Project Appleseed

Greetings All,

Just wanted to make the announcement that Nathaniel, Alt F4 Phantom, took an Orange Hat at the most recent Waco shoot. He had just fired a 249 with his bolt action Savage (missed with one in Stage 2).

I'm sure he'll make a fine IIT and even better Instructor when the time comes.

I've known this young man all his life. Yep, I'm his Dad!

In Liberty,

Gus

Quote from: Gus on January 02, 2026, 12:02:00 PMGreetings All,

Just wanted to make the announcement that Nathaniel, Alt F4 Phantom, took an Orange Hat at the most recent Waco shoot. He had just fired a 249 with his bolt action Savage (missed with one in Stage 2).

I'm sure he'll make a fine IIT and even better Instructor when the time comes.

I've known this young man all his life. Yep, I'm his Dad!

In Liberty,

Gus

I know that face!!! 

Welcome aboard, Nathaniel 

I offer a hearty salute to the new volunteer and his fantastic forum handle.

Huzzah!  Welcome aboard!

Awesome! I've watched that young man shoot, it is quite a sight to behold.

Too new and have no idea what that is yet but obviously something cool and to be acknowledged. Congrats on it.

Hi LDB415,

The instructor cadre in Project Appleseed all wear different colored hats. First are the Instructors In Training, or IIT's. IITs wear Orange Hats. They are accomplished Riflemen or Riflewomen. They have demonstrated the ability with a rifle to score high enough on an AQT (Appleseed Qualification Test) to earn their Rifleman patch. Once you've earned the patch, you may be offered a hat and join the instructor cadre.  IITs begin at IIT0 and progress through a series of progress checks up to IIT4. When the IIT completes a progress check, and demonstrates competency with given tasks, they are promoted to the next higher level of IIT.

After IIT4 is the fully qualified Instructor. They wear the Red Hat.

The next level up is the Shoot Boss. Once a Red Hat instructor has gone through the Shoot Boss progress checks, and passes, he or she is promoted to Shoot Boss. Shoot Bosses wear a Green Hat.

The last 'Hat' is the Master Instructor. They wear the Silver Hat.

At the Waco shoot my son decided he'd like to join the cadre and he asked to be given an Orange Hat.  He's done a lot of Appleseed shooting since 2019 and now he wants to teach others. 

This is no little thing!

It's one thing to score well as a Rifleman.  It's quite another to instruct how to do it.  IITs go through quite a process and journey in being taught how to teach.  It takes a lot of time and commitment. I really like the structured way Project Appleseed teaches IITs how to become instructors.

As for his score of 249, that was one point shy of a perfect score: 250. A 250 is a rather rare accomplishment. I have witnessed two shooters do that here in Texas, one at Fredericksburg and one at New Braunfels. It's a beautiful thing to see all the shots in the five ring.

Back to the AQT. The AQT is a test of marksmanship. It is a thinking shooter's course of fire.  It is not meant to embarrass potential Riflemen. It is meant to identify one.

Stage one is Standing. In this you have one 10-round magazine and you have two minutes to fire all ten shots into the top target.

Stage two is a rapid fire transition stage: standing to seated. In stage two you have two targets. You begin standing, with an unloaded rifle. On your mat, you have two magazines: one with 2 rounds and one with 8 rounds. At the command 'Fire' you safely sit (or kneel), load your rifle with the 2 round mag and fire twice at the left target. Drop the empty mag and reload with the 8 round mag. Fire three more into the target on the left. Switch over to the right side target and fire your remaining five rounds into it.  You have 55 seconds for stage 2. It goes by fast.

Stage three is also a rapid fire transition stage: Standing to Prone. The target for stage 3 has three targets. magazines are 2 and 8. From standing, at the call to Fire, you safely get into prone, load the 2 round mag into your rifle and fire two into the left target. Drop the empty mag and reload with the 8 round mag. Fire one more into the left target. move to the middle target and fire three into it. Move to the right side target and fire the remaining four into it. You have 65 seconds for stage 3.

Stage four is Prone. one mag, ten rounds. Start Prone, stay prone. There are four targets for stage 4. left to right you fire 2-2-3-3. You have five minutes for stage 4.  Like I said, it's a thinking shooter's course of fire.

As mentioned above, a perfect score is 250. To earn your Rifleman patch you need a score of 210 points or higher. Distinguished with open sights is 230 points. With scopes you need a score of 240 or more for distinguished.  In the picture I posted of my son you can see the four rows of targets on his AQT.

Keep the questions coming!  I see you mentioned the Hempstead shoot.  Have you signed up for it? I signed up for it a bit ago to instruct both days. Hope to see you there!

Gus

Congrats!

249 with a bolt is SMOKIN'...

Quote from: Gus on January 02, 2026, 10:26:23 PMHi LDB415,

The instructor cadre in Project Appleseed all wear different colored hats. First are the Instructors In Training, or IIT's. IITs wear Orange Hats. They are accomplished Riflemen or Riflewomen. They have demonstrated the ability with a rifle to score high enough on an AQT (Appleseed Qualification Test) to earn their Rifleman patch. Once you've earned the patch, you may be offered a hat and join the instructor cadre.  IITs begin at IIT0 and progress through a series of progress checks up to IIT4. When the IIT completes a progress check, and demonstrates competency with given tasks, they are promoted to the next higher level of IIT.

After IIT4 is the fully qualified Instructor. They wear the Red Hat.

The next level up is the Shoot Boss. Once a Red Hat instructor has gone through the Shoot Boss progress checks, and passes, he or she is promoted to Shoot Boss. Shoot Bosses wear a Green Hat.

The last 'Hat' is the Master Instructor. They wear the Silver Hat.

At the Waco shoot my son decided he'd like to join the cadre and he asked to be given an Orange Hat.  He's done a lot of Appleseed shooting since 2019 and now he wants to teach others. 

This is no little thing!

It's one thing to score well as a Rifleman.  It's quite another to instruct how to do it.  IITs go through quite a process and journey in being taught how to teach.  It takes a lot of time and commitment. I really like the structured way Project Appleseed teaches IITs how to become instructors.

As for his score of 249, that was one point shy of a perfect score: 250. A 250 is a rather rare accomplishment. I have witnessed two shooters do that here in Texas, one at Fredericksburg and one at New Braunfels. It's a beautiful thing to see all the shots in the five ring.

Back to the AQT. The AQT is a test of marksmanship. It is a thinking shooter's course of fire.  It is not meant to embarrass potential Riflemen. It is meant to identify one.

Stage one is Standing. In this you have one 10-round magazine and you have two minutes to fire all ten shots into the top target.

Stage two is a rapid fire transition stage: standing to seated. In stage two you have two targets. You begin standing, with an unloaded rifle. On your mat, you have two magazines: one with 2 rounds and one with 8 rounds. At the command 'Fire' you safely sit (or kneel), load your rifle with the 2 round mag and fire twice at the left target. Drop the empty mag and reload with the 8 round mag. Fire three more into the target on the left. Switch over to the right side target and fire your remaining five rounds into it.  You have 55 seconds for stage 2. It goes by fast.

Stage three is also a rapid fire transition stage: Standing to Prone. The target for stage 3 has three targets. magazines are 2 and 8. From standing, at the call to Fire, you safely get into prone, load the 2 round mag into your rifle and fire two into the left target. Drop the empty mag and reload with the 8 round mag. Fire one more into the left target. move to the middle target and fire three into it. Move to the right side target and fire the remaining four into it. You have 65 seconds for stage 3.

Stage four is Prone. one mag, ten rounds. Start Prone, stay prone. There are four targets for stage 4. left to right you fire 2-2-3-3. You have five minutes for stage 4.  Like I said, it's a thinking shooter's course of fire.

As mentioned above, a perfect score is 250. To earn your Rifleman patch you need a score of 210 points or higher. Distinguished with open sights is 230 points. With scopes you need a score of 240 or more for distinguished.  In the picture I posted of my son you can see the four rows of targets on his AQT.

Keep the questions coming!  I see you mentioned the Hempstead shoot.  Have you signed up for it? I signed up for it a bit ago to instruct both days. Hope to see you there!

Gus

Wow, seems like there should be a few points given just for remembering what to do and how many to fire on each target. Yes, I'm signed up for Hempstead. And wondering what have I gotten myself into. Maybe I can write notes on my palm to keep straight how many and which. And thanks for the hat explanations. Maybe I'll initiate the Purple hats. Too dumb for anything else but has fun.

QuoteJust wanted to make the announcement that Nathaniel, Alt F4 Phantom, took an Orange Hat

Well it's about time, Congrats Nathaniel!

Welcome aboard!