I'm planning on making the long trek to Davilla as soon as my situtation will allow. I had planned to attend my first bootcamp at the beginning of 2009, but between having to move thanks to hurricane Ike and being laid off thanks to the politicos up in Austin, money is too tight to make it and taking a week off isn't a great way to start any new job I'm lucky enough to get.
One question I haven't seen answered: would it be better to start with a bootcamp or one of the shorter weekend deals?
Also, I'm planning on running my Armalite AR-15 with match sights the entire time (with either a 10/22 or another AR for a backup). Any words of advice as far as spare parts to bring, ammo to avoid, etc?
You'll learn more at boot camp than you will in an Appleseed, and it's cheaper (if you look at it from the perspective of "how much do you pay per day").
That being said, it's really hard for some people to carve a week out of their schedules. If boot camp won't work for you, do an Appleseed. You'll still learn a lot and have a great time.
Bring the spare parts you need to keep your rifle running. I keep a spare extractor and springs for my rifle. I've also never had to put any of them into my rifle, but I have them if I need them. Do bring whatever you need in order to keep your rifle clean and lubricated.
Save yourself some more money by shooting the 10/22 for most of the 25 meter training. Switch to the AR to prove to yourself that what you learned on the 10/22 works on the AR (it does, but it helps to prove it to yourself) and to make sure your AR is sighted in properly.
Have fun.
Lotsa good info here - http://appleseedshoot.blogspot.com/
Welcome to the forum pnd,
First, if time and money are tight one way to reduce them is to get your local range where you shoot to host an appleseed!
How can you, a mere one person, do this?
Well, the best way to prepare for any Appleseed activity is to get your equipment, get Fred's Guide, and dry fire practice at home, practice the positions, transitions, etc. This also lets you get your equipment sorted out, slings, mats, etc.
Now go down to your own range and see if this is working by shooting some of our targets, red coats, etc. You can order targets from Fred or there are some files you can download and printout around here on the forum somewhere. This does two things: one you can start practicing and two you can rope others into learning about Appleseed, hey whats that funny target your shooting there. Well that looks easy. Challenge people to shoot it with you.
Now you have multiple people interested approach your range with info about trying to get a shoot hosted there. The range gets income from a weekend with lots of people and we get a chance to get a regular appleseed set up at that range - IF we can get enough of you interested locals to shoot Rifleman and volunteer to become instructors who can run AS at that range regularly. Another possibility is that someone you meet at the range and get interested in AS might have property thats suitable to host an AS. There are plenty of people on this forum who've done that!
All the the above preparation will also put you in a good position to take the best advantage of any other Appleseed or boot camp you attend.
Don't train too long on your own from just the Guides, you might be ingraining bad habits or misunderstood things, so an Appleseed as soon as possible with trained instructors to just check you out is good. Plus this is where you meet great people and recharge your morale batteries.
Remember, the main goal of AS is not that you shoot Rifleman and get a "patch" but that we build the program - The Seventh Step.
Looks to me like you've already started the journey.
Cheers
Phil
I ordered my copy of Fred's Guide and some targets this week, so I'm squared away on that. Looking forward to getting started on the material.
Next step is to get a job so I can start getting the gear together and getting a little more serious at the range. Unfortunatly, the two local ranges I go to are probably out of the question, at least for now. One is a small municipal range and I doubt they'd go for having an Appleseed. The other is a private range that was badly damaged from Ike. Once I get an Appleseed or two under my belt, I might try to get one started down here (though I hear a Houston one is in the works).
A liberty training rifle is in my near future. Sounds like just the ticket for some budget training.
Out of curiosity, could someone explain the hat colors? I keep hearing references to orange, green, and red hats. I assume they are for achieving different standings but haven't seen them explained.
We pay our instructors in hats.
New instructors (instructors in training) get fashionable bright orange hats.
Once you become a "real" instructor, you get a fancy red hat.
Shoot bosses wear a stylish green hat.
Thanks! I'm one of those nerdy types that loves to have some bit of flair to symbolize a goal. If someone said, I want you to work 100 hours and we'll give you a hundred dollars, I'd tell them where to stick it. If they say we want you to work 100 hours and we'll give you this flashy red hat worth $5, I'd be all over it. I'm weird that way.
Quote from: wcmartin1 on December 12, 2008, 01:38:20 PM
Lotsa good info here - http://appleseedshoot.blogspot.com/
thanks wcmartin1
this link was extremely helpful on slings.
who is behind this blog? a big thank you to them also.
POP
Quote from: 76 Respiratory POP on December 14, 2008, 12:44:01 AM
Quote from: wcmartin1 on December 12, 2008, 01:38:20 PM
Lotsa good info here - http://appleseedshoot.blogspot.com/
thanks wcmartin1
this link was extremely helpful on slings.
who is behind this blog? a big thank you to them also.
POP
It was produced by a very talented individual known here as deolexrex.
Here's some background on how it came about - http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=2164.0
Punkn, get to an Appleseed, any Appleseed, as soon as you can. **)
Be it a weekend, or RBC, both are of great benefit.
I'd concentrate on that 10-22 you mentioned. Fix it up with sling swivels for
1 1/4 military sling first off. Then put some ar type iron sight on, or until you
buy some put that scope base that comes with the Ruger on and slap whatever
scope you got on it and practice, practice, practice.
Attention to detail is important to everything! O0
Stretch out by doing dry-fire in your abode, good therapy for everyone.
Targets are coming, but till they get here make yourself some one inch squares.
I'd hit prone first, then work your way to sitting and do a little standing.
Not to neglect your AR, but the Ruger is way more economical.
Use the AR for dry-fire practice from all positions, shoot it when you can, but
the .22 is much cheaper and will get you where you need to go in style!
Good luck.
See you on the Trail... :~
Consider the Marlin 795 as an LTR as well. More on this here - http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=4148.0
Unfortunatly, the two local ranges I go to are probably out of the question, at least for now. ~snip~ The other is a private range that was badly damaged from Ike. [/quote]
This sounds like a golden opportunity for some local Appleseed 7th stepping- scrounge up a few volunteers by posting in the regional forum, and see if we can assist in the rebuilding of their range... If we can help rebuild their range, I'm sure they would be more willing to assist us with holding IBC's and Appleseeds.
Obstacles like this come along all the time- the trick is figuring out how to turn an obstacle into an expressway.
The damaged range is the Galveston Rifle and Pistol club. However, most of the damage is not something that's a matter of manpower. The berms were mostly washed away by the storm surge which requires dirt and heavy equipment to repair. I know that they were trying to work with the NRA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife to try to get funding but I'm not sure where they are with that. I worked with the wife of one of the board members prior to the layoffs, but now I don't have any contacts down there anymore. Since money's tight and I don't live close to the range anymore, I don't really know what their status is and will likely not renew my membership when I have a municipal range literally down the street and a really sweet private range thats about the same disatance as the Galveston range (and has activities).
Quote from: PJEVANS on December 14, 2008, 12:41:59 PM
Punkn, get to an Appleseed, any Appleseed, as soon as you can. **)
Absolutely right. Davilla in Dec was my first AS. I took my new LTR & my .308 AR and never took the AR out of the truck. You can put a LTR together for the cost of the ammo you'd use over the weekend. And you'll have ANOTHER RIFLE! Someone at the shoot who's been around awhile told me they shoot about 80% of the time with the .22, the rest with the MBR. I'm practicing the 1" squares with the LTR till I can shoot Rifleman.
G
I'll echo what has already been said. Get to an Appleseed as soon as you can. If that's a weekend AS, great. If its a boot camp, great. Either way, get to it, live it, experience it, network with the attendees and Instructors. Make new friends and really learn how to use that AR. As to the choice of rifle, bring both. You can use your centerfire or rimfire. It just so happens that rimfire is more economical for training. If you've got the ammo for centerfire, help yourself.