
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Posts: 137
Davilla 6709!
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« Reply #70 on: March 08, 2010, 11:40:35 PM » |
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Nice blog there! AFAIK the linking is ok--if you want to share your experience directly here then just paste it in. And congrats on Rifleman! --Vicky
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JuniperLimb
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« Reply #71 on: March 09, 2010, 08:13:54 AM » |
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Thank you! It was a great weekend.
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Bamanurse
Instructor In Training 1
Newbie
 
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Posts: 27
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« Reply #72 on: March 10, 2010, 10:36:41 PM » |
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I love to shoot and grew up hunting with my great-grandfather and my dad. I'm a 40 yr old mom and have been teaching my 12 year old son to hunt and fish. I have a great husband but he wasn't raised with all that like I was so I tend to be the one that wants to do these kind of events. We are attending our first Appleseed this weekend as a family!!!!! I'm so excited like a kid before Christmas. I'm going iron sights and letting my husband have the ruger with the scope. I dream of getting a rifleman patch but it may take two tries. I hope not but looking forward so mutch to learning all the little things to improve and getting some good instruction for my son. Anyone going to be at the alabama one this weekend?
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JuniperLimb
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« Reply #73 on: March 11, 2010, 09:30:31 AM » |
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It's funny, hubby and I did not grow up shooting. I never touched one until we bought our first handgun. Now I'm hooked. I love that my son is growing up with them. He understands how to use them safely and respects what they can do. I feel so much better knowing that even if a friend handles one badly in his presence, he has the knowledge to do what is right. Education is the best way to keep your children safe from the misuse of firearms. You can be the most careful person in the world about where firearms are stored, how they are handled, etc in your own home, but you can't control what goes on in their friends' homes. It gives me peace of mind to know that I've equipped my son with knowledge rather than fear.
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yellowhousejake
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« Reply #74 on: March 11, 2010, 10:12:26 AM » |
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A wonderful write up JuniperLimb. Would you mind if I printed that page out and used your story in our promotion for the Indiana all womens shoot this may? Yellowhousejake (IN state promotions)
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"The Appleseed Project does more than help people, it helps people make themselves better. "
-- SPQR
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