Good evening, and welcome to the first installment of the Project Appleseed Marksmanship Minute™
^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^
This month's submission comes from Senior Instructor Prescott, of Idaho. :bow:
We all know the value of dry fire. Correct practice dry equals better hits on target when it's time to put that practice to use at the range. Prescott has some drills you can do at home to maximize your success on the Appleseed Qualification Test.
He writes:
To help maximize your score on the Appleseed Qualification Target, dry-fire practice is especially useful for building consistency in the positions and transitions you'll use during an event.
For rifle dry-fire practice, focus on safe handling, consistent fundamentals, and measurable repetition. Here is a simple routine you can use to reinforce the skills learned at an Appleseed event.
Before starting any dry-fire practice, make sure the rifle is cleared and the practice area is safe. Clear the rifle using the first three steps of Making a Rifle Safe.
- Remove all ammunition from the practice area.
- Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and use a backstop appropriate for your setup.
- Ask other individuals in the household to stay out of the area while you are actively practicing dry fire.
At a Project Appleseed 25m rifle clinic, all of marksmanship fundamentals are taught. These include the Steady Hold Factors for standing, sitting/kneeling and prone, the Six Steps to Firing the Shot, and Natural Point of Aim (NPOA.) The Guidebook to Rifle Marksmanship can be referenced as a refresher for these techniques.
During dry-fire practice, focus on these points during the session:
- Standing — Practice establishing your stance and allowing the sights to settle without unnecessary movement. Work on repeating the same body position rather than trying to eliminate every bit of wobble.
- Sitting/kneeling — Practice getting into the position consistently, including your sling setup and rifle support. Reset completely between repetitions.
- Prone — Build the same position repeatedly. Focus on sling and bone support, a relaxed body, and a stable sight picture.
- Position transitions — Practice moving between positions smoothly and safely. Emphasize repeatability rather than maximum speed.
Once you can perform all of the Appleseed marksmanship techniques consistently, it is time to build a dry-fire practice routine.
- Position consistency: 5–10 minutes. Practice mounting into prone, sitting/kneeling, and standing positions and settling into the same body position each time.
- Trigger/follow-through: 5 minutes. From each position, practice a clean trigger press while maintaining your sight picture immediately afterward.
- Position transitions: 5–10 minutes. Practice moving between your competition positions smoothly and safely. Emphasize repeatability rather than maximum speed.
- Timed repetitions: Once the fundamentals are consistent, introduce a timer for safe position-establishment drills rather than emphasizing speed alone.
- Reload/manipulation practice: Perform these drills only with an unloaded rifle and magazine, and no ammunition present. Follow the specific rules for each stage of the AQT.
Record your results: Keep a simple log of repetitions, position, and what you noticed. This makes areas of improvement successes easier to identify.
Pick one variable per session to improve—for example, position consistency or trigger control.
Make a training log that includes:
- Position
- Number of repetitions
- What disturbed the sight picture
- Whether the trigger squeeze felt consistent
- One thing to focus on in your next session
For the Appleseed Qualification Tests, repeatable positions and transitions generally make better dry-fire objectives than simply completing as many trigger presses as possible.
See you on the line!
In Liberty,
Prescott
Great idea for a new monthly post! And a great first installment! Thank you Prescott!