Phoenix, AZ AAR May 2-3, 2026

[Mr6Actual]

2026 Phoenix Season Finale: History Overheard, Walk-Ons, and a New Rifleman!

Location: Ben Avery Shooting Facility, Phoenix, AZ

Shooter Count: 11 (9 Original + 2 Inspired Recruits!)

New Riflemen: 1 (Congrats, Craig!)

First-Time Appleseeders: 5 (Plus 2 new friends on Day 2!)

Huzzah! We just wrapped up our final outdoor event of the season at Ben Avery before the fierce Phoenix summer heat officially takes over, and what a way to close out this chapter! We had a fantastic, highly focused line of 9 shooters to start—five of whom were completely new to Project Appleseed and had never heard the story of April 19, 1775, quite like we tell it.

Among the crew were two great father-son duos, including an incredibly sharp 8-year-old who absolutely held his own on the line, proving once again that our heritage belongs to the next generation. While most of our line pre-registered, we were thrilled to welcome two walk-ons right off the bat on Saturday morning.

The Firing Line: From First Shots to the Coveted Patch

The Phoenix heat was definitely warming up out at the range, but our shooters' determination was hotter.

International Excellence: One of the absolute highlights of the weekend was a gentleman visiting us all the way from India. He had never shot a rifle before in his life! Why, cuz they are not allowed to have rifles. After listening closely to the instructors, practicing his steady hold factors, and mastering his Natural Point of Aim (NPOA), he was dropping shots right into the black—matching the performance of shooters on the line who had over six years of experience! It was a masterclass in the power of being coachable.

    A New Rifleman in the Ranks: Huge congratulations to Craig, who dug deep, fought the heat, applied the fundamentals, and earned his Rifleman Patch! Wear it with pride, Craig—you earned every single point on that AQT.
Not to be outdone, our frequent return participant and Blue/Orange Hat, Bill re-qualified with 3 rifleman scores!!!

The Heritage: The Story That Captured the Range

The "Three Strikes of the Match" landed perfectly with our participants, but its impact didn't stop at our firing line.

During one of our history presentations on Day 1, two Ben Avery passerby's overheard the story. They were so incredibly moved and inspired by the tales of the sacrifices made on Battle Road that they approached us and asked if they could come back on Day 2 just to listen to the rest of the history.

We told them they were absolutely welcome to come back for the stories—but in true Appleseed fashion, we didn't let them just sit on the sidelines! On Sunday, we hooked them up with a loaner rifle, got them out on the mats, and introduced them to the fundamentals of traditional American marksmanship. By the end of the day, they were completely hooked and are already planning to attend our next full event to get the complete instruction and catch the stories they missed.
Thank You!

A massive thank you to the instructors and IITs who came out to Ben Avery to keep the line safe, the instruction sharp, and the water coolers full. And to our shooters—both the planned ones and the surprise additions—thank you for bringing your focus, your great attitudes, and your passion.

We are officially beating the summer heat for outdoor events, but keep a close eye on the schedule for our return. If those two Sunday visitors proved anything, it's that you never know how a single weekend can change your perspective.

Who is going to be our next Rifleman? See you on the line!