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#41
After Action Reports / Lapeer, MI AAR - May 2-3, 2026...
Last post by T. WOLF - May 05, 2026, 01:52:08 PMProject Appleseed was pleased to once again welcome the Young Marines to Lapeer County Sportsmen's Club for a weekend of Marksmanship and History. The marines arrived around 6pm on Friday and quickly established their encampment on the lawn. The weather was colder than expected for early May, and the marines had to endure near-freezing temps and some brief sleet on Friday night, but they persevered.
Saturday remained chilly, but the sun was out as we circled up at the flag pole and then made our way down to the range. After our safety briefing we jumped right into our marksmanship instruction and kept a solid pace all through the day. The marines were attentive as we shared the stories of April 19, 1775, and remained engaged throughout the course of fire. We closed out our day with the Parker's Revenge fun shoot - congratulations to Flowers and Welch for running away with the high score!
The temperature picked up a bit on Sunday (and so did the wind) and we made the most of our limited time for the day. We were able to shoot an AQT before breaking for lunch, where we heard about the brave initiative taken by Samuel Whittemore and David Lamson as the redcoats were making their desperate retreat from Concord.
After lunch, the venerable Roundballer joined us on the range to give everyone some hands-on experience with the Brown Bess musket. Thank you Roundballer for your commitment to preserving this revolutionary war history for the next generation of Americans.
As was always the case with the Young Marines, we had an interesting mix of ages and experience levels on the firing line. Nearly half of our roster was attending Appleseed for the first time, and some of them were handling a rifle for the very first time. Other marines have been in the program for several years, and were attending their second or third Appleseed. Some of them are now very close to achieving a Rifleman score on the AQT, and we encourage them to get out for a public event if they can. I hope I'm there when they earn those patches!
It is an honor to partner with a fellow non-profit organization who shares our passion for preserving American tradition and integrity for the next generation. James Madison said "The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only true guardian of our Liberty", and I'm grateful to all of the volunteers from both orgs who dedicated their time and energy to advancing and diffusing this important knowledge.
Looking forward to next time!
LINK TO EVENT PHOTOS
Saturday remained chilly, but the sun was out as we circled up at the flag pole and then made our way down to the range. After our safety briefing we jumped right into our marksmanship instruction and kept a solid pace all through the day. The marines were attentive as we shared the stories of April 19, 1775, and remained engaged throughout the course of fire. We closed out our day with the Parker's Revenge fun shoot - congratulations to Flowers and Welch for running away with the high score!
The temperature picked up a bit on Sunday (and so did the wind) and we made the most of our limited time for the day. We were able to shoot an AQT before breaking for lunch, where we heard about the brave initiative taken by Samuel Whittemore and David Lamson as the redcoats were making their desperate retreat from Concord.
After lunch, the venerable Roundballer joined us on the range to give everyone some hands-on experience with the Brown Bess musket. Thank you Roundballer for your commitment to preserving this revolutionary war history for the next generation of Americans.
As was always the case with the Young Marines, we had an interesting mix of ages and experience levels on the firing line. Nearly half of our roster was attending Appleseed for the first time, and some of them were handling a rifle for the very first time. Other marines have been in the program for several years, and were attending their second or third Appleseed. Some of them are now very close to achieving a Rifleman score on the AQT, and we encourage them to get out for a public event if they can. I hope I'm there when they earn those patches!
It is an honor to partner with a fellow non-profit organization who shares our passion for preserving American tradition and integrity for the next generation. James Madison said "The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only true guardian of our Liberty", and I'm grateful to all of the volunteers from both orgs who dedicated their time and energy to advancing and diffusing this important knowledge.
Looking forward to next time!
LINK TO EVENT PHOTOS
#42
After Action Reports / Re: After Action Report for Fr...
Last post by ShooterMagoo - May 05, 2026, 01:37:40 PMChad, just dropping in to say, great job on these reports. I find myself reading them, even on events I didn't attend. Kudos!
#43
Ohio / Re: Congratulations Skald, Ohi...
Last post by Cleveland - May 05, 2026, 01:08:14 PMHUZZAH!!
#44
After Action Reports / Re: After Action Report for Fr...
Last post by GenX Minuteman - May 05, 2026, 12:24:32 PM
#45
After Action Reports / After Action Report for Freder...
Last post by GenX Minuteman - May 05, 2026, 12:07:08 PM"What a Glorious Day for America." – Samuel Adams after seeing the atrocities which occurred on Lexington Green in the early morning hours of April 19th, 1775
This past April 18-19th weekend's event in Fredericksburg, TX was an absolute perfect way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America! All of the 17 participants who attended were eager to learn, eager to listen and a true pleasure to speak with and share such an important weekend with. We had many local students as well as a few from the Houston, TX area. With the energy and attitude of the students starting at such a high level in the morning, we knew it was going to be an amazing event!
Our first diagnostic target of the weekend proved the intent of our students rather quickly. Out of 17 students, 9 students proved initial field effectiveness at 100 yrds. 5 of those students further proved field effective at 200 yrds. Furthermore, 3 of those students proved field effective at 300 yrds and also equally effective at 400 yrds! Five students were able to place one shot in Morgan's shingle which means we had three students complete the Red Coat target even before we began our instruction. Like I said earlier, everyone was serious!
As the first Red Coat Target of the weekend had wrapped up, we began our formal instruction period. We gave our students the necessary background of proper sling usage, prone steady hold factors and the "First Half of the Six Steps of Firing the Shot". When facing our new target, our 25 Meter Drill Target, it was clear the students were indeed paying close attention. There were a significant portion of the students who already had very good groups! This was reassuring to see!
We continued practicing on our 25 Meter Drill Targets and slowly introduced additional instructional points. We talked through the concept of making sure the obtained "Point of Aim" was one which is obtained using a fully supported and fully relaxed body – thus making it is a true "Natural Point of Aim". After a few remedial skills drills, our students began to better understand this concept and put it into practice.
We wrapped up the morning's portion of the instruction by addressing the "Second Half of the Six Steps of Firing the Shot". All of which are less active than the First Half, but in practice – just as important as the First Half. By this point in the day, our students needed a bit of a break, so we used the opportunity to inform the students about the first actions which took place 251 years ago on this weekend's date which began the Revolutionary War. Our resident historical expert, cypherpunk, was able to bring our attention to a time when everyone living in the Colonies viewed themselves as a subject of a much different governmental system than we have today. Josh did an excellent job of telling us how the attitudes and mindsets of almost everyone in the Colonies changed on one single day.
After our break, our students were provided with instructions on how to take their improved precise groups and now place them accurately on the intended target by following our Inches/Minutes/Click methodology of adjusting their sighting systems. Unsurprisingly, everyone was able to achieve sufficient accuracy rather quickly. Once everyone's rifles were now as accurate as we could make them, we moved on to our next challenge for the weekend – Positional Shooting. While less stable than prone shooting, the seated/kneeling position is still one which needs to be mastered in order to take field effective shots in less than ideal conditions. While our students began practicing the new positions it was clear the cooler than usual temperature was starting to impact everyone's mobility.
After mastering a new difficult position, we threw an even more challenging task at our students, shooting while in the Standing position. Again, the advantages the standing position affords in terms of speed and quickness must be weighed against the loss of stability. The Hasty sling certainly helps maintain control of an unstable system, but there are many degrees of freedom yet unaccounted for. Our students did their best to shoot from standing while not getting too discouraged by the results, hahahaha!
The late April Texas weather definitely threw us for a loop during this weekend. It was continued cloud cover with intermittent drizzle and upper 40's in temperature. Sadly, this combination does not lend itself well to long term exposure and maintaining an up-beat attitude. Our students had clearly endured a long day of instruction and skills practice and wished to wrap things up early. We posted up a Red Coat target and observed how our student's skills increased during only one day of instruction and practice. By this point in time, we only had 11 students now on the line. Of these 11 students, we had 6 students now field effective at 200 yrds. We had 2 which cleared the Red Coat (Randy and David) and now 6 students which hit the Cedar Shingle qualifying square. Not bad for the first day.
As quickly as the first day of our event ended, the morning of the second day began. Luckily, the weather was WAY more cooperative for our students on this day. No more blowing wind and Texas sprinkles. Our morning Red Coat target showed we were now down to only 14 shooters out of 17. Out of our 14 students, 6 were now proficient out to 200 yrds which was similar to the last target of the previous day. Randy was our only student who was able to successfully complete the entire target. This puzzled me because I was fully expecting to see David indicate the same achievement by raising his hand, but he never raised his hand indicating a completed target. He then showed me his target. He had placed all 13 rounds in Captain Morgan's shingle target. Hahahahaha – this is how a serious Rifleman warms-up from the day. Way to go David!!!!!
We then jumped into making sure all the rifles were still holding their accuracy by shooting a few 25 Meter Drill Targets. Luckily, the rifles held their zeroed adjustment from the previous day and all of our shooters broke off their marksmanship rust quickly. This allowed us an opportunity to go ahead and post up an Appleseed Qualifying Target and give our students a few of their current skill level. Right out of the chute, Bryan knocked out a Rifleman score of 226 on his very first AQT!!!! This was no real surprise since he was practically putting all five rounds in the same hole during the sighting-in process. He took a few small refinement tips from us and instantly achieved his Rifleman patch!!! Way to go Bryan!!!!
We took a bit of an early lunch break and discussed the events in Concord, Massachusetts on the same day 251 years prior. Again, Josh skillfully walked our students through the heroism of individuals such as Captain Isaac Davis of the Acton Militia which set forth the flame of freedom on this day. We used this rousing history discussion to springboard into another quick AQT target to see if a short rest and small snack would help a few students. And just like the Milita on Punkatasset Hill, the noon hour appears to be when a few of our students stood tall and performed to the best of their ability. I am happy to say Phil made a great Rifleman score of 217!!! He has been putting all the pieces together and made it happen at this event!!!! Way to go Phil!!!!! Also, Frank was able to nail a Rifleman score on his second-ever AQT, while using a bolt action centerfire rifle!!! Way to go Frank! He put down an excellent score of 211!!!
Before putting up another AQT, we played a bit of a skills-gambling game for fun. This was an all-or-nothing effort to show each student's best ability. If there was a single miss on a Red Coat Target posted at 45 degrees then the target score was zero. Each hit counted was in direct scoring proportion to the scaled AQT size. As during the morning's Red Coat, David once again placed all 5 of his rounds in Morgan's Shingle earning him a total of 25 points and winning the challenge!!!! Way to go David!!!
As the AQTs began to add up, our students were gaining in their confidence and skills while still facing significant new challenges. I'm happy to report Bill was able to uncover a new skill set and achieve a Rifleman score of 218!!! This was on the sixth AQT of the weekend.
By this point in the afternoon, a small break was again called for which allowed Josh to finalize the key history discussion regarding the coalescence of Rebellion within the Colonies. It was this final unification and understanding of the actions taken that fateful day which led to the Freedoms which we enjoy today. Josh did a great job of inspiring our students because they all agreed to give the weekend one last AQT in honor of our forefathers. Most students did an amazing job, as earlier in the day. One student achieved a staggering Appleseed Milestone, now for a second time. Randy once again achieved an amazing 250 score on the last AQT of the weekend!!!! His dedication to marksmanship perfection is inspirational!!! Way to go Randy!!!!!!!
The weekend wrapped up with a serious discussion regarding the need to take action in one's own political life in order to protect our Freedoms we take for granted all too easily. We honored the architect of the Revolution, Dr. Joseph Warren, with a unique addressing of the Last Red Coat of the Weekend. Our students were certainly a bit worn-out by this point and their final target reflected this. Our two phenomenal marksmen, Randy and David, of course cleared the target. This should not be thought of as a decrease in the capability of our students over the course of the weekend, but rather an indication of the level of effort they put out during a very action packed day. A better gauge of skill would be to note the number of awards handed out during this event – Four New Rifleman patches handed out, Requalified Rifleman for two shooters, and a 250 rocker handed out to top it all off!!! Now, this is truly an impressive result!
It was an amazing event with amazing students. I will say again, it was an honor to be with such a group of serious Patriot on this ultra special weekend! Our Instructors and myself are still touched by how solemn everyone held this weekend's importance, and the reverence shown during our Patriot's Day Weekend! Thank you!
Chad Stovell – GenX Minuteman
San Antonio Cadre Present:
Chad Stovell – GenX Minuteman – Shootboss
Jerry – Twinkle Toes – IIT
Josh – cypherpunk – IIT
Nathanel – AltF4 Phantom - IIT
Mark – El Tejano – Instructor
This past April 18-19th weekend's event in Fredericksburg, TX was an absolute perfect way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America! All of the 17 participants who attended were eager to learn, eager to listen and a true pleasure to speak with and share such an important weekend with. We had many local students as well as a few from the Houston, TX area. With the energy and attitude of the students starting at such a high level in the morning, we knew it was going to be an amazing event!
Our first diagnostic target of the weekend proved the intent of our students rather quickly. Out of 17 students, 9 students proved initial field effectiveness at 100 yrds. 5 of those students further proved field effective at 200 yrds. Furthermore, 3 of those students proved field effective at 300 yrds and also equally effective at 400 yrds! Five students were able to place one shot in Morgan's shingle which means we had three students complete the Red Coat target even before we began our instruction. Like I said earlier, everyone was serious!
As the first Red Coat Target of the weekend had wrapped up, we began our formal instruction period. We gave our students the necessary background of proper sling usage, prone steady hold factors and the "First Half of the Six Steps of Firing the Shot". When facing our new target, our 25 Meter Drill Target, it was clear the students were indeed paying close attention. There were a significant portion of the students who already had very good groups! This was reassuring to see!
We continued practicing on our 25 Meter Drill Targets and slowly introduced additional instructional points. We talked through the concept of making sure the obtained "Point of Aim" was one which is obtained using a fully supported and fully relaxed body – thus making it is a true "Natural Point of Aim". After a few remedial skills drills, our students began to better understand this concept and put it into practice.
We wrapped up the morning's portion of the instruction by addressing the "Second Half of the Six Steps of Firing the Shot". All of which are less active than the First Half, but in practice – just as important as the First Half. By this point in the day, our students needed a bit of a break, so we used the opportunity to inform the students about the first actions which took place 251 years ago on this weekend's date which began the Revolutionary War. Our resident historical expert, cypherpunk, was able to bring our attention to a time when everyone living in the Colonies viewed themselves as a subject of a much different governmental system than we have today. Josh did an excellent job of telling us how the attitudes and mindsets of almost everyone in the Colonies changed on one single day.
After our break, our students were provided with instructions on how to take their improved precise groups and now place them accurately on the intended target by following our Inches/Minutes/Click methodology of adjusting their sighting systems. Unsurprisingly, everyone was able to achieve sufficient accuracy rather quickly. Once everyone's rifles were now as accurate as we could make them, we moved on to our next challenge for the weekend – Positional Shooting. While less stable than prone shooting, the seated/kneeling position is still one which needs to be mastered in order to take field effective shots in less than ideal conditions. While our students began practicing the new positions it was clear the cooler than usual temperature was starting to impact everyone's mobility.
After mastering a new difficult position, we threw an even more challenging task at our students, shooting while in the Standing position. Again, the advantages the standing position affords in terms of speed and quickness must be weighed against the loss of stability. The Hasty sling certainly helps maintain control of an unstable system, but there are many degrees of freedom yet unaccounted for. Our students did their best to shoot from standing while not getting too discouraged by the results, hahahaha!
The late April Texas weather definitely threw us for a loop during this weekend. It was continued cloud cover with intermittent drizzle and upper 40's in temperature. Sadly, this combination does not lend itself well to long term exposure and maintaining an up-beat attitude. Our students had clearly endured a long day of instruction and skills practice and wished to wrap things up early. We posted up a Red Coat target and observed how our student's skills increased during only one day of instruction and practice. By this point in time, we only had 11 students now on the line. Of these 11 students, we had 6 students now field effective at 200 yrds. We had 2 which cleared the Red Coat (Randy and David) and now 6 students which hit the Cedar Shingle qualifying square. Not bad for the first day.
As quickly as the first day of our event ended, the morning of the second day began. Luckily, the weather was WAY more cooperative for our students on this day. No more blowing wind and Texas sprinkles. Our morning Red Coat target showed we were now down to only 14 shooters out of 17. Out of our 14 students, 6 were now proficient out to 200 yrds which was similar to the last target of the previous day. Randy was our only student who was able to successfully complete the entire target. This puzzled me because I was fully expecting to see David indicate the same achievement by raising his hand, but he never raised his hand indicating a completed target. He then showed me his target. He had placed all 13 rounds in Captain Morgan's shingle target. Hahahahaha – this is how a serious Rifleman warms-up from the day. Way to go David!!!!!
We then jumped into making sure all the rifles were still holding their accuracy by shooting a few 25 Meter Drill Targets. Luckily, the rifles held their zeroed adjustment from the previous day and all of our shooters broke off their marksmanship rust quickly. This allowed us an opportunity to go ahead and post up an Appleseed Qualifying Target and give our students a few of their current skill level. Right out of the chute, Bryan knocked out a Rifleman score of 226 on his very first AQT!!!! This was no real surprise since he was practically putting all five rounds in the same hole during the sighting-in process. He took a few small refinement tips from us and instantly achieved his Rifleman patch!!! Way to go Bryan!!!!
We took a bit of an early lunch break and discussed the events in Concord, Massachusetts on the same day 251 years prior. Again, Josh skillfully walked our students through the heroism of individuals such as Captain Isaac Davis of the Acton Militia which set forth the flame of freedom on this day. We used this rousing history discussion to springboard into another quick AQT target to see if a short rest and small snack would help a few students. And just like the Milita on Punkatasset Hill, the noon hour appears to be when a few of our students stood tall and performed to the best of their ability. I am happy to say Phil made a great Rifleman score of 217!!! He has been putting all the pieces together and made it happen at this event!!!! Way to go Phil!!!!! Also, Frank was able to nail a Rifleman score on his second-ever AQT, while using a bolt action centerfire rifle!!! Way to go Frank! He put down an excellent score of 211!!!
Before putting up another AQT, we played a bit of a skills-gambling game for fun. This was an all-or-nothing effort to show each student's best ability. If there was a single miss on a Red Coat Target posted at 45 degrees then the target score was zero. Each hit counted was in direct scoring proportion to the scaled AQT size. As during the morning's Red Coat, David once again placed all 5 of his rounds in Morgan's Shingle earning him a total of 25 points and winning the challenge!!!! Way to go David!!!
As the AQTs began to add up, our students were gaining in their confidence and skills while still facing significant new challenges. I'm happy to report Bill was able to uncover a new skill set and achieve a Rifleman score of 218!!! This was on the sixth AQT of the weekend.
By this point in the afternoon, a small break was again called for which allowed Josh to finalize the key history discussion regarding the coalescence of Rebellion within the Colonies. It was this final unification and understanding of the actions taken that fateful day which led to the Freedoms which we enjoy today. Josh did a great job of inspiring our students because they all agreed to give the weekend one last AQT in honor of our forefathers. Most students did an amazing job, as earlier in the day. One student achieved a staggering Appleseed Milestone, now for a second time. Randy once again achieved an amazing 250 score on the last AQT of the weekend!!!! His dedication to marksmanship perfection is inspirational!!! Way to go Randy!!!!!!!
The weekend wrapped up with a serious discussion regarding the need to take action in one's own political life in order to protect our Freedoms we take for granted all too easily. We honored the architect of the Revolution, Dr. Joseph Warren, with a unique addressing of the Last Red Coat of the Weekend. Our students were certainly a bit worn-out by this point and their final target reflected this. Our two phenomenal marksmen, Randy and David, of course cleared the target. This should not be thought of as a decrease in the capability of our students over the course of the weekend, but rather an indication of the level of effort they put out during a very action packed day. A better gauge of skill would be to note the number of awards handed out during this event – Four New Rifleman patches handed out, Requalified Rifleman for two shooters, and a 250 rocker handed out to top it all off!!! Now, this is truly an impressive result!
It was an amazing event with amazing students. I will say again, it was an honor to be with such a group of serious Patriot on this ultra special weekend! Our Instructors and myself are still touched by how solemn everyone held this weekend's importance, and the reverence shown during our Patriot's Day Weekend! Thank you!
Chad Stovell – GenX Minuteman
San Antonio Cadre Present:
Chad Stovell – GenX Minuteman – Shootboss
Jerry – Twinkle Toes – IIT
Josh – cypherpunk – IIT
Nathanel – AltF4 Phantom - IIT
Mark – El Tejano – Instructor
#46
Ohio / Re: Congratulations Skald, Ohi...
Last post by Doc Willi - May 05, 2026, 11:43:36 AMCongratulations!!! Well done.
#47
Arizona / Arizona Appleseed 2025–2026 Se...
Last post by kelly42a - May 05, 2026, 11:26:51 AMAs we officially wrap up the Arizona Appleseed season, I want to say thank you to everyone who came out this year: the shooters who attended, the instructors who volunteered, the folks who helped on the line, and everyone who brought friends and family to the range.
Because Arizona summers are not exactly kind to outdoor events, our season runs September through April, and Sunday marked the close of a great 2025–2026 season. We had solid events, great students, dedicated instructors, and plenty of teachable moments on both marksmanship and heritage. That is what keeps this program going.
The good news is that the next season is already taking shape. The 2026–2027 Arizona Appleseed season will kick off in September with a Pistol Clinic. We also already have October and November rifle events on the calendar, and registration is open now for both students and instructors.
Spring 2027 dates are still being finalized, and I will share those as soon as they are locked down.
Thank you again to everyone who made this season possible. Enjoy the summer, stay cool, keep practicing, and we will see you back on the line in September.
Because Arizona summers are not exactly kind to outdoor events, our season runs September through April, and Sunday marked the close of a great 2025–2026 season. We had solid events, great students, dedicated instructors, and plenty of teachable moments on both marksmanship and heritage. That is what keeps this program going.
The good news is that the next season is already taking shape. The 2026–2027 Arizona Appleseed season will kick off in September with a Pistol Clinic. We also already have October and November rifle events on the calendar, and registration is open now for both students and instructors.
Spring 2027 dates are still being finalized, and I will share those as soon as they are locked down.
Thank you again to everyone who made this season possible. Enjoy the summer, stay cool, keep practicing, and we will see you back on the line in September.
#48
NorthEast / Re: NH & VT have a new State C...
Last post by T. WOLF - May 05, 2026, 10:55:44 AMFantastic! Thank you Milo! I'm sure your talents will be an asset in this role
#49
Arkansas / Re: Pistol Clinic
Last post by Quinncannon - May 05, 2026, 12:57:44 AMThanks for the heads up!
#50
Arkansas / Pistol Clinic
Last post by Guns&Hoses - May 04, 2026, 11:06:06 PMGreetings!
I know I spoke with a couple of folks about getting a pistol clinic at up in Jonesboro within the next couple of months, but I'm going to push that back a bit, and here is why: received a message from National that Appleseed's pistol program is being overhauled,firstly by returning to the name "Pistolseed". There will be more changes to the curriculum and course of fire, with new direction hopefully coming soon for Shoot Bosses and Instructors. I want to wait until we see the changes so we can implement them to give the best instruction we can.
Jeremy
Guns&Hoses
I know I spoke with a couple of folks about getting a pistol clinic at up in Jonesboro within the next couple of months, but I'm going to push that back a bit, and here is why: received a message from National that Appleseed's pistol program is being overhauled,firstly by returning to the name "Pistolseed". There will be more changes to the curriculum and course of fire, with new direction hopefully coming soon for Shoot Bosses and Instructors. I want to wait until we see the changes so we can implement them to give the best instruction we can.
Jeremy
Guns&Hoses