This past weekend, we hosted nearly 30 students at our Project Appleseed event at Cavalier Rifle & Pistol Club, Montpelier, VA. Like many of our classes, the students presented a broad age range, with some as young as 7, and others as experienced as 67. Several fathers and sons attended as part of a Trail Life USA outing, as well as mother-son pairs and adults attending with their parents. No matter their generation, they all came to learn basic rifle marksmanship and learn more about how marksmanship is in their cultural DNA, as Americans.
The day started with a morning diagnostic "Red Coat" target, setting the baseline for the two day event. With much amazement, there were some that clearly knew their way around their rifles, with 2 students clearing the first Red Coat target! By the end of our 2 day event, all students increased their proficiency at scoring decisive hits on their 4 MOA targets, and several others were able to clear their Red Coat targets as well!
As part of the event, the instructors shared the story of first day of the American Revolution, the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. They heard how marksmanship ruled the day and helped carry the disparate bands of shopkeepers, smiths, farmers, and traders over what was then considered the mightiest army in the world; how thousands of colonials showed what they were about, against a force of about 700 British soldiers.
After a full day of instruction on Saturday, the students were put through their paces on Sunday via the Appleseed Qualification Test. This test, derived from the old-style Army Qualification Test from decades past, forced students to apply their skill and resolve in a timed environment. All students persisted, with eight achieving Expert classification on the AQT and earning the title of RIFLEMAN.
Janalee W.
Jon W.
Jon H.
David J.
Isaac G.
Jeff G.
Brandon W.
Andrew N.
Of note, Janalee was a monster on the firing line - not only did she clear ALL FOUR RED COAT TARGETS, but scored Expert qualification on EVERY SINGLE AQT! She epitomizes "Shoot Like a Girl," and clearly knows what she's about…
Congrats to all our Riflemen, and thank you to all the students who helped make this such a fantastic event. We look forward to seeing you back on the line again soon!