Rifle
CZ 457 Lux in .22 LR
NcSTAR 3-9x40E (set to 4.5x)
CCI SV
Previous Appleseed (https://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=70393.0)
My first Appleseed was a rewarding experience even if sections of it were more Type 2 fun. I left feeling like I had things to practice, but I was pushing through frustration when I struggled to shift my NPOA onto the target.
Day 1
Despite not getting a chance to shoot beyond rezeroing my optic and not doing dry fire exercises, Day 1 was already feeling better than my first event's Day 2. I felt like I was getting the hang of adjusting my NPOA quickly (probably in large part due to not feeling frustrated), and my shots were mostly going where I aimed (further evidence that my scope barely being attached to the rails the previous Day 2 was causing problems). My scope was even further forward, and I was getting more of a hang of positioning my head to avoid scope shadow - though I'd continue to intermittently take shots with one half of the sight picture obscured by scope shadow and the other half blocked by my eyepro's nose piece. My next equipment purchase is going to be a cantilever mount.
Sitting remained an issue, though I resolved to give cross ankle my best try this time rather than switching to kneeling. The move to kneeling was partially motivated by having an arm free to work the bolt, but I felt like I was getting the hang of cycling the bolt quickly and returning to some semblance of the same NPOA.
I tried the longer V standing for a bit before returning to the condensed "support arm against ribs" variant, which I kept for the rest of the event.
I ended Day 1 with an AQT at 194, considerably better than my first event high of 178. I scored above 40 on every stage except stage 3, on which I got a whopping 21. Some of that was due to only getting 8 shots off with the bolt action, but I also only got 4 points on the first target despite wasting a bunch of time getting NPOA twice. 3Huzzahs suggested I game that stage out. I knew I could do better on target 1 even without getting NPOA each time, so I planned to waste as little time as possible to give me enough breathing room for the last 7 shots even if that meant muscling the rifle for the first 3.
On the bright side, by pure coincidence, this AQT was the first time cross ankle seated felt good. I found I needed to really bend my back to hunch over more than expected. I also started playing with the position of my trigger hand a bit - my fingers aren't the longest, and it was awkward to reach the trigger properly unless I rotated my wrist a bit further counterclockwise around the grip.
Day 2
The first AQT of the day felt like a winner, and 3Huzzahs gave me congratulations after only a glance. I was quite happy with my stage 1 and 4 performance, and this time I managed to fire all 40 shots before time was called. Stages 2 and 3 still felt rushed, and I knew I could do better for both of them. I didn't manage to find a comfortable seated position this time, and I got sloppy with some shots on transition to prone. Gaming it out did pay off though - the extra time later on the stage was critical to my 16 point improvement even though I missed a shot on target 1 entirely. The slowfire prone score of 48 felt great - I knew I could drill to get faster on stages 2 and 3 as long as I had the fundamentals down, and stage 4 felt like the biggest test of fundamentals.
The day's second AQT was nothing special, but I got another rifleman score on the third. I redeemed my stage 3 performance with a score of 45 at the cost of getting a 34 (8 out of 10 shots fired before time) on stage 2. I was hoping to manage a perfect score on stage 4 at least once, but that'll have to wait for another event. The final AQT ended a bit awkwardly with me still fumbling with the sling when "FIRE!" was called, but another slowfire score of 48 helped make up for the fact that I only managed 22 points on 6 shots for stage 2.
I was also very happy to clear my first hits count target, even though I barely clipped the edge of the 400yd redcoat and I let myself get sloppy on the 200yd target (would have sucked to miss a shot there because I assumed I could clear it without trying).
Conclusion
I feel pretty far from mastery, but I do feel like I can execute the fundamentals of each position even if the second and third stages are still inconsistent. I'm curious to try a future Appleseed on a semi auto, since I still haven't ever gotten to experience the true rifleman's cadence.
One technical aspect I still want to work on is tensing and untensing the pectoral muscle against the stock of the rifle while aiming or pulling the trigger. Like last time, I got good vertical groups groups but had horizontal stringing (https://imgur.com/a/Debq6mB) which persisted despite verifying I wasn't dragging wood.
Like last time, the instruction from Fixbayonets, 3Huzzahs, Danfinger, 303brit, and Deltabill was fantastic. It was great to be able to sample advice from each of you, and your enthusiasm was critical to alleviating the frustration that might creep in.
It was great to see the first youth Appleseeder here in a few years do so well with irons on her first event. I felt like the scope was pretty key to my performance - maybe that's a sign that I ought to visit the optometrist and return with some aperture sights.
Now I have the question of getting an orange hat. I noticed it says that attendance is expected one weekend a month as a goal and four weekends a year as a minimum. How seriously should I take that commitment? My weekend availability is quite variable, and especially with such a big gap over wintertime that means I'd need to be able to devote at minimum four out of eight chosen weekends which might be more than I'm able to follow through on. Four weekends a year sounds doable right now in my life, but I'm not sure how often my availability will line up with events.
Now that I have my 25m patch, I suppose the next event to try is a rimfire KD.
Great write up Ben!
Re: Rimfire KD
DO IT!!! Super fun way to increase your skills and ... [whispers] I think it is easier than the 25m event [/whispers]
Re: Volunteering
The 'once a month' expectation is simply a goal. Four times per year is a good starting point to commit to. On a personal level I notice that my skill as a teacher gets a LOT sharper if I'm instructing at more events. Just like shooting, practice makes us better.
I can pretty confidently say that if you can only do 2 or 3 events, no one is going to take your orange hat away.
The material we'll give you is really amazing at teaching you how to teach the 'appleseed way'. In addition to the coaching during events we also have Instructor Boot Camps (IBCs) which concentrate on how to teach the program. SUPER helpful.
So give it a think, there's plenty of time.
Best,
Dan
I read through both of your AARs, excellent job with a bilt action and you definitely did it on "hard mode". Even with a semi-auto, I didnt get all my shots off for stage 2, it is quite a challenge.
Regarding the horizontal stringing, I have the same issue. The thinking is I am not squeezing straight every time, or the pulse through my arm and sling is throwing things off. I have been recommended to try a coat next time rather than a thin poly shirt.
Got some things to try!
Quote[whispers] I think it is easier than the 25m event [/whispers]
Good to know. I guess once you have the fundamentals down...
QuoteThe 'once a month' expectation is simply a goal. Four times per year is a good starting point to commit to. On a personal level I notice that my skill as a teacher gets a LOT sharper if I'm instructing at more events. Just like shooting, practice makes us better.
That makes sense, and matches what other people have said. I do want to make sure I'm giving good instruction if I'm giving any at all. Given that, it's definitely comforting that the program gives teachers ample opportunity to succeed.
QuoteI read through both of your AARs, excellent job with a bilt action and you definitely did it on "hard mode".
Thanks! Those stages do go by quickly. Now to do true hard mode with a 1903... if I get my hands on a 1903, that is.
QuoteRegarding the horizontal stringing, I have the same issue. The thinking is I am not squeezing straight every time, or the pulse through my arm and sling is throwing things off. I have been recommended to try a coat next time rather than a thin poly shirt.
That's a good idea. Even with the stock extension, it sometimes feels like my rifle is a bit too short. I read that the MAS 36 LOP is so short because the soldiers were expected to be able to use it wearing a greatcoat, so maybe next time I'll come in something a bit thicker.
Pulling the trigger unevenly is another good thing to look at, especially since the grip feels a bit far from the trigger for my shorter fingers.