Project Appleseed

AAR Proctor VT May 15-16-2009

Q&D stats

Saturday
20 shooters

201 rounds
1 Rifleman (Gene)
SeanO earned his Red Hat (Sean is 78 years old) clearly a Dangerous OLDER man
His history is top notch (do you know who the minute man is on the Appleseed shirt? Well I learned from Sean that that is Isaac Davis)

Sunday

12 shooters plus a half day walk on

642 Rounds (14 AQT's)

3 riflemen (Ryan, Mark, Ivan) 
Ryan accepted an Orange hat

Total of 843 rounds for the weekend 

Another Great Appleseed event

Saturday

Weather; we had it all but snow (except the dogwood fuzzy's flying around seemed like snow)

We forged one Rifleman (Gene) on one of only three qualifier targets shot 



Lots of loner rifles were handed out and lots of loaner slings too
Tape on strung on check pieces applied and lots of other work arounds to get the proper fit and functions
I have said it before "Appleseed sure is good at sorting out what gear will work and what gear will not and what gear can be made to work"

Saturday is tough lots of information to transmit to folks it seems slow in the morning
However picks up nice later on

We had a young Marine join us for Saturday only he is set to "go" in December
Lets hope what he took away from us will help 

Lots of folks knocking on the door

One shooter (Jim) could not get into prone (physical problems) so he shoots from Standing and Sitting only he shoots a 178 on the AQT (Truly an inspiration)
This man knows very well what he is about and has great resolve 
I hope I am at the Appleseed when he shoots 210 

What a day

Sunday

Weather Started out cold cloudy everything wet (backers all warped)
Dried out nice and became a very nice day

Safety briefing with very nice harmony  from the chorus line

Rifles to the line

Shot the red coats and posted squares reviewed the steady hold factors and six steps and NPOA and got all the rifles dialed in and started in on RFAQTs

Forged three more Rifleman on this day 

3 riflemen (Ryan [tfelog], Marc, Ivan) Ivan was already a Rifleman

Ryan made the cut


Marc worked hard made the cut with help loading mags.
SeanO with North Bridge Water



I owe Ivan another patch and another photo

Ripersnifle helped a novice shooter go from zero to a 188 on only two qualifiers shot by this shooter this day she also shot the last red coat clean

A BIG THANK YOU to the instructor core for this event

AK Panda
Maestro
SeanO
Ripersnifle
NattyBumpo
Master Nickle

Well Done

Ryan also accepted the Orange hat

Watch this guy he and his whole family are already working the program hard and well in eastern
up State New York GO SARATOGA!!!

Hey Everybody!
Sorry for the delay in posting, that thing called employment sure does get in the way!

The weekend went GREAT!
The weather cooperated nicely. It didn't begin to really rain until after everyone had left on Saturday, and while it was a bit chilly to start  :Pon Sunday, it was dry.

It was great to have all the different shooters show up and to be a part of their progress! On Sunday we had a young man, Sam who's 9, shoot his personal best of 150! His dad is Ryan, who shot rifleman - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Way to go fellas!

I had the honor and pleasure to be present when SeanO was presented his red hat - the man is an inspiration! His presentation of the history is spoken like a true patriot.

It was unfortunate that some folks had to leave early each day but i'm pretty sure we'll see them again on the Applesed Trail.

Thanks everybody for showing up. I always learn something at an event wether I'm a shooter or an IiT.

Happy Trails

AK Panda

A big thanks to all the instructors.  Especially to Nate (not sure of his handle here on the board)for the use of his loaner rifle and Ripersnifle for his one on one instruction and loading my 7 rounders for my Marlin.
Also thanks to all the participants for making this Rhode Islander feel at home in the Green Mountain state.  You've got a real jewel of a place.
Without a doubt the tips I learned and relearned here contributed to my Rifleman score.  This won't be my last Appleseed.  I'd love to see more closer to home too.  I'll be on the lookout for a RBC near me too.

Thanks again!
Marc (with a C )

Wow!

What a great Shoot!  The enthusiasm was sky-high - lots of mental and physical energy generated by Shoot Boss Buzzworth, who is indeed buzzworthy (as the Seinfeld gang would say).  His singsong recitations of the safety rules are by now legendary.  "Squeeeeeeeeeze the trigger!" and "Keep your booger hook off the bangy thing!" are literally unforgettable.

Working with Cindy and Kathy is a hoot and a half.  Make that two hoots - one each.  Whenever something needed to be done, they were there.  And Ripersnifle was The Rock, as always.  His private pupil - an older woman who showed up late Sunday afternoon, looking like she'd be more at home at a Republican fund-raiser than at a firing range - cleaned the freakin' Red Coat, for goodness sakes.

And it was great fun to get the Red Hat from Nickle, who's been a great inspiration to me since my first Appleseed.  His straight-forward telling of the history is what I patterned my own delivery after - it makes for a more engaging, conversational telling of the story than a mere dry-as-dust recitation of historical facts.  I thought that the pressure would be off once I got the Red Hat, but I've spent this evening studying the threads on telling the history and see that I've still got an awful lot of work to do.  In Appleseed, nothing's ever 'good enough' - just look at all the updates in the instruction sections.

Lastly, I thank Lloyd for insisting, at my first Appleseed, on my using the loop sling even when I hated putting the d--- thing on.  It made a big difference in my scores.  And I thank him for the special gift of an Appleseed Challenge Coin.  Very touching, much appreciated.

This is beginning to sound like an Academy Award acceptance speech - "...and to my third-grade teacher, Mary Alyce Smithers, I would just like to say...." - so I'm outa heah!

And now, Team Buzzworth - on to Bennington!

Best to all,  Sean O'

My son Sam and I came for the Sunday shoot and had a great time.
This was our second Appleseed.  Both Sam and I struggled at our 1st Appleseed but we went home and worked on everything we were taught and it really paid off. 

Sam's best was around 80-100 for most of Sunday and then I think it started to click with him or maybe it was the fact that we were on some kind of AQT marathon.  We were having a hard time keeping our mags prepped.  Buzz was really working our #$@'s off. But Sam had one of his best targets a 135.  Then I think it was the last target of the day he pulled a 150.  He was proud.  Then came the talk of who's the youngest IIT. Sam is is determined he is going to be the youngest IIT.
On the way home he was talking about the 7th step and trying to get some of his friends to come to an Appleseed.

The bonding experience was something I don't think I can explain.  But we left having conversation like 2 old friends reminiscing about the memories we shared.  The conversation lasted the hole way home [1.5hrs].

Thanks for the great time and I'm sure you'll see us in June at Bennington.
-Ryan

How do you describe an Appleseed shoot to someone? After all, while we're all there to improve our shooting skills, I think the shooting part is the least of the story. Come to shoot - leave with a new (or renewed) sense of purpose. That can be a bit hard to describe to someone in 10 words or less.

The reality is that people have a hunger for purpose, and in today's world speaking of things like honor, commitment, truth and justice in a public venue is no longer accepted as "polite conversation". Appleseed breathes a breath of fresh air, renews the sense of purpose, and blows the dust off of these long forgotten convictions.

It is refreshing to see that, no matter one's background, political persuasion or social standing, we can all gain a renewed sense of purpose from an Appleseed event. The strange thing is that what initially brings us all together is the importance of the rifle and a hope of conquering the AQT.

Personally I have found that it isn't the acquisition of the Rifleman's patch as much as the journey in acquiring it. To think that I might have shot 210+ at my first Appleseed, got a patch and then walked away; denying myself the richness of experiences that I would have missed by not attending my second Appleseed. I can see why instructors keep coming back for more. They sure seem to enjoy what they do and the personal development must be very rewarding.

Thanks to everyone at the Proctor shoot for keeping us safe, guiding us through discipline to accuracy, and renewing our senses of purpose. Buzz, I appreciate the kind words. And yes, I WILL get that dang Rifleman's patch, with my 10/22 and iron sights!

Good morning, Ryan!

Getting your Rifleman patch wasn't the best thing you did all weekend.  Being a great father was.  And that's what you were put on earth to be.  Getting to watch wonderful family relationships like yours is one of the great bennies of being associated with Appleseed.

Best to you and Sam,

Sean O'

And Good Morning to you, Jim!

I don't know what your scores were, but your quiet determination told me that you're Appleseed material.

Another of the many great bennies of following the Appleseed trail is to see how people take the instruction and adapt it, as you've had to.  And persevere through the difficulties.  Your persistence, more than your scores, is what tells me that you're a Rifleman.

Best,

Sean O'

SeanO gave some WONDERFUL history presentations...Hats off.
Buzzworth...Nice chorus lines...as usual.
Maestro...plugged in wherever she was needed...she's sneaky too.
Ak Panda...thanks for yelling at me to clear my end...After floating, hard to get back in the swing of things.
Natty...thanks for keeping things light and humorous.
Nickle...always a pleasure.

Her name is Maggie.
She is a NATURAL.
We met her at a gun show 2 months ago.  (Like several other first-timers at this Proctor event)
We chatted for at least half an hour.
She said she could probably shoot a rifleman score on her first day.  (No way, not possible)
We POLITELY nodded and encouraged her to come to a shoot.
She arrived at 2:00 Sunday afternoon.
Safety, 6-Steps, Positions, NPOA, and we had her throwing well-aimed lead.
Shot five 1" Squares.
1st AQT was a 177.
Small sight adjustment.
2nd was a 188.
She missed the standing stage on her 3rd.
(Malf's with the mags on my 10/22...guess it's time to disassemble and clean them.)
Then came the icing on the cake.
She CLEANED the final Redcoat of the day.
Imagine if we had her for the whole day.
It was my pleasure to work with her.

sk