Project Appleseed

We had our first Brighton, CO Appleseed hosted by the Wildlife Hunters Association of Colorado .  The club was great to work with and we had a handful of the club's members (including the Range Master) attend.  On Saturday as the sun was breaking the horizon, the weather was chilly at 39ºF by my Jeep's thermometer, but by lunch everyone had shed layers down to t-shirts as the mercury rose to the low 70s.  We had 21 shooters and 7 instructors (RifleWoman, Long Rifle, Nitro45, Skid, Colorado Pete, Franktown_Kid, and me).   Saturday was full of teaching while the shooters walked right up to the Appleseed firehose and started drinking.  By the end of the day we had gotten through our first AQT and shooters were excited to return on Sunday.  The stories of American heritage seemed to be one of the favorite parts of the weekend for a bunch of the shooters.


Explaining the Red Coat target.


Teaching the prone position


Inches, Minutes, Clicks.


Working on the standing position.


Continuing work on the standing position


Telling the 3rd Strike.

Sunday started off a little warmer in the mid 40s, but again peaked in the 70s by lunch.  We had 17 shooters (3 of which were new - and one of those was recruited by an Appleseeder who was brand new on Saturday!  How's that for 7th stepping?)  On Sunday, first we quickly reviewed Saturday's information overload and then we shot squares, Red Coats, a stack of AQTs and even some Oreos  (see the pics below - they were pretty fun reactive targets). 


Reviewing the loop sling.


Those little, 5 MOA, black dots on the target line?  Yeah, they're Oreos.


Close up of Oreo mounted to target line. (we used 1-3/4" sewing pins to hold them in place)


Score?  Shooter: 1. Oreo: 0! 


By the end of the day, Esaaybe had shot a solid Rifleman at 217.


And he choose to take an Orange Hat!


And Nitro45 earned his Red Hat!


We also had one Appleseeder veteran, Cora_Munro, who was a real overachiever on the 7th step - she brought 6 shooters to this Appleseed!  So, we awarded her with an Appleseed challenge coin for her outstanding work in waking sleeping Americans. 

I had a great time this weekend and want to thank all of the shooters and instructors for making this an outstanding Appleseed... now to wash off this sunscreen and put some aloe on my sunburned face and neck! 

Looking forward to seeing everyone farther down the Appleseed trail!

-Zombie

I had a great time this weekend! It was nice to have an Appleseed event nearer to my home.  Things that could have been better: If the shoot started an hour earlier (say 8am instead of 9) we might have avoided late afternoon sun-in-the-eye during the AQTs...I believe more than a few of my guests who came were frustrated. However, weather, sun, lighting, sand, etc., are all elements that a "rifleman who persists" learns to work with  So. I'm not sure that much could have changed.

I look forward to continuing on with the 7th step and going to the IBC in December so that I can become a full IIT...but first I will be dry practicing (I have even considered taking a .22 stock with a sling attached for my trip to FL this week), and then...on to Shoot Boss!! Zombie, I do believe that green is also my color.

Cora, something tells me we'll be seeing you down the trail...a lot! Welcome aboard!

Thanks everyone, very excited to get started...

Quote from: esaabye on October 19, 2009, 08:06:15 PM
Thanks everyone, very excited to get started...

Make sure you talk to Skid to get the details for the Colorado IBC coming up in December.   

I've registered for it, and we'll register Chad in a few weeks. I think I have a friend coming with me to the Ramah shoot, and she's salivating at possibly becoming an instructor, so that may be one more person there.

What a great week end. Thanks Chad and Melody for waking me up and my deep appreciation to Val, Pete Allen, Wes, Rich and anyone I may be forgetting for giving me a hand up in waking up the American in me and incouraging me to be a proficient marksman.
May God lead and direct your paths onto a courages life.

Steve Studley
And thanks also to Cy for being a hospitipal host

Good job Everyone!  Congrats on a solid shoot, Zombie.  Welcome aboard Eric.  Congrats to Nitro45.  And thank you Cora for spreading the good word. 

To all who came, Thank You.  You are the folks that give me hope we can turn this country back into a nation of Riflemen--Strong, Self-reliant, Motivated, Independent, Ethical and Moral  role-models for the next generation.

Colorado is Waking UP.  Look Out!  I feel a surge of educated, constitution-revering, Patriotic Americans who will encourage our elected leaders to listen to the Founding Fathers.

The western slope is working to catch up to your example.


Happy Appleseeding.

al smith
roaster/appleseeder