Feel free to post any pictures or comments you have so far. More to follow later.
~PlatzOut~
Sunday shots
Saturday shots
Thanks for an excellent experience and I look forward to shooting with you again next month! This was my first Appleseed this weekend. I am not a bad shot by any means but since my wife and I started having kids I had stopped shooting DCM/CMP so my skills are a bit rusty. It's been about 15-years since I last shot a CMP match and my oldest son is turning 12 and I was looking for a place I can take him to teach him the basics of marksmanship. I decided before I bring my kids I wanted to at least do one day to make sure it was what I was expecting and that I was comfortable bringing my kids to it.
In preparing to go to the Appleseed event I found myself without a gun that was really what I wanted to shoot. I decided instead of modifying one of the guns I had to instead build a purpose built liberty training rifle. So I went to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought a brand new 10/22 carbine ($239). I also ordered one of the M1 Carbine Stock kits (this was just for looks - $90), a 1-inch M1907 sling ($28), a set of Tech TRS100 Sights ($59) and a set of Uncle Mikes QD Sling mounts with the forward mount that mounts to a Ruger 10/22 barrel band. So, the complete setup was about $400.
To prepare I mounted the Tech Sights and the sling. I had to drill out the hole in the 10/22 barrel band mount so that it would fit the larger bolt of the M1 Carbine barrel band. With that done, the QD forward stud hangs below the stock so I can use the sling better. That worked fine but I do need to get a couple spacers to hold that forward sling stud steady as right now it moves side to side on the bolt that holds the band together. It didn't affect shooting or using the sling but it will strip those threads and it looks sloppy the way it is. I then added the stock stud and mounted the M1907 sling and adjusted the sling to fit me. I also collected half a dozen mags to take to the Appleseed shoot.
Now, you will note I didn't say anything about shooting this gun before I went to the Appleseed shoot. I didn't have a place or opportunity to shoot before the class. I confirmed with the Appleseed Instructor running the show (thanks George) that I would be able to zero it at the event and he said I would be fine.
I learned a few lessons during the shoot. First, Appleseed involves a lot more shooting then a CMP event. I quickly learned that my failure to break in my leather 1907 sling was a mistake and I ended up borrowing a M1 Cotton Sling to get through the day. It was just taking too much time and effort to get the sling on and off with the keepers so darned tight. I still prefer the leather 1907 sling but the cotton sling was much quicker to put on and take off and with Appleseed you have to do this a LOT so the Cotton USGI sling was nice. I will work on breaking in my M1907 sling to use but I will bring a M1 sling with me as a backup and my kids will use the M1 sling at Appleseed shoots.
The second thing I didn't do before the event was install an automatic bolt release and this caused me some time in every mag change. I also had issues as my 10/22 mags were not dropping free because the M1 Carbine stock is tight on the mags. This made it so that every mag change required me to fully break position and use my trigger finger to shove the mag down from the action to get the mag to drop out of the gun. Either of these could have been predicted if only I had taken the time too shoot the gun before going to the shoot (http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_blackeye.gif) There was an Instructor at the course that swapped my bolt release for an automatic bolt release (thanks Frank) and that was a huge time saver and allowed me a little more time to shoot. Finally I had a factory 10-rd Ruger 10/22 mag fail on me and that was fixed on site but spare mags were smart even with the robust factory 10-rd 10/22 mags.
I never did make rifleman, my scores kept getting better 193, 196, 206, and 207 were my last four but I never hit the 210 needed to earn my patch. I need to hit the range with this LTR and actually practice with it before I try again next month. and I am resolved I will get my patch next time. I want to earn this with Iron sights but I may pack along my scoped 10/22 as a backup gun or perhaps even my DCM/CMP AR-15 in 223 in case I get to the afternoon and I have still not managed to nail that bottom row better.
I did learn a lot as I am a self taught shooter and while I would like to think my self study has served me well in the past there were quite a few pointers I had not considered or were not clearly pointed out in some of the various books I have read in the past.
Here is my modest Liberty Training rifle, it's really nothing fancy.
(http://www.quarterbore.com/images/ruger-1022-ltr.jpg)
This Appleseed event was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing it again with my son next month. Thanks again for an excellent experience!
Quote from: Quarterbore on August 14, 2012, 01:20:37 PM
I learned a few lessons during the shoot.
The second thing I didn't do before the event was install an automatic bolt release and this caused me some time in every mag change. I also had issues as my 10/22 mags were not dropping free because the M1 Carbine stock is tight on the mags.
A third thing to do before the next Appleseed: make sure magazines drop freely from the rifle (by filing the stock where it touches the magazine). That's what's costing you time on the reloads, not the auto bolt release.I'm trying to visualize what I think your reload routine is: manually lock bolt back, press magazine release while simultaneously pressing down on magazine top through ejection port with trigger finger, index and insert fresh magazine, manually release bolt.Once the magazines drop free, your reload routine will be shorter: press magazine release, index and insert fresh magazine, pull back bolt handle, release bolt handle (the auto bolt release isn't even a factor).The rifle looks great, and with the experience of your first Appleseed behind you, you know what you need to practice and what you need to adjust. I'm very certain that you'll earn you patch at your next shoot.