Project Appleseed

I'd like to extend our gratitude to Chesterfield Fish & Game Club for hosting our Rimfire Known Distance event at the end of June.  This was our third consecutive summer running an Appleseed event at Chesterfield, but it was Appleseed's first KD event to be held in New York in quite a long time, and I believe it was the very first Rimfire KD in the state.  It was great to be back in the Adirondack north country where we were joined by five marksmen who were eager to stretch their 22 rifles out to 200 yards.

Saturday was hampered by continuous rain and ~17mph winds, but our shooters stayed focused on the task at hand, and we were able to cover our recaps of the fundamental marksmanship techniques, and tackle the Third Challenge of a Rifleman: Making the Shot. We retreated to the clubhouse for breaks from the rain, where shooters learned how bullet trajectory, come-ups, and environmental factors would influence their ability to place their shots on target. The wet and windy conditions on the range tested everyone's resolve, but we managed to capture our come-ups at 50, 100, 150 and 200 yard targets before breaking for the day and giving folks a chance to dry out, clean their rifles, and get some rest for Day 2.

As a testament to how drastically the weather can change up in the mountains, Sunday morning greeted us with brilliant sunshine which quickly chased off the dense fog and rejuvenated our energy. We circled back to the Three Challenges of a Rifleman to cover Target Detection and Range Estimation, and then put those concepts into practice as shooters worked to range & engage a 12" steel 'Appleseed Silhouette' which had been placed downrange.

We quickly moved into an AQT before lunch, followed by another crack at the steel Morgan's Shingle target at 125 yards.  Congratulations to Lee, Linus and Paul who each joined 'Morgan's Men' with their carefully placed shots 

We spent the rest of the afternoon tackling the 200yd AQT, with some breaks for history and a discussion of Battlesight Zero. Although all of our marksmen were making viable hits out to 200 yards, Lee was the lone Rifleman to pull out 43 hits on the final AQT of the weekend, earning the coveted Rimfire KD rocker - congratulations, Lee!



As we all know well from our journey on the 25m range, a Rifleman persists, and I know we'll be awarding more KD rockers when we return to New York next season.

Thank you Chesterfield for inviting us back, and a special shoutout to the awesome crew who provided us with a hot lunch both Saturday and Sunday - you guys are too good to us!

Thank you to our crew of Appleseed volunteers - Hawkman, Dude, and Bucky - you guys did a fantastic job, and we couldn't have pulled this off without your support. 

Last but not least - thank you to the best LBOTG in New York - Mr Kirby (Valcour '76) - your logistical support before, during, and after our events is nothing short of heroic.  We appreciate your commitment to Appleseed, and we admire your passion for the history that made the Lake Champlain region such a pivotal focal point in our country's struggle for Liberty.

I look forward to crossing paths with all of you again in Saratoga, Williamson, or back in the Adirondacks in 2025!


EVENT PHOTO ALBUM - CLICK HERE

 T Wolf, thank you for the kind words. The Chesterfield Fish and Game Club is honored to play host to a special organization like Project Appleseed. This mountain rifle range is a treasure that we love to share with you. Thank you and your wonderful cadre of instructors for a safe and challenging weekend. You know the club is always available to Appleseed and we are at your service.
New York is tremendously lucky to have the finest State Coordinator in Appleseed. Your energy and passion are contagious, we can't wait to host you again next year if possible.
By the way, you've seen our Veterans Exempt Flag, our new motto is "You can't stomp us out, and you can't make us run." How about that for a NYS patch?